SILVER CITY, N.M. – The Western New Mexico University softball team closes the regular season at home against both Adams State University and Black Hills State University this weekend with Sunday serving as senior day for the seven seniors.

WNMU (16-33, 14-22 RMAC) looks to stay alive in the hunt for a RMAC Tournament spot. The Lady Mustangs will need to win out and also have Regis lose out and Colorado Christian win one or fewer games to secure the eighth and final position.

The Lady Mustangs will open with Adams State at 11 a.m. on Saturday and then conclude the day at 3 p.m. against Black Hills State. The Grizzlies are 22-23 overall and 20-15 in the RMAC, good for sixth in the standings. The Grizzlies have seven players hitting over .300 led by a .389 average from Carly DeLoernzo. She also has 48 stolen bases. Erica Haugum leads the team in home runs (16) and RBI (56), while carrying a .347 average. In the circle, Kelsey Sellars has seen the most work with 121 innings and a 9-5 record. Morgan McWilliams is 6-5 with 50 innings pitched and Kaycee Prevedel is 5-5 with 70 innings tossed.
The Yellow Jackets are 2-33 and 1-25 in the RMAC. A trio of players hit over .300 led by a .383 average from Cassie Smith. Katie Campo leads the team in home runs (5) and RBI (21), along with a .279 average. In the circle, Kaitlin Farrar has logged 95.1 innings and is 1-10.

The Lady Mustangs are coming off of a four-game sweep of New Mexico Highlands. Five Lady Mustangs are hitting over .300 in the regular lineup led by a .363 average from senior Mariah McDonald (Silver City/Silver City High School). She also leads the team in runs (41), hits (61), tied for triples (2), tied for home runs (7) and RBI (34). Sophomore Mary Othon (Tucson, AZ/Desert View High School) has added a .338 along with 13 doubles, seven home runs and 29 RBI. Senior Kale Gahn (Phoenix, AZ/Pinnacle High School) has tallied a .335 average with 57 hits, nine doubles, seven home runs and 33 RBI. Senior Ricki Gentry (Lakeside, CA/Christian High School) is right behind with a .331 average, nine doubles, two home runs and 29 RBI. Junior Stephanie Higgins (Escondido, CA/Mission Hills High School) holds a .326 average, while leading the team in doubles with 14 and also has a home run and 17 RBI. Off the bench redshirt freshman Davi Martin (Silver City, NM/Silver City) is hitting .300.

In the circle, reigning RMAC Pitcher of the Week sophomore Domi Shone (Gold Canyon, AZ/Mesquite) has tossed 171.1 innings in 33 appearances, 25 starts. She has completed 16 games with three shutouts and is 11-15 on the season. Senior Amber Taynton (Lakeside, CA/El Capitan) is 5-15 in 26 appearances, 21 starts in 107 innings with 11 complete games and one shutout. Both have a save to their credit this season.

On Sunday, WNMU will play Black Hills State first at 11 a.m., followed by a 3 p.m. matchup with Adams State.

The seven Lady Mustang seniors will be honored before the 3 p.m. game on Sunday. Below are the bios for each senior.

Mariah McDonald (Silver City/Silver City High School)
WNMU (2014): Has started all 49 games at shortstop entering this weekend. She leads the team in several categories including batting average (.363), runs scored (41), hits (61), RBI (34) and is tied for the team lead in both home runs (7) and triples (2). She has 19 multi-hit games which leads the team, posting four hits in a game twice. She is tied for the team-high in multi-RBI games with 10. Her season-high in hits came against both Colorado Mines and N.M. Highlands with four and her high in RBI of four came against Colorado Mines. For her career she has played in 152 games, recorded 161 hits,  30 doubles, 14 home runs, two triples and 85 RBI. WNMU (2013): Started all 51 games last season at shortstop, posting a .306 batting average, a home run, 31 RBI, tied for second on the team in doubles with 10 and 19 runs scored. She was second on the team in steals with six. She recorded a three hit game twice, once against Metro State and the other against Colorado Mines in the RMAC Tournament. Amassed a season-high five RBI against Regis. WNMU (2012): She played in all 53 games last year, seeing time at shortstop as well as in the circle. She was fifth on the team in batting average (.317), while adding six home runs and 20 RBI. In the circle, she pitched in seven games, logging 12 innings. EPCC (2011): Tallied a .321 batting average, two home runs and 17 RBI while seeing action in 48 games.
High School (Career): Named to the First-Team All-District Team, Fighting Heart Award, Game Ball Award, Offensive Player of the Year. As a team, they were named District Champions all four years and were a State Runner-up in 2009. She was also named to the honor roll.

Ricki Gentry (Lakeside, CA/Christian High School)
WNMU (2014): Gentry has played in all 49 games this season entering this weekend. She holds a .331 batting average, 47 hits, nine doubles, two home runs and 29 RBI. She has 12 multi-hit games and seven multi-RBI games. She reached game-high in hits with three against Lubbock Christian and in RBI with four against both UCCS and Colorado Mines. For her career she has played in 175 games, 163 hits, 27 doubles, 11 home runs and 95 RBI. WNMU (2013): Gentry was second on the team in batting average posting a .361 clip. She was tied for second on the team in doubles with 10, along with a home run and 29 RBI. She saw action in 49 games, starting 43 in the outfield and a designated player. She tallied 16 multi-hit games and had a high in RBI of three occur three times against Regis, New Mexico Highlands and Adams State. She was named to the All-RMAC Third Team. WNMU (2012): Saw time both in the outfield and in the circle. She posted a .293 batting average, along with a home run and 16 RBI. In the circle, she pitched in eight games. WNMU (2011): In her first season as a Mustang Gentry recorded the third-highest batting average on the team (.353), while collecting three home runs, 21 RBI, five doubles and one triple in 40 games. High School (Senior Year): All-State, First Team All-CIF, First Team Eastern Division, All-Academic Team, CIF Championship Runner-Up High School (Junior Year): CIF Championship Runner-Up High School (Sophomore Year): CIF Championship Runner-Up.

Breanna Diaz (Las Cruces, NM/Mayfield)
WNMU (2014): Diaz has played in 42 games entering this weekend. She has tallied 18 hits, two doubles and nine RBI. Her game-high in hits came against Colorado Christian when she went 3-for-3 and her high in RBI of three also came in that same game. For her two-year career at WNMU she played in 86 games, posted 47 hits, seven doubles and 16 RBI.
WNMU (2013): In her first year with the Mustangs posted a .259 batting average, along with seven RBI and 29 hits. She saw action in 44 games, starting 37 at second base. She posted a high in hits of three against Regis and also had her high in RBI of three against Regis.
SCC (2012): Played in 60 games, tallying a .381 batting average, along with 37 RBI and 13 doubles.
SCC (2011): Played in 51 games, holding a .316 batting average, in addition to 23 RBI and seven doubles.

Amber Taynton (Lakeside, CA/El Capitan)
WNMU (2014): Taynton has pitched in 26 games, starting 21, collecting 11 complete games, logging 107 innings and has five wins and a save. For her two-year career at WNMU she accumulated 148.2 innings pitched, 45 appearances, 30 games started, 12 complete games and six victories along with a save. WNMU (2013): Pitched in 19 games in the circle, starting nine. Logged 41.2 innings, had 25 strikeouts and posted a win. AWC (2012): Pitched in 33 games, logging 167 innings and a 2.60 ERA. She compiled 124 strikeouts, while also totaling two hits in five chances. AWC (2011): Threw 29 games in the circle, racking up 143.1 innings and solid 2.54 ERA to go along with a 14-10 overall record.

Tessa Fanning (Cottonwood, AZ/Mingus Union)
WNMU (2014): Fanning has played in 45 games entering this weekend. She has tallied 32 hits, six doubles, two home runs and 15 RBI. Her game-highs this season in hits with three came against Chadron State, while her high in RBI with three also came against Chadron State. For her two-year career at WNMU she played in 95 games, accumulated 79 hits, 15 doubles, six home runs and 39 RBI. WNMU (2013): Led the team in batting average with a .362 mark and walks with 25, tied for the team lead in home runs (4), had 24 RBI, nine doubles and 47 total hits. She accumulated a 98.1 fielding percentage at first base, as she played in 50 games, starting 48. Also saw some time at designated player. She recorded a season-high three hits against Adams State and had a three RBI game against St. Cloud State.
YC (2012): Played in 55 games and nearly hitting .400 with a .383 batting average. In addition, she had 28 RBI, five doubles and four home runs.YC (2011): Saw action in 33 games, hitting for a .276 average, while knocking in eight and had five doubles. NJCAA Division I Softball National Champion.
High School (Senior): First-Team All-Region, 4A Region MVP and 4A First-Team All-State Catcher.
High School (Junior): First-Team All-Region, 4A First-Team All-State Catcher. High School (Sophomore): First-Team All-Region, 4A honorable mention All-State, TCS All-Star, All-American, Academic Strive 5 Award. High School (Freshman): Second-Team All-Region.

Alexis Lawton (Gilbert, AZ/Mesquite)
WNMU (2014): Lawton has played in 23 games entering this weekend. She has posted 10 hits, two doubles and six RBI. She had a three-hit game against CSU-Pueblo and a two RBI game in that same contest, both season-highs. For her two-year career at WNMU she played in 27 games, tallied 11 hits, two doubles and six RBI. WNMU (2013): Lawton played in the first four games of the season before suffering a season-ending injury. YC (2012): Played in 61 games, coming away with a .327 batting average, in addition to 11 doubles, six home runs and 30 RBI. YC (2011): Posted a .355 batting average, four doubles, two triples, 16 RBI and two home runs in 51 games played. High School (Sophomore): Player of the Year for Fiesta Region.

Kale Gahn (Phoenix, AZ/Pinnacle High School)
WNMU (2014): Gahn has played in 49 games entering this weekend. This season she has 57 hits, nine doubles, seven home runs (tied for the team lead) and 33 RBI. She has reached a high in hits of three a total of four times this season, most recently against Chadron State. Her high in RBI of five occurred three times last against Colorado Mines. For career she played in 174 games and accumulated 165 hits, 25 doubles, three triples, 24 home runs and 106 RBI. WNMU (2013): Gahn hit over .300 coming away with a .305 average. She posted three home runs, 26 RBI, eight doubles and 51 total hits, along with 24 runs scored. Started in 50 games, playing both the outfield, some infield and designated player. She had a three-hit game four times with one against St. Cloud State where she set season-highs in RBI (5) and home runs (2). WNMU (2012): Powered five home runs and 22 RBI in just 86 at-bats. She played in 33 games, scoring 14 runs and had five doubles. WNMU (2011): Gahn played in 42 games, starting 35. She compiled a .292 batting average, while also coming away with three doubles, two triples, nine home runs, good for fourth on the team and 25 RBI. High School (Senior Year): First Team All-Region, All-State Honorable Mention, Team Offensive Player of the Year, All-State Game Participant, Athlete of the Year Award, US Army Scholar Award. High School (Junior Year): First Team All-Region, All-State Honorable Mention, Team Offensive Player of the Year. High School (Sophomore Year): Second Team All-Region.
High School (Freshman Year): All-Conference Honorable Mention.