Cowgirls Come Home To Face ThunderWolves

Las Vegas, New Mexico - Cowgirls Softball team to face CSU-Pueblo in a RMAC Showdown this weekend in Historic Las Vegas, New Mexico.

COACH PUGH: For Coach Kali Pugh in her New Mexico Highlands Cowgirls career, she collected her first career win on January 31, 2026, against Sul Ross State in a run-rule victory in Los Lunas, New Mexico. New Mexico Highlands University named Kali Pugh the new coach of the Cowgirls' softball program on May 28, 2025. Pugh comes to NMHU from Arizona's Yavapai College, where she led the Roughriders to the 2025 Arizona Community College Athletic Conference playoffs for the first time since 2022. Pugh has eight years of experience coaching at the junior college level, including five years at her alma mater.

Last Season: The Cowgirls were 15-38 overall and 9-35 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference last year.

RMAC Poll:  New Mexico Highlands was selected to finish ninth in the 2026 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Preseason Softball Coaches' Poll. 

Gauntlet of Schedule: The Cowgirls open their season with five ranked programs in their out-of-conference schedule, including the defending national champions, and opened their conference play with the defending RMAC champions. 

#1 West Texas A&M
#17 Oklahoma Baptist
#12 Oklahoma Christian 
#16 Central Oklahoma 
UT Tyler (Defending National Champions) 
#14 Colorado Christian (RMAC) (Defending Conference Champs)

*Rankings based on NFCA rankings as of 3/22/2026

Last Time Out:
The Cowgirls made a trip for a four-game series at UCCS last weekend. 

Game 1: UCCS 9  - NMHU 1
 
UCCS scored first with two runs in the first inning, but the Cowgirls had an answer.


Yasmin Villa had a double to get things going, and they would cut the lead in half on a Gianna Marez single and a throwing error to score Villa.


However, following that inning, UCCS' offense took off, and the Cowgirls' offense was silenced as the Cowgirls fell in game one.
 
 Game 2: UCCS 6  - NMHU 3

Game two was a pitcher's duel until Yasmin Villa scored on a pitching error in the fourth.


UCCS scored six runs unanswered.


Then the Cowgirls, with their backs against the wall, Giana Marez gets her first home run of the season to left center to make the score 6-3; however, it would not be enough, and the Cowgirls would fall.


Game 3: UCCS 10  - NMHU 1

The Mountain Lions jumped out to an early lead, scoring two runs in the first inning. They continued to score in the bottom half of the second inning, plating four more runs to take a six-run lead.

Andrea DeLaTrinidad had a base hit, but the Mountain Lions were able to keep the run from scoring, and followed up with four more runs to make it a commanding lead for UCCS.

Shaylene Saladin also came through with a hit, but the Mountain Lions' defense was bend, don't break.

However, the scoring drought would end for the Cowgirls as Andrea DeLaTrinidad would homer with a solo shot in the top 5th to make it 10-1.

However, it was not enough offense, and the Cowgirls would fall.

 Game 4: UCCS 4  - NMHU 1


The Cowgirls struck first in this one as Jazmyn Griego roped a double, followed by a Shaleyene Saladin double to give the Cowgirls a 1-0 lead.

UCCS came storming back in the bottom of the third, scoring two runs to make it 2-1 lead for the Mountain Lions.

UCCS put up two more runs in the 6th inning, and in the end, that would be enough for them to complete the sweep.


Cowgirls Stat Leaders: 

Hitting:(30 AB Min.)
Home Runs: Jazmyn Griego (4)
Hits: Jazmyn Griego (32)
Stolen Bases: Olivia Boswell  (7-9) (SB-ATT)
RBI: Jazmyn Griego (24)


Pitching: (25 IP Min)
ERA: Liliana Vigil German  (5.60)
Strikeouts: London Lamb (35)


Scouting The Opposition: 

Colorado State University- Pueblo (CSU-P):
CSU-P enters the series this weekend at 19-11 overall and 15-5 in conference, riding a six-game win streak, including a four-game sweep last weekend of Fort Lewis in Pueblo. The Thunder Wolves are averaging 5.7 runs per game this season and have a team ERA of 2.29. Bianca Duran was named the head coach of the CSU-P program in June of 2021. This is her fifth season as the head coach. She made her way to the interim head coach at NCAA DI Louisiana Tech, where she was an assistant for four years before being named interim in 2020, leading the Bulldogs to a 22-30 record and a 10-10 Conference USA mark.



Game Day at NMHU:  Tickets for New Mexico Highlands softball can be purchased at NMHUAthletics.com/Tickets.  

No outside food or drinks will be allowed.

No pets allowed.
 
NMHU has implemented a Clear Bag Policy for all on-campus events.

Fans enter the complex using the north gate.


Follow The Cowgirls: All RMAC Conference games air on the RMAC Network. 


Up Next: The Cowgirls will head to Durango, Colorado, to face Fort Lewis College.