Leadership and Experience Leading Utah State Softball Into 2017 Season

Coming off the program's strongest season in 20 years, Utah State softball looks to continue its success on the field as it gets the 2017 campaign underway. Under the leadership and experience of several key returning players, the Aggies have the pieces to form another successful season.

THE COMPETITION 
Among this season's opponents are six teams who advanced to postseason play in 2016. Additionally, one of Utah State's home series features Fresno State, who ended the 2016 season ranked 17th nationally. The Aggies will play multiple games against in-state rivals Southern Utah, Weber State, Utah Valley and BYU. The schedule also features four first-time opponents for Utah State.

"Part of the Mountain West policy is to try to improve RPI across the board. The teams in these tournaments fit our scheduling philosophy," said USU head coach Steve Johnson. "This schedule gives us a lot of games that we can be competitive in. It’s not a flashy schedule with Top 25 teams or in major tournaments, but we can be competitive."

The Aggies will open the season at the Titan Classic, hosted by Cal State Fullerton, where the team will play Pacific, North Dakota State, Loyola Marymount and the host Titans. The next weekend, the team will make the trip to Las Vegas to play in the Wilson/DeMarini Desert Classic, hosted by UNLV. There, the Aggies will play Memphis, Southern Utah, Weber State, UTEP and Texas State. The team will conclude the month of February at the UC Riverside-hosted Amy S. Harrison Classic, where Utah State will have another pair of games against UTEP, as well as two against UC Riverside and one against Siena.

The Aggies will then spend back-to-back weekends in southern Utah. USU will play in the St. George Tournament, co-hosted by Southern Utah and the city of St. George. That weekend will include games against Utah Valley, Nebraska-Omaha, Binghamton, Iowa State and Montana. The team will return to Cedar City the next weekend for the Beehive Classic at SUU, where Utah State will serve as tournament hosts. There, the Aggies will play Southern Utah, as well as a pair of games against both Wagner and Bradley. 

"Our goal is to win 80 percent of our non-conference games. If we can do that as a conference, it puts us all in a better situation when we get to Mountain West play and are all playing each other," Johnson said. "I really like what we have set up. There are a lot of trips back to where we recruit from, so we’ve got a lot of families that will be there. Competition-wise, it’s a really good schedule for us, where I think we’ll be able to achieve that 80 percent."

At the conclusion of the tournament season, the Aggies jump right into Mountain West play, hosting UNLV, March 17-19. USU will also host Fresno State, New Mexico and San Diego State in conference competition. Road league series include trips to Nevada, Boise State, Colorado State and San José State.

"I think Fresno State is still the favorite to win the Mountain West, but San Diego State and San José State are always strong. There have been changes with losses to graduation and transfers, as well as a couple coaching changes that have added some uncertainty," Johnson said. "We’ve been picked to finish fourth and I think that’s where we belong right now. Our goals are much higher than that. We want to win the conference and make it to the postseason. Even in games we lost last year, we were very competitive. That’s important going into this year with our senior leadership. We’re deeper and have the experience playing in those big games and knowing how to handle it."

Interspersed between the conference match-ups, Utah State will play head-to-head games against three in-state opponents. The Aggies will play at Weber State, host Utah Valley and have a home-and-home series against BYU.

"You always want to take care of business at home. We want to be undefeated at home, but that’s going to be a challenge with San Diego State and Fresno State coming here," Johnson said.

"We’ll have some good games for the fans. There aren’t a lot of non-conference home games, but the ones with Utah Valley and BYU will be good. We want to win at home and take that success on the road."

THE RETURNERS 
Utah State returns five starters and 13 total letterwinners to the field this season providing significant depth and experience from a 2016 team that finished with a 26-25 record, including a 12-12 Mountain West ledger. Among those returning are two all-Mountain West honorees in senior 3B/2B Victoria Saucedo and junior outfielder Jazmin Clarke. Those returning to the field in the Aggie uniform have played integral roles in the progress of the program over Johnson's tenure as head coach.

"The biggest thing is the leadership and experience. These kids have all been under us for three years. They know what our expectations are and they have their own expectations. They were trying to win the World Series on the first day of practice. The desire is there and the focus is there, and that’s important going into these first games. We’ve had a big focus on the fundamentals and cleaning up a lot of our stuff and have seen the improvements in our scrimmages."

Behind the leadership and experience coming back for the 2017 season, the Aggie coaching staff has a lot of depth to work with in the lineup.

"On the field, we’re deeper than we ever have been There are 20 players on the roster and I think all of them will see time in many games. Whether that’s as a pinch runner or pinch hitter, we have more options with the DP spot this year. We’re also deeper in the circle than we’ve been in the past," Johnson said. "We have options in a lot a places if someone is struggling or gets hurt, we’ve got the depth to put someone else in and not miss a beat."

THE NEWCOMERS 
Joining the returning members of the squad this season are six new Aggies. Utah State welcomed four freshmen and two transfers in the offseason.

Allanah Alvarado joins the Aggies from Rossmoyne, Western Australia. A catcher, she has played the last five seasons with the Carine Cats Softball Club. Riley Plogger is an outfielder from Redlands, Calif., who played at Redlands East Valley High and for SoCal Athletics. Devan Sperry is a shortstop who will join the Aggies from Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., playing at Santa Margarita Catholic High School and for the Orange County Batbusters. The final signee, Kellie White, is a pitcher from Chula Vista, Calif., where she played at Mater Dei Catholic High School and for the California Cruisers. Along with the four freshmen, the Aggies picked up two transfer players in 3B/2B Amee Aarhus (Camas, Wash./Camas HS/Oregon State) and outfielder Emily Hunter (Centerville, Utah/Viewmont HS/Snow College).

"The goal in recruiting is to always improve in each class and I think we’ve been able to do that," Johnson said. "In the circle, Kellie has a chance to be our ace if she pitches the way she can. She has some great movement and changes of speed. Amee is projected to be a starter in the infield. She brings a dimension to the game as she’s a slapper who can hit away. She’s a triple threat and has speed for us. Riley is one of our first commits and has been working with me in camps for four years. She came in with a lot of the technical skills that we’ve been teaching. With some tweaks, she has continued to grow. They’re all going to have to adjust when we get into live games, but they are prepared to do so."

THE INFIELD 
With all the strength returning to the Aggie infield, the coaching staff sees a lot of flexibility in the lineup. Senior Paxton Provost has returned to the starting position at first base, while senior Sarina Jaramillo will remain as the starting shortstop. Saucedo, Aarhus and senior Kylie-Rose Dickson will see a bit of rotation through the second and third base spots, as each brings a different dynamic to each position.

Behind the plate, junior Brina Buttacavoli has secured the Opening Day start and will be looked at the fulfill the majority of the catching duties. Senior Sydney Hart and sophomore Bailey Lewis also have experience in the position, while Alvarado brings the freshman perspective. Each of them will see time behind the dish. Hart and Lewis will also serve as the Aggies' primary designated players.

THE OUTFIELD 
With the graduation of Sarah Chow, there will be some changes in the Utah State outfield. Through her strong performance in fall and spring practices, Plogger is expected to start in left field. Clarke will retain her spot in center field, while senior Amanda Sheets will move to right field.

In addition to the starters, Johnson knows he can count on substitute players as well. Hunter and sophomore Mia Maher will be the team's primary pinch runners, but will be called on in backup roles.

THE PITCHING STAFF 
Another position with a hole to fill is in the circle, as the Aggies said goodbye to Noelle Johnson. Luckily, there are three others returning with experience to go along with a standout freshman. White has the potential to earn the ace spot, while senior April Brown and sophomore Katie Schroeder will earn starting time as well. Schroeder led the Aggie staff with a 7-1 record last season, while Brown posted a team-low 3.79 ERA. Additionally, junior Jordyn McCracken will continue to fill her role as a spot pitcher, coming in to use her left-handed talents in certain circumstances.

GOALS & EXPECTATIONS 
Everything the Aggies hope to accomplish this season revolves around the team's drive and desire to win the Mountain West. Through that, Utah State will look to see continued success individually and as a team.

"The team set their goals this year and their big thing is to win the Mountain West. That’s what we’re shooting for. We want to win 80 percent of our games before we get to conference play. We want the momentum, but also to have a good winning percentage so that if we don’t win it all, we’re still in the position to get an at-large bid to the postseason," Johnson said. "They’ve set a lot of goals as far as achieving things and breaking records, the little processing goals to get us to that Mountain West title."

As the competition season gets underway, Johnson and his staff are counting on the strong returning corps and impressive newcomers to carry the team into another successful season. The team is motivated and has put in the dedication in the offseason to prepare for the campaign.

"Overall, this is our deepest team. It’s our best team as far as leadership and desire go. The culture is where we want it to be. They are all bought in to what we are doing. It’s exciting to see where we’re at as we’re preparing for our first games. They are very detail-oriented in what they’re doing and are sticking to the process and making sure they’re getting better every day," Johnson said. "This is the most talented team, top to bottom, that we’ve had in my four years here. Now it’s time to get on the field and do the work to get the wins that they want."

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