Cowgirls Heading to Durango

Las Vegas, New Mexico - Cowgirls Softball will take on the Skyhawks of Fort Lewis College in a four-game series starting on Thursday due to the Easter Holiday.

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
#15 Oklahoma Baptist
#13 Oklahoma Christian 
#18 Central Oklahoma 
UT Tyler (Defending National Champions) 
#10 Colorado Christian (RMAC) (Defending Conference Champs)

*Rankings based on NFCA rankings as of 3/29/2026

Last Time Out:
Game 1: Colorado State University- Pueblo (CSU-P) 13  - NMHU 3
 
The Thunderwolves plated one run each of the first two innings to take the lead at the beginning of the game, 2-0, and the scoring for them did not stop there as they plated two more in the third and put a big seven-spot in the 4th to take a commanding lead.


The fifth inning for the Thunder Wolves showed two more on a single, then the Cowgirls got the bats going with their back against the wall.


With the bases loaded, Andrea DeLaTrinidad singled to score one, then, after an 18-pitch at bat, Cheyenne Ben singled to plate the Cowgirls' second run, followed by the freshman Hallie Watkins, to single and scored the third run, giving the Cowgirls a crooked number in the fifth, but it would not be enough.
 As the Thunder Wolves would capture the run rule victory in game one of the day and of the series.


 Game 2: CSU-P 2  - NMHU 1
Game two of the series and of the day was a rubber match between the Thunder Wolves pitcher and Jolissa Valdez of the Cowgirls
.
Similar to game one of the day, CSU-P was able to put one run apiece across in innings one and two.


The Cowgirls answered in the bottom half of the second inning with a sacrifice fly by Shaylene Saladin to score the lone run of the game for the Cowgirls.


The Cowgirls were threatening to score and tie the game in the 6th inning, but it was three up three down after the single and stolen base, and the Thunder Wolves would put away the Cowgirls to win game two.


Game 3: Colorado State University- Pueblo (CSU-P) 8  - NMHU 4
 
The Thunder Wolves wasted no time getting on the scoreboard as the second hitter of the game homered on the first pitch that she saw to make it 2-0 Thunder Wolves.
 
The scoring did not stop there for CSU-P as they plated four more runs between the third and the 6th innings before Hallie Watkins had a sac fly RBI to score Andrea DeLaTrinidad, making it 6-1.
 
 Two more long balls for CSU-P made it 8-1 for the Thunder Wolves.
 
Hannah Hopkins got her first RBI and homer of her Cowgirls career with a shot to the right-center gap. 
 
Followed up by Jolissa Valdez's double, she later scored on an error, then Cheyenne Ben singled to score the Cowgirls' third run in the 7th inning, but it would not be enough as CSU-P clinched the series with that victory. 


Game 4: CSU-P 10  - NMHU 4
 
CSU-P scored six runs unanswered in the first and third innings.
 
However, the Cowgirls had four straight doubles by Cheyenne Ben, Yasmin Villa, Jolissa Valdez, and Shaylene Saldin, all with two outs to score four runs total to make the score a two-run game, 6-4.
 
However, CSU-P answered with four unanswered to complete the sweep and the win of the series.



Cowgirls Season Stat Leaders: 

Hitting:(51 AB Min.)
Average: Hallie Watkins (.365)
Home Runs: Jazmyn Griego (4)
Hits: Jazmyn Griego (33)
Stolen Bases: Olivia Boswell  (8-11) (SB-ATT)
RBI: Jazmyn Griego (24)


Pitching: (28 IP Min)
ERA: Jolissa Valdez (5.27)
Strikeouts: London Lamb (38)


Scouting The Opposition: 

Fort Lewis College (FLC):
Paige Rhodes is in her third season in Durango, leading the Skyhawks softball program with a record of 51-125 in her two seasons. The Skyhawks enter the weekend at 6-28 overall and 5-19 in the RMAC this season. Two of those wins came against UCCS earlier in conference play. Last season's series resulted in a 2-2 split, with the Cowgirls winning games one and three , and the Skyhawks getting the wins in games two and four



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.