by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | UTEP (Local) RSS
The UTEP softball team will continue its 2017 campaign with a trip to Conference USA West Division foe UAB April 29-30. The Miners (11-31, 5-13 C-USA) are coming off their bye week, while the Blazers (16-29, 7-9 C-USA) are coming off a loss at Middle Tennessee on April 22.
The Miners and Blazers will play a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. CT/Noon MT on Saturday, while the series finale will be played on Sunday (1 p.m. CT) at Mary Bowers Field.
The weekend series in Birmingham will be the first of six final regular season games leading up to the C-USA Tournament May 10-13 in Hattiesburg, Miss. UTEP will close out the regular season against the defending C-USA Champions Florida Atlantic May 6-7.
MINERS FOLLOWING A BYE WEEK
UTEP is 4-2 the last two seasons following a bye week. In the 2015, following three losses at no. 25 UABMarch 14-15, the Miners responded by winning two of three against Southern Miss in El Paso (March 28-29). Last season, UTEP won two of three at Middle Tennessee (April 16-17). UTEP did not have a bye week in 2014 as it was scheduled to play at Colorado State in a three-game set April 5-6.
POSTSEASON PICTURE
UTEP is currently on the outside looking in the postseason outlook. Marshall (15-3 C-USA East) and LA Tech (13-5 West) have clinched spots while there are six spots remaining for the C-USA Tournament. The top three programs in each division will clinch a spot and the next two schools with the best record will seal the final two spots.
FIU (11-6 East), Florida Atlantic (10-8 East), North Texas (11-10 West) and UAB (7-9 West) are the next best four teams regarding league record, while WKU (10-10) and UTSA (9-12 West) would clinch spots if regular season ended today. Charlotte (7-10 East), Southern Miss (7-13 West), Middle Tennessee (5-11 East) and UTEP round out the list.
LAST SERIES
UTEP lost three contests at LA Tech April 14-15. The Miners fell in a pair of close contests on Friday, 4-2 and 4-0. The Lady Techsters took game three 8-0 in five. Taylor Sargent kept a hot bat as she hit .375 (3-8) with a double and a two-run triple. Kaitlin Ryder hit .333 with a run scored, while Lindsey Sokoloski also hit .333 and did not strikeout during the weekend.
ALL-TIME SERIES VS. UAB
The Blazers are 21-9 all-time against the Miners since May 6, 2006. UTEP has lost its last nine contests against UAB (April 20, 2013-April 24, 2016). UTEP last defeated UAB on April 22, 2012 in El Paso by the score of 7-0. The Miners were swept last season by the Blazers in El Paso. Cortney Smith went 4-for-10 with a pair of home runs and four RBI, while Courtney Clayton hit .545 (6-11) with a long ball and a pair of RBI.
UAB pulled away late in game one with the score knotted at 1-1 through four innings. The Blazers scored five in the fifth, three in the sixth and another run in the seventh to claim victory.
The Miners and Blazers slugged one out in game two as both squads each recorded 12 hits. The Miners took an early 3-0 lead after a Danielle Pearson RBI double and a Smith two-run single in the first frame. After UAB took a 4-3 lead, the Miners would tie the score in the second on a Kaitlin Ryder solo home run. After the Blazers took a 7-5 lead after three frames, Kiki Pepi scored on an error in the fourth that brought the Miners within a run.
But the Blazers used two runs in the seventh to put the game away. The Miners would go on to lose a heartbreaker in the series finale as UAB scored three runs in the seventh to claim a 4-2 victory. Following a run by the Blazers for a 1-0 edge in the fourth, the Miners would score runs in the fifth (Smith solo home run) and the sixth (Hope Moreno RBI single) for a 2-1 advantage.
UTEP is also 2-13 all-time in Birmingham, as the Miners took two of three from the Blazers during the 2009 season.
SCOUTING UAB
The Blazers are coming off a pair of losses, the first to no. 9/10 Washington, 6-0, on April 20 and another to at Middle Tennessee, 3-1, on April 22. UAB and Middle Tennessee were rained out on April 23 and rescheduled the two-game set for May 3 in Murfreesboro.
UAB is 16-29 overall and 7-9 in Conference USA. The Blazers are 8-9 on their home field and 3-2 in their last five home games – won two of three against North Texas (April 14-15), defeated Samford 4-3 [8] (April 18) and fell to Washington.
UAB ranks last in the conference with its .219 batting average, while its 132 runs are the least. UAB ranks eighth in the ERA (3.55) and walked a league-high 188 batters but have struck out 223 (ranked fourth in C-USA). UAB also ranks last in slugging (.314), on-base percentage (.298), hits (258) and RBI (114). The Blazers rank last in fielding percentage (.949) while their errors (73) are the most in the league. UAB has turned 22 plays, the third most in C-USA. Analyse Petree leads the team with a .278 batting average, while Madison Millsaps leads the squad in RBI (17).
Joanna Fallen and Millsaps each lead the team with five home runs apiece; Petree leads in doubles (seven) and Destini England leads the squad in runs (20) and hits (38). Claire Blount (7-10) leads the staff in wins, ERA (2.84), walks (88), innings (138.0) and Ks (114). Blount’s 114 strikeouts rank tied fourth in C-USA. Cara Goodwin (4-11) has a 3.85 ERA in 91.0 frames of work with 37 BBs and 70 Ks.
#TURNUP
UTEP turned three more double plays at LA Tech during Easter Weekend. The Miners lead Conference USA with 27 double plays turned, while they rank second nationally in double plays per game (.64) behind Auburn (.77). Auburn as turned a national-best 36 double plays, while Campbell has turned 29. UT Arlington has been part of 28 double plays, and UTEP and UC Riverside have turned 27 each.
Taylor Sargent andCourtney Clayton have each been part of 12 DPs to rank tied fourth with Florida Atlantic’s Lauren Whitt.Cortney Smith (11) ranks tied seventh with LA Tech’s Katie Smith and Kiki Pepi (10) is tied ninth with three other players.
SECOND MOST DOULBE PLAYS
UTEP’s 27 double plays turned in 2017 is already the second most turned in program history. Last season’s squad turned a program-best 30 double plays. In fact, since Tobin Echo-Hawk arrived to UTEP, the Miners have turned 96 doubles plays in 201 games (.48 per game).
The 2007 squad turned 21, while 19 double plays were turned during the 2005 season. The previous four seasons (2010-13), 46 double plays were turned.
BAT GIRLS
UTEP is hitting .299 to rank fourth in Conference USA and no. 58 nationally, while it would rank the third best average in program history if the season ended today. UTEP hit .307 in 2016 and .303 in 2007. UTEP’s slugging (.415) ranks fifth, while its hits (342) rank sixth. Marshall leads C-USA in batting (.321), while UTSA leads with 396 hits.
UTEP RANKINGS IN C-USA ONLY GAMES
The Miners rank second in batting average (.308) and hits (152) in Conference USA games only behind UTSA (.310 average & 181 hits). UTEP ranks fifth in runs scored (76), on-base percentage (.363), RBI (73) and fourth in total bases (200). UTEP ranks third in slugging (.405). LA Tech leads the way in runs scored (96) and RBI (89).
EXTRA BASE HITS
UTEP tallied a triple and double at LA Tech. The Miners rank fourth in Conference USA with 10 triples and seventh with 49 doubles. The Miners rank third in C-USA and no. 49 nationally with .24 triples per game.
Binghamton leads the nation with .49 triples per game and Florida State leads the nation with 20 triples (.42 per game). Marshall and LA Tech are tied for the lead league with 12 triples and Southern Miss (11) ranks third.
5 IN THE TOP 25
UTEP has five players ranked in the top 25 in Conference USA in batting. Taylor Sargent (.351) ranks 13th,Kaitlin Ryder (.350) ranks 14th, Kiki Pepi (.339) ranks 15th, Cortney Smith (.336) ranks 16th, andCourtney Clayton (.315) ranks no. 25.
UTEP has the most players in the top 25, while Marshall, Charlotte, North Texas and FIU each have three. Middle Tennessee and UTSA each have two. Florida Atlantic, WKU, LA Tech and Southern Miss each have one.
RACKING UP HITS
The Miners have connected on 342 hits, ranking sixth in Conference USA. UTEP’s 17 hits at UTSA (April 1) are tied for the most during the Tobin Echo-Hawk era, as 17 hits were recorded against Incarnate Word on Feb. 11, 2016. The 17 knocks are tied for eighth on the all-time list. Last season, the Miners set a single-season record with 451 knocks.
MORE ON THE HIT PARADE
UTEP has recorded 10-plus hit games 79 times during the Tobin Echo-Hawk era. The previous four seasons, the Miners tallied 10-plus hits in 50 contests. Since Echo-Hawk took the helm at UTEP, the Miners are hitting .298 (1,611-5,415), while the previous four years saw a .268 average (1,462-5,462). The Miners have connected on 15-plus hits in 14 different contests from 2014-17 and eight different times from 2010-13. The most hits recorded the last eight seasons were 24 at Brown on March 3, 2012 – tied most in program history.
by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | UTEP (Local) RSS
The Miners are westbound for the second time during the outdoor season as they head to Berkley, Calif. for the Brutus Hamilton Challenge. This will be the final competition the Miners will see before the Conference USA Outdoor Championships hosted by UTEP (May11-14).
The historic two-day meet starts Friday 9:00 a.m. PT with the men’s hammer throw. Sophomore Karol Koncos will be one of the top competitors in the field. Koncos threw for 63.43m (208-1) last week at the UTEP Invitational. His mark is the third-best his season in C-USA.
Senior Fayon Gonzales and junior Lucia Mokrasova will compete in the women’s javelin set for 5:30 p.m.Gonzales (39.37m) ranks ninth in the league, while Mokrasova holds the number eight spot (39.94m).
The running events will see Daniel Cheruiyot in the 3,000m steeplechase starting at 3:30 p.m. Cheruiyot clocked the fourth-fastest time in conference running a season-best 9:03.31. Antony Kosgei and Evans Kiprono will run at 4:10 p.m. in the 5,000m. Kosgei (14:16.60) ranks fifth in the league.
Gladys Jerotich and Winny Koech will tussle in the women’s 5,000m starting at 3:45 p.m. Koech (16:22.26) ranks first in C-USA.
Saturday’s events will start with the women’s long jump at 10:00 a.m. Tobi Amusan will make her first jump of the outdoor season. Senior Samantha Hall will compete in both the shot put (10:45 a.m.) and discus throw (12:30 p.m.). Hall ranks 12th in the NCAA West Region (54.62m) in the discus throw.
Runners to look out for on the track will be UTEP’s freshman duo Emmanuel Korir and Michael Saruni in the men’s 800m starting at 3:10 p.m. The Kenyan natives have both started their collegiate careers off with a bang.
Korir won the 800m indoor national title and ranks second in the west region. The Kenyan has clocked a blistering 44.67 in the 400m ranking second in the West Region.
Saruni ranks first in the West Region in the 800m after stopping the clock at 1:45.82 winning gold at the Texas Relays. The mid-distance runner ranks ninth in the 400m clocking 45.69 in the 400m in the West Region.
Brandon Moss will compete in the men’s long jump at 11:45 a.m., where he ranks ninth in the league after jumping out to 7.20m (23-7.5) in his first outdoor competition at last week’s UTEP Invitational.
Ada Benjamin will race at 2:05 p.m. in the 400m. Benjamin ranks first in conference with a time of 53.16. Florence Uwakwe will take the track at 2:25 p.m. in the 100m. Uwakwe will race her first short sprint of the outdoor season.
Lilian Koech and Truphena Sum will run in the 800m set for a 3:00 p.m. Koech ranks third in the league with a personal-best 2:05.86.
For live updates and breaking news follow @UTEPTrack on Twitter and uteptrack on Instagram.
by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | UTEP (Local) RSS
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – UTEP rifle team members Abby Monique (smallbore and air rifle) Mara Rouse, Maranda Nelson and Bailey Powell (air rifle only) recently had an amazing opportunity for growth by being invited to compete at the 2017 USA Shooting National Junior Olympic Shooting Championships at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
The Miners interacted with and shared the range with some of the best shooters in the sport, including 2016 Rio Olympics Women’s Air Rifle gold medalist Ginny Thrasher.
It marked the first such trip to the event for Rouse while Monique and Powell made their third and Nelson her fourth. The Miners performed admirably, placing three individuals among the top 75 (in a field of nearly 200) in the 10m air rifle.
In order to attend the Junior Olympics, athletes who are under the age of 20 (junior-aged athletes), must compete in a state junior Olympic Shooting championship match and receive an invitation to compete by meeting either an automatic score or win the athlete’s respective state title.
“It was very exciting to have all four of our junior aged athletes qualify and compete at the Junior Olympic Shooting Championships representing UTEP,” UTEP head coach Hannah Muegge said. “I’d like to thank our UTEP parents who came out and supported all of our athletes, in addition to those back home who followed along online. In the collegiate category, we definitely had one of the largest showings at this match. I could not ask for a better support system.”
Powell was exceptional, finishing in 14th place (out of a field of 180) in the 10m air rifle. She was particularly strong on the first day of action with her score (413) placing her eighth heading to the second day.
Monique represented the Orange and Blue in the smallbore. She recorded a score of 1120 to land in the upper-echelon of the field with a 31st-place finish. She also joined Powell in the 10m air rifle, tallying a total score of 804.8 to take 68th place.
Rouse, competing in the 10m air rifle, shot 401.3 in the first day before improving to 402.1 on day two. The total of 803.4 was good enough for 74th.
Nelson was saddled with a rifle malfunction on the first day and had to borrow an air rifle for the second day. Despite the challenges she held her head up high.
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by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | UTEP (Local) RSS
Berkley, Ca. – The UTEP track and field team had four first-place finishes in six different events on day one Friday at the Brutus Hamilton Challenge.
Karol Koncos won the men’s hammer throw tossing 63.35m (207-10). Koncos has thrown over 60m four times this season. Kevin Rincon placed 12th overall with a throw of 45.02m (147-08).
Daniel Cheruiyot took the lead in the 3,000m steeplechase and never looked back stopping the clock at 9:07.17. Antony Kosgei (14:37.21) and Evans Kirpono (15:07.87) finished first and second respectively in the 5,000m run.
Winny Koech took home gold in the women’s 5,000m run leading the race from the start to finish with a time of 16:45.77, followed by teammate Gladys Jerotich with a season-best 17:23.25.
Fayon Gonzales threw 50.11m (164-05) to place fourth in the javelin and placed eighth in the hammer throw with a toss of 37.75m (123-10). Abedola Akomolafe took ninth-place with a toss of 48.96m (160-07), followed by Cierra Chenault in 10th with a personal-best 45.91m (150-07).
Lucia Mokrasova placed fourth in the women’s javelin with a toss of 36.67m (123-07).
The Miners return to action on Saturday with the first field event starting at 10:00 a.m. PT and the first running event starting at 1:20 p.m.
For live updates and breaking news follow @UTEPTrack on Twitter and uteptrack on Instagram.
by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | UTEP (Local) RSS
BIRMINGHAM, Al. – Senior Erika Harrawood registered a career-high seven strikeouts in a 3-0 game two loss as UAB pulled away late from UTEP. The Blazers (18-29, 9-9 Conference USA) also defeated the Miners (11-33, 5-15 C-USA) 3-1 in game one Saturday afternoon at Mary Bowers Field.
The series finale will be played on UAB’s Senior Day at noon MT. With the two losses, UTEP is officially eliminated from postseason participation.
UTEP 1, UAB 3
Courtney Clayton knocked in Cortney Smith in the sixth inning to bring the Miners within two runs. Smith led the sixth with a double to left center and would advance to third on a passed ball. With one out, Clayton singled to left field that plated Smith for her 19th RBI of the season. But the UAB defense turned a double play to end the rally.
The Blazers’ leadoff hitter Destini England led the game off with a double to right center. England advanced to third on a sac-bunt by Danii Fernandez and Joanna Fallen reached on a fielder’s choice as England crossed the dish for an early 1-0 lead.
UAB would go on to score two more runs in the third on another Fallen RBI and a Madison Millsaps’ RBI single to make the score 3-0. The Miners, however, turned their 28th double play of the season that left two runners on base to keep the score within striking distance.
Ryder finished 2-for-4, while Lindsey Sokoloski (1-for-3), Smith (1-for-2), Sargent (1-for-3) and Clayton (1-for-2) each tallied knocks. Kaitlin Fifield (2-8) made the start, throwing 3.0 frames with one K. Taylor Grohmann also tossed 3.0 innings, allowing zero hits and striking out one. The two senior hurlers combined for no walks.
UTEP 0, UAB 3
After five scoreless innings and a solid performance from Harrawood, the Blazers scored three runs in the sixth to pull away from the Miners. Pinch hitter Rachel Dunsford singled to lead off the sixth. Pinch runner Katlyn Sides would go one to score the game’s first run with bases loaded.
Another pinch hitter Rian Brown drew a bases-loaded walk to earn the easy RBI. England, who had a hot bat on Saturday, knocked in a pair of runners on a 2-2 pitch. Harrawood would go on to record her seventh K and forced a Fallen groundout to end the frame.
In the seventh with two outs, Cross reached on an error, but Claire Blount would strikeout the last batter to end the contest.
Harrawood (3-12) allowed six hits in 6.0 frames of work and walked four with her career-high seven punch outs. Smith went 2-for-3, while Clayton (1-for-3) and Sargent (1-for-3) each registered hits.
by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | UTEP (Local) RSS
Berkley Ca. – UTEP’s freshman Emmanuel Korir was just .18 seconds away from the NCAA outdoor record in the 800m after running 1:43.73 at the Brutus Hamilton Challenge Saturday afternoon.
“This is by far the most impressive performance by a freshman. You can tell he has more to a lot left in the tank,” Head coach Mika Laaksonen said. “He is a very special athlete who will continue to surprise everyone watching.”
Korir clocked the second-fastest time in the world this year and set a new school record held by Peter Lemashon (1:45.68) set back in 1978. The talented freshman won the NCAA indoor national title in the 800m and set a world-best 1:14.97 in the 600m earlier this year. Korir notched the second-fastest time in program history in the 400m with a time of 44.67 just eight days ago.
The UTEP track and field team wrapped up the final regular season with 11 first-place finishes in 25 different events. Asa Guevara claimed the top spot with a time of 47.23 in the 400mk, while Carvellion Horn clocked a personal-best 50.31 to finish third.
Brandon Moss in his second competition of the outdoor season notched third-place in the long jump with a mark of 7.32m (24-0.25). James Bias clocked 10.74 in the 100m to garner a third-place showing.
In the men’s mile Jonah Koech (4:02.96) and Cosmas Boit (4:05.43) placed second and fifth respectively.
On the women’s side, Tobi Amusan notched a first-place finish in the long jump with a mark of 5.83m (19-1.50), followed by Tyler Ragin in fifth-place jumping out to 5.51m (18-1).
Samantha Hall threw for 14.06m (46-1.50) in the shot put and 55.17m (181-0) in the discus for a first and second-place showing. Lucia Mokrasova placed third in the shot put tossing for 13.22m (43-4.5), followed by Cierra Chenault with a mark of 11.95m (39-2.5) in eighth-place.
In the women’s 100m hurdles, Rebecca Oshinbanjo notched gold running a season-best 14.00, while Danielle Trought clocked a personal-best 14.33 to finish in third-place. Yanique Bennett (58.57) and Dreshanae Rolle (1:00.19) garnered first and second in the 400m hurdles.
Lilian Koech won the 800m clocking a personal-best 2:04.68 and puts her with the fourth-fastest time in school history. Linda Cheruiyot also ran a personal-best of 4:23.60 in the 1,500m claiming fourth overall.
The Miners will enjoy a week off after competing for three consecutive weeks and will return to action to host the Conference-USA outdoor championships May 11-14.
For live updates and breaking news be sure to follow @UTEPTrack on Twitter and uteptrack on Instagram.
by Dr Alex Jimenez DC, APRN, FNP-BC, CFMP, IFMCP | UTEP (Local) RSS
Former Miners Nick Usher, Hayden Plinke, Darrin Laufasa, Cole Freytag and Jerome Daniels will be heading to NFL Camps.
Usher was picked up by the Seattle Seahawks. He was a three-year starter and saw the field in 49 games for the Orange and Blue. Last season, he started all 12 contests and earned All-C-USA honorable mention after leading team in tackles for loss (8.0-41), sacks (5.5-31) and quarterback hurries (five).
The linebacker ranked third on team with 77 tackles (35 solo) and added two pass breakup and a blocked kick. He ranked tied no. 8 in C-USA in total sacks and finished career ranked tied no. 10 with five other Miners in career sacks (12.0). Usher was invited to play in the NFLPA Bowl.
Prior to being a linebacker, Usher played three seasons as a defensive lineman. During his junior campaign, Usher recorded 46 tackles (27s/19a), a career-best 10 tackles for loss, one forced fumble, five quarterback hurries, 3.5 sacks and a blocked kick.
The Seahawks also snagged Plinke. He played two seasons with the Miners, started in 22 games and was on the John Mackey Award watch list both seasons. Plinke started all 12 contests as a senior and earned All-C-USA first team honors after producing a record-setting season.
The tight end stomped and raced past defenders on way to eight receiving touchdowns, the most ever by a UTEP tight end during a single season. Plinke led team in receptions (38) and touchdowns grabs and ranked second in receiving yards (456). He registered a career-long 72-yard touchdown during a season-finale victory against North Texas. Plinke also participated in the NFL combine and the NFLPA Bowl.
Laufasa will be heading to the Cincinnati Bengals. He started 44 games for he Miners at fullback. His blocking efforts helped pave the way for Jones to rush for a single-season program-record 1,773 yards. The team capped 2016 season with a season-high 555 yards of total offense, including a season-best 384 yards rushing (most since 1983) and four scores during a victory against North Texas.
During his junior season, Laufasa recorded 183 rushing yards on 33 attempts (5.5 avg.) and a touchdown. Laufasa rushed for a career-best 85 yards on eight carries (10.6 avg.), including a career-long 66-yard touchdown run during a come-from-behind overtime victory at rival NM State. He tallied a career-best 100 all-purpose yards against the Aggies.
Freytag received a tryout with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The El Paso native played for the Miners in 45 games and earned the starting position as a senior. The wide receiver led the team last season in receiving yards (520) and receiving yards per game (43.3), while ranking second in receptions (36) and receiving touchdowns (five).
The El Paso native produced a career-high 95 yards on four receptions while adding a season-long 46-yard touchdown catch during a victory against rival NM State.
Freytag tallied a career-high seven receptions for 84 yards and a nine-yard scoring catch against Old Dominion. He also hauled in a 30-yard touchdown reception, while recording 45 yards on three catches during a season-finale victory against North Texas. Freytag also saw action on special teams for the Miners.
Daniels was invited to a mini-camp tryout with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was a four-year letter winner that started in 35 games for the Miners.
During his senior campaign, Daniels played on an offensive line that paved the way for Aaron Jones to rush for a single-season program-record 1,773 yards, while Jones also became UTEP’s all-time leading rusher. The Miners averaged 185.5 rushing yards per game and scored 20 touchdowns on the ground.
As a junior, he played on an offensive line that led Conference USA in sacks allowed with only 12. During Daniels sophomore season, he was on an offensive line unit that only surrendered 13 sacks in 13 games (ranked first in Conference USA and eighth nationally).
