ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.—The Lobos travel to Louisiana for the Mardi Gras Mambo and will play five games in three days. UNM opens with Louisiana Tech and No. 25 Southeastern Louisiana University on Friday, faces Northwestern State and Nicholls on Saturday and will wrap up the weekend with Sam Houston on Sunday.
All games will have live stats available.
The Mardi Gras Mambo marks the third time to Louisiana in Head Coach Nicole Orgeron’s four years, having played in Baton Rouge in 2023 and Lake Charles and Lafayette in 2024.
UNM will face Northwestern State for the second straight week, defeating the Lady Demons twice in the Getterman Classic, and will face a ranked team in consecutive weeks. Additionally, UNM will play Louisiana Tech for the first time since 1998, SLU for the first time in program history and Sam Houston for the second straight season.
SCHEDULE
FRIDAY: Louisiana Tech @ 1 p.m. MT | LIVE STATS
FRIDAY: Southeastern Louisiana University @ 3 p.m. MT | LIVE STATS
SATURDAY: Northwestern State @ 2 p.m. MT | LIVE STATS
SATURDAY: Nicholls @ 4 p.m. MT | LIVE STATS
SUNDAY: Sam Houston @ 9 a.m. MT | LIVE STATS
A LITTLE HISTORY
Head Coach Nicole Orgeron earned her first win at UNM in her Lobo coaching debut against Nicholls on Feb. 9, 2023.
The Lobos won 12-3 in five innings, which was the largest margin of victory (+9) for a Lobo coach in their first game. UNM scored six runs in the top of the first and added three runs in the third for a 9-0 lead before Nicholls scored in the bottom of the third. Both teams scored two runs in the fourth with UNM pushing one more run across in the fifth for the final score.
MAKE IT COMPLETE
In her three seasons, McKenna Guest has thrown 20 complete games, recording nine in both her freshman and sophomore seasons and added two in the opening weekend.
Guest threw a complete-game shutout against Northwestern State on Feb. 7, allowing three hits to go with four strikeouts, and threw her second complete game against Wichita State on Feb. 8.
The Lobos threw 12 complete games last season, led by Guest’s nine.
NO NEWCOMER NERVES
In their first collegiate appearances, the freshmen class stepped up at the plate, in the circle and defensively. Briana Williams and Estrella Rowe played in all five games at the Getterman Classic with Williams starting in three and Rowe in four.
Williams led the Lobos in hits (5), runs (4), batting average and on-base percentage (.455) and accounted for the only stolen base. She has also recorded a hit in the last four games, leading the team with two hits against Northwestern State in the last game.
Rowe was second on the team with four hits and made several defensive plays at third base with seven assists and three putouts. Rowe went 3-4 in the season opener against Baylor and registered her first RBI in the game.
In the circle, Caitlin Benningfield earned her first win against Northwestern State on Feb. 8, pitching a near complete game with 6.2 innings. She struck out six while allowing five hits and a walk in the shutout. Benningfield retired six of the first seven hitters she faced, retiring the side in order in the top of the first, capping off the inning with a strikeout, and worked around a leadoff walk in the second to retire the next three NSU batters which included a grounder back to the circle and a second strikeout. On the weekend, she made two appearances and threw the second-most innings at 10.1 and struck out the second-most batters with eight.
Arianna Capek entered in relief of Benningfield and retired her lone batter faced on a groundout. Capek made two appearances in the circle on the weekend and retired all six batters she faced, which included five against No. 22/24 Mississippi State. She threw 1.2 innings against the Bulldogs, recording her first career strikeout.
WHAT’S THE LINEUP?
UNM used five different lineup combinations in the opening weekend.
DeNae Vasquez-Dickson led off in all five games with Gabrielle Briones hitting ninth in all five games. Jewels Hanawahine hit eighth in four games, Briana Williams hit second in three games with three different players hitting second, and Jessica DeLeon hit cleanup in three games. Four different players have hit in the third, fifth, sixth and seventh spot.
Last season, the Lobos used 47 different lineup combinations. Vasquez-Dickson led off in 10 games and batting second in 41 games. Allie Williams hit second in seven games and third in 31 games. DeLeon hit cleanup in 31 games with Williams hitting cleanup in nine games and Miracle McKenzie in six games. McKenzie primarily hit in the fifth spot, doing so in 27 games.
PUT THE PRESSURE ON
UNM was 2-1 when scoring first in the opening weekend of games and 2-0 when holding a lead late.
The Lobos outscored their opponents 4-0 in the third inning and went 2-0 when leading after the fourth, fifth and sixth innings.
The Lobos scored in the first inning in 21 games and scored in the second inning in 17 games while not allowing a run in the first two innings in 26 games overall in 2025.
UNM scored 32 runs in the first inning and outscoring opponents 37-23 in the second inning and 69-56 through the first two innings.
UNM was good when holding a lead last season: 9-5 when leading after the first, 13-6 after the second, 15-3 after the third, 16-4 when leading after the fourth, 15-2 after the fifth and 17-3 leading after the sixth.
THE FIGHT OF THE LOBOS
UNM trailed 7-3 heading into the seventh inning of the season opener against Baylor and rallied to tie the game.
Miracle McKenzie led off with a hit to the outfield and Jessica DeLeon drew her second walk of the game following a full count to start the top of the seventh. A dribbler by Hayden Luderer to Baylor’s shortstop led to a throwing error that allowed pinch runner Briana Williams to come around to score with Luderer taking second and pinch runner Grace Rana moving from first to third. Ella Dawson followed with a single to left to score Rana, with Dawson taking second on the throw in and Luderer going to third, and Estrella Rowe kept the inning going with a single to center to score Luderer. Dawson slid under the tag at the plate on a wild pitch to tie the game at seven, with the Lobos scoring four runs on three hits before an out was recorded.
ABOUT THE OPPONENTS
Louisiana Tech went 4-0 in its opening weekend with wins over Lipscomb, UAB, Southeast Missouri and Southern Miss, outscoring opponents 26-9. LA Tech had two players hit over .500 with Aleah Brooks leading the team at a .563 batting average behind nine hits, while Reese Torres led with seven RBI behind three doubles and a .889 slugging percentage. On the base paths, the Bulldogs went 5-5 with Elena Heng and Avery Jefferson each stealing two bases and Allie Furr accounting for the other.
Five players made an appearance in the circle with Bryannah Campos making three appearances and throwing a team-high 10.2 innings. Allie Floyd has made the most starts at two and leads the team with nine strikeouts. As a staff, the Bulldogs have combined for a 1.69 ERA with opponents hitting .212.
Southeastern Louisiana University enters the tournament ranked after defeating then- No. 5 Oregon, Boston College, Rutgers and Longwood and losing to South Alabama and then-No. 13 Clemson in extra innings. The Lady Lions hit .299 with 47 hits, nine doubles, a triple and two home runs in the opening weekend, led by Shelby Morris’ nine hits and seven runs. Ka’Lyn Watson led with six RBI with Morris and Maria Detillier adding five RBI apiece as SLU outscored its opponents 30-13. SLU went 14-18 in steal attempts with Shenita Tucker stealing a team-high four bases and Morris stealing three.
In the circle, SLU threw seven pitchers with Cera Blanchard appearing in four games with three starts. However, Hallie Burns threw the most innings with 14.1 in four games of relief, and struck out a team-high 19 batters.
Northwestern State went 0-5 in the Getterman Classic and added a midweek win over Grambling State. Makynlie Jones and JT Jones lead the team with five hits with Jones registering a team-high seven RBI and .562 slugging percentage.
Mattison Buster leads NSU in the circle, appearing in five games with two starts and has thrown a team-high 19.2 innings. She has accounted for 15 of the team’s 24 strikeouts and has allowed four walks. Four different pitchers have started a game.
Nicholls went 2-2 in its opening weekend with wins over Alabama State and Southern Indiana and losses to Lindenwood and Murray State. In its four games, Nicholls outscored its opponents 27-20, which included a run-rule. Three players are tied for the team high with five hits with Madison Moak leading with six RBI. The Colonels went 11-11 in stolen base attempts, led by six stolen bases by Claire Sisco.
Nicholls started a different pitcher in its four games with each pitcher making two appearances. Averi Paden threw a team-high 9.0 innings followed by Molly Yoo at 8.2 innings. In her two appearances, Yoo has struck out nine batters to three walks.
Sam Houston is 3-2 on the season, splitting with South Dakota and Creighton and defeating Central Arkansas in its opening weekend. Sophia Lundstrom leads the team with eight hits, while Karrlauhn Deas leads the team with seven RBI.
In the circle, Abigail Young and Tiffany Sanchez lead the staff in innings pitched with Young throwing 9.1 innings in two starts and Sanchez appearing in three games with a complete game and has struck out a team-high 11. As a staff, the Bearkats have struck out 30 to 11 walks.