PORTALES, N.M. – Eastern New Mexico softball kicks off its 2022 season at the South Central Region Crossover Tournament held at the Albuquerque Regional Sports Complex in Albuquerque, N.M. The Hounds are slated for four games in the opening weekend, starting on Saturday, Feb. 5, as the Hounds will take on New Mexico Highlands University at 10:30 a.m. and Adams State University later in the day at 1 p.m. The next day, ENMU will face Colorado Christian University at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 6, then have a rematch with New Mexico Highlands at 3:30 p.m. 

LAST SEASON (2021)

• Last time out, ENMU completed its 2021 season with a 4-27 overall record, and a 4-26 standing in conference play.
• As a team, the Greyhounds held a team batting average of .217, supplied 138 hits, scored 62 runs, and supplied 54 RBIs.
• Azalea Martinez returns after leading the Hounds in batting average (.293) and hits (22), along with leaders in innings pitched Brook Leger, Maite Bustillos, and Jordan Bowman all returning.

PRESEASON STORYLINES

• The Lone Star Conference (LSC) Preseason Poll placed the Greyhounds to finish in 15^th out of 16 teams.
• Eastern are under new leadership as Amanda Fefel took over as Head Softball Coach in July 2021. Fefel most recently spent two seasons with Division I Appalachian State University as an assistant softball coach and pitching coach.
• The Hounds will be bringing back 14 student-athletes from the previous season, along with 10 new members to the Greyhounds program.
• ENMU will have 11 home doubleheaders this season, for a total of 22 games. Additionally, the Hounds will take part in three tournaments before the start of conference play.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS

New Mexico Highlands

The Cowgirls enter the 2022 campaign after finishing 8-32, 8-32 in conference, during the 2021 season. During the season, New Mexico Highlands had a collective .284 batting average, found 160 RBI's, and posted an ERA of just under 10 runs per game (9.98 ERA). This season, NMHU placed 11^th in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) Preseason Poll.

Camrynn Ziegler is the standout for the Cowgirls, leading the team with a .387 batting average and an OPS of 1.037. Additionally, Ziegler totaled 55 hits in 2021 totaled 87 bases. Also returning for NMHU, Carlee Gonzalez led the team in RBI's with 31 along with slugging percentage of .731.

In the circle, Paige Varni and Nathalie Blattmann lead the team in innings pitched, with Blattman making 22 starts and holding a record of 6-15. Varni held the teams best ERA at 8.02 and recorded 19 strikeouts.

Adams State

ASU closed the 2021 season with a record of 13-29, and 13-27 in RMAC play. The Grizzlies finished with a team batting average of .298, scoring 188 runs, compiling 310 hits, and posting an ERA of 7.72. This season, Adams State placed 10^th in the RMAC Preseason Poll.
 
Jade Garbiso is a dual threat for Adams State after leading the team in batting average and ERA. Garbiso posted a .397 batting average and led the team with 48 hits. In the circle, Garbiso held the teams best ERA at 5.27 with a 6-8 record and tossing eight complete games.
 
Additionally, Mia Trujilo returns to the field for ASU after leading the team in runs (31), RBI's (34), OPS (1.309), and SLG% (.824). Trujilo also finished with a batting average of .389. Taylor Sandoval returns to the circle for ASU after throwing 61.2 innings and sporting an earned run average of 8.97.
 
Colorado Christian
 
The Cougars dotted the 2021 season with a 29-13 record, and a 25-8 conference record. CCU finished runners-up during the RMAC 2021 Softball Championship series. This season, Colorado Christian were picked to finish 2^nd in the RMAC Preseason Poll.
 
As a team, CCU held a batting average of .367, posted 437 hits, 302 RBI's, and scoring 322 runs. In the circle, the Cougars held an ERA of 3.88, and held teams to a .295 batting average.
 
Returning for Colorado Christian, Piper Lujan posted a battling average of .443 and led the team with 62 hits and 53 RBI's. Lujan posted an OB% of .487, SLG% of .871, and an OPS of 1.358. Sydney Reamer is also back for CCU after finishing the 2021 season with a .443 batting average, and scoring 46 runs (leading the team). Colorado Christian brings back four of its five pitchers from last season, including its leader in ERA, Sydney Rawlings 3.02 ERA, and its leader in wins, Julia Katz with nine wins.