OMAHA, Neb. – The Omaha softball team treks south for a four-game series this weekend at New Mexico State on Friday-Saturday, Feb. 14-15. The Mavericks and Aggies begin with a doubleheader at 4 p.m. CT on Friday before wrapping up the series with a doubleheader on Saturday at 3 p.m. CT in Las Cruces, N.M.
Leading Off
- The Mavericks are 3-2 on the season after tallying victories over IUPUI, Green Bay and Miami (OH) in last weekend's Rambler Rumble.
- Head coach Amanda Eberhart eclipsed the 100-win mark in her career with the season-opening 7-6 victory over IUPUI.
- Omaha swept the Summit League's weekly awards with Emma Dargy named Player of the Week and Sydney Hampton tabbed Pitcher of the Week.
- Dargy hit .455 at the plate with a Summit League-leading three home runs and seven RBI while Hampton went 3-0 on the weekend with two complete-game shutouts and 0.44 ERA.
- Hampton's honor is the first Summit League Pitcher of the Week for the Mavericks since Laura Roecker on May 8, 2017.
- Seven Mavericks made their debut in an Omaha uniform last weekend. The seven newcomers totaled a combined 18 appearances, including 13 starts in the five games last weekend.
- Omaha and New Mexico State will be familiar foes over the next seven games as the Mavericks and Aggies are schedule to play each other in six times in that seven-game stretch.
Scouting the New Mexico State Aggies
The New Mexico State Aggies are in their 17th season under head coach Kathy Rodolph. Rodolph was the head coach at Angelo State for two seasons before arriving at NMSU, tallying a 69-34 record in that tenure. She currently is the winningest head coach at New Mexico State with a record of 501-413 and is 570-447 overall in her 19th season.
The Aggies are off to a 3-1 start to their 2020 season. NSMU played Nebraska, Bradley, No. 20 Arkansas and UTEP while hosting the Troy Cox Classic last weekend.
Matalasi Faapito leads the Aggies at the plate. In four starts, Faapito is hitting .727 with a double, four home runs, eight runs batted in and six runs scored. Ramsay Lopez has a .500 batting average while posting a double, three home runs and six RBI with a 1.333 slugging percentage. As a team, New Mexico State is hitting .408 with 37 runs, 42 hits, eight doubles and 13 home runs this season.
Analise De La Roca is 2-0 in the circle with a 4.04 ERA and five strikeouts in 8.2 innings of work while Faapito has tossed 9.1 innings in the circle with an 0-1 record and 4.50 ERA. The Aggie pitching staff has a combined 4.67 ERA with 17 strikeouts and .295 batting average against opposing hitters in 24 innings of work.
Duo Does Damage
Emma Dargy and
Jamie White are the first Maverick duo to hit multiple back-to-back home runs in the same season since
Lindsey Slocum and
Amber Lutmer in 2011. The pair went back-to-back in the first inning of the 3-2 loss vs. Butler. Dargy and White did it a second time last weekend in the first inning of Omaha's 8-0 win in five innings over Miami (OH).
Lynsey Likes Leadoff
Freshman
Lynsey Tucker started three games at the leadoff spot in her first weekend as a Maverick. Tucker hit a team-leading .571 on the weekend with four hits, a double, two RBI and three runs scored.
The Lincoln, Neb., native had an impressive collegiate debut, hitting 3-for-4 at the plate with an RBI and run scored.
Looking Ahead
The Mavericks are set to play five games at the UTEP Tournament next weekend in El Paso, Texas. Omaha will play New Mexico State and UTEP on Friday, Feb. 21 before facing New Mexico State and IUPUI on Saturday. The Mavericks wrap up the weekend with a game against UTEP on Sunday.
