EL PASO, Texas – UTEP Softball will wrap up its regular season on the road this weekend with a three-game Conference USA series against Middle Tennessee in Murfreesboro, Tenn. The Miners and Blue Raiders will open the set on Friday, May 2, with a 5 p.m. MT first pitch. Saturday's game is scheduled for 3 p.m. MT, followed by the series finale on Sunday at 11 a.m. MT.
Schedule (MT)
| DATE |
TIME |
MATCHUP |
| FRI. May 2 |
5 PM |
UTEP at MTSU |
| SAT. May 3 |
3 PM |
UTEP at MTSU |
| SUN. May 4 |
11 AM |
UTEP at MTSU |
| Coverage: ESPN+ | Live Stats |
The Leadoff Report
Miners at the Plate
The Miners (22-25, 10-14 CUSA) enter the final weekend of the regular season with momentum after defeating Kennesaw State two games to one. UTEP has emerged as one of the top offensive and defensive teams in the league this season, leading Conference USA in double plays turned (30), double plays per game (0.64), and slugging percentage (.515). Those marks also rank fourth, third, and 39th, respectively, in the NCAA.
The Orange and Blue rank second in the league in batting average (.313), triples (13), and triples per game (0.28), while sitting third in doubles per game (1.47), home runs (51), home runs per game (1.09), on-base percentage (.388), RBIs per game (4.64), and runs per game (5.11).
Offensively, UTEP is led by senior third baseman Ajia Richard, who has been among the best hitters in the nation all year. Richard leads Conference USA and ranks fifth nationally in batting average at .493. She also ranks second in the league in hits (68) and on-base percentage (.570) and is third in slugging percentage (.841) and total bases (116).
Madi Mendoza has also been a defensive standout for the Miners. The sophomore leads CUSA in total assists with 113 and assists per game with 2.40, both of which rank in the top 30 nationally. She also leads the conference with five sacrifice flies, which ranks 25th in the NCAA.
In the Circle
In the circle, UTEP has relied on five pitchers throughout the season, with Taja Felder leading the way. Felder has appeared in a team-high 26 games with 18 starts, while Serenity Jacoway has thrown a team-best 89.2 innings over 25 appearances. Jacoway has provided stability for a pitching staff that has helped UTEP turn the most double plays in the league.
Rivalry Dominance
UTEP wrapped up its rivalry slate in emphatic fashion on Tuesday evening (April 22) with a 7-3 win at New Mexico, completing a season sweep of the Lobos. The victory pushed the Miners to a perfect 5-0 record against UNM and NMSU, tying the program record for most rivalry wins in a single season.
The Miners dominated throughout the rivalry stretch, outscoring their opponents 39-15—including a 22-10 advantage over NMSU and a 17-5 edge against UNM. The win also marked a major milestone, securing back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time in 15 years.
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 and May.
Scouting Middle Tennessee
- Middle Tennessee enters the weekend at 23-27 overall and 10-14 in conference play, having just been swept by NM State.
- The Blue Raiders are known for their power at the plate, ranking second in Conference USA and 38th nationally with 59 home runs.
- From March 1 to April 12, they homered in 23 consecutive games — the longest streak in the nation this season. Ansley Blevins leads the team with 12 home runs, followed by Addy Edgmon and Jana Want with 10 each. In total, 11 different Blue Raiders have gone deep this season.
- Ava Tepe is another name to watch, as she leads the league with 12 hit-by-pitches and recently became the program's all-time leader with 39.
- Macie Harter has five triples this season, tied for the conference lead and ranking 26th nationally.
- Middle Tennessee holds a 7-12 all-time record against UTEP but has had recent success in the series, winning six of the last ten meetings.
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.
