ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— University of New Mexico outfielder Keyannah Chavez has been named the Mountain West Freshman of the Week, as announced by the conference on Tuesday.
Chavez’s accolade comes after the freshman led the Lobos at the plate hitting .556 with a .778 slugging percentage (tied for the team high), a team-high .600 on-base percentage, team-high five hits, team-high two doubles and finished with two RBI last week.
Starting in left in all three games of the Dr. Natalicio Memorial Tournament, Chavez reached base with a hit in all three games with two games with two hits. Further, she was 2-3 with runners in scoring position, 3-5 successfully advancing runners and her two RBI came with two outs.
Against Buffalo, the Texas native hit a two-out double to left field in the 3rd inning that scored a run and then scored on the next play as part of a seven-hit, seven-run inning for the Lobos, of which six runs came with two outs starting with Chavez. In the next game against Santa Clara, Chavez registered UNM’s first hit of the game on a bunt single, later scoring UNM’s first run of the game in the 5th inning. In the 6th inning, she singled through the right side to score a run. Overall, she led the Lobos at the plate going 2-3, accounting for half of UNM’s total hits and scored a run and drove in a run, ultimately involved in both of UNM’s runs in the game. Against Texas Tech she went 2-4, and in the 4th inning, hit a one-out single to left field, starting a four-hit, four-run inning that brought UNM within one at 6-5. As a result, Chavez was named to the All-Tournament Team.
Chavez is currently second in the MW in batting average (.476) and on-base percentage (.542) and has reached base in all eight games this season. In addition, she has a four-game hitting streak and is tied for the team high in hits with 10, three of which have been doubles.
The Lobos open their home schedule on Thursday against Cal State Bakersfield, with first pitch scheduled for 11 a.m. and the second game to follow after.