Aggie softball to face Utes at Johnson Field today
The Utah State women’s softball team will be looking to take the “A” out of Ute pitcher Kristin Arbogast when the University of Utah rolls into Logan for a doubleheader at Johnson Field Wednesday afternoon.
Arbogast has played her “A” game against the Aggies this year – holding them to only four hits and one run in 13 innings pitched, while striking out 11 Aggie batters. As a result, the Utes have won both meetings between the two teams this season, including a 5-1 victory in Salt Lake City Wednesday.
“She does a good job keeping the ball low and changing up the locations [of the pitch],” said USU assistant coach Jason Salz.
This time, the Aggies will get to play the Utes on their home field Wednesday at 2 p.m. in the first of a seven-game homestand for the Aggies.
Both the Utes and Aggies have been staggering in recent weeks. USU has lost seven straight games, while the Utes (24-17-1, 5-2-1 in the Mountain West Conference) are coming off series splits against MWC foes San Diego State University and the University of Nevada at Las Vegas.
The Aggies will also need to contain the Utes’ ability to hit the long ball. Utah is lead by Lyndsey Trevis (.418 batting average, eight homers, 44 RBIs), Melissa Stahnke (.364, 14 homers, .760 slugging percentage) and recent MWC player of the week Niki Hayhurst (.347, 10 homers).
“If we can contain those kids, we can contain the whole team,” Salz said.
While the Aggies have been able to slow down at least one of those three in the two previous games, at least one has always made the Aggies pay.
In the teams’ first encounter – a 4-0 Ute victory – the Aggies were able to contain Trevis and Stahnke, but Hayhurst went 2-for-3 with a two-run home run. Last Wednesday, USU held Hayhurst to a single, but Trevis and Stahnke finished with two hits, one homer and two RBIs apiece.
The Aggies will continue their homestand Friday against Big West Conference rival Sacramento State University.