THIS WEEK IN THE MOUNTAIN WEST
The MWC heads into its third week of conference play with BYU (26-9, 5-1 MWC) remaining atop the standings, and UNLV and Colorado State trailing by one game. The Cougars kick off this week's conference ledger hosting Colorado State on Thursday, followed by a doubleheader with New Mexico on Saturday. In other conference action, Utah hosts Colorado State (Saturday) and New Mexico (Sunday), while San Diego State and UNLV will do battle on Saturday. This week's non-conference schedule is highlighted by UNLV taking on No. 18 Fresno State on Wednesday in Fresno, Calif. In other non-conference action, Colorado State battles Utah State, Utah hosts UC Riverside and BYU takes on Southern Utah.
MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE QUICK HITS BYU
The Cougars went 3-1 last week, including a sweep over San Diego State...Junior righthander Summer Tobias continued her hot streak on the mound, posting a 3-0 record, including two complete game wins...Senior Lauren Watson-Perry is second in the MWC in batting average (.427), on-base percentage (.488), runs scored (36) and total bases (82)...In this week's NCAA statistics, she is tied for fifth in runs scored (36), 22nd in batting average (.427) and 35th in slugging percentage (.745)...Junior Ashlyn Russell also appears in the NCAA statistics, ranking first in home runs per game (0.41), sixth in slugging percentage (.876) and 27th in RBI per game (0.97)...BYU will be on the road this week for conference doubleheaders vs. San Diego State (Thursday) and UNLV (Saturday).
COLORADO STATE
The Rams swept a doubleheader from New Mexico in their only action last week...Colorado State has now won 12 straight games vs. the Lobos, and is 15-4 vs. UNM since 2000...Sophomore Jessica Strickland is on pace to become the first player is CSU school history to lead the team in both batting average and ERA...She is currently batting .397, while posting an ERA of 1.88...Senior Stephanie Roberts drew two walks in game one vs. UNM, giving her 79 on her career which is a new Ram all-time school record...She has 21 on the season which is tied for third on the CSU single-season school charts...The Rams travel through Utah this week, taking on Utah State in non-conference action on Thursday, then battling BYU and Utah in conference doubleheaders Friday and Saturday, respectively.
NEW MEXICO
New Mexico was swept by Colorado State in MWC play last weekend in Fort Collins...The Lobos are 0-8 at opponents' parks and 3-10 at neutral sites this season...Juniors Kristina Schmallen and Cassie Chavez are currently on five-game hitting streaks...Sophomore Ryanne Hodgins holds the longest Lobo hit streak on the season at 10 games...Hodgins leads New Mexico in batting average (.361), at bats (119), hits (43), runs scored (19), triples (three) and stolen bases (five)...Through 33 games this season she has more runs, hits, doubles and triples than all of last year...UNM will take on first-place BYU and Utah in conference action this weekend.
SAN DIEGO STATE
San Diego State went 1-4 in MWC play last week...The San Diego State pitching staff leads the MWC in ERA (1.51), opponent batting average (.207), strikeouts (304) and saves (six)...In the NCAA statistics, the SDSU staff ranks 27th in ERA (1.51)...Junior righthander Celena Velasquez leads the conference in ERA (1.03), strikeouts (161) and saves (five), ranking sixth in the nation in saves and 30th in ERA...The Aztecs will take on UNLV in conference action, Saturday in Las Vegas.
UNLV
UNLV went 3-1 in conference play last week, including a sweep of Utah...The Rebels are off to their best conference start since joining the MWC at 29-14...UNLV is 15 games over .500 for the first time since 1996...Freshman Marissa Nichols hit her 11th home run of the season in game one vs. BYU last week, moving her into sixth place in the UNLV single-season record books...Her two stolen bases last weekend gives her 25 on the year, which is a new Rebel single-season mark for stolen bags...Nichols leads the Rebels in every major offensive category and is currently on pace to set single-season school marks in batting average, slugging percentage and triples...Senior righthander Jacque Kerrigan notched her 600th career strikeout last week...She also had two saves on the week, giving her four on the year which ties the UNLV record for saves in a season...UNLV welcomes San Diego State to Eller Media Stadium on Saturday.
UTAH
Utah posted a 3-3 record last week, sweeping a doubleheader from non-conference foe Utah Valley State in the process...Pitchers Brianna Gourdin and Lindsie Nielsen combined to strikeout 22 of 55 UVSC batters in the two games...Nielsen fanned a season-high 12 in game two vs. the Wolverines...Freshman Diana Phillips is currently riding a five-game hitting streak, which is the second longest Ute streak on the season...The longest hitting streak of the season belongs to sophomore Devina Quintero at nine...Senior Bryanne Durrence tied a career-high with three RBI in game one vs. San Diego State...Freshman Meghan Crouse belted her first career triple in game two vs. UVSC...Her triple was only the third for the Utes this season...Utah starts its week with hosting a non-conference game vs. UC Riverside, then welcomes Colorado State and New Mexico to Salt Lake City for MWC play.
