ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— On the backs on the most successful season New Mexico Softball has had in the past decade and six consecutive strong semesters in the classroom, Head Coach Nicole Orgeron has received a contract extension that will keep her in the Cherry and Silver through 2028 to build upon the past four seasons.
"It was a breakthrough year for Lobo Softball, on the field, in the classroom, and in the community and that success is a testament to Coach Orgeron's leadership,” commented Vice President/Director of Athletics Ryan Berryman.
“Coach has joined the 'Real Ones' club by committing to New Mexico alongside the vast majority of her student-athletes and entirety of her coaching staff. The momentum surrounding Lobo Softball continues to build, and I'm excited for what's ahead.”
New Mexico won 28 games in 2026, the most wins in a season since 2015 and finished with a winning record for the first time since 2015. Further, the Lobos won 13 conference games, the most Mountain West wins since 2015 and tied the second-most conference wins by a Lobo team.
“Over the past four years, we have built a program that Lobo fans can be proud of in the classroom, on the field and in the community, ascending to the success we achieved last season,” provided Orgeron.
“With this extension and the roster we have returning, I look forward to contuining the standard that has been set, and reaching new heights with bigger goals in the coming years."
In addition, the Lobos won four Mountain West series, the most since 2015 and recorded two series sweeps, against Boise State and Utah State, the most under the three-game series format and the most in a MW season since 2000.
The Lobos won their first series over San Diego State since 2018 and the nine runs scored in game one were the most runs scored against the Aztecs since 2014. UNM went on to sweep Boise State in Boise, the first sweep of the Broncos since 2015 and the second sweep all-time, but the first sweep in Boise. It was also the first time that the Lobos have won consecutive games against BSU since 2016. Between San Diego State and Boise State, it was the first time that UNM has won consecutive MW series since 2021.
The historical season continued with UNM winning game one at Nevada, the first win in Reno since 2022 and the 12 runs scored tied the most runs scored by the Lobos against the Wolf Pack. Against Fresno State, the Lobos won their second series in the last three years over the Bulldogs, scoring 12 runs in game three. The 12 runs were the most runs scored by a Lobo team against the Bulldogs and the 12-1 run-rule victory the first run-rule win over Fresno State in program history.
UNM closed the Mountain West schedule with a sweep over Utah State, the second sweep of the Aggies in the last three years, which prior, the Lobos hadn't swept USU since 1989.
The Lobos made the Mountain West Softball Championships for the first time since it was brought back in 2023 and overall since 2006, clinching a four-seed and defeated Fresno State in the first round, shutout UNLV and fell one game short of the championship game in a loss to Grand Canyon.
UNM had a program-record five players named to the Mountain West All-Conference Teams and on the season, the Lobos produced offensive numbers that stood among the top in the record book.
The Lobos scored 286 runs, the most since 2012 and the second-most runs in program history. The 412 hits were the most since 2015 with 57 home runs the most since 2012 and the second-most home runs in program history. Their .459 slugging percentage was the best since 2012 and the third best in program history with 661 total bases also the most since 2012 and third most in program history. UNM's 258 RBI were the most since 2015 and the second most in program history.
Overseeing the pitching group, Orgeron was instrumental to UNM’s success in the circle, with freshman Caitlin Benningfield and junior McKenna Guest each finishing with 12 wins, tied for fourth in the Mountain West, with Benningfield striking out 124, the most by a freshman in the MW and the second most by a MW pitcher.
Benningfield's strikeouts were the most by a Lobo freshman in at least the last 20 years with the right-hander also recording five saves, the most by a Lobo since 2016 and tied for the second most in program history. Her 12 wins were the most by a Lobo freshman since 2007.
Defensively, the Lobos improved on the program record for errors and fielding percentage set in 2025 with a program-best 47 errors and .960 fielding percentage.
In the classroom, Orgeron has transformed the program’s academic success, producing the six-highest GPAs in program history in the last six semesters with the past two semesters the two highest in program history. The Lobo softball team turned in a 3.83 in fall 2025 for the all-time program record and followed that up with the second-best GPA in program history at 3.72.
This past season, UNM had a program-high 17 Lobos named to the Spring Academic All-Mountain West team, besting the previous program high of 16 that happened twice under Orgeron’s guidance in 2025 and 2023.
Orgeron also became the first head coach in program history to win the season opener in their first three seasons, with two also coming by run-rule. Further, the 8-0 win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi to start the 2025 season was the first time since 2017 that the Lobos have opened the season with a shutout. Orgeron became just the second Lobo head coach in program history to win in their coaching debut, doing so with the largest margin of victory (12-3 in five innings). Three games later, Orgeron and the Lobos made more history, beating No. 19 Oregon State 8-0 in five innings for UNM’s first win over a ranked opponent since 2016 and UNM’s first run-rule win over a ranked opponent since 2012.
In Orgeron's four seasons, the Lobos have won 16 MW weekly awards. At least two freshmen have won MW Freshman of the Week in each of the last four seasons with three earning the award in 2024, and of those freshmen, two have gone on to win pitcher of the week or player of the week later in their careers.
Further, UNM has had 11 players earn all-conference, six on the first team, as well as 63 MW Academic recipients and 49 named MW Scholar-Athletes with a program-record and MW-best 20 scholar-athletes in 2024.
Beyond the field and the classroom, UNM has also excelled in giving back to the community, earning the department’s Spirit of Service award the past two years with the most community service hours among Lobo teams. The softball program volunteered over 770 hours this past year after serving 573 hours the previous year.