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With a 0-7 record, the UNM softball team has beaten the 2006 squad for the worst start in the program’s 36-year history.
The Lobos went 0-5 in the Kajikawa Classic on Feb. 7, 8 and 9, then lost to Nebraska, and then to New Mexico State during the Hotel Encanto Invite on Sunday.
New Mexico now looks to avoid a third-straight weekend without a win during the UNM Lobo Classic at the UNM softball field, which starts today and finishes Sunday.
The Albuquerque invite consists of two games per team each day. New Mexico will begin the weekend against Hampton (0-4) at 3:45 p.m. today and face off against Central Michigan (0-0) at 6 p.m.
Saturday will include matchups against Hampton once again at 9 a.m. and Bradley (2-3) at 11:15. The Lobos will conclude the UNM Lobo Classic on Sunday against Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne at 11:15 a.m. and then Central Michigan for the second time at 1:30 p.m.
Head coach Erica Beach said that although the team’s start has been disappointing, the Lobos are calm and ready to break through.
“We should have been over .500 (winning percentage) so far this season,” she said. “But it gives us a feel for what we have. We have a young team and it’s been a challenging start to our schedule.”
Six freshmen started for the Lobos this season: outfielder Courtney Geith, outfielder Mariah Rimmer, pitcher Lauren Soles, redshirt infielder Karissa Haleman, catcher Naomi Tellez and pitcher Lisa Rodrigues.
New Mexico’s first seven opponents have all been fellow Division-I opponents and have accumulated an average .733 winning percentage this year.
In 2012, the Lobos lost eight graduating players who combined for 76 home runs and 224 RBIs.
Beach said that after losing power in the lineup, UNM must learn to transition to a small-ball style of play.
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“We’re going to score runs differently this year than last year,” she said. “We have to get the returning players to embrace our new style of play and get good at it. We’re going to hit ground balls to gaps instead now.”
The UNM Lobo Classic will provide the squad with its first stretch of home games this season. The matchups against Hampton and IPFW will be the first-ever meetings between the two programs.
“These games are absolutely winnable,” Beach said. “Every game is up for grabs at this point. It’s up to the girls to determine how winnable this weekend is.”
Going into the weekend, Rimmer leads the Lobos in both batting average (.316; 6-19) and stolen bases (4-4).
In 2012, New Mexico sprinted to a 9-0 start to only finish 27-25, and Rimmer said there is pressure to bounce back from a poor start to this season.
“Nobody wants to begin the season at 0-7 after the hot start last season. It’s definitely a wake-up call,” she said.
