The University of New Mexico softball team will look to get back in the win column when it continues conference play on Thursday, hosting a three-game slate against the Fresno State Bulldogs.
New Mexico (8-24, 2-4 MW) has had a rough go of things early on in the season as the team logged a lot of miles over the first month of play, competing away from home in four tournaments in four different states.
UNM picked up just three wins over those first 20 games, but seemed to find a groove when it finally got the opportunity to host the Lobo Classic, winning three of the five games played there. The team also looked pretty good in the pair of losses, making things competitive right to the end.
The Lobos had fared pretty well in Albuquerque, posting a 4-2 record at Lobo Softball Field before dropping the last three contests at home. New Mexico has lost five of its last six games overall, failing to win either of its first two Mountain West series to open conference play.
Fresno State ( 17-14, 2-1 MW) has experienced almost the exact opposite, coming off a 12-game home stand heading into its first road conference series. The Bulldogs have won four of their last five games, but have not had great success on the road — posting a 5-9 record so far in games played outside the home field of Margie Wright Diamond.
New Mexico has not had much success against Fresno State historically, as the Bulldogs hold a 60-4 head-to-head record against the Lobos overall.
Fresno State appears to have the more potent offense and showcases four hitters with a hitting average of .300 or better. Sophomore Hayleigh Galvan leads the team with a .387 average, while fellow sophomore Miranda Rohleder and junior Rachel Minogue are hitting .305 and .304, respectively.
But the most dangerous bat might belong to senior pitcher/infielder Savannah McHellon. She boasts a .341 average from the plate, but has cranked out a team-high 12 home runs so far this season — including two multi-homer games.
New Mexico has a trio of hitters batting above .300 and are led by freshman Andrea Howard, who is hitting at a rate of .315 from behind the dish.
Senior Chelsea Johnson has hit .319 so far, while sophomore shortstop Cameryn O'Grady has connected at a .314 clip to round out the top hitters.
The biggest challenge for the Lobos could be trying to match pitching for hitting. UNM has been outscored by its opponents just over a 2:1 ratio, surrendering nearly eight runs per contest while generated less than four runs of offense.
First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. in both the Thursday, March 29 and Friday, March 30 matchups, while Saturday's contest will get underway at noon. All three games can be viewed on the Mountain West Network.
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Robert Maler is the sports editor for the Daily Lobo. He primarily covers basketball, football and tennis. He can be contacted at sports @dailylobo.com or on Twitter @Robert_Maler.
