April 12, 2005

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QUICKLY -- The team's home stand is briefly interupted by a rescheduled game against Utah Wednesday April 13. The Aggies then play Colorado State on Thursday and finish up the week by playing a doubleheader against Big West Conference rival UC Riverside on Saturday and another game on Sunday... This will be the 132nd time Utah State and Utah will match up with Utah leading the series, 79-52... Utah State and Colorado State have seen action 38 times since 1977 and Utah State leads the series 24-14... Utah State and UC Riverside have matched up nine times and Utah State leads the series 5-4... The Aggies faced Riverside three times last year losing the first game 3-6 and winning the next two 8-3 and 5-2... USU is 10-23 under its first year head coach Lonny Sargent... The Aggies return 10 letterwinners from last year's 10-41 team, which went 6-15 in the Big West and finished seventh in the conference.

UTAH PREVIEW -- Utah finished last year, 20-27, seven games short of a winning record. Utah last played Utah State one year ago on March 30 with the Utes winning the game 4-2. Utah is currently 12-19 on the season and is coming off two losses to UNLV, 10-0 and 4-3, on April 10.

Devina Quintero is the Utes' leading hitter, with a .321 average, including four doubles, two home runs, and nine RBI. Ivette Hernandez is the Ute who strikes fear into opposing pitchers with six home runs and a stellar 17 RBI on the season. As a team, Utah is hitting .237, while its pitchers are allowing opponents a .275 average.

Pitcher Brianna Gourdin (8-8) leads the team with a 2.59 ERA. She has pitched 105.1 innings giving up 111 hits and only 39 earned runs. She is followed by Linsie Nielson (4-10) who has a 4.03 ERA after 81.2 innings. The entire pitching staff has a combined 3.20 ERA.

COLORADO STATE PREVIEW -- Colorado State finished last year, 40-14 with a first place finish in the Mountain West Conference and a trip to the NCAA Regional Championship. It was only the second squad in school history to reach the 40-win plateau. Colorado State is currently 25-13 on the season and is currently enjoying a two game win streak after sweeping the New Mexico Lobos in a doubleheader 5-4 and 4-1.

Jessica Strickland is the Ram's leading hitter, with a .397 average, including 18 doubles, four home runs, and 32 RBI. Seven other Rams are above the .300 mark including Kerry Farrell who hits .369 and has 25 RBI. As a team, CSU is hitting .313, while its pitchers are allowing opponents a .243 average.

Jessica Strickland (10-6) is a double threat as the Ram's starting pitcher. She leads the bullpen with a 1.88 ERA. She has pitched 111.2 innings giving up 95 hits and only 30 earned runs. She is followed by Genevieve Kelly (11-5) who has a 2.41 ERA after 87 innings. The entire pitching staff has a combined 2.48 ERA.

UC RIVERSIDE PREVIEW -- UC Santa Barbara finished last year 13-50 and ranked eighth in the Big West Conference. Utah State went 2-3 against the Highlanders last year. They lost the first game 3-6 and won the next two 8-3 and 5-2. UCR is currently 11-39 on the season and recently split a doubleheader with the San Diego winning one game 1-0 and losing the next 2-3.

Jessica Black is UCR's top hitter, with a .299 average, including nine doubles, two home runs, and seven RBI. Melissa Sanchez leads the team with a slugging percentage of .424 and has recorded five doubles, one triple, three home runs, and 25 RBI. Sanchez places in the top 10 in three seperate catagories in the Big West, runs scored (sixth), hits (ninth), and RBI (seventh). As a team, UCR is hitting .239, while its pitchers are allowing opponents a .284 average.

Pitcher Sara Radabaugh (5-17) leads the starting pitchers with a 3.19 ERA. She has pitched 142.2 innings giving up 154 hits and 65 earned runs. She is followed by Christin Songer who owns a 4.14 ERA after 96.1 innings. The entire pitching staff has a combined 3.62 ERA.

TEAM NOTES -- Sara Fleming exploded over the past week and is currently enjoying a six game hitting streak beginning April 5th against BYU... During this stretch she has hit .611, with nine runs, seven RBI, five doubles, and three home runs... Fleming now leads the Aggies in batting average (.309), slugging percentage (.598), hits (30), doubles (11), total bases (58), and home runs (5)... Quela Leonhardt is second on the team, hitting a respectable .304... Higley (6-10) is leading the bullpen with a 3.92 ERA allowing 47 earned runs in 84.0 innings...Higley is also leading the team with 42 strikeouts... Higley recorded her single game high of five strikeouts agaist Northern Colorado on April 7th.

RANKED OPPONENTS -- Three Utah State opponents are ranked in the top 25 of the USA TODAY/NFCA poll. UCLA stayed steady at the 13th position this week. The Bruins have won two consecutive national championships and hope to defend their title this year. Texas A&M moved up one spot and is currently fifth. Texas A&M is currently leading the Big 12 Conference with a 36-3 record. Arizona State stayed steady 22nd this week. ASU defeated the Aggies 11-2 earlier this year. Two other Aggie opponents, Long Beach State and BYU, received votes in the poll.