April 7, 2010
UTEP at Arizona Game Notes 
TUCSON, Ariz. - Coming of a series sweep of Southern Miss, the Miners head to Tucson, Ariz. to take on no. 2/3 Wilcats in a twinbill on Wednesday.
FOR STARTERS
The UTEP softball team heads to Tucson, Ariz. to face no. 2 Arizona in a doubleheader on Wednesday. First pitch is slated for 5 p.m. MDT. The Miners make their return in back-to-back seasons to face the Wildcats. The Miners were swept at U of A a season ago.
A LOOK BACK
UTEP went 3-0 against C-USA foe, Southern Miss, over the weekend, collecting its second conference series sweep of the season for the first time in program history. The Miners opened 2010 league play with a series sweep of Marshall. The Miners opened with a 10-3 rout of the Golden Eagles, but the nightcap was not as easy. USM eventually succumbed to the Miners in the eighth inning off a bases loaded walk by Kelynn Frye. UTEP secured a series finale with a 8-3 win that included a grand slam by UTEP's Stacie Townsend.
A LOOK FORWARD
UTEP will take the weekend off in preparation for a three-game road series at league-leader East Carolina. It will be a pitcher's duel between 2009 Pitcher of the Year Toni Paisley and the current league strikeout leader - UTEP's Stacie Townsend. The set will take place April 17-18 with the contests slated to begin in a twinbill at 11 a.m. MDT.
SCOUTING ARIZONA
Ranked no. 2/3, Arizona is 30-4 going into the series with UTEP. The Cats are coming off a 2-1 series victory over in state rival Arizona State. They are 7-3 in their last 10 games with losses to Michigan, Virginia and Arizona State. Arizona is 11-1 on their home field. Series History: Arizona leads the series 5-1, with a 3-0 advantage on their home turf. UTEP's only victory came in a 9-6 triumph on March 18, 2008 at the Helen of Troy Softball Complex in El Paso. The Miners faced the Wildcats three times in 2010, all were losses. In the Circle: With a combined ERA of 1.72, three pitchers have seen time on the rubber. Leading the way is local standout, Kenzie Fowler. A freshman on the squad, Fowler boasts a 20-2 record with a 0.86 ERA. She has thrown 19 complete games and 10 shutout victories for the season. She leads the team in strikeouts with 183 in 129.2 innings pitched. Posting a 3.26 ERA is veteran Sarah Akamine. The senior is 10-2 on the season while tossing 68.2 innings and 49 K's while senior Ashley Ralston has come in relief to toss 5.2 innings in three appearances. At the Plate: An NFCA All-American a year ago, Brittany Lestrapes leads a team that is batting a combined .343. Lestrapes is hitting a team-high .450 and ranks first on the team in hits with 50. She has 39 runs, eight doubles, 11 home runs and 41 RBIs. Lauren Schutzler is the only other Wildcat to bat over .400 (.439) and Brigette Del Ponte is the nations leader in RBIs, averaging 1.56 per game (50 total). The Last Time: The 11th-ranked Arizona Wildcats won both ends of a doubleheader, defeating UTEP 20-1 and 5-2 as UTEP gave up a combined 20 hits on the day. UTEP's Ashley Ellis scored the only run in the day's opener, off Jennifer Davis' two-out RBI single, as the Miners were held to just three hits. In the nightcap, UTEP was first on the board thanks in part to a sacrifice fly by Amber Bennett that plated Carrera who reached on a double. After connecting for just three hits in the first game, UTEP connected for six in the nightcap. But a late rally in the sixth inning gave Arizona all they needed for the sweep.
AMONG THE RANKS
Second-ranked Arizona is the fourth top-25 the Miners will face in 2010. UTEP won its first meeting over a ranked foe, toppling Baylor (no. 25), 3-2 to win the QTI Getterman Classic in Waco, Texas. The Miners earned their second victory, a 2-1 edge over then no. 24 Fresno State. The Miners dropped three consecutive games to ranked opponents, including a twinbill loss to then 14th ranked Texas. The Miners are 5-28 all time versus ranked opponents, 2-3 in 2010 and are 1-4 in the state of Arizona.
AKAMINE, AKAMINE
UTEP will face an AKAMINE for the second time in 2010. The Miners will take on Sarah Akamine, two months after facing her little sister, Lisa Akamine, when UTEP faced Penn State in the season's weekend opener at the Hotel Encanto Invitational in Las Cruces, N.M. Lisa Akamine went 1-for-3 (.333) at the plate with one RBI in UTEP's 12-3 loss to the Littany Lions.
HOME SWEET HOME
There will be a large fan base when the Miners face Arizona on Wednesday. Two of UTEP's players will be making their return home when they head to the Grand Canyon State. Junior transfer, Kia Moore, hails from Coolidge, Ariz. and senior utility, Camilla Carrera, is from Laveen, Ariz.
HITTER OF THE WEEK BRINGS ALONG HISTORY
Stacie Townsend was named the Conference USA Hitter of the Week after going 6-for-8 (.750) at the plate against Southern Miss. With the accolade, Townsend becomes the first player in the history of the program to be tabbed the league's Player of the Week four times in a season and career. Townsend scored five runs on six hits and drew thee walks in eight at bats to slug 1.124. She posted a .833 on base percentage. She was 2-for-2 in stolen bases to give her 21 for her career, moving to third in UTEP's career recordbooks. She was responsible for nine of the Miners' 27 runs for the series. It marked her sixth multiple-hit game and third contest with four or more RBIs in 2010.
ADDING TO AN ALREADY STORIED CAREER
An integral part of the softball team's success, Townsend will leave UTEP owning the career records for home runs (31), RBIs (118), total bases (308), walks (115), wins (58), appearances (125), complete games (63), ERA (2.62), strikeouts (688), strikeouts looking (147), strikeouts per seven innings (7.47) and shutouts (11.) She needs just 14 runs to become the all-time leader in scoring and six hits to rank first in UTEP's career charts.
DUST OFF THE BROOMS
The UTEP softball teams captured its first series sweep of Southern Miss over the weekend. The feat was the second sweep over a conference opponent and the first time the Miners have taken two sets from a league opponent in program history. The Miners took three games from Marshall to open Conference USA play. The Miners are now 8-4 on the season and need just three more victories to secure its best league victory record in UTEP history. The Miners have never won more than 10 games in conference play (10-14 in 2008).
GOING THE DISTANCE...AND MORE
UTEP defeated Southern Miss, 9-8, in the nightcap game of a twinbill last Friday. The game went to extra frames, eight, which was the second time this season the Miners have gone past regulation (1-0 loss to San Diego State, March 4). UTEP is 2-0 in extra frames. The Miners went the distance and some six times in 2009.
BACK, BACK, BACK, GONE!
The Miners laced five home runs against Southern Miss to collect 29 for the season. Kia Moore laced her first career dinger against the Eagles and Stacie Townsend blasted her ninth long ball of the season - a grand slam. It was Townsend's second base clearing homer of her career (New Mexico State, Feb. 15) and the team's fifth this season. Townsend is the Miners' career home run leader with 31. Not far behind is junior Camilla Carrera, who has gone yard five times in 2010 and 26 for her career. Along with Moore, Courtney Ware, Kelynn Frye and Jessica Villanueva have also seen their first career home run this campaign.
MINERS ON TOP
Several Miners have earned national rankings this season for their success on the diamond. Stacie Townsend ranks first among Division I athletes when it comes to victories, with 22 triumphs in the circle. She is also ranked fifth in strikeouts (249) and 16th in strikeouts per seven innings, averaging 10.3. Offensively, Townsend ranks among the nation's best in walks per game (5th, 1.08pg) and seventh in on base percentage (.572).
PERFECT AT HOME
With UTEP's three-game sweep against Southern Miss, the Miners remain a flawless 13-0 in home games for 2019. The Miners' best home season came in 2008, when UTEP was 19-8 (7-4). With six home games left (three game series vs. UAB and UCF), the worst the UTEP could muster up is a 13-6 (.682) record.
STACIE STRIKES OUT
Stacie Townsend fanned a career-high 18 batters against Belmont, breaking the season standard for the third time in 2010. She combined for 15 more against Memphis, including her 200th K of the season, becoming the only UTEP hurler to reach the 200 plateau twice in a career and the only pitcher to ever reach the milestone in a season. But Townsend didn't stop there. She collected 15 K's in UTEP's opening game against Southern Miss which ranks as third-best in program history and broke the season standard after collecting eight in the final game of the series. Tonwsend, who has 249 for 2010, now holds the top three spots in UTEP recordbooks for strikeouts in a season. She ended 2009 with 246. Townsend put away just 74 batters in strikeout fashion in her freshman campaign and has gone from averaging 5.35 punchouts per game to 10.63 in her senior season. For her career, she has collected 700 strikeouts in three-plus years in the Orange and Blue.
FIFTY WINS CLUB
Stacie Townsend recorded her 50th win against New Mexico making her the only Miner to ever reach the plateau. She recorded two victories over Marshall and picked up her 51st and 52nd wins against Long Beach State and (22) Fresno State respectively. The senior hurler is currently 22-7 for 2010 with 58 career victories. Townsend is the single season leader and holds the top three spots for season triumphs in school recordbooks.
FOR THE RECORD BOOKS
Townsend needs only three more RBIs to become the all-time leader for UTEP. Her next two will tie Simone Holland (2005-08) who owns the current record with 113. Townsend's third RBI will put her alone at the top of the RBI leader board.
OH NO YOU DON'T!
Stacie Townsend became the fifth Miner to record a no-hitter since the 2004 inaugural season after tossing two walks shy of a perfect game against Belmont on March 18. Renee DiPuccio (2004-08) was the first player in the history of the program to record a no-no when she kept Sul Ross from a hit in UTEP's first-ever softball game. She was followed by Megan Barber, Veronica Flournoy and Kelly Curran. Curran was the only player to accomplish the feat in conference action after holding UAB hitless in 2008. Townsend becomes the only player to throw a no-hitter in seven complete innings, as the other did it in mercy rule fashion.
CATCH ME IF YOU CAN
Camilla Carrera is closing in on Townsend for the number one spot as the all-time home run leader. Townsend has the record with 31 long balls while Carrera is two spots behind her with 26 homers, tying her for second in UTEP annals. Carrera has only five home runs this season while Townsend has nine, but Carrera holds the season record of 13 in a single-season that she set last year.
POLLS DON'T MATTER TO UTEP
UTEP's 3-2 victory over no. 25 Baylor was the fifth win over a ranked opponent by the Miner squad since its 2004 inaugural season and UTEP's win over no. 22 Fresno State was the sixth. Stacie Townsend has been the winning hurler in every triumph. UTEP's win over Baylor win is the first victory of a ranked team inside the Lone Star State outside of the Sun City, as the Miners previous victories came against Arizona (1) and Arizona State (3) and then Fresno State (1).
MINERS IN THE POLLS
On March 2, the Miners garnered votes in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches poll. While UTEP was left out of the leaderboard this week, the Miners look to bounce back with victories against no. 14 Texas and a stellar Marshall program. The Miners are 15-6 on the season, have beaten a two top-25 opponents (Baylor and Fresno State) have posted seven shutouts - five via mercy rule. UTEP secured 12 votes from the coaches and is the only Conference USA team to receive tabs. The Miners were left out of the ESPN/USA Softball tally.
LUCKY 13
UTEP rattled off 13-consecutive wins and claimed two tournament titles during the stretch, before the 1-0 loss to San Diego State. Most recently, the Miners won the UTEP Invitational for the third-straight year. The 13 victories rank tied for 10th all-time in Conference USA.
TOURNAMENT TITLES
UTEP collected six wins over the weekend to three-peat as UTEP Invitational championships. The title comes just one week after taking the QTI Getterman Classic prize. It marks the first time in program history the Miners won two titles in a campaign, let alone back-to-back. Chelsea Troupe, Kia Moore and Stacie Townsend were named to the Getterman Classic all-tournament team for their efforts.
STACIE SHINES NATIONALLY AND AROUND THE LEAGUE
Stacie Townsend was named the Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I Player of the Week, a day after sweeping the Conference USA Hitter and Pitcher of the Week nods. Townsend led the Miners to a perfect 6-0 record on the week, including a 5-0 mark at the QTI Getterman Classic in Waco, Texas, to lift the Miners to 7-3 on the season. Townsend went 7-for-13 (.538) at the plate with six of her seven hits of the extra base variety. She had 13 RBI, drew 10 walks and struck out just once in her 13 at-bats. Additionally, Townsend scored nine times, slugged a team-high 1.182 and registered an on-base percentage of .667.
TOWNSEND FOR THE RECORD
Stacie Townsend blasted her fourth home run of the season to tally 26 for her career, to become the Miners' all-time home run leader. Townsend broke Simone Holland's (2005-08) record of 25 to accomplish the feat. Townsend blasted five dingers her freshman season (2007) and followed with nine and eight in her sophomore and junior years, respectively.
STACIE HAS CLASS
Stacie Townsend has another award to add to her already storied tenure in a UTEP uniform. Townsend is one of 30 Division I student-athletes named as a candidate for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award. Townsend graduated in May 2009 - summa cum laude - with a bachelor's degree in business. She is a two time C-USA All-Academic honoree, a recipient of the UTEP Alumni Association Top 10 Senior Award, and was honored as the University of Texas at El Paso's Woman of the Year. This marks the fourth year for the softball division of the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award. University of Florida pitcher Stacey Nelson received the award for the 2009 season and was preceded by Virginia Tech pitcher Angela Tincher (2008) and Arizona outfielder Caitlin Lowe (2007). The list of 30 will be narrowed to 10 mid season and the finalist will be announced during the 2010 NCAA Women's College World Series.
IN THE PRESEASON
UTEP's Camilla Carrera and Chelsea Troupe were tabbed preseason All-Conference USA. This marks the second preseason honor for Carrera who garnered the selection after a successful freshman stint. The duo mark the second most selected to a preseason team. UTEP garnered three selections in 2009 (Carrera, Stacie Townsend and Amber Bennett) and one in 2008 (Ashley Ellis) and 2007 (Kelly Lombard). Of those chosen to the squad, only Carrera has gone on to be named All-Conference USA that season.
IN FACT
Camilla Carrera is the only player in school history to be named to a postseason all-league team after being chosen a preseason selection. In fact, Carrera was named Conference USA Player of the Year in 2009, after being named a postseason candidate prior to the start of the campaign. With the award, Carrera became just the fourth female athlete at UTEP to be recognized with the honor in her respective sport (Laura Glasspool, soccer; Gerina Mendoza, golf; Jereica Hughes, women's basketball) before the conclusion of the track and field season. Carrera broke the season records for batting average (.412), slugging percentage (.751), hits (73), doubles (19), home runs (13), RBIs (44) and total bases (133). She posted four C-USA series with batting averages above .500 and .two above .600. A junior from Laveen, Ariz., Carerra recorded three multiple home run games, the first player in the history of the program to do so.
"TROUPE THERE IT IS" MAKES HISTORY
A sophomore from Oceanside, Calif., Chelsea Troupe became the first player in program history to be honored with three conference postseason awards. Troupe was tabbed Conference USA Freshman of the Year, while being named first team All-Conference USA and the All-Freshman team. Troupe was second to Carrera in batting average (.406), hits (69), runs (42), doubles (17), home runs (10) and RBIs (36). She led the Miners in stolen bases with 15, breaking the program season record.
ANOTHER HISTORY LESSON
Camilla Carerra, Stacie Townsend and Chelsea Troupe became the first players in UTEP history to be named to the Louisville Slugger/National Coaches Fastpitch Association All-Midwest team.
IN THE NATIONAL RANKS
UTEP's offensive exploits in 2009 were nothing new to fans who have followed the program since its 2004 inception. UTEP's sluggers ended the year nationally ranked in home runs per game (14th), doubles per game (24th), slugging percentage (27th) and scoring (63rd). Camilla Carrera ranked 13th in doubles per game and 28th in slugging percentage, while Chelsea Troupe was ranked 23rd in doubles per game.
A PERFECT COMBINATION
Kathleen and James Rodriguez begin their seventh season at the helm of the UTEP softball program. The pair are one of three husband and wife combinations in the country alongside the Lotief's at Louisiana-Lafayette and the Weekly's at Tennessee. The two continue to make progress since being announced as the Miners' first head coaches. Since being named, the two have tutored 16 all-conference selections, 19 NFCA Scholar Athletes, seven academic all-conference and 11 players of the week.
GREEN WITH ENVY
The UTEP softball team has a $335,000 makeover. The Miners installed Matrix Field Turf, the same turf used in the new Cowboys Stadium and was also recently installed in Sun Bowl Stadium. The field which included a laser leveling, was finished in November and looks to make Helen of Troy one of the premier softball fields in the country.
