New Mexico to open season this weekend in Tucson tournament
Foes will be host Arizona, Seattle and Southern Utah
The University of New Mexico softball team opens its 2021 season at the Hillenbrand Invitational on Friday in Tucson. The Lobos battle Seattle at noon and No. 4 Arizona, which also debuts Friday, at 6 p.m.
The Lobos on Saturday play Southern Utah (1-5) at 9 a.m. and host Arizona again at 3 p.m., then Seattle (0-5) at 9 a.m. and Southern Utah at noon on Sunday. The Arizona games will stream for free on the Pac12 Network website (https://pac-12.com/ live), and the other games on FloSoftball for a fee.
Coach Paula Congleton’s squad enters the season with seven returning positionplayer starters — Rachael Hathoot, Cameryn O’Grady, Reyan Tuck, Lauren Wilmert in the infield, and the entire outfield with Andrea Howard, Briana Martinez and Taryn Young — and pitchers Brianna Sanchez and Kiana Spencer from a 2020 team that went 11-15, a trending major improvement from the 12-41 campaign two years ago.
New Mexico newcomers include infielders Izzy Owen, Alexis Vigil and pitcher Emma Guindon, and six freshmen in infielder Savannah Braun, catcher Savana Martinez, pitchers Talia Hannappel and Ashlyn Roberts, and outfielders Diamond Sandoval, Samantha Simons and Peyton Robinson.
UNM is 25-2 against Southern Utah, 8-4 against Seattle and 4-40 against Arizona all-time.
This weekend will be the first of five weeks in which the Lobos will play at least one ranked team or a team that is receiving votes.
UNM also will be in Arizona next weekend, playing two games against Oklahoma, two against Arizona State, and one against Grand Canyon at sites in Phoenix and Tempe.
The Lobos will begin the Mountain West portion of their schedule March 27 against Colorado State, with the format this season patterned as a doubleheader on the first day of the series with a third game the next day against each league opponent. UNM series against Colorado State, Nevada (April 10-11), Boise State (April 24-25) and San Jose State (May 8-9) are designated as the only “home” series for the Lobos this season. UNM has not announced where those games will be played. Under current restrictions of the state’s health order, however, they cannot be played at UNM.