ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.– The University of New Mexico softball team begins Mountain West competition against Colorado State in a three-game series starting with a doubleheader on Saturday, which also serves as the Lobos’ first home games of the season.
The first game between the Lobos and Rams is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. with the second game to follow at approximately 4:30 p.m. The third game will take place on Sunday at noon.
Tickets for all three games are available to purchase for $5 at golobos.com/tickets, but capacity for the entire complex will be limited to 1,200 fans and includes attendance for baseball, softball and women’s tennis. Groups of 10 or more can get tickets for just $3 each at the Lobo Group Rate. A ticket will allow you to watch any of the three events (baseball, softball, women’s tennis) that will be going on for that given day. Fans are recommended to purchase tickets in advance. If tickets are available the day of the contest, fans can purchase at the gate. No cash will be accepted.
Parking is free, and fans should enter and park in the Pit West lot by accessing the entrance from University Blvd. as the Avenida Cesar Chavez entrance will be utilized for the mass COVID vaccination clinic taking place inside The Pit. Fans can also park for free in the Stadium West parking lot or the Baseball East lot, although there is a danger of home run balls reaching that lot. Fans will not be allowed to bring food or drink as Lobo Concessions will be fully stocked and available, and please note that no cash will be accepted at the concessions stand. Additionally, there will be no re-entry to and from the complex.
For fans not able to attend, all three games will be streamed on the Mountain West Network.
The Lobos enter the weekend after facing a grueling non-conference schedule in which they faced five ranked teams starting with then-No. 4 Arizona, then-No. 2 Oklahoma (now ranked No. 1), then-No. 11 Arizona State, then-No. 8 Oklahoma State and then-No. 10 Texas.
To date, the Lobos recorded a season-high 10 hits and scored a season-high 11 runs in the win against Southern Utah on Feb. 20, and hit a season-high three doubles in the game. The Lobos drew five walks twice, with five against Southern Utah and five against Oklahoma. Through the non-conference schedule, Andrea Howard led the Lobos with 18 hits, a .316 batting average, .632 slugging percentage and .412 on-base percentage with a team-high 36 total bases and four home runs. Emma Guindon threw in 14 games, with 13 starts and six complete games.
SCOUTING COLORADO STATE
The Rams are 5-8 on the season with wins over Texas A&M (7-6), Seattle (6-4, 8 innings), Northern Colorado (7-2) and Oregon State (10-1 and 4-3). This will also be their conference opener as the series with Utah State scheduled for March 20-21 was postponed due to field conditions. The Rams last played on March 7 against South Dakota State.
CSU shares three common opponents with the Lobos in Arizona, Seattle and Texas Tech. The Rams lost 3-0 and 3-1 (9 innings) to TTU, 9-1 (6 innings) to Arizona and split with Seattle (won 6-4 in eight innings, lost 5-3).
Colorado State has three players with 10 hits in Ashley Michelena, Corina Gamboa and Danielle Serna with four of Serna’s hits going for doubles and Michelena hitting three doubles and a triple. Ashley York leads with two home runs and two triples, while also hitting a double as part of her nine hits on the season. York leads with a .571 slugging percentage. Jalyn McGruffin leads in on-base percentage with .407 and Peyton Allen leads with a .273 batting average. York is ninth in the MW in slugging percentage and tied for second in triples.
Five pitchers have made at least one appearance for the Rams this season, led by Taylor Gilmore with seven appearances with two starts. The RHP has thrown one complete game with 22 hits and eight runs (six earned) allowed in 23.0 innings of work. Gilmore is allowing just six walks with 16 strikeouts, and carries a 1.83 ERA. Jessica Jarecki has made a team-high five starts with 32.1 innings pitched and four complete games and has a 3.03 ERA. The RHP has allowed 34 hits with 17 runs (14 earned) and has walked 11 while striking out 36. Danielle Serna and Julia Cabral have each started three games, pitching 16.0 and 15.1 innings, respectively. As a staff, the Rams have a 3.21 ERA with 89 hits allowed and 55 runs given up (41 earned).
Gilmore is second in the MW in ERA with Jarecki ninth, with Jarecki fifth in batters struck out.
Colorado State tied for third in the MW preseason poll, receiving one first-place vote.