UNM SOFTBALL
Lobo softball team having a blast with chance at breaking 20-year postseason drought
UNM has nine Mountain West games left, including three this weekend at home
Published
Allie Williams chased the first pitch she saw in the sixth inning from Nevada pitcher Hailey McClean, one of the Mountain West鈥檚 top pitchers in recent years.
Well above the strike zone, swing and a miss.
Strike two, same thing.
Strike three, again.
鈥淭hey were over the top of her helmet and she pretty much tomahawks them,鈥� explained UNM softball coach Nicole Orgeron. 鈥淚 just looked at her (after the at-bat) and said, 鈥業f you swing at another one of those, it better leave the park.鈥�
鈥淪ure enough, next at-bat, she tomahawks one that leaves the park.鈥�
The homer 鈥� a three-run blast over the left field wall at Hixson Softball Park in Reno 鈥� was part of a furious four-run seventh inning that forced extra innings against the Wolf Pack and eventually resulted in a critical 12-8 Lobos win.
Williams, one of the upbeat leaders of a much-improved Lobo softball team, remembers the conversation with her coach being a serious one 鈥� not because of Orgeron鈥檚 tone or volume, but because of her visor.
鈥淲hen she puts her hat up, that鈥檚 when you know you鈥檝e to lock in real quick,鈥� Williams explained to a reporter earlier this week with her coach sitting nearby enjoying her player鈥檚 description. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 when she鈥檚 really serious.鈥�
Seems like these Lobos have a scouting report on their coach as much as she has on them.
The homer, and win, led UNM to split the two-game road series in Reno. Now, at 19-22 overall and 7-9 in Mountain West play, UNM finds itself in rare air for a Lobo softball team this time of year.
With nine league games left 鈥� including three at home Friday through Sunday against Fresno State 鈥� these Lobos are sitting in sixth place in a league that takes the top six teams in the conference tournament.
For those scoring at home, these Lobos have not qualified for a Mountain West conference softball tournament in two decades (2006).
The program would love to fill their recently renovated park this weekend with fans cheering their relative newfound success. Admission is free.
So just how has it happened? How has Orgeron鈥檚 fourth season potentially put the Lobos in position to break a 20-year drought?
鈥淭he thing I admire the most about my team is they鈥檙e very authentic and true to who they are,鈥� Orgeron said. 鈥�... We got kids from different backgrounds, different places in the country, and they seem to find a home, and they seem to fit, and they seem to mesh 鈥� just kind of open hearts, open minds.鈥�
It doesn't hurt to have good players, too.
Williams, a team co-captain from Houston and one of 14 returning players, has eight home runs and a team-best nine doubles.
Infielder Miracle McKenzie is hitting .354 with a team-best 14 homers and 38 RBIs. Gabrielle Briones (.340), DeNae Vasquez-Dickson (.330) and Briana Williams (.311) each join McKenzie in hitting over .300.
Pitchers Caitlin Benningfield and McKenna Guest have sub-4.00 ERAs while each having right at about 100 innings pitched.
鈥淚 feel like we鈥檙e a really fun group, and honestly it鈥檚 contagious," said McKenzie, a sophomore co-captain from Long Beach, California. 鈥淚 would describe myself as kind of reserved and just a little bit quieter. But around my teammates, I feel like they really bring out best in me and everybody.鈥�
And the ones on the team having the most fun right now? Well, that鈥檇 be the trio of outfielders who can't seem to stop dancing during games.
鈥淭he entire outfield is out of control,鈥� Orgeron said, referring to Allie Williams, Vasquez-Dickson and Hayden Luderer.
鈥淵ou鈥檒l always see us dancing,鈥� Williams said. 鈥淣o matter what the vibe is, we鈥檒l just start dancing.鈥�
Winning helps, but the 鈥渧ibe鈥� has spilled off the field of play, too.
The team won the Lobo Spirit of Service award at Tuesday鈥檚 鈥淟ouies鈥� awards night for student athletes. The award is given to the team with the most hours of community service (the volunteered, kind!). They had a combined 770.5 hours this past year.
The last five semesters have also produced the program鈥檚 top five team grade-point averages, including a program record 3.83 in the fall.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a family atmosphere at UNM,鈥� Orgeron said. 鈥淚 value so much having people support our program and the other coaches check in and players (from other sports) come to our games, we go to their games.
鈥淚 think that鈥檚 something that's really special with Lobo Athletics.鈥�
Reach Geoff Grammer at ggrammer@abqjournal.com or follow him on Twitter (X) .
