Preview: Rams return to Mountain West action hosting New Mexico

    Colorado State Rams (19-10, 3-3 MW) vs. New Mexico Lobos (10-26, 3-6 MW)
April 6-8 | Ram Field | Fort Collins, Colo.
Live Stats | Mountain West Network

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CSU Notes | New Mexico Notes

THE WEEKEND
• The Rams return to Mountain West Conference action after a week-long bye week.
• Colorado State will host New Mexico for a three-game series starting on Friday, April 6 at 4 p.m.
• The two teams will also play Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m., and finish Sunday at 12 p.m.
• Both Saturday and Sunday's games will be broadcast on the Mountain West Network.

ON DECK
• Following the home series with the Lobos, the Rams will head to Utah State for three games April 13-15.

RAMS AT A GLANCE
• Colorado State took a break Mountain West Conference action last week, playing a three-game series at Kansas and one game at Northern Colorado.
• The Rams went 3-1 in the four non-conference games, dropping the lone game in game two against Kansas.
• CSU had to use 12 inning in the series opener against the Jayhawks to record an 8-6 win.
• Colorado State took care of business in the rubber match on Saturday, rolling to a 14-6 victory in six innings.
• The Rams also played a short game on Tuesday at Northern Colorado, earning a 9-1 win in five innings.
• Bridgette Hutton leads CSU from the circle with a 2.55 ERA and a 10-5 record. She recorded the win in the series opener at Kansas, hurling all 12 frames.
• Sarah Muzik has been carrying a big bat as she holds a team-best .434 batting average and .483 on-base mark. Her batting average ranks No. 47 in the nation.
• Corina Gamboa leads CSU with seven home runs and is fourth in batting with a .363 mark. She also has a team-high 24 RBI and eight doubles.

SERIES HISTORY
• Colorado State holds a 59-48 all-time record against the Lobos.
• The Rams posted a 1-2 record in last season's series at NM.
• CSU's lone victory against the Lobos in 2017 was a 12-2 win in six inning in the series opener.
• Colorado State's last home win came back in 2014 with a 13-5 victory in five innings.
• The Rams are 4-6 in the last 10 games in the series, including 5-5 at home.

LAST TEN VS...
   DATE   TEAM                    RESULT
   4/2/17   AT New Mexico   L 6-8
   4/2/17   AT New Mexico   L 3-7
   3/31/17   AT New Mexico   W 12-2 (6)
   4/15/16   NEW MEXICO   L 3-14 (6)
   4/15/16   NEW MEXICO   L 6-7
   4/12/15   AT New Mexico   L 4-7
   4/11/15   AT New Mexico   L 3-4
   4/10/15   AT New Mexico   W 2-0
   4/23/14   NEW MEXICO   W 13-5 (5)
   4/22/14   NEW MEXICO   W 6-0

SCOUTING THE LOBOS
• New Mexico enters the week with a 10-26 overall record and 3-6 in the Mountain West.
• The Lobos picked up a non-conference win on Tuesday with a 13-4 victory against New Mexico State in six innings.
• New Mexico has posted a 1-2 series record against all its conference foes so far this season - UNLV, Nevada, Fresno State.
• The Lobos recorded a 6-19 record in its preseason schedule, struggling in its first four tournaments before ending the tune-up season with a 3-2 mark in the Lobo Classic.
• Last week New Mexico opened the series against Fresno State with a walk off single in the bottom of the seventh. The Lobos struggled in the final two games, getting run ruled in five innings.
• Jensen Main is New Mexico's primary pitcher, holding a 5-12 record, 6.85 ERA in 18 starts. She has hurled five complete games and 92 innings.
• Chelsea Johnson leads the Lobos from the dish with a .343 batting average. She carries a team-high 36 hits and six home runs with 29 RBI.
• Cameryn O'Grady follows with a .326 batting mark, 31 hits and a team-best eight doubles and 31 runs scored.

HITTING STREAKS
• Lauren Buchanan has been very effective from the plate as of recently. The junior carries a six-game hitting streak and reached-base streak into the New Mexico series.
• In the last six games, Buchanan is batting .600, has 12 hits, three doubles and two homer for 12 RBI. She is also slugging 1.050 and a on-base percentage of .692.
• Ashley Michelena also has been hitting well as she has a six-game hitting streak.
• She is second in the last six games in batting average with a .474 mark. She also recorded nine hits, two doubles and a triple in those games for a .684 slugging percentage and .565 on-base tick.

RAMS IN NON-LEAGUE PLAY
• CSU finished 16-7 in non-conference games this season after picking up three wins in its final week of non-conference action.
• The Rams went 2-1 at Kansas March 30 -31 before finish the schedule defeating Northern Colorado for the second time this season with a 9-1 victory in five innings on Tuesday.
• The Rams posted a 19-7 mark against non-conference competition in 2017. That included a 10-3 record across the team's three home tournaments and six wins against teams from the Big Ten or Big 12.

FRESNO STATE SERIES
• Despite dropping the series at Fresno State, 2-1. The Rams put up a fight against the Bulldogs in its first Mountain West Conference series away from Fort Collins.
• The Rams offense hit their way into early leads in each game, but could not hold on down the stretch.
• Colorado State picked up a 4-0 victory in the second game to force a rubber match in the final game of the series. The shutout was the first for the Rams at Margie Wright Diamond and just the second win against the Bulldogs in Fresno, Calif.
• The shutout was also just the second time in series history for the Rams - April 28, 1997 at Ram Field.
• The win was the first in Fresno, since May 4, 2014 - the first and only win at Margie Wright Diamond.
• Colorado State lead 3-0 heading into the fifth inning in the final game, but Fresno State scored four runs over the last three innings to steal the series.

SEASON START
• The Rams started the season 4-0 of the first time since 2014 with a perfect record at the Texas Classic.
• Colorado State then improved its record to 7-0 at the Hillenbrand Invite to have its best start since 1997 when the team started 8-0.
• With a victory over Northern Colorado to open Ram Field, the Rams were 8-1 for the first time since 2008 when the team began, 10-1.

CONFERENCE OPENING RECORDS
• The Rams are now 7-12 in Mountain West Conference opening games dating back to the leagues start in 2000 season.
• CSU is 4-5 in home opening Mountain West games, after a walk-off victory over Nevada this season.
• Colorado State is 3-7 opening conference games away from Ram Field.

HUTTON NAMED PITCHER OF THE WEEK
• Junior Bridgette Hutton was named Mountain West Pitcher of the Week on Feb. 21.
• Hutton was the first CSU softball player to earn a weekly award from the conference this season. The honor was also the second of her career.
• The psychology major posted a 2-1 record at the Hillenbrand Invitational, including hurling two complete games and the first shutout of the season with a 5-0 win over Tory.
• The Platteville, Colo., native allowed just four runs in the three games she appeared in, posting a 1.56 ERA.

RAMS LAST SEASON IN MW PLAY
• CSU finished 2017 with a 9-15 mark in league play owning 2-1 series wins over San Diego State and San Jose State - who are tabbed to finish first and second in the Mountain West in 2018.
• Unsurprisingly, three-time all-conference shortstop Haley Hutton was a standout in league action, toting a .372/.465/.455 slash line with 32 hits and 30 runs scored in 24 games.
• Hannah McCorkhill had a team-leading six homers against MW foes, while Lauren Buchanan led with 20 RBI.

TRANSFERS MAKING A MARK
• Transfer Sarah Muzik is making her mark for the Rams as the junior leads the team with a .434 batting average and .528 slugging mark, while carrying a .483 on base tick.
• The Hawai'i transfer also has recorded a team-best 46 hits and is 10-for-11 in stolen bases.

PETAKOFF'S PITCHING PROWESS
• Redshirt senior Larisa Petakoff is off to a great start, holding the team's best ERA at 1.72 across 20.1 innings pitched.
• She has appeared in nine games and allowed just 23 hits and five earned runs.
• She also has earned a save, coming against Montana at the Hillenbrand Invite.

GAMBOA HEATING UP AT THE HOT CORNER
• Sophomore Corina Gamboa has established herself as a threat at third base. So far this season, Gamboa posted 24 RBI with seven home runs.
• She is currently fourth on the team with a .363 batting average and leads the team slugging .681.

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