EL PASO - The UTEP softball team hits the road for a three-game series against Western Kentucky this weekend to close out the regular season at the WKU Softball Complex in Bowling Green, Ky. The teams will play at 5 p.m. on Friday, at 12 p.m. on Saturday and at 11 a.m. on Sunday. 

  Schedule    
May 3 at 5pm | Live Stats  
May 4 at 12pm | Live Stats  
May 5 at 11am | Live Stats  
^All Times Mountain      

The games will not be streamed on ESPN+ but will be broadcasted on radio via the Varsity Network App with Reily Chestnut is on the call. 

  Leading Off     

• UTEP leads Conference USA in doubles per game (1.63) and double plays per game (0.54). The Miners' double plays per game ranks 15th in the nation.    
• UTEP has batted .289 through 41 games paced by six players who are batting at or above the mark, three who have 110-plus plate appearances (Ajia Richard, Halle Hogan, and Lexi Morales).  
• Richard leads the way with a slash line of .392/.450/.746 with 51 hits that include 15 doubles, two triples, and nine home runs. Richard leads the conference in doubles per game which ranks 20th in the nation.  
• Eight Miners have double-digit RBIs this season as Richard leads the way with 40.        
• Twelve players, including Richard who accounts for nine, contributed to UTEP's total of 31 home runs. Richard, Kenna Collett, and Anna Sample have each hit one out of the park for a grand slam this season.       
• The UTEP pitching staff holds a 3.96 ERA. Faith Aragon (12-8) has a team-high 83 strikeouts in 122.0 innings pitched.     
• Zaylie Calderon leads CUSA and ranks fourth nationally with seven saves, including three in league play which paces CUSA pitchers. Her seven saves are tied for second in the league's single-season history and her 11 career saves rank seventh in conference history.

  Week-by-Week Notables  

• Week 12 vs Liberty 
  • The Miners earned a top-35 win as they defeated league-leading Liberty in the series finale, 4-3. Richard stunned with a game-tying triple, setting the stage for Marijn Crouwel's heroic walk-off single, propelling UTEP to their first Conference USA Tournament berth since 2019. 
  • UTEP's 12-game improvement this season is tied for second in nation behind Tennessee Tech with +13 wins. 
  • The Miners secured 10 wins in conference play, marking their first double-digit league victory total since 2019 (10-14).  
  • UTEP's individual season records feature Ajia Richard, who notched an impressive 40 RBIs, placing her tied for 6th in the program's history. 
  • Meanwhile, Faith Aragon secured her 12th win of the season, positioning her tied for 3rd for the most wins in a single season at UTEP. This achievement matches Stacie Townsend's record from 2008 (12-12). 
• Week 11 at LA Tech 
  • UTEP secured its first Conference USA road series win since 2016.  
  • The team showcased their defensive dominance by achieving their first back-to-back shutouts since 2010. 
• Week 10 vs Sam Houston 
  • Zaylie Calderon earns her first win of the season (1-2) in game two. 
  • Ajia Richard's two home runs in game two tied the program record for individual home runs in a single game.  
  • Halle Hogan went 5-for-5 at the plate in game two, tying the program record for most hits in a single game.  
  • UTEP's five home runs tie the program's second-best record for team home runs in a single game. 
  • In the series opener, UTEP shut out Sam Houston, 3-0, to notch their 20th win of the season. This marks UTEP's first 20-win season since 2018, when the team finished with a record of 21-33. 
• Week 9 at FIU 
  • In the series opener, Out of UTEP's 10 hits in the game, an impressive half of them were doubles. 
• Week 7 at NM State 
  • Ajia Richard achieved a career-high 6-RBI in game two; ranks fifth all-time in program history  
• Week 5 vs MTSU 
  • The Miners claimed the series against MTSU. This significant win marks UTEP's first series triumph since 2022 when it hosted MTSU in the Sun City.  
  • The Miners have achieved a historic 16-6 record through 22 games, a milestone for the program. 
  • In UTEP's 3-1 win, Zaylie Calderon entered the circle in the final inning and recorded two strikeouts, earning her fifth save of the season. This accomplishment sets a program record for total saves in a single season, adding to Calderon's distinction as the program leader in career saves with nine. 
• Week 4 at Jeannine McHaney Memorial Classic (Texas Tech) 
  • Ajia Richard made a remarkable achievement, matching both the program and conference total for doubles in a single game with an impressive three doubles against Merrimack.  
  • The UTEP team collectively set a new program and Conference USA record by accumulating 10 doubles in a single game against Merrimack.  
  • UTEP registered the program's third-highest hit count in a single game with an impressive total of 21 against Merrimack.  
  • The Miners amassed 31 bases versus Merrimack, securing the sixth-highest total bases in program history.  
  • UTEP recorded its ninth highest at-bat count with 40 at-bats during the game against Merrimack. 
  • UTEP dominated on day one of the Jeannine McHaney Memorial Classic, securing a thrilling 3-2 victory over Texas Tech and delivering a commanding run-rule shutout against Texas State, 8-0. 
  • The triumph over Texas Tech marked a historic milestone as UTEP achieved its first Power 5 win and Power 5 road win since 2021.  
  • In an impressive display, the Miners joined an elite group as the latest team to run-rule Texas State, following in the footsteps of #25 Louisiana, Wisconsin, #25 Texas A&M, and #18 Baylor.   
• Week 2 vs UTEP Invitational  
  • UTEP finished the tournament with an outstanding 4-1 record, securing the coveted UTEP Invitational Crown. 
  • UTEP's Ashlynn Allen, Faith Aragon, Bri Garcia, Halle Hogan, and Lexi Morales claimed spots on the All-Tournament Team, with Aragon garnering the MVP title. 
  • The Miners achieved its best start in program history during the opening day of the UTEP Invitational, 8-1. 
• Week 1 vs Dr. Diana Natalicio Memorial Tournament (UTEP) 
  • The Miners wrapped up the opening weekend with a 4-1 record, claiming the tournament title. 
  • The exceptional performance earned five Miners a spot on the All-Tournament Team: Faith Aragon, Kenna Collett, Taja Felder, Lexi Morales, and Ajia Richard, with Richard receiving the coveted All-Tournament MVP title.  

  In The CUSA Spotlight     
Week 11 POW – Faith Aragon  
Aragon delivered masterful performances to help the Miners (23-15, 9-9 CUSA) secure a pair of shutout road victories at LA Tech. She pitched nine scoreless innings, surrendering just three hits and striking out seven Bulldogs from the circle. Aragon notched her first career save after tossing the final two frames of a 1-0 triumph over LA Tech in Friday's series opener. She struck out two batters and allowed a hit and a walk. In Sunday's finale, she went the distance in a 4-0 victory for her third shutout of the season. Aragon tallied five strikeouts and allowed just two hits. 

Week 5 POW – Ajia Richard  
Richard hit 4-10 and posted a slash line of .400/.455/.900 in a series victory over MTSU. She contributed significantly with two runs, two doubles, a home run, and 5 RBI. Richard opened the weekend with a solo shot to get the scoring underway on Friday and followed it up with a two-run single in her first at-bat Saturday that gave the Miners (16-6, 2-1 CUSA) the lead for good. She capped the weekend with a pair of RBI doubles in the series finale.      

Week 2 POW – Bri Garcia  
Garcia had an impressive week for the Miners (10-2), who achieved a commendable 6-1 record. She started all seven games at second base and went 8-17 at the plate, resulting in a slash line of .471/.550/.882. Garcia drove in 10 runs, crossed the plate seven times and delivered key hits, including a pair of doubles and home runs. Her defensive performance was equally outstanding with nine putouts and 13 assists for a flawless 1.000 fielding percentage. Garcia's exceptional week earned her a spot on the UTEP Invitational All-Tournament Team.       

  By The Numbers     
Nationally, UTEP ranks in the top-100 in nine categories. 
15. Double Plays per Game (0.54)* 
21. Doubles per Game (1.63)* 
65. Slugging Percentage (0.453) 
65. Doubles (67) 
66. On Base Percentage (0.377) 
78. Home Runs per Game (0.78) 
83. Batting Average (0.289) 
92. Shutouts (7) 
99. Scoring (4.73) 
*Conference USA Leader       

UTEP has seven players nationally ranked in the top-100.            

*Conference USA Leader      
      
  The Opponent     
Western Kentucky 

• WKU brings a 29-18-1 (14-7 CUSA) record.     
• The Tops are hitting .300 and have a total ERA of 3.35.      
• In the midst of the best season of her career, WKU fifth-year infielder Taylor Sanders ranks fifth in CUSA history in career RBI (177), eighth in career slugging (.690) and 13th in career home runs (46). She has shattered her single-season best with a league-leading 15 home runs and is on pace for season-bests in batting average (.353), runs (34), RBI (49) and slugging (.799). Sanders ranks in the top-40 nationally in home runs (34th, 15), home runs per game (37th, 0.31), RBI (39th, 49), slugging (31st, .799) and total bases (36th, 111).  
• Over the past five seasons, WKU owns a 104-27 (.794) record on its home field, including a 48-8 (.857) mark against conference foes at the WKU Softball Complex following a sweep of MTSU last weekend. The Tops have enjoyed a 347-202-1 (.632) record all time at the WKU Softball Complex.  
• WKU leads the all-time series, 9-3 

Give a gift to UTEP Softball by donating to the Diamond Club.                       

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