Rams and Lobos to Play Four, Then on to Tourney

As the semester winds down to its last few days, so does the CSU

Rams’ softball regular season. With four games remaining before the

Mountain West Conference Tournament, CSU (36-13 overall, 12-4 MWC)

holds second place in the conference.

A No. 1 or 2 seed in the tournament assures a first-round bye.

With a 12-4 conference record, CSU has secured at least a No. 2

seed. This weekend the Rams face a New Mexico team that holds a

29-30 record but is 3-12 and in last place in the conference.

The games start Saturday with a doubleheader scheduled at noon

and conclude with Sunday’s doubleheader scheduled for 1 p.m.

The Rams are hot of late, winning 12 of 14 games. At the same

time, they know facing a conference opponent four games in a row

will prove tough.

“It’ll be a challenge for us to face (New Mexico) four times in

two days,” senior Megan Masser said. “Mentally, we have to focus on

each game individually.”

The reason for the four-game set is to make up for an April 3

doubleheader against the Lobos that was cancelled due to bad

weather.

Masser, playing her final regular season games at CSU, looks

forward to the postseason but realizes how tough it will be when

her career comes to an end.

“I’ve been playing for 11 years straight. The end of the season

will definitely be bittersweet,” Masser said. “I have loved playing

here.”

Masser leads the CSU pitching staff with a 10-4 record, a 1.96

ERA and 102 strikeouts in 92 innings pitched.

Offensively, junior catcher Kerry Farrell received the MWC

Player of the Week award for her outstanding week versus Brigham

Young and Utah. Last week she was 7-of-13 from the plate (.538

average) while smashing three home runs with eight RBIs. She raised

her season totals to a .371 batting average, 7 home runs and 34

RBIs. It was CSU’s fourth player of the week honor and Farrell’s

first of her career.

“It’s a nice honor to be recognized in such a good conference,”

Farrell said. “I had a few solid games and I feel that I earned

it.”

If the four-game series between the Rams and the Lobos is

anything like the previous years, CSU should have nothing to worry

about. Last season the Rams won all four games played between the

two teams, outscoring the Lobos by a combined 19-5 margin.

Leading the Lobos offensively is sophomore second baseman

Stephanie Kennedy, who’s hitting .325 with 22 RBIs. Junior Ashley

Perkins, 12-6 on the year with a 2.78 ERA, leads the pitching

staff.

With second place a lock and first place still within reach, the

Rams are right where they want to be.

“It’s one game less to play. That was the goal,” said head coach

Mary Yori, whose Rams host the MWC Tournament at Rams Field May 13

to 15. “But we’re still pulling for first.”