April 10, 2008

LOGAN, Utah - Utah State softball hosts New Mexico State in a Western Athletic Conference three-game series on Friday and Saturday, April 11-12. Friday's action starts at 3 p.m. with a single contest, while the doubleheader on Saturday begins at 1 p.m. All home games are played at LaRee and LeGrand Johnson Field and admission is free.

Utah State is 11-21 on the season and 2-6 in the WAC, entering the weekend in seventh place in the league. USU has won five of its last seven games, including three straight, after picking up its first shutout of the season at Idaho State, 7-0, on Wednesday. USU is led by freshman SS Kelley Kaneshiro's .407 average which ranks third in the conference, while junior P Lindsey Benson leads the team with a 4.78 ERA and has struck out 87 in 130.1 innings of work. As a team, USU is fourth in the WAC in walks (111) and sixth in home runs (22), doubles (43), stolen bases (32) and batting average (.272).

Kaneshiro has the longest active hitting streak of any Aggie player this year at 14 games, which is also the longest active hitting streak in the WAC.

New Mexico State is 19-27 overall and 3-6 in the conference and are currently sixth in the league overall. NMSU has lost five of its last seven games, after falling to New Mexico, 7-6, on Tuesday. New Mexico State is led offensively by Stephanie Herrera's .395 average, which ranks fourth in the WAC, while the team is led defensively by junior P Kim Watson's 2.58 ERA and 13-14 overall record. As a team, NMSU is second in the WAC in walks (116), second in home runs (30), third in doubles (51) and seventh in batting average (.271).

Utah State holds a 44-32 all-time advantage in the series against New Mexico State, USU's highest winning percentage against any WAC opponent, but USU has lost six of the last 11 match-ups against the Southern Aggies. Last season, NMSU took all three games in Las Cruces, posting a 5-0 no-hitter on May 4 and winning the doubleheader on May 5, 3-1 and 2-1 after nine innings.

The Aggies continue action on the road next week, playing a doubleheader at Utah on Tuesday, April 15 starting at 2 p.m. (MT). USU will then play just its second conference road series this season at Louisiana Tech on Friday and Saturday April 18-19. Friday's game is scheduled to start at 5 p.m. (MT), while the doubleheader on Saturday is set to begin at 12 p.m. (MT).