RENO, Nev.— Five Lobos were named to the Mountain West All-Conference Teams, as announced by the conference on Wednesday.
As voted on by the conference coaches, New Mexico had two players named to the first team and three earn honorable mention and marks the most Lobos selected to the MW all-conference teams in program history. In addition, it is the fourth time that UNM has had two players selected to the first team since the Mountain West created first team and second team distinctions in 2014, with the last time occurring in 2023. Of the five, four are first time all-conference honorees.
Miracle McKenzie and DeNae Vasquez-Dickson earned All-Mountain West First Team honors with Caitlin Benningfield, Gabrielle Briones and McKenna Guest earning honorable mention.
McKenzie hit .360 in conference behind 27 hits that included four doubles and a team-high eight home runs for a team-high 55 total bases and drove in a team-high 28 RBI. The sophomore started all 25 MW games, finishing with a team-best .733 slugging percentage and a .462 on-base percentage with a team-high 13 walks. Her 28 RBI was fourth among MW players with her home runs tied for the sixth most.
The Lobo first baseman led the Lobos with six multiple-RBI games, including two games with five RBI which came in game two against Boise State behind a grand slam in the eighth inning and in game three against Fresno State behind two doubles and a home run, and also had six multiple-hit games. McKenzie enters the Mountain West Softball Championship with a hit in the last five games and six of the last seven.
Vasquez-Dickson tied for the third-most hits amongst MW players with a team-high 34 hits and had the fourth-highest batting average in the conference with a team-best .442. The junior outfielder led the Lobos with a .516 on-base percentage and 22 runs scored and was second in slugging percentage (.610) and walks (12).
In addition, Vasquez-Dickson led the Lobos with 11 multiple-hit games and enters the tournament on an eight-game hitting streak after starting the conference season on an eight-game hitting streak and a 13-game streak of reaching base.
The selection is the first postseason award for both Vasquez-Dickson and McKenzie.
In her freshman campaign, Benningfield appeared in 18 MW games with 12 starts, throwing five complete games. The right-hander struck out 51 batters, tied for the second most by a conference pitcher, doing so in 66.1 innings. She struck out five or more batters in four games with 10 in a complete-game win at Boise State. In addition, Benningfield earned three saves, tied for the conference high.
Starting all 25 games at shortstop, Briones hit .351 with 26 hits, three doubles and two home runs, and finished the conference season with 13 RBI. Further, the Lobo had a .473 slugging percentage and a .417 on-base percentage behind seven walks and two hit-by-pitches. Briones had seven multiple-hit games and three multiple-RBI games, going 4-4 against San José State and hit a grand slam against Nevada for a season high in RBI.
In the field, Briones was second in the conference in assists with 64, and was part of four double plays turned.
Guest appeared in 18 MW games with 13 starts and four complete games, throwing a shutout against San José State and earning a save against San Diego State. The junior right-hander threw a team-high 68.2 innings and struck out 45, the fifth-most innings in the conference and her strikeouts the sixth most. Her six wins tied for the third most by a MW pitcher this season.
In her 18 appearances, Guest struck out five or more batters three times, twice finishing with six strikeouts which came against Fresno State and San José State. She didn’t allow a run in three of her appearances.
Both Briones and Benningfield earned their first postseason awards while Guest earned her second after being named to the All-MW Second Team last year.
ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS
First Team
Kate Penberthy, Boise State
Lauryn Carranco, Fresno State
Jada Cooper, Grand Canyon
Natalie Fritz, Grand Canyon
Trinity Martin, Grand Canyon
Sydney McCray, Grand Canyon
Hannah Di Genova, Nevada
Madison Clark, Nevada
Katelyn Wetteland, Nevada
Miracle McKenzie, New Mexico
DeNae Vasquez-Dickson, New Mexico
Kaila Pollard, San Diego State
Reina Zermeno, San José State
Lauren Fettic, UNLV
Keyannah Chavez, UNLV
Second Team
Madi Eslinger, Colorado State
Reagan Wick, Colorado State
Jailey Wilson, Colorado State
Jamie Hicks, Fresno State
Emma Martinez, Fresno State
Abi Jones, Grand Canyon
Tinley Lucas, Grand Canyon
Oakley Vickers, Grand Canyon
Tess Bumiller, Nevada
Haylee Engelbrecht, Nevada
Jade Ignacio, San Diego State
Ahmiya Noriega, San José State
Diamond Sefe, UNLV
Mantha Hatzenbeller, UNLV
Kya Pratt, Utah State
Honorable Mention
Hollie Farmer, Boise State
Mya Flindt, Boise State
Autumn Rutherford, Colorado State
Rylee Bocchini, Fresno State
Alyssa Ramirez, Fresno State
Emily Gonzalez, Grand Canyon
Caitlin Benningfield, New Mexico
Gabrielle Briones, New Mexico
McKenna Guest, New Mexico
Lala Macario, San Diego State
Quinn Waiki, San Diego State
Delaney Faus, San José State
Kaylee Erickson, Utah State
Grace Matej, Utah State
Player of the Year
Hannah Di Genova, Nevada
Pitcher of the Year
Lauren Fettic, UNLV
Defensive Player of the Year
Sydney McCray, Grand Canyon
Freshman of the Year
Katelyn Wetteland, Nevada
Coach of the Year
Shanon Hays, Grand Canyon