COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Senior Chelsea Johnson and freshman Andrea Howard of The University of New Mexico softball team have been named to the All-Mountain West Second Team following their outstanding efforts during the 2018 season, the league announced Wednesday.
The honor marks Johnson’s third All-Mountain West accolade of her career, her second straight second-team nod that followed a first-team award in 2016. Johnson finished the 2018 season leading the Lobos with a .342 batting average with 10 homeruns, tied for fifth in the conference. She registered 53 hits, 22 runs and 40 RBI on the season, ranking her eighth among the league’s RBI leaders.
The senior leaves her mark in the UNM record book in the top 10 in career history in six categories including batting average (.342), slugging percentage (.603), on base percentage (.403), homeruns (34), RBI 139 and total bases 307.
This season, she inked her second spot in program history in single-season records with 10 homeruns, tying for seventh, just behind her 2016 11 homers which is tied for sixth.
Howard’s honor marks the first for the freshman as she finished her inaugural campaign second on the team with a .313 batting average and tied for second with seven homeruns. She started 50 of the 51 games in which she played, primarily serving as the Lobos’ first baseman. She posted 41 hits including six doubles, a triple and her seven homers while scoring 20 runs and driving in 18.
In the field, the freshman registered 296 putouts with just four errors for a .987 fielding percentage. Her 296 putouts ranks her fifth in the league on the season. She also led UNM in Mountain West play with a .368 batting average.