PORTALES, NM - Eastern New Mexico softball starts it's season this weekend with a double header at New Mexico Highlands.
LOOK AT LAST YEAR
Eastern New Mexico finished the 2019 season with a team batting percentage of .286 overall to lead the squad to a record of 12-20. The Highlight from the 2019 campaign came in three game sweeps of Texas Woman's and UT Permian Basin during head coach
Kira Zeiter's first year at the helm.
NEW YEAR, NEW HOUNDS
A low numbered roster for the Hounds is a thing of the past as coach Zeiter and staff expanded the roster from 13 players a season ago and welcome 15 freshman and three junior college transfers to the roster.
Zeiter also overhauled the coaching staff with the addition of
Tayler Rushing, who joins the program after serving in the same role at Colorado Christian University. Former Greyhound standout
Erikka Burke will return to the 2020 coaching staff with expanded expectations following her first year on the bench a season ago.
COMPETING PITCHERS
After graduating her pitchers after the 2019 season, head coach Zeiter has six athletes competing for the starting pitching role, including five freshman. Leading the
competition is freshman Brooke Leger. Leger finished her high school career with a 3.58 ERA and 194 strikeouts. Fellow freshman
Tava Boone finished her high school career throwing five shutouts and recording 350 strikeouts and will be in the mix for innings as well.
Rounding out the freshman pitchers is
Jordan Bowman, a native of Edmond, Okla.,
Lauren Avalos from Moreno Valley, Calif., and Azelea Martinez from Albuquerque, N.M..
SENIOR TRIO
The Hounds will be bringing back three seniors from last year's team. Adriana Carbajal saw action in 33 games primarily as a pinch runner. Carabajal recorded six hits for the season, five of which occurred in the final nine games. Carbajal has 15 RBI's as a Hound and a career batting average of .240.
Infielder
Elysa Rodriguez appeared in all 42 games as a junior and led the Hounds with 1,119 bats for the 2019 season. Rodriquez recorded a batting average of .286 and finished the 2019 season with 14 runs and 16 RBI's. Catcher
Samantha Brockman posted a batting average above .300 as a freshman and sophomore. As a junior, Brockman appeared in all 42 games and finished second with 113 bats, scored the third most runs at 16, tied for second with 19 RBI's and walked 12 times.
SCOUTING NEW MEXICO HIGHLANDS
Head Coach Randi Berg is entering her fourth season with New Mexico Highlands and will return 13 from the 2020 roster. Last season the Cowgirls went 8-31 overall and 7-26 in conference.
Senior outfielder Leah Osborn will return after impressive first years with New Mexico Highlands. During the 2019 season, Osborn scored on 19 runs, recorded 31 hits, 11 doubles, 54 total bases and hit for an average of .337. Brooklynn DeLozier led the Cowgirls with a batting average of .342, 12 walks, and a slugging percentage of .630. The junior played in 36 games, recorded 46 total bases and tied for the highest number of home runs with five.
Ashley Forshee recorded a season high two home runs and 4 RBIS against MSU Denver. The junior catcher ended the season tying DeLozier with five home runs, 13 RBIS and a hitting average of .224. Returning pitcher, Belinda Gonzalez finished the 2019 season pitching 110 innings with a 5.97 ERA.
