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UTEP Miners
SB-Ajia Richard
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Miners Hit the Road for Midweek Matchup at New Mexico

4/21/2025 5:00:00 PM

EL PASO, Texas – UTEP Softball travels to Albuquerque, N.M., for a midweek matchup against New Mexico on Tuesday, April 22. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. MT at Lobo Softball Field as the Miners (19-24, 8-13 CUSA) look to stay hot after a four-game win streak, including a recent sweep over FIU and a win over these same Lobos just last week. 

Schedule (MT)  

 DATE  TIME  MATCHUP
TUES. April 22 2 PM UTEP at New Mexico
Coverage: MW Network | Live Stats 

The Leadoff Report  

Miners at the Plate  

The Miners are firing on all cylinders, ranking among the Conference USA and national leaders in several categories. UTEP leads CUSA—and ranks top-5 nationally—in double plays (28, 5th NCAA) and double plays per game (0.65, 4th NCAA). The squad also paces the league in slugging percentage (.526, 32nd NCAA), while sitting second in batting average (.314, 50th NCAA), triples (13, 37th NCAA), and triples per game (0.30, 40th NCAA). 

Home run power has also been a calling card for UTEP, ranking third in CUSA in total home runs (49, 46th NCAA) and home runs per game (1.14, 44th NCAA). The Miners' on-base percentage of .388 ranks third in the league and 74th nationally. 

Senior third baseman Ajia Richard has been one of the most dangerous hitters in the country this season. Richard leads CUSA in batting average (.484, 8th NCAA) and ranks second in both hits (60, 43rd NCAA) and on-base percentage (.573, 9th NCAA). She's also third in the conference in slugging (.839, 34th NCAA).  

Defensively, sophomore Madi Mendoza anchors the infield and leads the league in assists (105, 24th NCAA) and assists per game (2.44, 24th NCAA), while also ranking No. 1 in CUSA and 13th nationally with five sacrifice flies. 

In the Circle  

UTEP has deployed five pitchers this season, led by Taja Felder—who the Lobos faced in El Paso. Felder has appeared in 24 games (16 starts), while Serenity Jacoway leads the team with 78.2 innings pitched over 22 appearances. The staff has helped UTEP control games with timely defense and solid strikeout numbers during the recent win streak. 

Conference USA Weekly Honors  

The Miners have collected a slew of CUSA weekly awards this season, underscoring the team's depth and individual excellence: 

  • Week 11 Player of the Week: Bri Garcia – Slashed .600/.667/1.600 with 7 RBIs and 3 home runs across four games, including a walk-off grand slam to complete the sweep of FIU. 
  • Week 11 Freshman of the Week: Marissa Burchard – Hit .429 with 3 home runs and 6 RBIs; delivered a clutch game-tying homer and jumpstarted key rallies throughout the weekend. 
  • Week 9 Player of the Week: Ajia Richard – Hit an absurd .818 in a sweep of NM State with perfect fielding and offensive consistency. 
  • Week 7 Freshman of the Week: Marissa Burchard – Batted .545 during a historic series win over WKU; delivered multiple key hits including a game-tying triple. 
  • Week 2 Player of the Week: Ajia Richard – Tournament MVP at the Dr. Diana Natalicio Memorial, hitting .857 with six homers and a 2.214 slugging percentage. 

National Recognition  

Richard's outstanding season has drawn national attention. She has been ranked among the top third basemen in the country by both D1Softball and Softball America. D1Softball listed her as the No. 10 third baseman through weeks 4, 6, and 8 of the season, while Softball America ranked her No. 7 at the start of March and No. 15 heading into April.  

Scouting New Mexico  

  • New Mexico enters Tuesday's matchup with a 20-24-1 record (5-11 MW) and a 19-16 all-time advantage over UTEP.  
  • The Lobos rank among the nation's top 80 teams in multiple categories including sacrifice bunts (15th NCAA), strikeouts per 7 innings (49th), and doubles (62nd).  
  • Senior Ashley Archuleta leads the Lobos in eight offensive categories, including batting average (.409), slugging (.591), and on-base percentage (.510). She's second in hits (52) and tied for the team lead in HBPs (6). 
  • The Lobo pitching staff is holding opponents to a .275 average and has struck out 243 batters, averaging 5.85 K's per game—the highest rate in program history. Their 3.71 ERA is on pace to be the program's lowest since 2005. 

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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. 

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