Softball Continues Season At UTEP Invitational

Creighton returns to the south for five games in three days at the UTEP Invitational, co-hosted by New Mexico State.

The Bluejays are schedule to open the weekend with a pair of contests against New Mexico and New Mexico State on Friday in Las Cruces, N.M., before traveling over to El Paso, Texas for games against Kansas City, UTEP and Tarleton State on Saturday and Sunday.

Game Schedule
Game #10 • Friday, Feb. 24 • Creighton vs. New Mexico • 3 p.m.
LIVE STATS
Game #11 • Friday, Feb. 24 • Creighton at New Mexico State • Las Cruces, N.M. • 7:30 p.m.
LIVE STATS • WATCH
Game #12 • Saturday, Feb. 25 • Creighton vs. Kansas City • El Paso, Texas • 2 p.m.
LIVE STATS • WATCH
Game #13 • Saturday, Feb. 25 • Creighton at UTEP • El Paso, Texas • 8 p.m.
LIVE STATS • WATCH
Game #14 • Sunday, Feb. 26 • Creighton vs. Tarleton State • El Paso, Texas • 10 a.m.
LIVE STATS • WATCH
*All times listed are Central Standard Time

Follow The Games

All five of Creighton's games at the UTEP Invitational will have live stats. Links to the stats are available at GoCreighton.com.

On Friday, only Creighton's matchup at New Mexico State will be streamed through wacinternational.tv, while Saturday and Sunday's contests will be featured on UTEP's YouTube channel.

Links to live stats and the live streams can be found on the Creighton Softball schedule page.

Scoring updates and infographics will be provided via Twitter at @BluejaySoftball.

Bluejays not Blue Jays

Creighton's mascot is the Bluejays or Bluejay, one word. Conversely the MLB Toronto team is the Blue Jays.

Scouting Creighton (3-6)

The Bluejays are 3-6 through the first nine games of the 2023 season, including wins over Detroit Mercy, St. Thomas, and Northern Colorado.

Creighton is coming off a 1-4 showing at the Texan Invitational in Stephenville, Texas. The Bluejays lone win of the weekend was an 11-2 run-rule victory of Northern Colorado on Feb. 18.

Overall, Creighton is hitting .295 with 39 runs scored (4.33 runs per game) and 18 extra-base hits.

Senior Kailey Wilson is 10-for-25 for a team-best .400 batting average with six doubles, two home runs, eight RBI and six walks this season.

Sophomore Sydra Seville is tied for the team-lead with 10 hits, all singles, while junior Cayla Nielsen is second on the team with a .368 batting average.

In the circle, Creighton holds a 3.28 ERA through the first nine games of the season.

Sophomore Alexis Wiggins paces the pitching staff with a 3.20 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 19.2 innings of work, while junior Payton Akers owns a 3.23 ERA during 13.0 innings pitched. Freshman Natalia Puchino has also collected 14 strikeouts and a 3.75 ERA in 18.2 innings of work this season.

The Bluejays return 12 letterwinners from last year's squad, while 10 newcomers enter the program with first year head coach Krista Wood.

Creighton was picked fifth in the preseason BIG EAST Coaches poll.

Scouting New Mexico (3-5)

The Lobos are 3-5 this season and are coming off a 1-2 showing at the Dr. Natalicio Memorial Tournament in El Paso, Texas last weekend.

Three regular starters hold a batting average above .300, led by freshman Keyannah Chavez (.476) and Peyton Robinson (.400).

Chavez, the reigning Mountain West Freshman of the Week, has reached base safely in all eight games this season and currently ranks second in the MW in batting average and on-base percentage (.542), while leading her team with 10 hits, including three doubles.

As a team, New Mexico is hitting .311 with 26 runs scored through nine games (2.89 runs per game).

The Lobos own a 6.22 ERA as a pitching staff, led by Amber Linton who has struck out a team-high 17 batters during 21.2 innings this season.

Head coach Nicole Dickson is in her first season at the helm of the New Mexico program. The Lobos were picked to finish eighth in the Mountain West Preseason Coaches' Poll.

Series History Against Lobos

Creighton leads the all-time series against New Mexico, 15-13.

The Bluejays and the Lobos met last season at the Lamar Tournament in Beaumont, Texas, where the Jays captured a 5-2 win.

The Creighton and New Mexico series dates all the way back to the 1980 season. The Bluejays and Lobos were both members of the HCAC from 1986-1990 where they met annually before the two schools moved to the WAC for the 1991 and 1992 seasons.

Head coach Krista Wood has never faced New Mexico as a head coach.

Scouting New Mexico State (5-4)

New Mexico State enters the weekend sporting a 5-4 overall record after collecting a pair of wins over UTSA and Texas State at the I35 Classic last weekend.

Freshman Kendal Lunar paces the Aggies with a .364 batting average on a team-best eight hits including six doubles and a home run.

Jayleen Burton (.350), Paige Knight (.333) and Riley Carley (.304) also hold batting averages over .300. As a team, the Aggies are hitting .281 with 44 runs scored (4.89 runs per game) this season.

Six different Aggies have seen action in the circle this season, led by junior Aydenne Brown. Brown has posted a 1.99 ERA with 32 strikeouts in 22.2 innings of work this season. As a team, New Mexico State has allowed 38 runs for a 4.84 ERA.

Head coach Kathy Rodolph holds an 556-479 overall record in 20 seasons at the helm of New Mexico State. The Aggies were picked to finish 10th in the WAC Preseason Coaches' Poll.

Series History Against Aggies

Creighton holds a slim 13-12 edge in the all-time series against New Mexico State.

The Bluejays and Aggies last met in 2019 at the NW State Invitational, where New Mexico State earned a 9-1 win.

The Bluejays last win in the series came on March 4, 1992, at New Mexico State.

The two teams played annually from 1986-1990 as members of the High Country Athletic Conference (HCAC).

Head Coach Krista Wood has never faced New Mexico State as a head coach.

Scouting Kansas City (3-6)

The Roos have opened the 2023 season at 3-6 with wins over Georgia State and UT Martin (twice).

Sophomore Kiki McCrea paces Kansas City offensively with a .393 batting average, three doubles and four RBI, while classmate Lexy Smith holds a .387 batting average on a team-best 12 hits.

Kansas City is hitting .253 as a team and averages 3.7 runs per game, but in the circle the Roos have allowed opponents to hit .329 and score and average of 6.2 runs a game.

Junior Camryn Stickel has collected 24 of the teams 37 strikeouts, while posting a 5.11 ERA. As a staff, the Roos own an 8.15 ERA in 59.2 innings of work.

Kansas City was slotted fifth in the Summit League Preseason Coaches' Poll as head coach Kiki Stokes O'Connor is in her first season with the Roos.

Series History Against Roos

Creighton and Kansas City have played a total of 54 games against each other, with Creighton holding a commanding 51-3 edge in the all-time series.

The Bluejays and Roos last met in 2019 for a three-game series in Kansas City. Creighton won two out of the three games, including a 10-4 win in the last matchup.

Head Coach Krista Wood is 13-9 all-time against Kansas City, all while the head coach at South Dakota State.

Scouting UTEP (4-5)

UTEP owns a 4-5 mark to start the 2023 season, including a 1-3 a record at the Dr. Diana Natalicio Memorial Tournament last weekend in El Paso.

The Miners are led offensively by juniors Lexi Morales and Savannah Favre. Morales owns a team-best .517 batting average, while Favre is right behind with a .516 batting average on a team-high 16 hits.

Graduate student Peyton Angulo also sports a .419 batting average with 13 hits, including four doubles, a home run and eight RBI.

As a team, UTEP is hitting .329 with 20 doubles and 10 home runs while scoring 47 runs.

Senior Zaylie Calderon leads UTEP's pitching staff with a 3.66 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 28.3 innings of work. As a staff, the Miners have allowed 49 runs and hold a 4.36 ERA in 61 innings in the circle.

Head coach T.J. Hubbard is in his fourth season at the helm of UTEP as the Miners were picked to finish 10th in the C-USA Preseason Poll.

Series History Against Miners

Creighton and UTEP have met four time previously with the Miners holding a 3-1 lead in the series.

The two teams met last season at the UTEP Invitational with the Miners claiming victory in both meetings. Creighton only win in the series was a 13-5 triumph in 2019.

Head Coach Krista Wood has never faced UTEP as a head coach.

Scouting Tarleton State (9-4)

The Texans opened the 2023 season with three straight losses before winning nine straight, including five wins last weekend at the Texan Whataburger Invitational. The Texans had their nine-game winning streak come to an end on Wednesday with a 6-0 loss to North Texas.

Senior Grace Garcia and junior Kennedy Ferguson have combined for six of the Texans nine wins in the circle. Garcia leads the team with a 1.21 ERA with 24 strikeouts in 29 innings of work, while Ferguson holds a 2.40 ERA during 23.1 innings of work.

Tarleton State owns a 3.62 ERA with 70 strikeouts in 79.1 innings of work, while the offensive holds a .323 batting average with 59 runs scored.

Offensively, four Texans currently post a .400 batting average or better, led by junior Katy Schaefer's .514 batting average. Austin Germain (.444), Kelci Hill (.415) and MacKenzie Peterson (.400) also carry at least a .400 batting average into the weekend.

Tarleton State was picked to finish sixth in the WAC Preseason Coaches' Poll as Head Coach Mark Cumpian enters his seventh season at the helm of the Texans.

Series History Against Texans

Tarleton State leads the all-time series 1-0 after capturing a 3-1 win over the Bluejays during last weekend's Texan Whataburger Invitational.

Creighton Connection To Kiki Stokes O'Connor

Kansas City head coach Kiki Stokes O'Connor got her start in coaching as an assistant coach under current Creighton head coach Krista Wood at South Dakota State from 2019-2021.

Saturday's afternoon matchup will be the first of three battles this season as the Roos come to Omaha for the Bluejays home opener on March 14.

Walk This Way

With six walks over the first nine games this season, senior Kailey Wilson etched her name on Creighton's all-time top-10 list for career walks.

Wilson currently sits just 10th on the career walks list with 68 career walks and is just one walk away from climbing to ninth.

Kailey led the 2022 squad with 24 walks, while a total of four other players earned double-digit walks a season ago.

WALKS

No. Name BB Years

1. Michelle Graner 111 2007-10

2. Alexis Cantu 110 2012-14

3. Amy Baker 104 2010-13

4. Abby Johnson 85 2002-05

5. Renae Sinkler 81 2007-10

6. Jen Daro 80 2014-17

7. Jody Schwartz 78 1985-88

8. Ashley Cantu 70 2017-21

9. Karla Hughes 69 1979-82

10. Kailey Wilson 68 2019-pr.

Wilson On Quest To Rewrite Record Book

Senior Kailey Wilson entered her fifth year with the Bluejays as one of the most dominant hitters in school history.

Following the first two weeks of play, Wilson has certainly displayed why she was named the BIG EAST Player of the Year in 2022.

Wilson paces the Bluejay offense with a .400 batting average with a team-high 10 hits, six doubles, two home runs, eight RBI and six walks. In the first two weeks Kailey has increased her career batting average to .372, which ranks fourth on the all-time career chart. She has also entered the top-10 for home runs with 28, ninth best in school history, and walks with 68, 10th best in program history.

Wilson is also on the verge of entering the Top-10 list for doubles (4 shy) and RBI (9 shy).

BATTING?AVERAGE (minimum 250 at-bats)

No. Avg. Name H-AB Years

1. .404 Anne Timmermann 116-287 1977-79

2. .382 Ashley Cantu 218-570 2017-21

3. .379 Christy Lunceford 245-646 1994-97

4. .372 Kailey Wilson 131-352 2019-pr.

5. .358 Heidi Geier 243-678 1996-99

6. .336 Renae Sinkler 201-599 2007-10

7. .331 Kiara Mills 123-372 2019-22

8. .328 Melanie Dorsey 198-604 2002-05

9. .326 Christine Fukumoto 110-337 2004-05

10. .325 Mary Yori 176-542 1980-82

HOME?RUNS

No. Name HR Years

1. Amy Baker 58 2010-13

2. Renae Sinkler 50 2007-10

3. Liz Dike 39 2012-15

4. Lauren Cisneros 37 2003-06

Stacey Rybar 37 2001-04

6. Alexis Cantu 33 2012-14

7. Bailey?Dawson 30 2006-09

Abby Johnson 30 2002-05

9. Kailey Wilson 28 2019-pr.
10. Michelle Graner 27 2007-10

TJ?Eadus 27 2007-08

RUNS?BATTED?IN

No. Name RBI Years

1. Amy Baker 167 2010-13

2. Renae Sinkler 146 2007-10

3. Abby Johnson 144 2002-05

4. Bailey?Dawson 121 2006-09

Stacey Rybar 121 2001-04

6. Liz Dike 119 2012-15

7. Jody Schwartz 113 1985-88

8. Christy Lunceford 110 1994-97

9. Lauren Cisneros 107 2003-06

10. Dede Pendleton 103 1991-95

- Kailey Wilson 94 2019-pr.

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Players Mentioned

Payton Akers

Ashley Cantu

Kiara Mills

Cayla Nielsen

Natalia Puchino

Sydra Seville

Alexis Wiggins

Kailey Wilson