Three Lobos Selected for Mountain West All-Conference Team
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— The University of New Mexico softball team had three selected to the Mountain West All-Conference Team as announced by the conference on Wednesday. The 27-member list was chosen by the league’s head coaches.
Making her first appearance on the conference season award list was freshman Briana Martinez, while junior Andrea Howard earned her second selection after being on the All-Mountain West Second Team as a freshman and senior Cameryn O’Grady earned the nod for the second straight year after earning All-Mountain West Second Team in 2019.
The nods come after the trio were amongst the leaders on the Lobos in several statistical categories.
O’Grady (.355), Howard (.306) and Martinez (.286) were first, second and third, respectively, on the team in batting average as well as in runs batted in with Howard leading with 24, followed by O’Grady with 20 and Martinez with 14. In addition, Howard (.653) and O’Grady (.632) were first and second on the team in slugging percentage, and O’Grady (.485) and Martinez (.451) were the top-two Lobos in on-base percentage. O’Grady led the Lobos in hits after finishing the shortened season at 27 and Howard was just five behind her to finish with the second-most hits. Furthermore, the duo finished first and second in total bases with O’Grady edging out Howard in the category 48-47.
In her rookie campaign, Martinez started all 26 games in left field and recorded 20 hits with five doubles and two home runs at the plate while hitting in the three-spot in the lineup. The Albuquerque native led the team in walks with 20 and went a perfect 5-for-5 in stolen bases. Martinez also led the Mountain West in walks and ranked 31st in the NCAA in walks per game with 0.77.
The freshman started off the season with a 22-game on-base streak and found a way on base in 23 of the 26 games. In addition, the left fielder posted six multiple hit games and five multiple RBI games, the second highest of the team in both categories.
Howard started all 26 games in center and in addition to leading in slugging percentage and runs batted in, led the Lobos with seven home runs and tied for the team high with three sacrifice flies. Her home run total matched her highest season tally as a Lobo, but her runs batted in total and her three sacrifice flies were her most in a season. Her 47 total bases were her second greatest of her career while playing in fewer games. Of her 22 hits, half went for extra bases with four doubles to go along with her seven home runs. The Albuquerque native also reached base 12 times via walks and tallied two stolen bases, going 2-for-2 on the year.
The now two-time All-MW honoree recorded four multiple hit games and led the Lobos with six multiple RBI games, hitting in the cleanup spot in 20 games. Of note, the junior hit two home runs in the fourth game of the year against Grand Canyon on Feb. 8, becoming the first Lobo to hit two home runs in a single game since 2017. Furthermore, she accounted for a career-high five runs batted in against Northern Colorado on Feb. 14.
Amongst the conference, Howard was second in home runs and just one behind the leader, third in runs batted in, fourth in slugging percentage, sixth in total bases and tied for the conference lead in sacrifice flies. Nationally, Howard tied for 46th in home runs and tied for ninth in sacrifice flies.
Starting at shortstop in all 26 games, O’Grady led not only the team, but the conference and the NCAA in doubles with 15 and was on pace to not only break the single-season program record of 21 but the career record of 48 with 43 career doubles as a Lobo. In addition, her 15 doubles in 2020 were just one behind her season total in 2019.
O’Grady led the team in batting average, on-base percentage, hits, runs scored (22), doubles, total bases and hit-by-pitches (four). The California native was second in slugging percentage, runs batted in and walks (16). At one point in the season, O’Grady recorded an 11-game streak of successfully reaching base and put together a five-game hit streak.
In addition to leading in doubles, the shortstop was tied for fourth in total bases, fourth in walks, fifth in on-base percentage, sixth in slugging percentage, tied for seventh in hit-by-pitches and tied for eight in runs batted in in the Mountain West. In the NCAA, O’Grady was fourth in doubles per game (0.58) to accompany her NCAA-leading doubles.
O’Grady accounted for a team-leading nine multiple hit games and tied for the third-most multiple RBI games with four. She reached base in 22 games behind 27 hits, of which 15 were doubles and two were home runs, 16 walks and four hit-by-pitches while appearing in the leadoff spot in the Lobo lineup in 12 games and second in 14 games. Of note, O’Grady hit her first grand slam as a Lobo against La Salle on Feb. 28.
In the field, O’Grady was second on the Lobos in assists with 45, fourth in turning double plays with four and fifth in putouts with 39.
Additionally, after starting in all 26 games in 2020, the senior had an ongoing streak of 123-straight games of being in the starting lineup.
The All-MW selection is not only the second for O’Grady, but it comes after being named the MW Player of the Week on March 3, becoming the first Lobo to win a conference weekly honor since 2017 and the first to win MW Player of the Week since 2016.
2020 Softball All-Mountain West Team
Bradie Fillmore, Boise State
Karlee Johnson, Boise State
Alison Seng, Boise State
Corina Gamboa, Colorado State
Jessica Jarecki, Colorado State
Ashley Michelena, Colorado State
Schuylar Broussard, Fresno State
Hailey Dolcini, Fresno State
McKenzie Wilson, Fresno State
Kendall Fritz, Nevada
Lauren Gutierrez, Nevada
Sierra Mello, Nevada
Andrea Howard, New Mexico
Briana Martinez, New Mexico
Cameryn O’Grady, New Mexico
Taylor Adams, San Diego State
Maggie Balint, San Diego State
Shelby Thompson, San Diego State
Suzy Brookshire, San José State
Cassidy Clark, San José State
Shannon Haddad, San José State
Jenny Bressler, UNLV
Justine Federe, UNLV
Mia Trejo, UNLV
Mazie Macfarlane, Utah State
Stephanie Reed, Utah State
Kapri Toone, Utah State