ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.– The University of New Mexico softball team concludes its home schedule this weekend when it hosts San José State in a three-game series starting on Friday evening at 6 p.m.
This weekend is also significant in that the Lobos will bridge the past and present as we recognize five seniors: D’Andra DeFlora, Kasey Halleen, Monica Salas, Sydney Townes and Aleyah Wilbon and host softball alumni on Saturday.
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ABOUT THE MATCHUP
Last season, UNM went 0-3 at SJSU and was outscored 8-3 (3-1, 2-1, 3-1). Monica Salas and Andrea Howard each recorded three hits in the series with a double each. Salas posted an on-base percentage of .375 and a slugging percentage of .500. Salas was responsible for two RBI in the series with Sydney Broderick accounting for the other RBI. UNM hit four doubles compared to none for the Spartans, with Salas, Howard and Kasey Halleen with one. UNM holds the advantage in home runs (33-16) and walks (173-155) while both teams are close in batters struck out (187-181), in favor of SJSU, and RBI (172-166), in favor of UNM.
LAST TIME OUT
UNM fell in three games at Fresno State. Aleyah Wilbon tallied the two RBI on the weekend, going 3-for-9 at the plate and drawing one walk. Wilbon had a team-high three hits and an on-base percentage of .400. Bailey Klitzke and Lauren Wilmert each recorded two hits with Klitzke hitting the only extra-base hit for the Lobos in the series with a double.
Wilmert threw out a career-high two runners on Friday while Sydney Broderick threw out a runner on Sunday. UNM now leads the MW in runners caught stealing by with 13 on the season, seven of which came from Wilmert.
Cameryn O’Grady was issued a team-high four walks in the series with Taylor Jones second on the team with two. Six different players recorded a walk on the weekend.
MIXING IT UP
The Lobos have used 32 different lineups to date, only having duplicated their lineup eight times.
UNM used the same lineup in the Arizona and Alabama game, the same lineup in the Cal State Fullerton and UTEP game, the same lineup against Hawai’i on Feb. 22 and DePaul on Feb. 23 and the same lineup against Tennessee and UConn. The Lobos used the same lineup in the second game at SDSU and the second game vs. CSU, the same lineup in the first and third games against Nevada and the second game against North Dakota and the second game against Nevada. Recently, UNM used the same lineup in both games at NMSU, in all three games at USU, versus UTEP, the first two games with Boise State and Tuesday’s game vs. NMSU.
The Lobos used three different lineups in the series at Fresno State, with Aleyah Wilbon moving in to the leadoff spot in the last two games. UNM has had six different players in the leadoff spot in the lineup.
WALK IT OUT
UNM leads the MW in walks drawn to date with 173, eight more than the second-highest team (Fresno State).
In the season opener against UTEP, UNM drew 16 walks alone for a season high.
Against the Miners, eight different players drew a walk, with Andrea Howard reaching base four times via a walk. Cameryn O’Grady and Lauren Wilmert each drew three walks, Maggie Buckholz two and Monica Salas, Taylor Jones, Kasey Halleen and Daryn Haslam each had one.
Versus Cal State Fullerton on Feb. 15 and North Dakota on March 26, the Lobos nearly reached double digits with nine walks in each game.
Cameryn O’Grady leads the team with 30 walks, followed by Andrea Howard (24) and Maggie Buckholz (17).
IT’S ALL O’GRADY
Junior shortstop Cameryn O’Grady leads the team in slugging percentage (.632), on-base percentage (.487), hits (44), runs scored (32), total bases (79), walks (30) and doubles (15). The California native is second in batting average (.352), home runs (6) and hit-by-pitches (3) and tied for second in RBI (26).
With two outs, O’Grady is 10-for-33, with six RBI coming with two outs. When it comes to success advancing runners during an at-bat, O’Grady is second on the team at 44-for-84 (.524). O’Grady is also 18-for-32 (.563) as the leadoff batter in an inning.
Last season, O’Grady led the Lobos in triples (four), doubles (12), walks (32), on-base percentage (.444) and runs scored (31) last season. She was second on the team with 43 hits, 75 total bases and 26 RBIs, and third in batting average (.301) and slugging percentage (.524).
O’Grady hit just four home runs last season, which the junior reached half that in the first three games this season and matched the total with a home run against North Dakota on March 26. She surpassed that number against Nevada on March 31.
The junior has surpassed her totals in total bases, hits and doubles and has matched her totals in RBI.
O’Grady is ranked in the top 10 of the Mountain West in slugging percentage (fifth), on-base percentage (second), doubles (third), and walks (third).
3-2, WHAT YOU GOING TO DO?
Lauren Wilmert leads the team in RBI (35), and home runs (7) and is second in total bases (67), slugging percentage (.500) and in hits (35) and tied for second in doubles (9). The catcher/ first baseman is fourth in runs scored (23), while hitting in the cleanup spot in 31 games and the five spot in 16 games starting against North Dakota. Since moving to the five-spot, Wilmert is 11-for-41 with three doubles, a triple and three home runs with four walks and 15 RBI for a batting average of .268, a slugging percentage of .610 and an on-base percentage of .326. The junior is also tied for the team lead in sacrifice flies and hit her first career triple against North Dakota on March 26.
Wilmert has a team-high 15 RBI with two outs and is 13-for-42 when hitting with two outs. She is also 3-for-9 with bases loaded and 9-for-19 when there is a runner on third with less than two outs.
Playing 23 games behind the plate, Wilmert has thrown out seven runners attempting to steal, bringing her career total to 12. She threw out a career-high two in Friday’s game at Fresno State.
Wilmert has hit two grand slams this season, once against Western Carolina on March 8 and on April 6 at Utah State, which came with two outs in the third inning and gave UNM a 4-2 lead.
Wilmert recorded a career-high three hits against SDSU on March 17, while also recording her sixth home run of her career and tied a career-high six total bases.
The junior ranks in the top 10 of the Mountain West in putouts (seventh), chances (sixth) and caught stealing by (tied for third).
WHAT ABOUT WILBON?
In the 16 starts since Aleyah Wilbon became a permanent player in the Lobo lineup, the outfielder has tallied 17 hits on 46 at-bats for a hitting- and slugging-percentage of .370 and an on-base percentage of .396 while being 1-for-1 in steals.
The senior has recorded the first hit for UNM in five games including all three games against Utah State. Wilbon has three times recorded three hits in a game, once going 3-for-3 and twice going 3-for-4, which were career highs for the outfielder. She has tallied at least one hit in nine of the 16 games.
In those 16 games, Wilbon went 6-for-13 with runners on base, 4-for-8 with runners in scoring position and 5-for-13 with 2 outs in the inning. The California native was 10-for-15 in success advancing runners. Wilbon led the team in batting average (.370) and hits (17).
Wilbon leads the team in batting average (.357), is third in on-base percentage (.390) and tied for fifth in runs scored (13).
NOT JUST A PITCHER
Bailey Klitzke got the ball to start the season against UTEP, but has played in 41 games either in the circle or as the DP, starting in 39.
Klitzke leads the Lobos in triples (3) and tied for first in sac flies (3) and stolen bases (2), while also third on the team in batting average (.324), slugging percentage (.495), total bases (52), and hits (34), fourth in on-base percentage (.388) and doubles (6) and tied for second in RBI (26).
At the plate on the season, Klitzke is a team-best 4-for-6 with bases loaded. She is 7-for-11 with a runner on third with less than 2 outs, 14-for-35 with runners in scoring position, 15-for-40 with two outs in the inning and 11 of her RBI on the season came with two outs- the second-highest total on the team. Klitzke is 31-for-57 in successfully advancing runners in her at-bat.
SCOUTING SAN JOSE STATE
San José State has won its last five games and seven of its last 10. The Spartans are 7-4 on the road. The Spartans have two non-conference opponents with UNM: New Mexico State and Illinois-Chicago. SJSU lost to UIC 12-3 in six innings and beat the Aggies 3-1. The Spartans are outscoring opponents 192-160 but are being outhit 342-341. They are 10-14 in steal attempts while opponents are 28-35.
Cassidy Clark leads the Spartans in hits (42), doubles (11) and hit-by-pitches (6); Madison Aurin leads in RBI (29), total bases (67) and home runs (4). Jenessa Ullegue has a team-high .510 slugging percentage, .425 on-base percentage and .346 batting average. Rayohna Sagapolu leads SJSU with 21 walks.
The pitching staff has a collective ERA of 2.88 with the Spartans primarily using four pitchers. Of the 342 hits allowed, 58 were doubles, 12 triples and 25 home runs. They have 187 strikeouts to 92 walks. Of the 160 runs allowed, 133 have been earned. Caroline Bowman has appeared in 26 games and 18 starts, with five complete games, one shutout and two saves in 97.2 innings of work. To date, Lung is 10-6 with a 2.94 ERA, allowing 115 hits, 55 runs (41 earned), 19 walks and struck out 46. Jenessa Ullegue is 15-4 on the season, making 26 appearances and 15 starts with 12 complete games four shutouts and four saves. In 116.2 innings of work, Ullegue has allowed 94 hits, 38 runs (33 earned) and 40 walks while striking out 93, and has a team-best ERA of 1.98. Madison Aurin has a 2.47 ERA with 51.0 innings in the circle, appearing in 14 games, starting in six, with one save, and compiling a 4-2 record. Aurin has given up 67 hits, 22 runs (18 earned), and walked 10 while striking out 13. Chrys Hildebrand is 3-3 on the year with 15 appearances and eight starts, compiling an ERA of 3.63. In 52.0 innings, Hildebrand has allowed 52 hits, 29 runs (27 earned) and 17 walks while striking out 34.
The Spartans are 36th in the NCAA in double plays per game (.45), 41st in triples per game (.26) and 56th in doubles per game (1.47). The pitching staff has the 71st ERA. Ullegue is 17th in saves and 72ns in ERA. Clark is 60th in toughest to strike out. Bowman (1.36) and Aurin (1.37) are 44th and 46th, respectively, in walks allowed per seven innings.