EL PASO, Texas – UTEP softball will hit the road for a three-game Conference USA series at Western Kentucky in Bowling Green, Kentucky, with a weather-adjusted schedule set for this weekend.
The Miners and Hilltoppers will now open the series with a doubleheader on Friday, April 17, at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. MDT, followed by the finale on Sunday, April 19, at 10 a.m. MDT.
Schedule
Friday, April 17
WKU | 2pm MT
WKU | 5pm MT
Sunday, April 19
WKU | 11am MT
Coverage: Live Stats | ESPN+
Last Time Out
UTEP (11-27, 3-15 CUSA) is coming off a three-game series at NM State, where the Miners dropped all three contests in the Battle of I-10.
UTEP fell 8-3 in the opener before being shut out in back-to-back games, 3-0 and 8-0, to close the series.
Individually, Kenna Carranza paced the Miners at the plate, going 2-for-7 across the weekend while also drawing the team's lone walk. Bri Garcia and Jayde Pagdilao each added hits in limited appearances.
In the circle, Arianna Flores and Hannah Jones appeared in all three games, with Flores leading the staff with 6.0 innings pitched over the series.
The Leadoff Report
Offensive Leaders
Marissa Burchard continues to lead UTEP offensively, posting a .333 batting average with a .414 on-base percentage and .530 slugging percentage. She also leads the team in runs (29), hits (39), and doubles (12), while going 9-for-11 in stolen base attempts.
Carranza provides power in the middle of the lineup, leading the Miners with five home runs, 23 RBI, and 18 walks.
Burchard and Brantley Lavas are the only Miners to have started all 38 games this season, while Aaliyah Betancourt and Iliana Munoz have appeared in every contest.
As a team, UTEP is batting .282 with 278 hits, including 66 doubles, three triples, and 24 home runs, while drawing 109 walks.
In the Circle
Tatyana Vega leads the pitching staff with a 5.43 ERA, an 8-11 record, three complete games, and two saves across 107.0 innings pitched. She and Flores have each made 13 starts this season.
Defensive Notes
Munoz leads the team with 167 putouts, while Betancourt (75) and Burchard (73) pace the Miners in assists. UTEP holds a .970 fielding percentage and has turned 15 double plays.
National Rankings
UTEP ranks 54th nationally in doubles (66) and 36th in doubles per game (1.74), placing among the top teams in Conference USA in both categories.
Individually, Burchard ranks inside the top 100 nationally in both doubles and doubles per game, while Vega sits among the NCAA leaders in appearances and saves. Garcia is also ranked 11th nationally in sacrifice bunts per game.
Walk-Off Wins
Five of UTEP's victories this season have come via walk-off fashion:
- vs. UT Arlington – 16-15 comeback win after trailing by 10 runs
- vs. Montana – 15-14 (8 innings)
- vs. Idaho State – 5-4
- vs. Houston Christian – 3-2
- vs. Sam Houston – 3-2
Game Situations
UTEP has played several tight contests this season:
- 7-4 in one-run games
- 1-4 in two-run games
- 2-17 in games decided by five or more runs
- 1-2 in extra-inning games
- 0-5 in shutouts
Scouting Western Kentucky
Western Kentucky enters the weekend at 30-10 overall and 12-6 in Conference USA play.
Jenna Blanton leads the Hilltoppers offensively with a .446 batting average, 58 hits, and 34 runs scored, while also going 17-for-22 on stolen base attempts.
In the circle, Erica Houge anchors the staff with a 2.07 ERA and a 17-4 record across 132.0 innings pitched, while Rylan Smith leads the team with 97 strikeouts.
As a team, WKU is batting .339 with 359 hits and 117 walks, while also swiping 53 bases. The pitching staff holds a 2.71 ERA with 192 strikeouts and six shutouts on the season.
Series History
Western Kentucky leads the all-time series, 12-6. The Miners claimed the most recent meetings, taking two of three games from the Hilltoppers in El Paso last season.
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