Open Announce

Howard and Archuleta Named to MW First Team

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— New Mexico natives Andrea Howard and Ashley Archuleta have been named to the Mountain West Softball All-Conference First Team, as voted on by conference coaches.

The selection marks the third overall all-conference honor for Howard, but the first on the First Team, as she was named to the Second Team as a freshman and was honored in 2021, in which three student-athletes from each institution was awarded all-conference.

In Mountain West games this season, the Lobo outfielder was an offensive threat, batting .362 with a .766 slugging percentage and .587 on-base percentage. With one series left this season, Howard has 17 hits, 15 RBI, two doubles, a triple and five home runs and has been walked 26 times, 18 of which have been intentional. She has hit a home run in five of the six MW series to date and had five multiple RBI games and four multiple hit games. In conference games, Howard had a streak of 17-straight games of reaching base and has reached safely in all but one game.

Howard also made program history twice this season, hitting her program-record 40th career home run on March 27 at home against Utah State, and since then has hit four more against conference opponents and six more overall. Her other career milestone came against Fresno State on April 14, setting the program record for total bases at 363, and now sits at 374.

Among Mountain West players, the Albuquerque native leads the conference in OPS with 1.353 and on-base percentage, and third in the conference in slugging percentage. Her five home runs are tied for fifth and she leads in walks with seven more than the next player.

In her first year as a Lobo, Archuleta stepped into the starting role at second base and led the team with a .373 batting average and 25 hits, to go along with a .522 slugging percentage and .447 on-base percentage. The freshman to date has four doubles, two home runs and 10 RBI in conference play.

Archuleta is tied for fourth among MW players in hits, as well as ranks ninth in the MW in batting average and eighth in on-base percentage. Her 25 hits are tied for the second-most by a freshman this season. The Lobo has had a team-high eight multiple hit games, had a nine-game hitting streak and an 11-game streak of reaching base in conference play. The Rio Rancho native had a season-best four RBI and two home runs in the win against Fresno State on April 15 and contributed two RBI in the May 8 game at Boise State and the March 27 game against Utah State.

With the selection of Howard and Archuleta, it is the first time that New Mexico has had two earn First Team since 2014. Only one player has had more all-conference team selections than Howard, Kelly Glass (2000-03), and joins Cameryn O’Grady as a three-time honoree.

The Lobos close out the MW season at home May 12-14 against San Diego State.