Torrez Earns Mountain West Player of the Week

Boise State catcher Hailey Torrez is this week's Mountain West Conference Softball Player of the Week, the league office announced.  Torrez propelled the Broncos to a 4-0 record and a crucial sweep of New Mexico, batting .533 (8-15) with two home runs and nine runs batted in.

The Broncos moved into a tie for first place as a result, and can win the league with a sweep at San Diego State.

Broncos Shine in Stanford

In addition to Emma Bates' feats, Marisa Howard broke the school record in the steeplechase with a time of 10:00.79.  Howard now owns the seventh-best time in the NCAA this year.

Zach Wiles finished the men's steeple in 8:50.46 to finish 11th in a field filled with professional runners.

Howard and Wiles now have the top times in the Mountain West in their respective events, and Bates has the top times in both the 5,000 and 10,000.  Bates now ranks second in the 10,000 and fifth in the 5,000, while Wiles ranks sixth in the NCAA and Howard is seventh in the nation.

The Bronco track team is readying for the Mountain West Championships beginning next Wednesday in Laramie, Wyoming.

Boise State's Emma Bates Runs 12th-Fastest Women's 10,000 in Collegiate History

Emma Bates continues to get better.

The amazing Bronco long-distance runner posted the 12th-fastest women's 10,000 in NCAA history last night at the Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational  in Stanford, California, shattering school and Mountain West Conference records in the process.  Bates finished in 32:20.83 with the top collegiate time to place 13th out of 37 competitors in a field stacked with past NCAA champions and Olympic medalists.  Bates now hold the conference records in both the 5,000 and 10,000.
 

Colorado State Beats Fresno State 8-7

Your Boise State softball team is now tied for first place in the Mountain West, and now control their own destiny.  If the Broncos take care of third-place San Diego State, they will win the pennant.

San Diego State Beats San Jose State

The Aztecs beat San Jose State 5-3 to remain one game back of Boise State and in the hunt for yet another conference title.

Dramatic Broncos Do It Again

That's one way to beat a 16-36 team.  Or rather, do it twice in a row.

For the second consecutive day, Boise State homered in the bottom half of their inning to defeat New Mexico at Dona Larsen Park.  The Broncos jumped to a 4-1 lead, then allowed the Lobos to tie it, before a Mackenzie Whyte homer in the bottom of the seventh kept the winning streak alive.

Boise State moves to 14-7 with the win, and needs at least two wins at San Diego State next weekend to win the conference.

Broncos And Lobos Tied At 4

Boise State playing New Mexico like the Lobos are a contender.  The Broncos were up 4-1, but they have allowed three runs in the top of the fifth.  New Mexico now batting in the sixth.

New Mexico Grabs Lead In Game Three

Again, a game Boise State has to win, they are down 1-0 after two innings.  Rebecca Patton on the mound again for the Broncos.

Boise State Softball Team With Legitimate Shot At Conference Title

The events of the past couple of days have put Boise State softball team squarely in the Mountain West Conference title picture.  Going in, Boise State was one of three teams tied for second place, one game behind league leader Fresno State.

And, although the Bulldog women haven't lost, the other two teams tied with Boise State (Colorado State and San Diego State) have.  So, headed into Sunday's games, Boise State is now all alone in second place.  We said a couple of weeks ago that Boise State probably needed to win out through this weekend, and then take two of three in San Diego to have a realistic chance.  That they have done.  Even with that, probably the best Boise State can hope for is a playoff for the league title.

If Boise State can get it done tomorrow, the Broncos will probably be in of shape as they have ever had in program history to take home a conference title.  And all this without the injured Devon Bridges.  No matter what happens, the team has done amazing in her absence to be a strong contender with one week remaining in the season.  There was a time a few years ago in which the Lady Broncos were in a similar position.

That year, Boise State had to sweep San Diego State in San Diego to tie for the title.  The Broncos won the first two, but then fell hard in the third game.  This year is a little different, if only because it is Fresno State, not the Aztecs, who are in first.  SD State is still a strong contender, but not the dominant team they were the last time the Broncos made a serious run.

Fresno State plays at Nevada for three--you have to figure the Bulldogs will win at least one if not two in Reno.  So I figure the Bulldogs definitely have the upper hand unless they lose tomorrow.  In playing out the scenario from a Bronco point of view, I figured FSU would lose one to contender Colorado State, and so far, that hasn't happened. 

At the minimum, what we said several weeks ago holds true--Boise State must win tomorrow afternoon ( and if you can go support the team, please do--it may make the difference!), and they must win two of three in San Diego.  What could change from that prediction is that Fresno may sweep Colorado State.  If they do, Boise State probably needs a sweep in San Diego to tie Fresno for the title.  Should that occur, there is no playoff and Boise State holds the tiebreaker over Fresno State since they beat the Bulldogs two out of three games this season.

We will know if the added requirement of a sweep is in place after tomorrow's games.  If Boise State brings the bats to San Diego, I think that a two-fer is definitely a possibility.

McCray Homer Sends Broncos Home A Winner

Brittany McCray's two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning gave Boise State a 7-5 win over New Mexico this afternoon in Boise.  The Broncos are now 13-7 in Mountain West play, one game behind Fresno State and all alone in second place.

Boise State Goes Meekly In Bottom Of Seventh

1-2-3.  New Mexico bats in the eighth.

San Jose State Upsets San Diego State

Good news out of California--San Diego State, the team tied with Boise State for second, has lost today.  The Aztecs fell to San Jose State 5-0.

First-place Fresno State is leading Colorado State 7-2 in the seventh.

Finally...

Boise State stopped New Mexico, not to win the game, but after they had scored three runs to tie it and loaded the bases with three more.  Broncos bat in the bottom of the seventh.

Patton Has Allowed Four Singles And A Walk

That is how New Mexico has made the comeback.  If Boise State loses, they are likely out of the running for a conference title.  They would have to sweep perennial contender San Diego State in San Diego next weekend, and this is very unlikely.

Single Ties The Game

As we just said, a single likely ties the game, and that is what just happened.  New Mexico has scored three in the seventh.

Patton With A Strikeout

A single very likely could tie it up, but Boise State's Rebecca Patton got the "K".  Two out and the bases loaded in the seventh, 5-3 Broncos.

Here Come The Lobos

Three straight singles have made it 5-3 Boise State in the seventh, and New Mexico has the bases loaded.  Still just one out.

Boise State Leads 5-2 in the 7th

Broncos trying to get another win at Dona Larsen Park.  One out in the seventh, but two consecutive singles by the Lobos have brought the tying run to the plate.

Boise State Jumps Out to 5-1 Lead

The Lady Broncos continue to take care of business, leading New Mexico 5-1 in the 4th.  Hailey Torrez's grand slam in the second has been the big blow.

Boise State Harriers Score Three Wins at Idaho-Utah Border Clash

Boise State recorded three firsts at the Idaho-Utah Border Clash at Dona Larsen Park yesterday.

Austin Hamilton tossed a career-best 216-feet, 11-inches to win the javelin, while Matt Post won the hammer with a heave of 211-6.  Kimberly Miller won the women's long jump (18-11.25).

Action begins this morning at 10 a.m.  A ticket to the track meet also gets you admission to Boise State's critical softball game with New Mexico that begins at 3.