Lobos Travel to Fresno State
FRESNO, Calif.— The Lobos remain on the road to resume conference play at Fresno State with a three-game series starting on Thursday.
SCHEDULE
Thursday @ 6 p.m. PT/ 7 p.m. MT
Friday @ 6 p.m. PT/ 7 p.m. MT
Saturday @ 12 p.m. PT/ 1 p.m. MT
UNM enters the series 20-21-1, 5-8 in the MW, with Fresno State 26-17, 10-6 in the MW. Both team won their last conference series 2-1.
PUT THE PRESSURE ON
The Lobos have scored in the first inning in 17 games and scored in the second inning in 13 games while not allowing a run in the first two innings in 20 games overall. UNM has scored in the first inning in six of the last seven games, four times with one run, once with two runs and once with three runs.
UNM is outscoring opponents 26-25 in the first inning, 30-20 in the second inning and 56-45 through the first two innings.
In addition, the Lobos are outscoring opponents 25-23 in the fourth, 38-34 in the fifth and 20-8 in the sixth inning. On the season, UNM is outscoring opponents 180-172 (+8).
UNM is 9-2 when leading after the first, 13-2 after the second, 14-1 after the third, 15-2 when leading after the fourth, 14-2 after the fifth and 16-2 leading after the sixth.
UNM is 11-6 when scoring in the first inning and 14-6-1 when scoring first.
TRENDING UP
The Lobos rank among the top teams in the Mountain West and NCAA in several categories.
UNM ranks 14th in the NCAA in sac bunts (37), 47th in team strikeouts per seven innings (5.98), 58th in shutouts (seven), 61st in HBP (30), 70th in strikeout-to-walk ratio (1.86), 76th in doubles (59), 90th in fielding percentage (.966) and 92nd in ERA (3.54).
DeNae Vasquez-Dickson is third in the NCAA in sac bunts per game (0.38) with Ashley Archuleta 69th in doubles (12), Natalie Fritz 15th in fewest hit batters (two) and 31st in saves (three), and McKenna Guest 17th in shutouts (four), 40th in strikeouts (120) and 38th in wins (14).
Among the MW, UNM leads in batters struck out looking (pitching, 83), is second in strikeouts (pitching, 233), fourth in ERA (3.57), opposing batting average (.272) and fewest hits allowed (298).
Guest is tied for the lead in wins (14), is second in shutouts, starts (20), strikeouts (120) and strikeouts looking (34) and fifth in ERA (2.62). Vasquez-Dickson leads the MW in sac bunts (16) and Ashley Archuleta is third in doubles (12), tied for second in triples (four), third in batting average (.407) and sixth in on-base percentage (.503). Allie Williams is tied for eighth in hits (48) and Jessica DeLeon is 14th in batting average (.364) and tied for 13th in on-base percentage (.444), while tied for the conference lead in sac flies (four).
In MW games, Archuleta leads the conference in on-base percentage (.560) and in doubles (seven), is second in batting average (.488), tied for second in hits (20) and tied for eighth in slugging percentage (.707). Hayden Luderer is third in stolen bases (four) and Vasquez-Dickson leads in sac bunts (eight). Guest is second in strikeouts (36) and tied for fourth in wins (four) and Natalie Fritz is sixth in ERA (2.26) and 10th in strikeouts (18), tied for fifth in strikeouts looking (six).
As a team, in MW games, UNM has the fewest strikeouts (hitting, 37), is tied for first in sac flies (six) and sac bunts (13), second in doubles (23), fourth in batting average (.294) and in on-base percentage (.371). The pitchers are third in strikeouts (59) and fifth in ERA (3.94).
ARCH AT THE TOP
In her senior season, Ashley Archuleta is leading the Lobos in eight categories.
The New Mexico native leads in batting average (.407), slugging percentage (.602), on-base percentage (.503), doubles (12), triples (four), runs scored (33) and total bases (71) and with a team-high 16 multiple-hit games (14 games with two, one with three and one with four).
In conference games, Archuleta has had a team-best eight multiple-hit games, had an 11-game streak of reaching base and a six-game hitting streak, and leads the team in batting average (.488), slugging percentage (.707), on-base percentage (.560), runs scored (12), hits (20), doubles (seven), triples (one) and total bases (29).
Prior to Sunday’s game against Colorado State, the Lobo had reached base in 12 consecutive games with a hit in seven consecutive games.
Her batting average, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, doubles and number of strikeouts are the best in her four-year career.
Among conference players, she leads in doubles and on-base percentage, is second in batting average, tied for second in hits, tied for seventh in total bases and tied for eighth in slugging percentage in conference games.
Additionally, Archuleta has hit in the leadoff spot in 30 games, including the last 17 and 21 of the last 22 games. UNM is 17-13 with Archuleta in the leadoff spot.
NO SOPHOMORE SLUMP
DeNae Vasquez-Dickson and McKenna Guest have dispelled the notion of the sophomore slump.
Vasquez-Dickson leads the team with 16 sac bunts, second with 30 runs scored and fourth in RBI (20). She is also tied for third in walks (16) and in hits (40). She’s had eight multiple-hit games and five multiple-RBI games, more multiple-hit games than as a freshman, as well as had a nine-game hitting streak and a 17-game streak of reaching base this season, career bests in both categories.
She is also third in the NCAA in sac bunts per game (0.38) and leads the MW in sac bunts.
Through 42 games, she’s already surpassed her number of walks from last season (16 from seven) and has improved her batting average, slugging percentage and on-base percentage and has scored 30 runs, 11 more than she did all of last season. She has increased her RBI, total bases total and hit total from last season. She has also surpassed her double total and hit three triples, the first of her career.
In the circle, Guest has a 2.63 ERA with 120 strikeouts to 42 walks, and has finished with five or more strikeouts in 11 games after having five all of last season. She’s had eight appearances not allowing a run in 120.0 innings and 29 appearances with 20 starts. Guest went 14.2 innings to start the season before allowing a run.
Guest threw two shutouts in her first two starts this season and combined with Natalie Fritz for another shutout. She added her third shutout against Alabama State on March 2 with nine strikeouts to one walk and two hits allowed and threw her fourth in the last game at UCSD with four strikeouts to zero walks and four hits.
She currently leads the Lobos in ERA, innings pitched, opposing batting average, wins, starts and strikeouts with 46 more strikeouts than the next Lobo pitcher (Natalie Fritz).
Guest has already surpassed her win total from a season ago (14 compared to 10 last season) and her strikeouts from 2024 with 120 to date (had 90 in 40 appearances last season).
Additionally, from stats dating back to 2006, Guest currently holds the lowest single-season ERA with a minimum 100 innings pitched at 2.62 and the second-lowest single-season opponent batting average (.249). She also has the second-most single-season strikeouts per seven innings (7.00) in program history.
Nationally, Guest is 17th in the NCAA in shutouts, 38th in wins, 40th in strikeouts, 73rd in innings pitched and 85th in strikeouts per seven innings.
WHAT’S THE LINEUP?
UNM has used 38 different lineup combinations, repeating in the Saint Joseph’s game on March 6 and against San Diego on March 7, in three consecutive games with final two games against San José State and the first game at San Diego State and both games against Boise State.
Four different players have been in the leadoff spot with Ashley Archuleta leading off in 30 games, including 27 of the last 30. The Lobos have had six different players third in the lineup with Allie Williams third in 24 games, and six players in the cleanup spot with Jessica DeLeon hitting cleanup in 25 games. Seven different players have hit fifth with Miracle McKenzie fifth in 23 games. Ten different players have been sixth in the lineup with Katherine Brunner hitting sixth in 11 games, as well as 11 different players hitting seventh with Sydney Carithers hitting seventh in 10 games. Carithers has hit eighth in 22 games including the last seven, and seven different players have hit ninth with Hayden Luderer hitting ninth in 18 games but Emma Bramson hitting ninth in five of the last seven games.
Keyannah Chavez has had the most movement in the lineup, appearing in eight different spots, followed by Archuleta in six different spots in the lineup. Williams, McKenzie and Brunner have appeared in five different spots. Emma Bramson, DeLeon and Carithers in four different spots and DeNae Vasquez-Dickson, Ella Dawson and Luderer in three different spots.
Further, Archuleta has led off in the last 17 games and Vasquez-Dickson has hit second in the last 22.
WALK IT OUT
The Lobos rank fourth in the Mountain West in walks with 134 walks, with 14 different players recording a walk and 13 with multiple walks.
UNM has six players with 10 or more walks, led by 19 from Jessica DeLeon, 18 for Ashley Archuleta, 16 for DeNae Vasquez-Dickson and Allie Williams, and Miracle McKenzie and Sydney Carithers at 14.
Of the 134 walks, 37 have been on 3-0 counts, 46 on 3-1 counts and 51 have come on full counts.
UNM has started the game with a walk in nine games with Archuleta leading off with a walk in seven games (four times on four pitches and three times at 3-2) and Vasquez-Dickson twice, once on four pitches and once with a full count.
The Lobos have drawn five or more walks in seven games with a season-high seven in the Feb. 23 game against Texas Southern.
Conversely, UNM’s pitchers did not allow a walk in Friday’s game against Colorado State, the fourth time not allowing a walk this season. UNM is 4-0 when not allowing a walk.