by Dr Alex Jimenez | UTEP (Local) RSS
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MAUMELLE, ARK. � The UTEP women�s golf team tied for third place at the Little Rock/ASU Invitational on Tuesday in Maumelle, Ark.
The Miners shot rounds of 304, 306 and 307 for a total of�917.��Central Arkansas was champion of the�13-team tournament (295-295-307-897), and�Arkansas-Little Rock was second (306-304-302-912).
Capturing individual medalist honors was�Central Arkansas� Ye Ji Lim, who�carded a�five-over-par 221 (72-72-77).
UTEP placed�two individuals in the top-10, with�Alisa Rodriguez tying for fourth place (74-75-74-223) and Lily Downs tying for 10th place (76-76-75-227).
The Miners��June Ting tied for 20th place (76-76-79-231),�Crystal Wu tied for 38th place (78-81-79-238) and�Abbie Anghelescu tied for 49th place (83-79-82-244).
UTEP will next compete at the�Wyoming Cowgirl Classic April 6-7 in�Maricopa, Ariz.
by Dr Alex Jimenez | UTEP (Local) RSS
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Irving, Texas � UTEP sophomore Tobi Amusan was named the Conference USA Track Co-Athlete of the Week as announced by the league office Tuesday afternoon.
In her first outdoor race of the season, the sprinter ran the nation�s fastest time this year in the 100m hurdles (12.63).
Before the race could start there was a 30-minute delay due to a camera malfunction, but that didn�t freeze Amusan from running the ninth-fastest time in NCAA (outdoor) history.
The sprinter set the school record and looks to carry that momentum with her to Austin, Texas, where she will compete against some of the best around the nation at the Texas Relays. Amusan will compete in the 4x100m relay and the 100m hurdles on Friday.
This year�s meet will be available online at espn3.com and via the WatchESPN app for smartphones and tables.
For live updates, follow @UTEPTrack on Twitter.
by Dr Alex Jimenez | Agility & Speed, Athletes, UTEP (Local) RSS
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Irving, Texas � UTEP sophomore Tobi Amusan was named the Conference USA Track Co-Athlete of the Week as announced by the league office Tuesday afternoon.
In her first outdoor race of the season, the sprinter ran the nation�s fastest time this year in the 100m hurdles (12.63).
Before the race could start there was a 30-minute delay due to a camera malfunction, but that didn�t freeze Amusan from running the ninth-fastest time in NCAA (outdoor) history.
The sprinter set the school record and looks to carry that momentum with her to Austin, Texas, where she will compete against some of the best around the nation at the Texas Relays. Amusan will compete in the 4x100m relay and the 100m hurdles on Friday.
This year�s meet will be available online at espn3.com and via the WatchESPN app for smartphones and tables.
For live updates, follow @UTEPTrack on Twitter.
Call Today!
by Dr Alex Jimenez | UTEP (Local) RSS
The UTEP track and field team will head to Austin, Texas, for the 90th edition of the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays held at the Mike A. Myers Stadium.
More than 7,700 athletes from around the world will compete in the four-day meet that begins Wednesday and concludes Saturday. The meet will have 14 hours of coverage on the Longhorn Network (schedule listed below).
Junior Lucia Mokrasova returns to the state capital where she scored 5,615 points last year to set the school record, previously held by Jallycia Pearson (2014). She will be in action Wednesday and Thursday.
Tobi Amusan will compete in the 100m hurdles and the 4x100m relay. Amusan set the nation’s fastest time (12.63) this year and ninth best in NCAA history at the UTEP Springtime on March 25. The two time All-American will take to the track on Friday for the 100m hurdles at 8:35 a.m. MT and again in the 4x100m relay shortly after. Israel Ramsay, Florence Uwakwe, and Madison Gibson complete the relay team.
Yanique Bennett will also run in two events, the 400m Friday (6 p.m. MT Friday) and the mile relay Saturday at 3:05 p.m. MT. Completing the 4x400m relay will be Uwakwe, Gibson and Ada Benjamin.
The distance contingent of Linda Cheruiyot, Gladys Jerotich and Winny Koech will compete Thursday evening in the 5,000m run. Lilian Koech will race in the 1,500m run.
Fayon Gonzales will take the field Thursday in the hammer throw starting at 10 a.m. MT. Samantha Hall will throw the discus on Saturday at 12:10 p.m. MT.
On the men’s side, All-American Michael Saruni will compete in the 800m Thursday evening at 6 p.m. MT. That will be followed by Cosmas Boit (1,500m), Jonah Koech (mile), Daniel Cheruiyot (3,000m steeplechase) and Antony Kosgei (5,000m).
Freshman Karol Koncos will compete in the hammer throw set to start at 1 p.m. MT Thursday.
For live updates, follow @UTEPTrack on Twitter. This year’s meet will be available online at espn3.com and via the WatchESPN app for smartphones and tablets.
T.V. Schedule
Wednesday March 29: 5-6:30 p.m. MT (tape delay of heptathlon)
Thursday March 30: 3:30 – 5 p.m. MT (tape delay of multi-events) 5-7 p.m. MT (LIVE)
Friday March 31: 8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. MT (LIVE); 6-8 p.m. MT (LIVE)
Saturday April 1: 12:30- 4:30 p.m. MT (LIVE)
by Dr Alex Jimenez | UTEP (Local) RSS
The UTEP softball team will take a break from league action to host rival NM State in the FirstLight FCU Battle of I-10 on March 28 in a two-game set starting at 5 p.m. at the Helen of Troy Softball Complex.
Fans who wear to orange to the contests will get in free.
The Miners (8-21) and Aggies (10-16) will face each other for the 40th time after the game one first pitch. UTEP defeated NM State, 5-3, in Las Cruces on March 1. It was the first win up the road for the Miners against the Aggies since Feb. 15, 2010.
Head coach Tobin Echo-Hawk has beaten NM State twice during her four seasons at the helm, which includes a victory in 2014.
“It’s nice to know it’s a rivalry game, knowing that the girls will be fired up to play this one. Going into this game, they will try to prove something like they always do,” said Echo-Hawk.
UTEP pounded out a season-high 15 hits in its 12-2 (5) run-rule game-one victory against Southern Miss on March 25, but only tallied a combined 10 hits the next two contests. However, the Miners have shown they can rack up knocks against the Aggies as 11 hits were recorded during the March 1 triumph.
And following the team’s loss on Sunday in which four hits were tallied, Echo-Hawk had a post-game talk with the squad to get back in the swing of things against NM State on Tuesday.
“We were just talking about thing to do offensively so we can get back on track,” Echo-Hawk said. “Hitting is a hard thing to do. It’s hard to remain consistent. It’s hard not to let one at-bat carry into the next at-bat. I know we are a better hitting team than that.”
UTEP is currently hitting .294 in 2017. Since Echo-Hawk’s arrival prior to the 2014 campaign, the Miners are hitting .296 in 188 games played.
ALL-TIME SERIES VS. NM STATE
UTEP is 11-28 all-time against NM State, dating back to March 24, 2004. UTEP recently ended a seven-game losing streak to NM State after coming out on top, 5-3, on March 1 in Las Cruces. The Miners are 8-10 all-time in El Paso, while losing the last three contests at the Helen of Troy Softball Complex.
The Orange and Blue last won in the Sun City on March 4, 2014 by the score of 5-1. Overall, UTEP is 2-7 in the last nine contests since the 2014 victory. The Miners last won consecutive contests against the Aggies during a three-game stretch (UTEP def. NM State 12-7 on Feb. 19, 2009, 22-5 on Feb. 15, 2010 & 5-0 on March 23, 2010).
LAST MEETING
UTEP defeated NM State 5-3 on March 1 in Las Cruces. The Miners struck first as they jumped out to a 5-0 advantage. Hope Moreno put her squad on top 1-0 in the fourth when she was hit by a pitch in a pinch-hit situation with bases loaded. The Miners then jumped out 3-0 after Kiki Pepi lined a two-run home run over center in the fifth inning.
Pepi came up big again in the sixth, this time with a two-run single lined up the middle. The Aggies kept things interesting when they scored three runs in the sixth, but Devyn Cretz and Erika Harrawood combined to keep the victory intact. Cretz earned the win, hurling 5.2 frames and fanning five batters, and Harrawood earned her first career save in 1.2 innings of work, while striking out the last batter to seal the deal.
SCOUTING NM STATE
The Aggies have racked up a 10-16 record and are coming off a 5-2, 7-3 double header loss to PAC-12’s no. 21 Arizona State last Wednesday in Tempe, Ariz. Together, the Aggies are hitting .296 to rank third among the WAC. Reigning 2016 WAC Freshman of the Year Kelsey Horton, now a sophomore, is leading the lineup, batting .391 that includes four home runs, 10 doubles, and 22 RBI.
Horton’s numbers rank fourth in batting, third in RBI, and third for doubles in the WAC. The pitching staff has tallied an ERA of 4.05, with sophomore Kayla Green leading the crew with a 3.97 ERA to rank fifth in WAC, as well as leading the team in wins (six).
Fellow pitcher Samaria Diaz leads the team with 38 strikeouts, including a season-high seven Ks against Southern Illinois on March 11. NM State ranks second in conference in pitching and fielding.
LAST WEEKEND
UTEP defeated Southern Miss, 12-2, in five frames, but fell 6-2 and 6-1 the next two contests to lose the series. The Miners (3-6) and Golden Eagles (3-6) have the same record in the Conference USA West Division following the weekend series. The Miners bats exploded for a season-high 15 hits in the game one victory and crossed the dish a season-high 12 times against the Golden Eagles. Overall, UTEP hit .309 (25-81) and actually outscored Southern Miss, 15-14, in the three-game set.
Kaitlin Ryder also recorded a career-high five RBI in game one, while Kiki Pepi and Mallorie Cross each tallied four RBI during the weekend. Courtney Clayton and Macey Brown each chipped in with a RBI. Erika Harrawood earned the game one victory, throwing 5.0 frames and striking out a trio of batters.
SEASON HIGH IN RUNS & HITS
A week after tying the season high in runs (10) and hits (13) during UTEP’s 10-7 win against Middle Tennessee, the Miners set their season high in runs (12) and hits (15) during a 12-2 (5) victory over Southern Miss. The most runs and hits tallied during the Tobin Echo-Hawk era was a 16-run outburst against Mount St. Mary’s on March 5, 2016 and a 17-hit barrage against Incarnate Word on Feb. 11, 2016.
BAT WOMEN
After hitting .226 the first nine games, the UTEP bats have picked up the pace, hitting .321 (178-554) the last 20 games. Overall, the Miners are hitting .294 during the season, ranking fifth in Conference USA and no. 79 nationally.
UTEP is one of five programs hitting .290 or better; Marshall leads the pack with a .326 batting average. UTEP ranks sixth in hits (229) and slugging (.406).
DOUBLE TAKE
UTEP recorded five more doubles during the Southern Miss series and ranks tied sixth in Conference USA with North Texas (34 doubles). LA Tech leads the way with 44, while Marshall (43), Charlotte (41), FIU (39) and UTSA (38) round out the list.
UTEP’s 1.17 doubles per game ranks fifth in C-USA and 150 nationally. Marshall leads C-USA with 1.54 doubles and Seton Hall leads the nation with 2.08 doubles per game.
DIGGING OUT TRIPLES
UTEP ranks tied fifth with Florida Atlantic with six triples in 2017. LA Tech leads the way with 10, UTSA ranks second with eight, and Charlotte and Marshall each have seven. The Miners’ .21 triples per game ranks fourth in C-USA and no. 90 nationally.
C-USA OFFENSIVE NUMBERS
UTEP ranks second with a .311 batting average in Conference USA games only. Marshall leads with a .336 batting average. The Miners rank fourth in slugging (.389), fifth in on-base (.349), second in runs scored (41) [Marshall leads with 64 runs], third in hits (76), second in RBI (41), tied second with LA Tech in doubles (11) and third in total bases (95).
GETTING HIT
UTEP was hit three more times by pitches this past weekend against Southern Miss. The Miners rank tied fourth with Southern Miss with 17 HBPs. WKU leads the league with 54 HBPs, while North Texas (24) ranks second and FIU (20) ranks third.
Hope Moreno was hit by another pitch this past weekend, giving her five in 2017, to rank tied seventh in Conference USA with FIU’s Stephanie Texeira. WKU’s Taylor Proctor leads with 15 HBPs.
TOUGH TO STRIKEOUT
UTEP has left the plate swinging or looking only 110 times in 780 at bats to rank 11th in Conference USA. Marshall leads the way with 101, while WKU has struck out the most with 211. Lindsey Sokoloski leads C-USA and ranks fourth nationally, only fanning once in 81 at bats. Sokoloski is one of 12 players nationally to only strikeout once, while Victoria Nelson of Jackson State has not struck out (79 at bats) this season.
Baylor’s Lindsey Cargill (102 at bats) and Nicholls State’s Brooke Morris (98 at bats) rank ahead of Sokoloski. Courtney Clayton has struck out two times in 100 at bats to rank fourth in C-USA and tied no. 56 nationally. Taylor Sargent (four Ks in 76 at bats) ranks fourth in C-USA and no. 109 nationally.
#TURNUP
The UTEP defense turned a trio of double plays against Southern Miss – two in game two and one in game three. The Miners have turned 14 double plays in 2017, ranking fourth in Conference USA. FIU ranks first with 17, while WKU and UAB have each turned 16 double plays. Last season, UTEP turned a program-high 30 double plays.
DEFENSIVE RANKINGS
UTEP’s .957 fielding percentage ranks in the middle of the pack in Conference USA, while its 35 errors have been kept to a minimal, ranking eighth in least errors committed in C-USA.
by Dr Alex Jimenez | UTEP (Local) RSS
Mallorie Cross registered a RBI and Kaitlin Ryder connected on a pair of hits, but Southern Miss behind, three solo home runs, downed UTEP 6-1 on a breezy Sunday afternoon at the Helen of Troy Softball Complex.
The Miners (8-21, 3-6 Conference USA) and Golden Eagles (16-15, 3-6 C-USA) are tied in the West Division after Samantha Robles (3-5) threw another complete game victory, allowing only four hits.
UTEP, who had been hitting the ball well as of late, struggled on this Sunday afternoon.
�We�re going to work on things offensively this week to get back on track,� fourth-year head coach Tobin Echo-Hawk said. �The first game, out bats were hot and then they kind of went away. We�ll pick the player�s brains to see where they�re at and where their mentality when they are up to bat so we can work on that this week in practice.�
The Miners will host I-10 rival NM State on March 28 in a doubleheader (5 p.m.). San Antonio is the next destination point for UTEP as it will play five contests. The first is a series at UTSA April 1-2 and two more games on April 3 against Incarnate Word.
Southern Miss took an early 2-0 lead in the first. Ciarra Cherry led the contest off with a walk, while Samantha Reynolds reached on a fielder�s choice sac-bunt. The defense went to throw out the lead runner Cherry, but was unsuccessful in the attempt. Cherry would reach third base on a throwing error in the process.
Lauren Holifield also reached on a fielder�s choice as the defense went after the lead runner Cherry at home, but she was called safe for the game�s first run.
Tori Dew then knocked in Reynolds on an RBI single up the middle. UTEP turned its third double play of the series on a liner hit to shortstop Cortney Smith, who made a diving snag to her right, while throwing out the runner at second. Samantha Papp flied out to center to end the top half.
In the bottom first with one out, Ryder connected on a towering shot that went down the left line, but the wind halted the momentum for a four-bagger, instead digging out a double as the ball dropped right at the fence. Smith walked with two outs to get a pair of runners on, but the Miners couldn�t sustain any more hits to get the runners across the dish.
In the third, Holifield hit the first of two solo home runs to put her squad up 3-0.
After a scoreless top fourth, the Miners got within two runs in the bottom half. Hope Moreno reached on a fielder�s choice and Lindsey Sokoloski singled up the middle to advance Moreno to second base. With two outs, Cross hit a blooper to shallow center that plated Moreno.
But Holifield hit her second solo shot in the fifth and pinch hitter Jade Lewis came up with the team�s third dinger of the game in the sixth to pull away.
Holifield finished the day 3-for-4 with four RBI and two runs scored.
Ryder finished 2-for-3 and is hitting .444 (12-27) the last nine games with 12 RBI and three walks. Cross, after her 1-for-3, one-RBI day, is hitting .316 with 10 RBI this season.
Erika Harrawood (3-8) started the contest, hurling 5.1 frames. Kaitlin Fifield threw 1.2 innings.
by Dr Alex Jimenez | UTEP (Local) RSS
The UTEP women’s tennis team dropped a hard-fought match to Iowa State on Friday at the El Paso Tennis and Swim Club. The Cyclones, who have now won 12 straight, took the 4-0 victory.
The short-handed Miners had a strong showing in doubles play. The highlight of the day came from sophomore Raven Bennett and senior Daphne Visscher, who turned in a dominating 6-1 victory over the Cyclones’ Margarita Timakova and Annabella Bonadonna on court two. The decisive match for the doubles point came on court one, with Milou Pietersz and Lois Wagenvoort going toe-to-toe with Iowa State’s Samantha Budai and Maty Cancini. The Miner duo had a 5-4 lead late but could not hold on, falling to the Cyclones 7-5.
Only four singles matches were played, and because of forfeits on courts five and six, the Cyclones took the match 4-0. The Miners were playing without the injured Maria Paula Medina and Duda Santos.
The Miners will be back in action Friday, March 24, when they travel to Albuquerque, N.M. to meet with New Mexico. First serve against the Lobos is 11 a.m. MT.
Iowa State 4, UTEP 0
Singles competition
1. Milou Pietersz (UTEP) vs. Budai, Samantha (ISU) 3-6, 4-3, unfinished
2. Cancini, Maty (ISU) def. Daphne Visscher (UTEP) 6-3, 6-1
3. Lois Wagenvoort (UTEP) vs. Espindola, Regina (ISU) 3-6, 5-2, unfinished
4. Raven Bennett (UTEP) vs. Freeman, Erin (ISU) 7-5, 3-2, unfinished
5. Bonadonna, Annabella (ISU) def. No player (UTEP), by forfeit
6. Timakova, Margarita (ISU) def. No player (UTEP), by forfeit
Doubles competition
1. Budai, Samantha/Cancini, Maty (ISU) def. Milou Pietersz/Lois Wagenvoort (UTEP) 7-5
2. Raven Bennett/Daphne Visscher (UTEP) def. Timakova, Margarita/Bonadonna, Annabella (ISU) 6-1
3. Alvarez, Karen/Freeman, Erin (ISU) def. No player/No player (UTEP), by forfeit
