Cowgirls Host Orediggers for Senior Weekend

Las Vegas, New Mexico - The Cowgirls will host Colorado School of Mines as they honor two seniors Saturday and will wrap the season up on Sunday.

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. 

#6 West Texas A&M
#15 Oklahoma Christian 
#18 Central Oklahoma 
#20 UT Tyler (Defending National Champions) 
#3 Colorado Christian (RMAC) (Defending Conference Champs)

*Rankings based on NFCA rankings as of 5/1/2026


Last Time Out:
Game 1 : Metro State University-Denver (MSU-D)  11  -  NMHU 8
Cowgirls got on the board first with a wild pitch that would score Andrea DeLaTrinidad.
The Roadrunners answered in their half of the first on a double to tie it at 1-1.
The Cowgirls then scored three on a Giana Marez sac fly, followed by a two RBI single by Yasmin Villa.
The Roadrunners take the lead in the second with a big five-run inning in the second.
Shaylene Saladin singled to score Cheyenne Ben, bringing it within one.
The Cowgirls continued to add runs and took the lead on a Hallie Watkins single down the right field line.
Aliya Rhees then doubled to score two to give the Cowgirls an 8-6 lead in the 5th.
 The Roadrunners then got four in the fifth and added more in the 6th scoring one on a double.
The Cowgirls would go three up, three down in the 7th to end it, and they would fall.



Game 2 : Metro State University-Denver (MSU-D) 6   -  NMHU 7
The Cowgirls continued to do what they have done the past few weeks, and that is to score first and early.
Yasmin Villa continued her good day with an RBI on a fielder's choice, followed by an RBI double by Shaylene Saladin, making it 2-0 Cowgirls.
However, the Roadrunners answered in the bottom half of the first with three runs of their own. They then added onto the lead with a pair of runs in the 3rd. 
The Cowgirls then added a big fourth inning, adding four. Giana Marez had an RBI single, followed by  Villa adding another RBI after reaching on another on a fielder's choice. Cheyenne Ben had a single to score a run. Villa got her third RBI of the game in the 6th.
Despite a homerun in the 6th by the Roadrunners, the Cowgirls would emerge victorious in a 7-6 win.

Game 3 : Metro State University-Denver (MSU-D)  2  -  NMHU 1
Game three was a low-scoring affair as Liliana Vigil German got the start.
The Cowgirls struck first on a Hallie Watkins single to score Andrea DeLaTrinidad to make it 1-0
The Roadrunners answered with a solo shot in the bottom half of the first inning to tie it.
The score would remain that until the sixth inning when the roadrunners plated a run on a double and would ultimately be the winning run as the Cowgirls fell 2-1.


Game 4 : Metro State University-Denver (MSU-D) 6   -  NMHU 4
The Cowgirls got ahead early in the series finale, jumping out to a 2-0 lead on a Jazmyn Griego single to left that scored Cheyenne Ben and Yasmin Villa.
Roadrunners got one in the bottom of the first on a throwing error.
Andrea DeLaTrinidad then had a sac fly that scored Giana Marez to extend the lead to 3-1. Roadrunners counter with a run in the third.
Followed by a Cheyenne Ben single in the fourth to score Aliya Rhees on a throwing error.
The difference in this one was the four-run fifth for the Roadrunners that would lead to their victory to win the series 3-1. 


Cowgirls Season Stat Leaders: 

Hitting: 78 PA Minimum
Average: Jazmyn Griego (.372)
Home Runs: Hallie Watkins and Jazmyn Griego (5)
Hits: Jazmyn Griego (54)
Stolen Bases: Olivia Boswell  (18-22) (SB-ATT)
RBI: Jazmyn Griego (36)


Pitching: 41 IP Minimum
ERA: Jolissa Valdez (5.45)
Strikeouts: London Lamb (48)


Scouting The Opposition: 

Colorado School of Mines Orediggers (CSM) :
The Orediggers enter the weekend at 24-26 overall on the season and 20-20 in RMAC Conference play. Tobin Echo-Hawk is in her second season at the helm of the Orediggers Softball program. The CSM pitching staff has a team ERA of 4.28. This will be Coach Pugh and Coach Echo-Hawk's first matchup of their careers.


Senior Day: 
Senior day, presented by New Mexico Highlands title sponsor Quality Care, will be on Saturday, May 2nd, prior to the games.
The Cowgirls will be honoring two seniors. Annika Ruiz of El Paso, Texas, and Cheyenne Ben of Phoenix, Arizona.


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.