EL PASO, Texas – UTEP softball (10-13, 1-2 Conference USA) will travel to Murray, Ky. for a midweek matchup against Murray State (15-8) on Thursday (March 17) at 2 p.m. MT. The Miners will depart for Bowling Green, Ky., the following day to take on Western Kentucky (18-4, 2-1 C-USA) in a three-game series that runs March 18-20. 
 
The matchup against Murray state will be streamed on ESPN+, with live stats also available.
 
WKU Series
Friday – 5 p.m. MT
Saturday – 12 p.m. MT
Sunday – 12 p.m. MT
 
All contests against WKU will be streamed on Facebook Live with a commentator, with live stats also available.
 
In the Circle
Aalijah Alarcon (6-6) leads the squad with 63.0 innings in 17 appearances and 12 starts, throwing five-complete-game victories and earning two saves.

• 4.56 ERA | 47 K | 19 BB | 76 H | 41 of 50 runs allowed are earned

 
Notables

• Lexi Morales paces the squad with a .394 batting average on 26 hits. She's slugged .561 with a .494 on-base percentage and 13 walks.
• Kaylin Jackson sets the pace with three home runs and 19 RBI for the Miners.
• Morales, Pate Cathey and Ajia Richard follow Jackson's lead with two goners each.
• Morales leads with 37 total bases.
• The Miners are 15-for-16 in stolen bases. Savannah Favre is 6-for-6 and Autumn Scott is 2-for-2.

 
National Rankings

• UTEP ranks 21^st in double plays per game (0.48, 3^rd C-USA)
• Aalijah Alarcon ranks 13^th with two saves (1^st C-USA)
• Pate Cathey ranks 49^th in sacrifice flies (2, 4^th C-USA)

 
 
 
 
Murray State

• Murray State sits at 15-8 on the season and is currently on a five-game winning streak. The Racers are led by Logan Braundmeier with a .375 batting average on 27 hits. She is slugging .722 with a .452 on-base percentage.

 

• Murray State has used all four pitchers through its 23 games, with Hannah James pitching a team-high 65.0 innings with 15 appearances and 13 starts. James has a 1.29 ERA with 72 strikeouts and 11 walks, 45 hits and 18 runs allowed (12 earned) and is 6-3. Jenna Veber has thrown 59.1 innings with a 1.18 ERA and has appeared in 15 games with six starts. As a staff, Murray State carries a 1.38 ERA, allowing 119 hits, 51 runs (30 earned), striking out 133 and walking 31. Murray State has given up 10 home runs, 21 doubles and one triple.

 

• The Miners will take on the Racers for the first time in program history on Thursday, March 17.

 
WKU

• WKU sits at 18-4 (2-1 C-USA) on the season. The Hilltoppers are led by Taylor Davis with a .433 batting average on 26 hits. She is slugging .483 with a .514 on-base percentage.

 

• WKU has used all four pitchers through its 22 games, with Shelby Nunn pitching a team-high 75.0 innings with 16 appearances and 13 starts. Nunn has a 1.87 ERA with 54 strikeouts and eight walks, 63 hits and 26 runs allowed (20 earned) and is 10-2. Katie Gardner has thrown 52.1 innings with a 2.81 ERA and has appeared in 11 games with eight starts. As a staff, WKU carries a 2.28 ERA, allowing 124 hits, 59 runs (48 earned), striking out 126 and walking 36. WKU has given up 15 home runs, 29 doubles and two triples.

 

• The Hilltoppers lead 4-2 in the all-time series against the Miners. The two programs last met in 2018 where WKU used a five-run fifth inning to rally past UTEP, 8-6, and won the weekend series 2-1 at the WKU Softball Complex.

 

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For complete coverage of UTEP Softball, be sure to follow the Miners on social media at @utepsoftball (Instagram) and @UTEPSoftball (Twitter) or visit the official home of UTEP Athletics at UTEPMiners.com.