Cowgirls Back Home to Face Adams State

Las Vegas, New Mexico - Due to the projected weather over the weekend in the Las Vegas area, the two programs agreed on Tuesday to move the games to a Thursday-Friday Series.

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. 


#5 West Texas A&M
#16 Oklahoma Baptist
#12 Oklahoma Christian 
#18 Central Oklahoma 
#25 UT Tyler (Defending National Champions) 
#9 Colorado Christian (RMAC) (Defending Conference Champs)

*Rankings based on NFCA rankings as of 4/7/2026

Last Time Out:
Game 1:NMHU 7  - Fort Lewis (FLC) 6
The Skyhawks were the first on the board to start game one of the day and the series.

However, Andrea DeLaTrinidad singled with the bases loaded to give the Cowgirls the lead at 2-1.

Fort Lewis is scoring one to tie it 2-2.

Jazmyn Griego doubled to left to score one, followed by a Hallie Watkins 3-run homer to extend the lead to 7-2. 

Skyhawks would not go away as they posted four runs in the 5th, but it would not be enough, and the Cowgirls secured the win in game one


 Game 2: NMHU 10  - FLC 4
The Cowgirls got there scoring chasing one in the second inning as Andrea DeLaTrinidad continued her good day at the plate, driving in a run on a walk.

Cowgirls continued to score in the second behind a Cheyenne Ben single, followed by a Yasmin Villa double, capped off by a sac fly by Jazmyn Griego.

The scored again in the third on Ben's sacrifice fly.

The Cowgirls had another crooked number inning in the fourth.

Giana Marez singled for an RBI

Ben singled again for an RBI, and DeLaTrinidad walked in another run

Then Aliya Rhees homered for three more runs Cowgirls win big to secure the run rule and game 2 of the series



Game 3 : NMHU 2  - Fort Lewis (FLC) 8
Game three of the series was a majority Skyhawks affair for most of today's game, as the FLC pitching staff kept the Cowgirls offense at bay.

While the Skyhawks' offense scored eight unanswered runs heading into the fifth inning.

The Cowgirls' offense had something brewing with bases loaded. Giana Marez hits a single and scores a run for the Cowgirls offense.

In the sixth inning, Yasmin Villa singled as well to score the Cowgirls' second run of the game, and that would be it Cowgirls fall in game three 8-2.



 Game 4: NMHU 13  - FLC 3
The Cowgirls looked to win the series and avoid a split on the weekend as Jolissa Valdez took the circle. 

Valdez was dominant in the circle despite giving up three runs she also secured three strikeouts.

The Cowgirls' offense came back to life in the series finale.

Cowgirls scored their first run on the ball thrown away by the catcher, and Marez scored on the error.

The third inning was big for the Cowgirls as they scored. Jazmyn Griego had an RBI double, followed by a Shaylene Saladin single.

A Marez single and a couple of errors by the Skyhawks, as well as Cheyenne Ben continuing her good weekend with an RBI Sac fly to scratch the ninth total run for the Cowgirls across the board.

The fifth Greigo continued her good day with a two-run home run to left center, capped off by a two-run single for Lily Booth, and the Cowgirls emerged victorious and took the series.


Cowgirls Season Stat Leaders: 

Hitting: 58 PA Minimum
Average: Hallie Watkins (.382)
Home Runs: Hallie Watkins and Jazmyn Griego (5)
Hits: Jazmyn Griego (39)
Stolen Bases: Olivia Boswell  (10-13) (SB-ATT)
RBI: Jazmyn Griego (29)


Pitching: 31 IP Minimum
ERA: Jolissa Valdez (5.35)
Strikeouts: London Lamb (40)


Scouting The Opposition: 

Adams State University (ASU) :
Dane Craig is in his fourth season as the head softball coach at Adams State in Alamosa. He has 22 years of coaching experience.

Adams State comes into the weekend at 7-31 overall and 6-22 in the RMAC this season. Averaging four runs per game and a team ERA of 9.46.



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.