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Sophomore stars earn spots on Central Region First and Second Teams.
Source: NMSU Athletics
Story and Photo By Matthew Knope for NMSU: Courtesy
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) revealed its All-Region selections on Thursday, May 15. NM State, a representative of the Central Region, picked up two recognitions on the list. Both Desirae Spearman and Faith Aragon were honored as elite utility/pitcher student-athletes, earning a First and Second Team selection, respectively.
Eleven student-athletes from mid-major programs were represented on the 38-person list. NM State was one of three such institutions with multiple selections. Additionally, the Aggie two-way stars were the only two players to be recognized with a utility/pitcher distinction.
Desirae Spearman was the only individual from a non-power conference to crack the First Team, joining 10 SEC members and two Red Raiders of Texas Tech. Faith Aragon was one of four mid-major standouts on the Second Team, joining one Texan of Tarleton and a pair of North Texas products.
Head Coach Kathy Rodolph, on the duo earning national recognition: “Desirae and Faith have been great two-way players for us and they are instrumental to the success of our program. I’m excited to see their accomplishments recognized by coaches in the region. It is not easy to be a two-way player at this level, but both of these young women thrived in it.
Desirae followed up her phenomenal freshman year with a stellar sophomore campaign. She is very dynamic and I look forward to watching her growth next year. Faith was a fierce competitor in all aspects of the game. She did really well in her first season as a two-way player. Knowing her work ethic, we will see a different level from her next year.”
The honors were the 20th and 21st of their kind in NM State Softball program history, and the first All-Region selections for the Aggies since 2021. Spearman becomes the eighth First-Team representative for the Crimson & White, while Aragon also marks the eighth Aggie to earn a Second-Team spot.
Desirae Spearman | So. | El Paso, Texas | NFCA All-Region First Team (Central – P/UTL)
After a stellar freshman campaign that landed her Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors from CUSA, Spearman took a leap in year two en route to another First-Team selection in 2025. The pitching and hitting standout posted even more dominant numbers in every offensive metric, etching her name into the record books once again with her first All-Region selection.
Numbers of Note:
- Spearman finished tied for the CUSA lead with 20 home runs, surpassing last year’s league-high total of 18.
- The El Paso, Texas, native paced the league in walks (55), slugging percentage (.977), on-base percentage (.606) and OPS (1.583).
- The slugger was walked 55 times, ranking fourth-highest in the nation. Therefore, Spearman ranked 58th in CUSA with 128 at-bats, finishing with 45 fewer than her fellow 20-home run counterpart.
- The two-way star finished tied for the team lead with 47 RBIs despite leading off 24 times.
- She led the team in ERA (3.54), opponent batting average (.221), strikeouts thrown (118) and complete games (eight).
- In late March, the pitcher posted a five-game home run streak and an 11-game hitting streak.
- Against Portland State, Spearman tossed a season-high 10 strikeouts in Austin, Texas.
- In the circle, she held two separate three-game winning streaks this season en route to 11 victories.
After an electric freshman campaign that took the conference by storm, Spearman reached new heights as a sophomore. The second-year Aggie surpassed last year’s marks in strikeouts thrown (118), innings pitched (114.2), victories (11), complete games (eight), home runs hit (20), slugging percentage (.977), on-base percentage (.606) and OPS (1.583) while drastically vaulting her walk total from 21 (which led the 2024 squad) to 55. Her 20 home runs sparked a career-high 47 RBIs and 125 total bases.
In the circle, the El Paso, Texas, native made a team-high 21 starts. She paced the Aggies with eight complete games, a 3.54 ERA, 118 strikeouts and a .221 opponent batting average. She was the only player in the conference to lead her team in both batting average at the plate and ERA. For the regular season, Spearman (112) was one of five CUSA pitchers with more than 100 strikeouts and finished fourth in opponent batting average.
Against FIU, Spearman had her most dominant weekend of the campaign. The sophomore mashed three home runs, doing so once each day of the series in Miami. The two-way star was also walked three times around another pair of hits that included a double. In her seven at-bats, she picked up five hits and scored as many runs, driving in four RBIs. Her OPS for the week was 2.961, including a whopping 2.143 slugging percentage and an on-base percentage north of .800.
Faith Aragon | So. | Carlsbad, N.M. | NFCA All-Region Second Team (Central – P/UTL)
After a CUSA All-Freshman Team selection in 2024 with UTEP, Faith Aragon headed north to Las Cruces. The first-year Aggie made her mark in the circle and at the plate, alternating between the outfield and pitching, often swapping places with Spearman. The 5-foot-2 two-way star made her presence felt with a fierce competitive spirit and proved herself as an elite hitter and pitcher for Head Coach Kathy Rodolph.
Numbers of Note:
- Aragon paced the Aggies in innings pitched (126.2) and victories (12).
- Only three CUSA pitchers finished with more wins than the first-year Aggie.
- In 2025, she tossed six complete games and a pair of shutouts, both of which came against Sam Houston.
- She was second on the team with both a 3.87 ERA and a .294 opponent batting average.
- Her 1.47 walks and hits per innings pitched (WHIP) were the fewest on the team.
- Among qualified pitchers, she was the lone Aggie to dip below 0.30 walks per frame, tossing just 37 across 126.2 innings of work.
- Her 86 strikeouts ranked second on the team and ninth in the conference.
- On March 31, she became the third Aggie to ever be named CUSA Pitcher of the Week after 13 shutout innings against Sam Houston.
- The UTEP transfer finished fifth on the team with 37 hits at the plate, doing so on a .282 batting average.
- She drew 23 walks, ranking second on the team and boosting her on-base percentage to .387.
- Aragon was one of five Aggies to appear in at least 50 games this season.
- The sophomore was tied for third on the team with 131 at-bats in 2025, only finishing behind Devin Elam and Kristiana Watson.
- She also finished third on the team in runs scored, touching home 28 times.
- The Carlsbad, N.M., native swiped five bases to rank second on the team, doing so on six attempts.
- Her .986 fielding percentage led the team among members with at least 50 chances as she tallied just one error en route to 39 putouts and 33 assists between the outfield and the circle.
After seeing only three at-bats with UTEP a season ago, Aragon took on the burden of becoming a two-way threat at the CUSA level. From the jump, the Carlsbad High School product was slotted into the top of the lineup for the Crimson & White while tossing the most innings on the team. Her 37 hits and 23 walks both ranked among the top five on the roster, producing an impressive .387 on-base percentage in her first full season of batting at the collegiate level.
Aragon belted the first two home runs of her career this season, including her opener as part of a two-hit day against Northern Colorado on Feb. 15, mere hours before cousin Johnna Aragonwould replicate with her first career home run.
The standout made 29 starts in the outfield, with all but one in center field. Her quick feet and evident hustle landed 39 putouts and turned three double plays for the Aggies, flaunting a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage outside the circle.
Against Sam Houston, Aragon reached her highest level of 2025. The former Miner was named CUSA Pitcher of the Week on March 31 after two exceptional outings against the Bearkats. That weekend, she finished with 13.0 innings of scoreless softball, allowing just six hits and one walk while landing 15 strikeouts en route to earn a pair of victories that capped off a crucial sweep. In the Saturday contest, she tallied nine punchouts, setting a new career high.
For complete coverage of NM State Softball during the 2025 season, visit NMStateSports.com – the official home of the Aggies – and follow the Aggies on Facebook (NM State Softball), Twitter (@NMStateSoftball) and Instagram (@NMStateSoftball).
