2024 CUSA Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year earns another national honor.
Source: NMSU Athletics
Story and Photo By Matthew Knope for NMSU: Courtesy
LAS CRUCES, N.M. – 2025 has officially arrived, meaning NM State Softball is less than five weeks away from starting another season. To ring in the new year, Softball America unveiled its 2025 Preseason Top 100 Players List. The publication recognized what it considered to be the best athletes in the nation for this upcoming campaign, honoring NM State’s own Desirae Spearman. The incoming sophomore was ranked 83rd on the list, occupying one of Conference USA’s two slots.
Last year, Spearman put together a season for the ages. As a true freshman, the El Paso, Texas native was named CUSA Player of the Year, CUSA Freshman of the Year, CUSA All-Tournament Team, All-CUSA First Team (Pitcher), All-CUSA First Team (Outfielder), CUSA All-Freshman Team, TUCCI/NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year Top 25 List, CUSA Pitcher of the Week (March 25), and five-time CUSA Freshman of the Week.
In 2024, Spearman maintained a .365 batting average while pacing the conference in home runs (18), OPS (1.321) and ranking in the top three with 43 RBIs. The Hanks High School product also ranked second on the team in total bases (109) and fourth on the team in total hits (46) despite missing 14 of the Aggies’ 55 games due to injury. The two-way star held a remarkable .794 slugging percentage in league games; higher than any other batter. Spearman ranked 23rd in the nation and led the league with 18 home runs, including a conference-high 12 in CUSA play.
The Hanks High School product posted three multi-home run games, including two in conference play. Her most recent two-home run outing came at top-seeded Liberty on April 20, when she also tossed a complete game and held the Flames scoreless through 6.2 innings. Against Nebraska, Spearman went the distance again and allowed just one hit in a monumental 3-0 upset victory.
In the circle, Spearman was equally as dominant. She boasted an 8-4 record and racked up 75 strikeouts while maintaining a 3.15 ERA in 17 appearances across 84.1 innings of work.
This spring, NM State will take on 16 of the remaining 99 student-athletes on the list. All 16 fell within the top 65 slots, including four of the top nine and 11 of the top 27. Among Aggie opponents, Texas and Florida led the way with six and five honorees, respectively. Before taking on the Longhorns in a March 1 road bout, the Aggies will head to the ASU/GCU Classic, where they will take on the Gators in a neutral clash. Arizona, who the Aggies will visit for an April 22 doubleheader, was represented at No. 34 and No. 59.
The Crimson & White will also see Iowa State’s Angelina Allen (No. 26) in Phoenix on Feb. 21, in addition to hosting Jordy Bahl (No. 9) and Nebraska on Feb. 14. Aside from Spearman, Rachel Roupe of Liberty was the only CUSA installment on Softball America’s list, coming in at the No. 38 slot after earning a First-Team all-conference selection for the Flames in 2024.
Spearman and the Aggies will open their season on Friday, Feb. 7, from the NM State Softball Complex. An opening-day doubleheader against UC Santa Barbara and Colorado State will commence the NM State Invitational in what is set to be the 51st season in school history. This spring, the program is in pursuit of its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2018.
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).
