ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— With three Mountain West series remaining, the Lobos host Fresno State in a three-game series starting Friday.
UNM enters the series 19-22 on the season, 7-9 in conference after splitting last weekend at Nevada. Fresno State is 19-1 on the season, 8-8 in conference after winning both games against Colorado State in its last series.
SCHEDULE
FRIDAY @ 6 p.m. | LIVE STATS
SATURDAY @ 2 p.m. | LIVE STATS
SUNDAY @ 12 p.m. | LIVE STATS
There is free admission for all three games with live stats and streaming available for those unable to attend.
MIRACLE AT THE PLATE
Miracle McKenzie has nine multiple-hit games and a team-high 10 multiple-RBI games, including a season-high three hits in the series finale at ACU behind a career-high two home runs and five RBI. Her nine multiple-hit games and 10 multiple-RBI games surpass her season total from 2025.
McKenzie was named MW Player of the Week on March 9 after leading the Lobos with a .538 batting average, 1.538 slugging percentage, .684 on-base percentage behind a team-high seven hits, as well as a team-high seven RBI and four home runs. The sophomore also drew a team-high five walks.
The California native hit two home runs in a game for the second time this season against Samford on March 8, giving the Lobos a 1-0 lead in the first and a 4-1 lead in the eighth, which proved to be the difference in the 4-3 win.
She had a 10-game hitting streak that ended in the second game at Nevada after previously having a nine-game streak of reaching base that spanned from Feb. 14 to Feb. 28 and four straight games with at least one RBI between March 7 to March 13.
The first baseman leads the team in slugging percentage (.796), batting average (.354), home runs (14), total bases (90), walks (19), RBI (38), on-base percentage (.463) and hits (40). She is second in doubles (eight).
Her 14 home runs are fifth in a single season in program history and the most by a Lobo since 2022, when Andrea Howard hit 18.
McKenzie is second in the Mountain West in home runs (52nd in the NCAA), home runs per game (0.34, 61st in NCAA) and slugging percentage (82nd in the NCAA).
Through 41 games, she has already surpassed her hits, doubles, runs scored, total bases, RBI and home runs from her freshman season and has improved her batting average from .275 to .354, her slugging percentage from .420 to .796 and her on-base percentage from .384 to .463.
HOME RUN POWER
Heading into the series, the Lobos have 38 home runs, the most since 2022 when UNM hit 46.
The Lobos have the fourth-most home runs in the Mountain West and the 88th most in the NCAA.
Ten different players have hit a home run, six with multiple home runs. Miracle McKenzie leads with 14 with Allie Williams second at eight. Gabrielle Briones, Estrella Rowe, Williams, Caitlin Benningfield and Jasmyn Lloyd all hit their first collegiate home runs this season.
The Lobos are 10-0 when they hit two or more home runs and have hit three home runs in six games.
UNM has hit a home run in nine of the last 11 games, twice with three home runs, and in 22 games overall.
BIG INNINGS
UNM has scored four or more runs in an inning in 12 games and 16 times this season.
The Lobos scored a season-best nine runs in the fourth inning against South Alabama after scoring seven runs in the second inning. UNM scored seven runs behind two home runs in the second inning, all with two outs, ultimately scoring seven runs on six hits and sent 10 batters to the plate. The Lobos exceeded the second-inning production with nine runs on seven hits in the fourth inning. Of the nine runs in the inning, seven were scored with two outs with four of the seven hits coming with two outs.
In the first game against San Diego State, the Lobos scored six runs in the third inning, hitting two home runs in the inning.
In game two at Boise State, the Lobos scored seven runs in the eighth inning behind four hits, four walks and a Miracle McKenzie grand slam.
In game one at Nevada, the Lobos scored four runs in seventh inning and six runs in the eighth inning, scoring four runs on three hits that included an Allie Williams' three-run home run and sac fly by Melanie Macias. In the eighth inning, DeNae Vasquez-Dickson started the inning with a home run with the Lobos finishing with seven hits.
In game two at Nevada, the Lobos scored six runs in the fourth inning on two hits including a grand slam by Gabrielle Briones, two walks and two errors.
WALK IT OUT
The Lobos have 122 walks this season with 11 games with five or more walks, including a season-high seven walks against Tarleton State and game one at Nevada, and six walks in five games.
Of the 122 walks, 53 (43.4%) came on full counts, 39 (32.0%) on 3-1 counts and 30 (24.6%) on four pitches.
UNM has led off with a walk in nine games. DeNae Vasquez-Dickson led off the game against Northwestern State on Feb. 7, the Tarleton State game on Feb. 27 and both Nevada games with a walk and Briana Williams led off the Louisiana Tech game, third game at Abilene Christian, Houston Christian game on Feb. 28 and game one against San Diego State with a walk. Allie Williams led off game one against GCU with a walk.
Miracle McKenzie leads the team with 19 walks with Jessica DeLeon and Vasquez-Dickson closely behind with 18. Seventeen different players have at least one walk with 15 with multiple walks.
THE FIGHT OF THE LOBOS
Three times this season the Lobos have faced a four-run deficit in the seventh inning and rallied to tie the game.
Most recently, the Lobos trailed 6-2 in game one at Nevada. Gabrielle Briones led off the inning with a walk and Miracle McKenzie followed that with a single to left. On the 3-2 pitch and the ninth pitch of her at-bat, Allie Williams hit a no-doubt home run over the fence in left field to pull the Lobos within one with no outs. Jessica DeLeon kept the momentum going with a double to left field on the 0-2 pitch with Marina Tinari reaching on a fielding error that allowed pinch runner Georgia Heathcock to move to third. A sacrifice fly by Melanie Macias to left allowed Heathcock to tag and score to tie the game.
STRIKEOUT STAT
The Lobos rank second in the Mountain West in strikeouts per seven innings (5.29) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (1.63) with freshman Caitlin Benningfield leading the conference in strikeouts (95).
As a staff, the Lobos have struck out 205 batters, led by Benningfield’s 95 (46.3%) with McKenna Guest the next highest at 61.
UNM struck out a season-high 13 against Samford on March 8 and has struck out five or more in 22 games.
ABOUT THE OPPONENT
Fresno State is 8-8 in conference with series wins over Colorado State and San José State and series losses to GCU, UNLV, Boise State and Utah State.
The Bulldogs are hitting .285, led by .363 from Jamie Hicks, with Hicks also leading the team with 41 hits, four home runs, 25 RBI and a .540 slugging percentage. Of their 274 hits, the Bulldogs have hit 41 doubles, 12 triples and 17 home runs.
On the base paths, Fresno State is 11-18, led by three stolen bases by Emma Martinez.
In the circle, Alyssa Ramirez leads the staff with a 1.47 ERA, throwing 43.0 innings in 14 appearances with one start and has struck out 21 to 11 walks and allowed 16 runs on 34 hits. Lauryn Carranco has made a team-high 21 starts and 22 appearances with 17 complete games, throwing 135.0 innings and allowed 60 runs on 108 hits, striking out 95 to 46 walks. As a staff, the Bulldogs hold a 3.47 ERA with 147 strikeouts to 98 walks and have allowed 153 runs (122 earned) on 235 hits.
UP NEXT
Following the series with Fresno State, the Lobos have two MW series remaining, on the road at San José State and hosting Utah State.