By Sara Biela (@sarabielaa ):
After taking two of three games from Boise State and first place in the Mountain West standings, San Jose State softball returns to the Bay Area to host UNLV for its next conference series.
The Spartans (21-10, 5-1 MW) seek to extend their one-game lead in the division against the Lady Rebels (20-10, 3-3 MW) in Santa Clara.
One element to keep an eye on is UNLV’s defense. The squad’s .978 fielding percentage is ranked 10th in the nation, with just 19 errors allowed in 30 games.
Complementing the strong defense is starting pitcher Janine Petmecky. The senior leads the team on the rubber with a 12-3 record and a 1.36 ERA — good for 35th in the country.
On offense, five Lady Rebels are batting over .300. Senior third baseman Jadelyn Yadao-Valdez stands on top at .372.
Sophomore second baseman Justine Federe leads UNLV with 23 RBIs, while freshmen first baseman Mia Trejo and shortstop Samantha Diaz have a team-high three home runs apiece.
SJSU produced only two hits in the series finale against the Broncos, so the offense will have to reawaken against UNLV’s conference-leading 2.60 ERA.
Junior pitcher and first baseman Madison Aurin is ranked 10th in the country with 39 RBIs.
Sophomores, second baseman Cassidy Clark and right fielder Kaelin Amrein, lead the Spartans with .400 and .378 BAs, respectively. The three players have combined for 17 HRs and 77 RBIs in 31 games.
First pitch for Thursday is set for noon at Mission College.