Junior Ashley Perkins is quickly becoming one of the most feared pitchers in the Mountain West Conference.
Already this season she has picked up two Mountain West Conference Pitcher of the Week awards and recorded four shutouts. Perkins is 7-0 on the season with 44 strikeouts in 57 innings for the resurgent Lobos.
This weekend against UTEP and New Mexico State she pitched two complete games and struck out 14 in the process.
"The first couple of weekends I didn't feel like I pitched that great," Perkins said. "I really tried to stay focused, though. I wanted to pitch well to show my teammates I was legit."
She said her pitching repertoire consists of six pitches - fastball, drop, riser, curve, screwball and changeup. Of the six, she said the changeup is her out pitch.
"I definitely feel like I can throw my changeup at any time for a strike," she said.
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Head coach Kim Newbern agreed the changeup was Perkins' best pitch, but said her versatility is also a strength on the mound.
"What really makes Ashley stand out is that she has four or five pitches that she can go to at any time to keep batters off balance," Newbern said.
Perkins transferred last fall from Washburn University in Topeka, Kan. She said she came to UNM because of Newbern, who coached Perkins at Washburn before becoming the Lobos coach two years ago.
"Ashley's best asset is her composure," Newbern said. "She's a competitor. Her work ethic really shows when she has success, as she's had this year."
Newbern also said Perkins was a good fit straightaway and has been a positive influence on team.
"Our team chemistry is better than any team I've ever played with," Perkins said. "Everyone is really supportive of each other. I feel like I can count on my teammates at any time."
Perkins said the family atmosphere helps her out, as she misses her family back in Kansas City, Mo., where she began playing softball at age five.
"My parents built a solid foundation for me, and I definitely look up to them," Perkins said. "I really enjoy hanging out with them when I get to see them."
Perkins' early success doesn't surprise Newbern, who said she knew the pitcher came from a solid background and was a consistent softball player before she became a Lobo.
"She's very, very solid," Newbern said. "Now that she's settled down, she's really starting to control the mound. She had some jitters at first, which was to be expected. But once she got through those, she's back to the pitcher I new she could be."
Even though Perkins' early success may not be a surprise, the Lobos' form may just be catching the eye of the rest of the MWC.
Chosen to finish last in the conference preseason poll, UNM is leading the league in wins with 13 and have lost only seven.
The Lobos head to Lubbock, Texas this weekend for the Red Raider Classic where they will face Texas Tech and Columbia.
