Friday, April 19
Ruston, LA
6:00 PM
Louisiana Tech University
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UTEP
Photo by: Darrell James
Bulldogs Host Miners on Alumni Weekend
4/18/2024 10:16:00 AM | Softball
RUSTON – The Louisiana Tech Softball team returns home to host UTEP for a three-game Conference USA series at Dr. Billy Bundrick Field on Alumni Weekend.
Louisiana Tech will welcome back over 25 former players as part of the third annual Alumni Weekend. Former LA Tech greats Emma Barnes Anderson and Jazlyn Crowder
SERIES INFORMATION
Date/Time: Friday, April 19, 6 p.m. | Saturday, April 20, 2 p.m. | Sunday, April 21, 1 p.m.
Location: Dr. Billy Bundrick Field | Ruston, La.
Watch: Game One | Game Two | Game Three
Stats: LATechSports.com/Stats
ABOUT LOUISIANA TECH (26-14, 9-6 CUSA)
Louisiana Tech is 26-14 this season and is coming off dropping both ends of a doubleheader at Ole Miss. Tech fell 7-3 in game one before falling in a 6-5 13-inning marathon in game two. The Bulldogs were one out away from winning and up by two in the bottom of the ninth before Ole Miss tied things up with a two-RBI single.
Alannah Rogers tied a career high with three hits in the 6-5 loss to Ole Miss while driving in three of the Dogs' five runs. Rogers is batting .310 this season with 35 hits, 17 RBI, and 19 runs scored.
Kylie Neel batted .556 with five hits, two home runs, a triple, eight RBI, four runs scored, and 13 total bases in a three-game series at Jax State. Neel went 2-2 with a two-run home run, triple, and a sacrifice fly while driving in four runs during the Bulldogs' 8-3 series-clinching win over the Gamecocks on Sunday. During Saturday's 4-2 victory, she was the only player with multiple hits in the contest. She drove in three of the Bulldogs' four runs by going 2-4 with a three-run home run and two runs scored. At Ole Miss, Neel went 2-4 with a double and an RBI in the game-one loss.
Nicole Hammoude leads LA Tech with 30 RBI and five home runs this season. Hammoude drove in a run during game one of the doubleheader at Ole Miss.
Center fielder Alexis Gilio has been the Dogs' best hitter this season. She leads LA Tech with a .402 batting average, 49 hits, 17 RBI, 27 Runs scored, 17 walks, and a team-leading 10 stolen bases. Defensively, Gilio has committed one error in 73 chances. Gilio robbed her second home run of the season in the bottom of the fifth in a 6-5 extra-innings loss at Ole Miss on Tuesday.
Opponents are hitting .251 against the Bulldogs' pitching staff in 2024. LA Tech has a team ERA of 2.71 and a 1.26 WHIP in 271.1 innings this season. In the last two seasons, the Bulldog pitchers have held opponents to two runs or less in 49 of their 95 games played.
Allie Floyd leads LA Tech in innings pitched (112.1) and strikeouts (65) this season while owning a 2.31 ERA. She has a 12-4 record and five saves this season. Floyd has held opponents to a .225 batting average in 2024.
Brook Melnychuk is 9-6 this season with a 2.71 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, and 49 strikeouts. Opposing hitters are batting .230 against her.
Katelin Cooper leads LA Tech with 87 walks this season. She became the first Bulldog to post 20+ walks in three consecutive seasons since Morgan Turkoly accomplished the feat from 2017-19.
As a team, LA Tech has already recorded 13+ hits in 10 games this season after doing it eight times a year ago.
The Bulldogs reached the 1,300-win mark earlier this season, becoming the 39th DI program (DI and AIAW included) to accomplish the feat.
LA Tech is led by head coach Josh Taylor, who is 97-58 in three seasons at Tech and 330-226 in his career. He previously served as head coach at Nevada (2017-2021) and Feather River College (2009-2012).
ABOUT UTEP (21-14, 7-8 CUSA)
UTEP is 21-14 this season and 7-8 in league play. The Miners did not play a midweek contest this week and are coming off a 2-1 series win over Sam Houston in El Paso. UTEP won the series with victories in games one and two, 3-0 and 10-8. The Bearkats run-ruled the Miners 9-0 (6 inn.) in the series finale on Sunday.
The Miners are batting .291 as a team with 266 hits, 31 home runs, 161 RBI, and 176 runs scored.
Offensively, The Miners have five players in the starting lineup batting at or above .300. Ajia Richard is one of the most dangerous hitters in CUSA. The junior infielder is batting .411 and leads UTEP with 46 hits, 14 doubles, nine home runs, 36 RBI, 89 total bases, and 28 runs scored.
In the circle, UTEP owns a 3.94 team ERA while playing their home games at Helen of Troy Softball Complex, which sits 3,470 feet above sea level. Faith Aragon is the Miners ace with a 3.57 ERA and 72 strikeouts in a team leading 102 innings pitched.
T.J. Hubbard is in his fifth season as head coach of UTEP with a record of 63-125. Before UTEP, he served as head coach at Utah Valley (2016-19), and North Texas (2007-13). Hubbard has a career coaching record of 276-372.
SERIES HISTORY
Louisiana Tech and UTEP will meet for the 39th, 40th, and 41st time this weekend. The Bulldogs lead the all-time series 23-15. Last year, the Bulldogs swept the Miners in El Paso. Tech walloped UTEP with scores of 10-7, 7-2, and 13-2 in the three-game series.
SOCIAL MEDIA
For all the latest in LA Tech Softball, follow us on Twitter (@LATechSB), Instagram (@LATechSB), and Facebook (LATechSoftball).
Louisiana Tech will welcome back over 25 former players as part of the third annual Alumni Weekend. Former LA Tech greats Emma Barnes Anderson and Jazlyn Crowder
SERIES INFORMATION
Date/Time: Friday, April 19, 6 p.m. | Saturday, April 20, 2 p.m. | Sunday, April 21, 1 p.m.
Location: Dr. Billy Bundrick Field | Ruston, La.
Watch: Game One | Game Two | Game Three
Stats: LATechSports.com/Stats
ABOUT LOUISIANA TECH (26-14, 9-6 CUSA)
Louisiana Tech is 26-14 this season and is coming off dropping both ends of a doubleheader at Ole Miss. Tech fell 7-3 in game one before falling in a 6-5 13-inning marathon in game two. The Bulldogs were one out away from winning and up by two in the bottom of the ninth before Ole Miss tied things up with a two-RBI single.
Alannah Rogers tied a career high with three hits in the 6-5 loss to Ole Miss while driving in three of the Dogs' five runs. Rogers is batting .310 this season with 35 hits, 17 RBI, and 19 runs scored.
Kylie Neel batted .556 with five hits, two home runs, a triple, eight RBI, four runs scored, and 13 total bases in a three-game series at Jax State. Neel went 2-2 with a two-run home run, triple, and a sacrifice fly while driving in four runs during the Bulldogs' 8-3 series-clinching win over the Gamecocks on Sunday. During Saturday's 4-2 victory, she was the only player with multiple hits in the contest. She drove in three of the Bulldogs' four runs by going 2-4 with a three-run home run and two runs scored. At Ole Miss, Neel went 2-4 with a double and an RBI in the game-one loss.
Nicole Hammoude leads LA Tech with 30 RBI and five home runs this season. Hammoude drove in a run during game one of the doubleheader at Ole Miss.
Center fielder Alexis Gilio has been the Dogs' best hitter this season. She leads LA Tech with a .402 batting average, 49 hits, 17 RBI, 27 Runs scored, 17 walks, and a team-leading 10 stolen bases. Defensively, Gilio has committed one error in 73 chances. Gilio robbed her second home run of the season in the bottom of the fifth in a 6-5 extra-innings loss at Ole Miss on Tuesday.
Opponents are hitting .251 against the Bulldogs' pitching staff in 2024. LA Tech has a team ERA of 2.71 and a 1.26 WHIP in 271.1 innings this season. In the last two seasons, the Bulldog pitchers have held opponents to two runs or less in 49 of their 95 games played.
Allie Floyd leads LA Tech in innings pitched (112.1) and strikeouts (65) this season while owning a 2.31 ERA. She has a 12-4 record and five saves this season. Floyd has held opponents to a .225 batting average in 2024.
Brook Melnychuk is 9-6 this season with a 2.71 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, and 49 strikeouts. Opposing hitters are batting .230 against her.
Katelin Cooper leads LA Tech with 87 walks this season. She became the first Bulldog to post 20+ walks in three consecutive seasons since Morgan Turkoly accomplished the feat from 2017-19.
As a team, LA Tech has already recorded 13+ hits in 10 games this season after doing it eight times a year ago.
The Bulldogs reached the 1,300-win mark earlier this season, becoming the 39th DI program (DI and AIAW included) to accomplish the feat.
LA Tech is led by head coach Josh Taylor, who is 97-58 in three seasons at Tech and 330-226 in his career. He previously served as head coach at Nevada (2017-2021) and Feather River College (2009-2012).
ABOUT UTEP (21-14, 7-8 CUSA)
UTEP is 21-14 this season and 7-8 in league play. The Miners did not play a midweek contest this week and are coming off a 2-1 series win over Sam Houston in El Paso. UTEP won the series with victories in games one and two, 3-0 and 10-8. The Bearkats run-ruled the Miners 9-0 (6 inn.) in the series finale on Sunday.
The Miners are batting .291 as a team with 266 hits, 31 home runs, 161 RBI, and 176 runs scored.
Offensively, The Miners have five players in the starting lineup batting at or above .300. Ajia Richard is one of the most dangerous hitters in CUSA. The junior infielder is batting .411 and leads UTEP with 46 hits, 14 doubles, nine home runs, 36 RBI, 89 total bases, and 28 runs scored.
In the circle, UTEP owns a 3.94 team ERA while playing their home games at Helen of Troy Softball Complex, which sits 3,470 feet above sea level. Faith Aragon is the Miners ace with a 3.57 ERA and 72 strikeouts in a team leading 102 innings pitched.
T.J. Hubbard is in his fifth season as head coach of UTEP with a record of 63-125. Before UTEP, he served as head coach at Utah Valley (2016-19), and North Texas (2007-13). Hubbard has a career coaching record of 276-372.
SERIES HISTORY
Louisiana Tech and UTEP will meet for the 39th, 40th, and 41st time this weekend. The Bulldogs lead the all-time series 23-15. Last year, the Bulldogs swept the Miners in El Paso. Tech walloped UTEP with scores of 10-7, 7-2, and 13-2 in the three-game series.
SOCIAL MEDIA
For all the latest in LA Tech Softball, follow us on Twitter (@LATechSB), Instagram (@LATechSB), and Facebook (LATechSoftball).
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