Colorado State University Athletics
SOFTBALL PREVIEW: Utah State
3/6/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 6, 2008
Complete Release in PDF Format 
Home Sweet Home...
Colorado State returns to Fort Collins this weekend to face Utah State. The Rams and Aggies will meet twice on Saturday, at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m., and once on Sunday at 12 p.m. This will be the first set of home games for the Rams this season. In the all-time series with the Aggies, the Rams are 15-24. Under head coach Mary Yori, the Rams are 6-2 against the Utah State. Last season, the Rams split with the Aggies in Fort Collins, beating them 10-1 and losing 3-2.
Home Openers...
The Rams are 5-2 in home openers under Mary Yori, with the five victories occurring in the last five years. For a complete list of home-opener results under head coach Mary Yori, see the chart at the right.
Record-Breaking Start...
Colorado State is off to its best start in school history with an 11-2 record, surpassing the mark set by the 1989 squad that started 10-2. Through the first 13 games, the Rams have recorded a .311 batting average with 23 doubles, two triples, and 15 home runs. They have also scored 79 runs. The Colorado State pitching staff has a combined 2.54 ERA in 91 innings pitched with 68 strikeouts and only 25 walks.
Utah State...
Utah State enters this weekend's games 2-7, after going 2-2 in the San Diego State Campbell Cartier Tournament Feb. 15-17. The Rams and Aggies met last season for Colorado State's home opener, with the Rams winning 10-1. Colorado State and Utah State have met a total of eight times since 2001, with the Rams winning six of those. All-time against the Aggies, the Rams are 15-24.
USD Tournament...
The Rams went 2-1 two weeks ago in the University of San Diego Tournament. Colorado State was scheduled to play five games on the weekend, but inclement weather cancelled two of the contests. The Rams had to wait an extra five hours to get the first pitch thrown, but it was worth the wait as Colorado State routed UC Riverside, 11-0 in five innings. On Saturday, the Rams lost a close game to Loyola Marymount, 1-0, before beating Nevada, 3-2.
MWC Rankings...
Colorado State holds the top spot in several MWC categories this season. Ram hitters have a .311 batting average with a .501 slugging percentage, which places them atop the charts. The Ram pitching staff has allowed the least amount of runs of any MWC team (37) and the least amount of home runs (five). The Colorado State defense has recorded the highest fielding percentage (.981) with the least amount of errors (eight). As a whole, Colorado State has the fewest losses in the MWC with two.
A League of Her Own...
Colorado State Head Coach Mary Yori has now won 203 games at the helm of the Rams. She surpassed 200 in Las Cruces, N.M., when the Rams beat Illinois-Chicago, 9-5, at the Hotel Encanto de Las Cruces Invitational. Yori entered the 2008 season just eight wins away from 200 career wins at Colorado State. She notched her name into the CSU record books, becoming only the second coach in Colorado State history to reach 100 wins. Her record at CSU now stands at 203-177, making her the winningest coach in CSU softball history.
The .300 Club...
Five Rams hitters boast a batting average of .300 or better after three weekends of play. Senior Julia Kloppe leads the team with a .419 batting average followed by freshman Caitlan Stem with a .391 average. Sophomore Ashley Munoz ranks third on the team with a .386 average followed by senior Lauren Cusick with a .370 average. Sophomore Allison Majam rounds out the top five with a .348 batting average. These five players are responsible for 20 of the 23 doubles on the season and 13 of the 15 home runs. They also have recorded 45 of the team's 65 RBI.
Senior Standout...
Senior Cayte Billman once again dominated in the circle at the USD Tournament. She earned two more wins to give her a 6-0 record overall. She has a 1.33 ERA in nine appearances and 42 innings pitched on the season and has surrendered only eight runs and 17 walks while striking out 29 batters. In San Diego, Billman earned a 1.17 ERA in 12 innings of work. She gave up just two runs while striking out eight. In the game against UC Riverside, Billman held the Highlanders to just two hits in five innings to earn her third shutout victory of the season.
National Attention...
The Rams received votes this week in both national polls. The Rams received two votes in both the NFCA/USA Today poll and the ESPN/USA Softball poll. Three of the six MWC teams are also listed in this week's polls. SDSU (21/17) is the only MWC team in the Top 25. UNLV recevied votes in both polls as well.
Going, Going, Gone...
The Rams have hit 15 balls out of the park this season, placing them second behind BYU (21) in the MWC. Seven of the 15 home runs have been solo shots and eight of the home runs have occurred in the fifth inning or later.
Fresh Face...
Freshman Caitlan Stem is beginning her college softball career on a high note. She has started every game this season at shortstop for the Rams and has a .391 batting average through 13 games. She has recorded five doubles, a triple, two home runs, and 10 RBI. Two weeks ago, Stem batted an even .400 at the USD Tournament with two doubles, a triple and four RBI. In the field, Stem has a .941 overall fielding percentage with 18 putouts and 46 assists.
Outscoring the Opposition...
So far this season, the Rams have scored 79 runs in 13 games while holding their opponents to 37 runs. Most of Colorado State's damage has been in the fifth and sixth innings with a combined 32 runs. Colorado State opponents have scored most of their runs in the fifth and seventh innings.
In the Rankings...
The Rams boast several players on the MWC individual rankings this season. Senior Lauren Cusick is tied for first place in the conference with six doubles and is ranked third with a .804 slugging percentage. She is also tied for fourth with four home runs. Freshman Caitlan Stem is in fifth place with a .391 batting average, six stolen bases, and seven steal attempts. Senior Cayte Billman is currently second with six games finished and tied for second with one save. She also is in third place with six wins on the season.
