Cowgirls Hit The Road For Final Road Series

Las Vegas, New Mexico - Cowgirls will head to Denver, Colorado, to face the Roadrunners of MSU-Denver in the final road series of 2026.

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 six ranked programs in their out-of-conference schedule, including the defending national champions, and opened their conference play with the defending RMAC champions. 

#6 West Texas A&M
#24 Oklahoma Baptist
#15 Oklahoma Christian 
#17 Central Oklahoma 
#23 UT Tyler (Defending National Champions) 
#5 Colorado Christian (RMAC) (Defending Conference Champs)

*Rankings based on NFCA rankings as of 4/21/2026

Last Time Out:

Game 1 : Regis University (RU) 8  -  NMHU 15
Cowgirls drew first blood in the first inning on a Yasmin Villa single, followed by a Shaylene Saladin single to score Villa, making it 2-0. They followed that up by scoring two on a Cheyenne Ben single that scored two more.
The Rangers answered in the third with five runs to take a 5-4 lead, but the Cowgirls had a response
Putting up five runs of their own in the third started off with an Aliya Rhees double to score Hallie Watkins, a wild pitch, a bases-loaded walk, Jazmyn Griego singled to score one, and Saladin continued her good day with another RBI.
The Rangers got three in the fourth. Cowgirls answered.
Giana Marez homered to right center, and then Olivia Boswell scored on a wild pitch and another Villa single.
The Cowgirls then scored two in the 5th and one in the 6th to capture the victory in game one.


Game 2 : Regis University (RU) 0  -  NMHU 5
Liliana Vigil German got the start in game two, and she shut the Rangers' offense down with a complete game shutout.
Her offense helped her out, too. Hallie Watkins had a sac fly to score a run in the first, then Shaylene Saladin continued her good day, knocking in her fourth run of the day on a single. Villa also continued her good day, getting two more RBI's to up her total to four on the day. She then doubled in the 6th to give the Cowgirls the 5-0 victory.

Game 3 : Regis University (RU) 5  -  NMHU 9
Cowgirls scored first in game three as they had done all weekend on a fielder's choice off the bat of Shaylene Saladin. Giana Marez then followed that up with a single to make it 2-0 Cowgirls.
The Rangers took the lead, scoring five runs in the third. 
Marez knocked in her second RBI on a single in the third to cut the lead to 5-3. 
The Cowgirls' offense exploded in the fourth on a Saladin single, then a passed ball on an attempted intentional walk of Marez. Tied the ball game at 5.
Olivia Boswell then had a three RBI triple to give the Cowgirls an 8-5 lead.
A fielder's choice off the bat of Jazmyn Griego was the final nail in the coffin in the fifth as the Cowgirls would capture the series win.


Game 4 : Regis University (RU) 9  -  NMHU 7
Cowgirls were searching for the sweep; however, the Rangers were not going down without a fight. 
The Rangers scored eight runs unanswered between the first and fourth innings.
The Cowgirls offense then found its way in the fourth as Hallie Watkins singled to score a run, followed by a Lily Booth RBI single, Andrea DeLaTrinidad singled and doubled to score a run, and Yasmin Villa brought home another to make it 8-5.
The Rangers countered with one run in the 5th.
7th inning: Cowgirls down to their last three outs. Back-to-back singles put runners at first and second. Saladin then singles with an RBI. Followed by a Watkins RBI single, but it was not enough as the Cowgilrs would fall.


Cowgirls Season Stat Leaders: 

Hitting: 72 PA Minimum
Average: Hallie Watkins (.370)
Home Runs: Hallie Watkins and Jazmyn Griego (5)
Hits: Andrea DeLaTrinidad (47)
Stolen Bases: Olivia Boswell  (17-21) (SB-ATT)
RBI: Jazmyn Griego (34)


Pitching: 38 IP Minimum
ERA: Jolissa Valdez (5.12)
Strikeouts: London Lamb (48)


Scouting The Opposition: 

Metropolitan State University of Denver (MSU-Denver) :
The Roadrunners enter this weekend's matchup with the Cowgirls at 30-16 overall and a 23-13 RMAC conference record. Coming off a weekend in which they split with the Thunder Wolves of Colorado State University-Pueblo. MSU-Denver is led by Annie Van Wetzinga, who has been at the helm of the program for 13 years and holds the all-time wins record for the softball program at MSU-Denver.

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.