ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.– The University of New Mexico softball team makes its second of three consecutive trips to California this weekend when the Lobos travel to Los Angeles, Calif. for the LMU Tournament hosted by Loyola Marymount.
UNM is coming off of a five-game tournament at the Judi Garman Classic in Fullerton, with one of the games being against LMU. The Lobos will have two early morning games on Friday, a 9 a.m. MT versus Oregon State and an 11:15 a.m. MT game versus Western Carolina. The Lobos will play a second game against Oregon State on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. MT and a final game on Sunday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. MT against LMU.
LAST TIME OUT
UNM faced two top-10 teams in the same weekend for the second time this season at the Judi Garman Classic, holding No. 3 Florida to just one run in a 1-0 decision and being run-ruled by No. 7 Tennessee. UNM lost to UConn, LMU and Cal State Fullerton. The Lobos had two, one-run games, with a 1-0 loss to Florida and a 2-1 loss to UConn, while losing 4-2 to LMU. Junior Bailey Klitzke led the team with four hits on the weekend while D’Andra DeFlora and Cameryn O’Grady each had three. Klitzke was responsible for three of the team’s RBI in the five games and DeFlora had a team-high six total bases. D’Andra DeFlora hit her first home run of the season against Tennessee in the bottom of the second to tie the game at one and also singled in the fourth to go 2-for-2 against the No. 7 team in the country. Cameryn O’Grady was 2-for-3 with two singles. Freshman Daryn Haslam hit her third home run of the season entering the game as a pinch hitter against Cal State Fullerton in the fourth inning. Haslam is tied for the team high in home runs. In the circle, RHP Kennedy Ferguson appeared in every game, starting three with two complete games, throwing a total of 443 pitches in the five games.
MIXING IT UP
The Lobos have used 15 different lineups to date, only having duplicated their lineup four times. UNM used the same lineup in the Arizona and Alabama game, the same lineup in the Cal State Fullerton and UTEP game, the same lineup against Hawai’i on Feb. 22 and DePaul on Feb. 23 and most recently, the same lineup against Tennessee and UConn. O’Grady moved into the leadoff hitter spot in the game against Canisius and has played six games at the No. 1 spot in the batting order. Andrea Howard led off the lineup in 10 games and moved down to the No. 2 spot for five games and the seventh spot in four games. Bailey Klitzke hit in the leadoff spot in three games, Maggie Buckholz has batted second in two games and Aleyah Wilbon hit second in the last game versus Cal State Fullerton. Five Lobos (Cameryn O’Grady, D’Andra DeFlora, Andrea Howard, Lauren Wilmert and Monica Salas) have started all 19 games this season.UNM started four freshmen against New Mexico State, with Kennedy Ferguson, Daryn Haslam, MacKenzie Peterson and Leslie Romero each getting their first collegiate starts. Freshman Emma Steltzer made her Lobo debut in the circle in the last game of the Judi Garman Classic versus Cal State Fullerton, retiring both batters she faced.
HOLDING THEIR OWN
In the Lobos’ first game of the Judi Garman Classic, UNM went to extra innings with the No. 3 Florida Gators, holding the Gators scoreless for seven innings. It was the second time in the last 13 days that UNM held a top-10, and a SEC, team scoreless through at least six innings. Kennedy Ferguson threw a complete game with 109 pitches, 66 of them going for strikes. The freshman right-hander held her own in the matchup, allowing just five hits and one walk, while striking out five batters. It is the third game this season that Ferguson has allowed just one walk, but the first time that she did so while pitching a complete game. The five hits posted by Florida was the second-fewest hits in a game for the Gators this year, only second to Arizona who limited the Gators to four on Feb. 9, but the Wildcats also gave up three runs in the game. In addition, it is just the second time this season that the Gators have been held to one run in a game, with the other instance being in Wednesday night’s game versus No. 2 UCLA in which the Gators lost 7-1. Entering the Judi Garman Classic, and prior to its loss to UCLA, Florida was outscoring its opponents 127-18.
The Lobos held No.7 Alabama scoreless for six innings, allowing only six hits total in the game. Entering the Hillenbrand Invitational, the Crimson Tide was third in the NCAA in scoring, averaging 10.60 runs, and had averaged 10.2 hits a game and 2.60 doubles a game (tied for 10th in the NCAA). Alabama hit .261 in the game, below the .378 batting average that the team entered with, which was 16th in the nation. Spencer kept Alabama’s leading hitter Kaylee Tow, who ranked eighth in the NCAA in batting average and seventh in on-base percentage, without a hit. UNM is the only team to hold Alabama to just one run in the 10 games the Crimson Tide have played so far this year.
In two games, the Lobos have shutout their opponents and twice have gone six innings without giving up a run. UNM shutout Creighton on Feb. 9 amd shutout Canisius on Feb. 22, while going six scoreless innings against Alabama on Feb. 15 and again on Feb. 17 versus South Florida.
EVEN INNING MAGIC
To date, UNM is outscoring its opponents 45-30 in the even innings, including a 15-8 advantage in the second inning. In the first two games of the season, the second inning belonged to the Lobos, with UNM scoring five runs against UTEP and against Creighton. In the season opener versus the Miners, the Lobos scored five runs on two hits and drew five walks, leading to three runs on consecutive walks alone.
Against the Bluejays, the Lobos scored five runs on three hits, a single by Monica Salas, a double by D’Andra DeFlora that scored three after Andrea Howard was intentionally walked to load the bases and a two-run home run by Cameryn O’Grady.
HOT STARTS
The Lobos have scored first in 10 games this season. UNM has scored in the first inning six times, with a season-high four runs scored in the first inning on Feb. 16 against Illinois-Chicago and again on Feb. 22 against Canisius.
Four of UNM’s wins this season have come via run-rule (15-6 vs. UTEP, 8-0 vs. Creighton, 13-5 vs. Illinois-Chicago, 10-0 vs. Canisius).
NEWCOMERS NO MORE
Freshman Daryn Haslam led the Lobos at the Hawai’i Invitational with a slugging percentage of .846 and on-base percentage of .467, while hitting the first two home runs of her collegiate career. Three of her RBI on the weekend came with two outs. Fellow freshman Maggie Buckholz hit a three-run home run that proved to be the difference in UNM’s 3-2 win over host Hawai’i to advance the Lobos to the championship game. On the weekend, Buckholz had a team-high six RBI and drew three walks. The freshmen have accounted for 19 hits, 12 runs scored and 21 RBI on the sason, while hitting five of the team’s 14 home runs.
Pitcher Kiana Spencer has pitched five complete games this season and tallied a season-high six strikeouts in her last appearance against Hawai’i on Feb. 23. The LHP has recorded two shutouts, both coming in run-rule games (vs. Creighton, vs. Canisius). In her first start with the Lobos, junior left-handed pitcher Kiana Spencer threw a complete game shutout, limiting the BIG EAST preseason favorite Creighton to just three hits in five innings of work. The junior didn’t allow any extra-base hits in the 24 batters she faced. She threw 91 pitches in the outing, 42 of them going for strikes. Spencer also earned the start against Alabama, pitching another complete game, going 7.0 innings and allowing just one run and six hits, only one of which went for extra bases, and allowing just three walks on 29 batters faced.
Freshman Kennedy Ferguson has pitched in a team-high 13 games with eight starts and five complete games, holding a team-best ERA of 3.70 and 58.2 innings pitched. Ferguson has struck out 39 batters and walked 28 and has recorded at least one strikeout in 11 games, but at least one in appearances that she’s pitched more than one inning.
WALK IT OUT
UNM leads the MW in walks drawn through the first four weekends with 80, 21 more than the second-highest team (UNLV). In the season opener against UTEP, UNM drew 16 walks alone for a season high. Against the Miners, eight different players drew a walk, with Andrea Howard reaching base four times via a walk. Cameryn O’Grady and Lauren Wilmert each drew three walks, Maggie Buckholz two and Monica Salas, Taylor Jones, Kasey Halleen and Daryn Haslam each had one. Versus Cal State Fullerton on Feb. 15, the Lobos nearly reached double digits with nine walks. Maggie Buckholz leads the team with 11 walks, followed by Cameryn O’Grady with nine.
LET’S GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT
After four weekends of competition for the MW teams, the Lobos lead the conference in two categories, second in two, third in one and fourth in three. The Lobos are first in the conference in walks (80) and in caught stealing by (7). UNM is second in home runs with 14, third in batters struck out (80) and fourth in put outs (343), total bases (177) and tied in RBI (70).
As a team, UNM has at least one player listed in the top 10 in the conference in 12 hitting categories and four pitching categories. Through the first four weekends, Cameryn O’Grady is in the top-10 statistically in the MW in six categories offensively. The junior is in the top 10 in slugging percentage, on-base percentage, hits, doubles, at-bats and walks. Lauren Wilmert is tied for the lead in caught stealing by (4) and Kennedy Ferguson is fourth in batters struck out (39) and second in innings pitched (58.2). D’Andra DeFlora ranks in the top 10 in runs scored and at-bats, Bailey Klitzke is ranked in batting average and sacrifice flies, Maggie Buckholz in RBI and walks, Monica Salas and Daryn Haslam in home runs and Andrea Howard in walks.
NATIONALLY KNOWN
Bailey Klitzke is tied for 28th in the NCAA in sacrifice flies with two and Maggie Buckholz is tied for 38th in the country in walks (0.78), which also leads the Mountain West.
NOT JUST A PITCHER
Bailey Klitzke got the ball to start the season against UTEP, but has played in 17 games either in the circle or as the DP, starting in 16. Klitzke leads the team in batting average (.390), is tied for second in hits (16), second in on-base percentage (.460), and is third in slugging percentage (.512).
At the Judi Garman Classic, Klitzke was 2-for-2 with runners in scoring position, with two outs and with runners on third and less than two outs in the inning. The junior was 3-for-5 in success in advancing runners and 2-for-5 as the leadoff hitter in an inning. She also had a team-high four hits and three RBI in the five-game tournament, hitting .364 with a slugging percentage of .455 and on-base percentage of .467. At the plate on the season, Klitzke is a team-best 3-for-4 with bases loaded. She is 4-for-6 with a runner on third with less than 2 outs, 5-for-10 with runners in scoring position, 7-for-12 with 2 outs in the inning and four of her RBI on the season came with two outs. Klitzke is 12-for-19 in successfully advancing runners in her at-bat.
However, in the circle, the LHP earned her first win of the season in her first appearance in a Lobo uniform, pitching 5.0 innings and giving up five hits and five earned runs. Klitzke struck out eight batters and finished the weekend with nine total in 6.0 innings pitched. She threw for 146 pitches, 120 of which came in the first game against UTEP. Klitzke matched her strikeout count against Illinois-Chicago and pitched her first complete game with 6.0 innings pitched to move to 2-1 on the season.
GOING HOME
The Lobos have a team-high six players from California. From the Golden State are junior Cameryn O’Grady (Orange), seniors Kasey Helleen (Torrance), Monica Salas (Goleta), Sydney Townes (Lompoc) and Aleyah Wilbon (Fontana) and freshman Leslie Romero (Gonzales).
LONG TIME GONE
The Lobos begin the season with five non-conference tournaments on the road, spanning from Las Cruces to Tucson, Ariz., to Honolulu, Hawaii to two trips to Southern California, followed by a conference series at San Diego State.
UNM’s home opener isn’t scheduled until March 22 against MW opponent Colorado State, the latest home opener in at least 15 years. In the first six weeks of the season, the Lobos will have traveled over 10,900 miles roundtrip (5451 miles each way) and played 26 games before their first pitch at Lobo Softball Field.
SCOUTING OREGON STATE
This will be the 15th and 16th overall meeting between the Beavers and Lobos, with OSU holding a 10-4 series lead. The Beavers enter the tournament 12-4, 9-2 in neutral games, but have lost their last two games.
Oregon State doesn’t share any common opponents with New Mexico to date, but OSU has played two Mountain West teams in Nevada and Fresno State. OSU defeated Fresno State 5-0 and Nevada 5-1. OSU has defeated Missouri (4-3, 8 innings), while losing 3-0 to No. 4 Oklahoma, 8-0 to No. 11 Louisiana and 2-0 to Ole Miss. The Beavers have had five shutouts and three of their four losses have been shutouts. The Beavers are outscoring their opponents 73-38 and outhitting opponents 121-85 and .278 to .208. Of their 121 hits, 13 have been doubles and 12 have gone for home runs.
This season, Oregon State was picked to finish tied for fifth in the Pac-12 Preseason Coaches’ Poll, tying with Cal with 31 votes. Last season, OSU went 30-28 on the season, 9-14 in conference play, finishing sixth in the Pac-12.
Oregon State returns 13 letterwinners from 2018, six from the field and three from the pitching rotation.
Last season, the Beavers earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, going 1-1 in the regional against Wisconsin and defeating Middle Tennessee before being eliminated by Alabama in the regional final. It was the third-straight year the Beavers had been selected to the tournament.
Maria Rader leads the team in batting average (.390) and has the lone triple on the season. Frankie Hammoude has a team-high 12 walks, 17 hits, 21 RBI, seven home runs, 39 total bases, on-base percentage (.525) and slugging percentage (.886). Missy Nunes is 20th in the NCAA in hit-by-pitches per game (0.38) and Nerissa Eason is 29th in hits allowed per seven innings (3.88). Hammoude is 24th in runs batted in per game (1.31), 31st in slugging percentage and 48th in walks.
As a team, OSU is 27-for-29 in stolen bases, while its opponents are 9-for-10.
Oregon State pitchers have an ERA of 1.89, allowing 85 hits on the season and 38 runs (29 earned). As a unit, they have struck out 116 batters while only walking 47. Opponents are hitting .208 against the OSU pitchers.
OSU has used three pitchers this season, with Mariah Mazon pitching a team-high 46.2 innings, seven starts, five complete games and three shutouts. The sophomore has a 1.50 ERA with 30 hits, 13 runs (10 earned), three home runs, 48 strikeouts and 16 walks. Nerissa Eason is 3-0 on the season on five appearances, three starts, two complete games and one shutout. The junior has pitched 21.2 innings, allowing 12 hits, seven runs (four earned), 20 strikeouts and 21 walks and has an ERA of 1.29. Meehra Nelson is 4-1 on the year with 39.1 innings pitched, appearing in a team-high nine appearances with six starts, throwing thre complete games and one shutout. The senior has a 2.67 ERA with 43 hits allowed, three home runs, 18 runs (15 earned), 48 strikeouts and 10 walks.
The Beavers are 30th in the NCAA in earned runs average (1.89) and 41st in stolen bases per game (1.69).
SCOUTING WESTERN CAROLINA
Friday’s game will mark the first meeting all-time between the two teams. Western Carolina enters the tournament with a 7-6 record, 1-3 in neutral games, and won on Wednesday after having lost its last three games. They are 3-1 in one-run games and 2-0 in two-run games. WCU’s wins have come against Alabama State, Jacksonville State (in eight innings), North Carolina Central, Georgia State and Sacred Heart. WCU led Georgia Tech 6-1 in the fifth before GT went on to score eight unanswered runs including a three-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh for a 9-6 win. The Catamounts were picked to finish seventh in the Southern Conference Preseason Poll with six votes.
As a team, WCU is 3-for-6 in stolen bases attempts with opponents going 11-for-18. Western Carolina is being outscored by its opponents 72-60 and outhit 109-85 (.320 to .246 in batting average). Opponents are reaching base at a clip of .433 compared to .338 for WCU. Opponents are outscoring WCU 15-3 in the second inning.
Senior centerfielder Hunter Gibbons broke the school record for home runs in a career with 30 in the Catamounts’ 6-3 victory over Georgia State on March 1. She broke the school record for RBI in a career on Wednesday night.
Madison Armstrong leads the team with a batting average of .359. Ashlyn Long leads with 15 hits, the lone triple on the team, and 24 total bases. Long and Gibbons both have a team-high 11 runs, with Gibbons leading with nine walks, a slugging percentage of .575, an on-base percentage of .420, and five doubles on the year and one of two players with two home runs. Erica Hayes has a team-best 12 RBI and joins Gibbons with two home runs.
The pitching staff enters the tournament with a 6.46 ERA. They are giving up 109 hits, 72 runs, 61 earned runs and 11 home runs, and has struck out 48 batters while walking 57. Kinsey Liscio has a team-best 5.23 ERA with eight appearances and six starts, throwing four complete games. In 41.1 innings pitched, Liscio has allowed 45 hits, 28 runs (24 earned), seven home runs, and has struck out 26 batters while walking 19. The other two pitchers who have made starts are Kayla Brewer, who has appeared in seven games, starting four, and thrown two complete games, and Shaina Reed, who has appeared in five games, starting two and thrown one complete game. In 24.2 innings pitched, Brewer has given up 33 hits, 21 runs (17 earned), 22 walks and struck out 11 and has a 6.20 ERA. Reed is 1-4 on the season with an ERA of 6.89 on 15.2 innings pitched. She has allowed 21 hits, 15 runs (12 earned), five doubles, two home runs, 10 strikeouts and 12 walks.
WCU is 21st in the NCAA in doubles per game (1.92), which leads the Southern Conference. Ashlyn Long is tied for sixth in the NCAA in sacrifice flies (3), Gracen Watts is 38th in walks (0.78) and Bailey Honeycutt is 38th in sacrifice hits per game (0.27). Last season, Western Carolina went 15-37 overall and 2-15 in the Southern Conference. The Catamounts have 12 letterwinners returning, nine of which were starters last year, and two returning pitchers. They have added seven newcomers.
SCOUTING LMU
This will be second meeting between the two teams this season, with the first one last weekend at the Judi Garman Classic in which LMU won 4-2. Although the Lobos and Lions have had no common opponents so far this season, LMU has played four MW schools in Utah State (W, 3-2), Boise State (L, 9-8, 10 innings), San Diego State (W, 2-1) and Fresno State (L, 4-1). LMU is currently on a two-game win streak. The Lions were picked to finish second in the WCC with 22 votes, just two behind preseason favorite BYU. LMU returns five starters this season, including 2019 Preseason All-WCC Softball Team Andrea Gonzalez and 2019 Preseason All-WCC Softball Team pitcher Hannah Bandimere.
Andrea Gonzalez leads the team in batting average (.353), walks (6) and hits (18). Riley Ehlen has a team-high 11 RBI, four home runs, 30 total bases and .750 slugging percentage. Molly Grumbo has the lone triple on the season for the Lions, which happened against the Lobos. Delanie Wisz is 28th in the country in sacrifice flies (2), and Linnay Wilson is tied for 10th in saves (2).
LMU has used four pitchers this season, with Hannah Bandimere having the most appearances (12) and starts (9). The RHP has an ERA of 1.76 and a 6-4 record on the season with four complete games, one shutout and one save. The senior has allowed 51 hits, 18 runs (14 earned), and has struck out 39 and walked 11 in 55.2 innings thrown. Samantha Manti is 3-3 on the season after appearing in nine games and starting five, with two complete games, one shutout and one save. The RHP has an ERA of 2.83 in 34.2 innings pitched, allowing 27 hits, 18 runs (14 earned), 31 strikeouts and 18 walks. Linnay Wilson has appeared in nine games with two starts and recorded two saves. The RHP has thrown 21.0 innings and given up 29 hits, 14 runs (10 earned), striking out 18 batters and walking four. Opponents are hitting .309 off of the sophomore. Mallory Eckroth has pitched in one game, going 0.1 innings with one hit allowed. The pitching staff posts an ERA of 2.38 on the season with six complete games and three shutouts. They have given up 108 hits, 50 runs (38 earned), 22 doubles and nine home runs, while striking out 88 and walking 33 batters. Opponents are hitting .250 against them as a staff.
LMU is 56th in the NCAA in double plays per game (0.44), 43rd in strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.67) and 55th in ERA.