Seventh in an 8-part series of WAC team previews.New Mexico State Aggies
2011 overall record: 44-17
2011 WAC record: 17-4 (first place)
Returning starters: 5
We said it in our 2011 preview: If New Mexico State was ever going to win that elusive first Western Athletic Conference softball title, it had to be last season.
The Aggies were a senior-dominated team in 2011 and had a slew of 4-year starters back for one final run. And coach Kathy Rodolph's squad delivered.
New Mexico State captured its first WAC regular season softball title and first conference tournament championship on its way to a first trip to the NCAA Tournament. The Aggies even defeated Texas Tech in their NCAA regional debut before being eliminated the following day with a pair of losses to Arizona and in a rematch with the Red Raiders.
But 2011 was clearly a success for a program that seemingly entered each of the last few seasons with high hopes and postseason dreams that ultimately failed to materialize.
This year it will be interesting to see how New Mexico State handles the spotlight created by last year's team. The Aggies are suddenly a marquee opponent on everyone's schedule and won't be taken lightly by anyone.
And speaking of schedules, NMSU is clearly taking a step in the right direction by beefing up its slate with probably the most demanding group of non-conference opponents it's ever faced. It's not the juggernaut type schedule faced by either Fresno State or BYU, but trips to tougher tourneys, including the prestigious Cathedral City Classic, will test the Aggies early.
New Mexico State was an offensive powerhouse a season ago, hitting an impressive .341, which not only ranked third in the nation, but two points higher than defending NCAA champion Arizona State. Often, t
he Aggies needed every bit of those bats to overcome a team ERA of 4.07, which ranked fifth in the WAC.If the Aggies want to advance deeper into the NCAA Tournament, they'll need to improve in the circle. It just may happen with the return of four pitchers and the addition of high school All-American Karysta Donisthorpe, who is likely one of the top candidates to win WAC Freshman of the Year honors.
Donisthorpe, a two-time New Mexico state high school player of the year, struck out 307 batters a season ago in leading her Piedra Vista team to a sixth straight state title. She earned NFCA second team high school All-American honors as a senior and joins a staff that includes junior Alex Newman (23-6 record, 3.37 ERA last season) and sophomore Celisha Walker (9-6, 3.81).
Newman and Walker were formidable in the circle, especially down the stretch. The two finished seventh and ninth in overall ERA among WAC pitchers. Alex Villalobos (3-0, 20 appearances as a senior) and Carissa Theis are gone. Theis left the program and transferred to Santa Clara this season after making 30 starts and 45 appearances in her two years with the Aggies.
On offense, Rodolph has major holes to fill, with four of New Mexico State's top seven hitters from a year ago now gone. Three first team All-WAC players have graduated, along with New Mexico State's lone second team all-conference honoree. In fact, the Aggies return only four position players who started their final game of the 2011 season in last year's NCAA Tournament.
Replacing the bat of NFCA second team All-American Hoku Nohara will be difficult, if not impossible. Nohara departs as the WAC's all-time home run leader (64), along with being New Mexico State's career leader in practically every offensive category. Nohara set the Aggies' all-time marks in RBI (209), walks (138), total bases (450) and on-base percentage (.490). The most feared player in WAC history, Nohara had 24 home runs, 73 RBI, a .426 batting average and a ridiculous 1.007 slugging percentage as a senior.
First team All-WAC players Kandis Jones (.387 BA) and Kylie Randall (.357) are also huge losses from last season. Jones and Randall ranked first and second in hits among all WAC players, combining for a staggering 156. The speedy Randall hit in the leadoff spot and also led the conference in stolen bases, converting an impressive 40 of 42 attempts. With five of the first seven hitters in last year's batting order departed, the Aggies are certain to have a new look.
Also gone is 4-year starter Ashley Maroda, perhaps the most consistent player in school history. Maroda started in a school-record 223 games, and finished her career with 163 RBI and 43 home runs, reaching double digits in homers all four seasons. Infielder Vanessa Valles, who played in 96 games as an Aggie and hit .323 last season, has departed as well. Valles made 24 starts as a senior, including all three NCAA Tournament games.
Despite all the talented personnel New Mexico State lost, there are several big names returning, including senior Tiare Jennings and sophomore Valerie Swedberg. The two put up some great numbers last season, combining for 28 home runs and 108 RBI. Swedberg hit .377, the fourth best average in the conference, and won WAC Freshman of the Year honors. Jennings ranked among the top three in the WAC in hits, runs and RBI, and was a first team All-WAC honoree.
With virtually everyone around them in the lineup from last season gone now, it will be interesting to see what Swedberg and Jennings do this time around. Nohara's presence in the lineup made everyone better, and Randall and Jones were the table-setters that gave the pair so many RBI opportunities.
Junior Teresa Conrad (.341 BA, 8 HR) returns after starting 55 games in 2011, alternating at different infield positions, and contributing 20 extra-base hits. Also back is senior catcher Brittany Clifton (.194 BA), who made 39 starts, and junior Tehani Kaaihue (.294), who made 39 starts, mostly at second base. Kaaihue hit eight home runs and was 8-for-8 in stolen bases as a sophomore.
New Mexico State will add nine freshmen to the mix this season. Although Donisthorpe is the newcomer garnering the most buzz among this group, there are others who should step in and contribute right away. Kelsey Dodd, who split time at first base and catcher in high school at one of California's better programs (Clovis Buchanan), hit .411 for her prep career and was a second team all-state pick. Outfielder Malena Padilla was a third team All-CIF pick from California's Oakley Freedom High.
Rodolph faces a big challenge, replacing so many key hitters in what was an offensive juggernaut of a lineup. For a team long known for its bats, Swedberg is the only returning player to get a hit in the Aggies' final game of last season against Texas Tech. This may be that rare year when it's New Mexico State's pitching that does the talking, especially early in the season.
And there lies the final piece of the puzzle. Rodolph could be faced with finding enough playing time to keep such a deep pitching lineup happy. Newman and Walker started 51 of the team's 61 games last season, and returning pitchers Sydney Williard and Kelsey Schueler combined for 30 appearances. Adding an arm as potent as Donisthorpe's to that group may mean one or more pitchers could be squeezed out. It will be a delicate balance for sure.
The schedule is rigorous, if not downright tough. After easing into the season, New Mexico State faces a tough slate in late February and March, tangling with Arizona State, Nebraska, Cal, Stanford, Arizona and Oregon, among others. The unbalanced league schedule also isn't as favorable as last year, with four road series versus three at home. The Aggies open the conference season on the road in Provo at BYU.
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