Softball searches for continued improvement in St. George
A month of traveling and playing on the road continues this weekend for the Utah State softball team.
In its second tournament of the season, USU (0-6) will be at the Red Desert Classic in St. George on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
The Aggies are scheduled to compete in five games, playing two teams for the first time in school history.
USU has 23 road games scheduled, including four tournaments, before it will play at home March 26.
The tournament kicks off for USU on Friday against No. 25-ranked Oregon (12-5). USU is 4-10 all-time against Oregon, and lost 3-1 to the Ducks last season at the Red Desert Classic.
In the second game the Aggies will face Georgia Southern (7-4) for the first time.
The games Friday, originally scheduled for 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., have been pushed back to 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. due to rain.
This is the second time already this season weather has played a role in one of the Aggies’ tournaments. In USU’s first tournament, the Louisville Slugger Classic at the University of Arizona, two games were canceled after the Aggies’ flight was delayed due to rain.
Play will continue Saturday against Arkansas (7-8) and Alabama-Birmingham (8-6).
USU and Arkansas have met once previously, with the Razorbacks winning 3-0 at the National Invitational Tournament in 1999.
Saturday will mark the first meeting between USU and UAB.
Play for USU will conclude Sunday against Southern Utah (5-8).
This will be the third game this season for the Aggies against SUU. USU fell in both games of a double header, 5-3 and 10-2, Feb. 20.
Utah State has competed in the Red Desert Classic the past four years. Last year USU went 0-4 and is 2-13 in the tournament all-time.
In its first six games, USU has been led at the plate by sophomore first baseman Kelly Leos. She has gone 6-of-17, and is hitting .353. Against Arizona State on Feb. 16, Leos hit the team’s first home run — a two-run blast. She is also tied for the team lead with two RBIs.
Junior shortstop Haven Vance has also hit well recently, going 3-for-6 in the doubleheader against SUU. She hit a double and a triple, and drove in two runs.
Going into the tournament, Utah State has been playing with a young team, having only seven returning players. Four freshmen have started this season for the Aggies, with second baseman Quela Henderson and catcher Sara Fleming starting all six games.
Both Aggie pitchers, Carli Baumgartner and Leslie Higley, have also gotten a lot of game time, starting three games apiece.
–slbk5@cc.usu.edu