New Mexico
Softball prepares for slugfest against New Mexico State – PantherNOW
Brian Olmo | Investigative Director
The FIU softball team will go blow-for-blow against the New Mexico State Aggies in a three-game series starting on Friday, April 12, in Las Cruces, New Mexico.
In their last series against UTEP, the Panthers won two of three games. They closed out the series with a tough 3-5 loss after going to eight innings, but FIU still secured its first conference series win of the season.
FIU currently sits seventh in Conference USA standings with a 4-8 record. The Aggies are the fourth-best team with a 7-5 record.
New Mexico State has the second-highest batting average in CUSA (.296), sitting right behind Western Kentucky (.309).
You can thank junior Dezianna Patmon for that number.
Patmon has been electric for the Aggies, leading the team in every single major batting statistic. 42 hits, eight home runs, 27 RBIs. You name it, Patmon is leading in it.
Outside of the team, both her batting average and on-base plus slugging percentage are the fourth best in the conference.
The Aggies may be strong at bat, but they are dead last in fielding percentage with a 0.937%. That is far below all other teams in CUSA.
Fielding percentage is a measure of how well defensive players are handling batted or thrown balls. A 0.937% means that out of 1,000 chances, NMSU is only making 937 error-free plays.
For reference, the second-lowest percentage is FIU with a 0.957%.
Fielding isn’t the only problem the Aggies have.
As a team, they also aren’t pitching the ball too well, giving up 4.51 earned runs per nine innings.
At first, this may seem to suggest that NMSU is prone to being taken advantage of on defense. The problem for the Panthers is that they aren’t much better with a 4.22 ERA.
Two teams with solid batting averages but lackluster fielding and pitching indicates a potentially high-scoring game.
Senior Bailey Grossenbacher is FIU’s best hitter, leading the team with a 0.362 batting average. Her 21 RBIs and five home runs tie her for most on the team with graduate Casey Goguts and junior Ashton Lansdell respectively.
If the Panthers want to make this game close, they’ll need to overcome their kryptonite this season: playing on the road.
FIU has been absolutely abysmal when not playing at Felsberg Field, holding a 1-8 record. The team will need to power through that if they want to win.
First pitch is set for 8 p.m. at the NM State Softball Complex in Las Cruces, New Mexico and the first two games of the series will be broadcasted on ESPN+.
Follow Brian Olmo on X at @Brian_Olmo11
New Mexico
NM Political Report wins seven regional journalism awards – NM Political Report
NM Political Report won seven awards at the Society of Professional Journalists Region 9 Top of the Rockies this weekend for stories we wrote in 2023. The awards took place in Denver this weekend. NM Political Report competed in the small newsroom category and the awards included placing first in three categories. The awards are: […]
NM Political Report won seven awards at the Society of Professional Journalists Region 9 Top of the Rockies this weekend for stories we wrote in 2023. The awards took place in Denver this weekend.
NM Political Report competed in the small newsroom category and the awards included placing first in three categories.
The awards are:
Previously, Susan Dunlap also won first place for online feature story at the New Mexico Press Women’s annual communications contest for her story A look back at what the last year has wrought about the year following the Dobbs decision. She has since been informed the story placed in the National Federation of Press Women contest, with the final results to be announced in June.
New Mexico
New Mexico man arrested for double murder and kidnapping – KYMA
CLOVIS, N.M. (NBC, KYMA/KECY) – A 10-month-old girl, abducted from a New Mexico park, is safe and a suspect is in custody.
According to authorities, 26-year-old Alek Isaiah Collins was taken into custody early Monday morning after receiving a tip that he was staying at a home in Abilene, Texas. That is where police found the suspect and the infant girl named Eleia.
Authorities say that Eleia is being checked out at a hospital and will be returned to her family soon. Her five-year-old sister is also recovering in the hospital from a gunshot wound.
Eleia’s mother and another woman were both found dead at Ned Houk Park near Clovis on Friday.
“Our thoughts and prayers are still for the 5-year-old that’s still in the hospital. We’re hoping and praying that she will be fine and be released back to her family soon too,” said Chief Roy Rice with the Clovis Police Department (CPD).
The suspect is being held on charges of aggravated robbery, assault on a peace officer and other charges are pending.
New Mexico
A look ahead to tornado season in New Mexico
Meteorologist Alan Shoemaker talks about tornado frequency in New Mexico and how you can stay safe.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – It may be windy and dry right now in New Mexico, but severe weather season and all the risks that come with it are nearly here.
May and June are the biggest tornado months in New Mexico in terms of the number of tornado reports.
So, Meteorologist Alan Shoemaker talks about tornado frequency in New Mexico and how you can stay safe.
Watch the video above for more.
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