Ty Singleton employed a not-so-common agricultural technique to softball this season.
The UNM head coach slashed and burned much of the Lobos' roster at the beginning of the year. He knew it had to be done - even if it risked the immediate future of Lobo softball.
Hoping to rid the program of a losing mentality, Singleton cut the Lobos' roster down to five. UNM lost all four pitchers on its roster, including ace Kelly Ninemire. The Lobos also lost their best hitter, Lindsey Elcess, and 14 other players.
Singleton signed eight players to fill the slots left open by graduating seniors and players forced out of the program. He asked players to fill positions they had never played before.
"At times, we had to put players out of position just to fill the fielding needs of the team," Singleton said. "We will return everybody except for two athletes, and I'm very optimistic to handle this team next year."
But in the transformation process, Singleton unearthed some nutrients that will prove valuable for the future of Lobo softball.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
Even in a year plagued with more losses than wins, a group inexperienced players and a lack of leadership due to the loss of core players from the previous year, what looked like a barren field at the beginning of the season developed into a fruit-bearing landscape, Singleton said.
It didn't matter that UNM ended the season 13-35 overall and 4-11 in the Mountain West Conference.
"If we look at the season in regards to wins and losses, it was a disappointing season," Singleton said. "But if we look at it in regards to what we accomplished without having pitchers, I think the team did a really good job."
With a team comprised of underclassmen, UNM had a few games which showcased the abilities and promise of its talented recruits.
Looking beyond the 35-loss season, Singleton said the Lobos should be optimistic. Many of their losses were because of bad fortune or mistakes by young players.
Still, the Lobos played some elite teams, which Singleton said may be a glimpse of what is to come.
At the Garman Classic in Fullerton, Calif., UNM edged No. 20 DePaul 1-0 on a run scored by freshman Shenise Cox.
Then, the Lobos traveled to face the Washington Huskies for a three-game series, losing one game in extra innings. UNM was leading another game heading into the sixth inning but lost. Even so, that looks even more impressive now that the Huskies are NCAA champions.
A shining moment came for UNM when facing San Diego State, which was undefeated in conference play at the time. The Lobos took the second game of the two-game series, 3-1.
Stacey Nuveman, an Olympic gold medalist and current assistant coach for the Aztecs, said the Lobos are better than their record shows.
"They are a good team," she said. "They have a knowledgeable coach in Ty, and they nipped us in the game that they won against us."
UNM will hold tryouts later this summer for players who would like to join the team.
"If we can find a girl that we either missed from here in New Mexico or anybody else who wants to become a part of this team at UNM, we would love to have them join us,"Singleton said.
