ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— Following a 3-0 weekend by the Lobos, the pitching staff received two Mountain West weekly awards as McKenna Guest was selected MW Pitcher of the Week and Caitlin Benningfield was selected MW Freshman of the Week.
Monday’s selections mark the first for Benningfield and the second Pitcher of the Week award for Guest and third overall, who earned Pitcher of the Week in 2025 and Freshman of the Week in 2024.
The duo led the pitching staff to a 1.27 ERA in the series against Boise State, with the Lobos outscoring the Broncos 21-5, holding the Broncos to a .195 batting average and never trailed in the 22.0 innings.
Benningfield started games one and three, throwing a total of 9.0 innings and finished with a 0.78 ERA after striking out 12 to three walks and allowed two runs with one earned. For Guest, the junior finished with a 1.31 ERA in a team-high 10.2 innings pitched, allowing two runs on five hits with four strikeouts, and held the Broncos to a .139 batting average.
In game one, Benningfield threw a complete game, striking out 10 Broncos and started the inning with a strikeout in six of the innings with BSU going 0-7 in leadoff batters reaching. The freshman held the Broncos scoreless through 6.2 innings before the Broncos scored their only run of the game before recording her seventh win and fourth complete game of the season. Benningfield started in center field for game two, drawing a walk in the eighth inning that gave UNM the 3-2 lead and later came around to score on Miracle McKenzie’s grand slam, as well as hit a single to start the third inning and later scored the first run of the game in the inning. Benningfield returned to the circle to start game three, going 2.0 innings and struck out two.
Guest started game two, throwing a combined 6.0 innings in the win. The right-hander left the game in the fifth inning and reentered in the seventh inning and didn’t allow a hit or a run to send the game to extras. In the eighth inning, she retired the side in order with a grounder back to the circle, a grounder to second and a strikeout. Guest entered in relief in game three in the bottom of the third and threw 4.2 innings, allowing one hit, one walk and no runs on 16 batters faced in the win. The Texas native retired the side in order in the fourth, fifth and seventh innings.
Benningfield and Guest are the second and third Lobos, respectively, to earn a conference weekly award this season, joining McKenzie, who was named MW Player of the Week on March 9.
The Lobos host UNLV in a doubleheader Wednesday before traveling to Nevada for a two-game series starting Saturday.