Softball to Honor Five Seniors This Weekend Against Javelinas

SILVER CITY, N.M. – With the final regular season series upon us, the Western New Mexico University softball team will be honoring their five seniors before Saturday's games. The Lady Mustangs will be hosting Texas A&M-Kingsville for a pair of doubleheaders both Friday and Saturday starting at noon each day.

Senior day festivities will take place at approximately 11:45 a.m. Saturday morning as Valeria Luna (El Paso, TX/Jefferson), Victoria Arganda (San Bernardino, CA/Pacific), Aryana Gutierrez (Glendale, AZ/Deer Valley), Brooklyn Misenhimer (Tucson, AZ/Sahuaro) and Mariangela Garcia (Tucson, AZ/Desert View) will all be honored.

It will be three important conference games this weekend for Texas A&M-Kingsville, as they are currently seventh in the conference standings, but they have the chance to get as high as fifth depending on results. The top six teams make the conference tournament and right now Cameron is in fifth at 16-11 in conference, followed by Texas Woman's at 13-11 and Texas A&M-Kingsville at 13-14. The Javelinas hold the head-to-head tiebreaker against Cameron, so if the Aggies were to finish 16-14, as well as Texas A&M-Kingsville, they could move up. Texas Woman's has played three less conference games this year (three at home against West Texas A&M were cancelled due to weather), so their numbers are factored based off of the winning percentage. If Texas Woman's doesn't win any games and finishes 13-14, that means Texas A&M-Kingsville would have to win two games against WNMU to make the conference tournament. If Texas Woman's wins one game to go to 14-13, the Javelinas would have to win all three conference games against WNMU. If Texas Woman's wins two or more games this weekend, then Texas A&M-Kingsville wouldn't be able to catch them.

Last season, WNMU spoiled senior weekend for Texas A&M-Kingsville as they won the first game of the series to knock the Javelinas out of the conference tournament.

Entering this weekend, junior Ariana Maldonado (Albuquerque, NM/Cibola) leads the team in batting average (.357), hits (56), doubles (18, which also leads the LSC), home runs (10), RBI (34) and runs scored (30). Three others on the team hold a .300 batting average in redshirt freshman Alicia Habitzreuther (Sierra Vista, AZ/Buena) (.339), Garcia (.321) and junior Carolyn Castillo (Silver City, NM/Silver City) (.318). Castillo has hit six home runs this year, while Habitzreuther has five and Habitzreuther is second on the team in RBI with 29.

Below is a recap of all five seniors' careers:

Valeria Luna (El Paso, TX/Jefferson):
WNMU (2018): Luna has played in 12 games this season, starting six. She has a pair of runs scored and a perfect fielding percentage in the outfield. She scored runs against Embry Riddle and UT Permian Basin.
For her two-year career at WNMU, Luna played in 57 games, scoring 12 runs, 25 hits, two doubles, five RBI, six walks and a stolen base.
WNMU (2017): Luna played in 45 games, starting 42. She came away with a .208 batting average, 10 runs scored, 25 hits, two doubles, five RBI, six walks and a stolen base. She went for a high in hits with three against UT Permian Basin. Luna added two-hit games against Angelo State, Texas Woman's Midwestern State and Texas A&M-Kingsville. She drove in three runs against Texas Woman's and had a double against Texas Woman's and Angelo State.
EPCC: Luna, an outfielder that played the past two seasons at El Paso CC, played in 43 games last season, coming away with a .288 batting average, a home run, 15 RBI, 17 runs scored and four stolen bases.

Victoria Arganda (San Bernardino, CA/Pacific):
WNMU (2018): Arganda has played in 13 games this year, starting six. She has a hit, RBI and run scored, along with four walks and three hit-by-pitch. Arganda tallied a hit and RBI against N.M. Highlands and reached base three times against Eastern N.M.
For her two-year career at WNMU, Arganda played in 24 games, tallied five hit-by-pitch, an RBI, a hit and a run scored.
WNMU (2017): Arganda played in 11 games, starting one. She had 10 at-bats and was hit-by-pitch twice. She started against UT Permian Basin and reached base versus Azusa Pacific and Tarleton State. Arganda was named to the Lone Star Conference Commissioner's Honor Roll one semester.
EPCC: Arganda, an infielder that was teammates with Luna at El Paso CC, played in 21 games this past season with seven runs scored and six RBI.

Aryana Gutierrez (Glendale, AZ/Deer Valley):
WNMU (2018): Gutierrez has seen action both in the outfield and in the circle this season, playing in 33 games, starting 28. She has a .274 batting average, 20 hits, three doubles, nine RBI and 10 runs scored, along with a stolen base. In the circle, she has played in five games, starting four. Gutierrez has logged 17.2 innings and two complete games. Gutierrez posted a high in hits with three against N.M. Highlands and drove in three runs against Hawaii Hilo. She tossed a pair of complete games against Tarleton State and UT Permian Basin.
For her two-year career at WNMU, Gutierrez played in 80 games, collected 54 hits, five doubles, 12 RBI, 19 runs scored, 10 walks and five stolen bases.
WNMU (2017): During her first season with the Lady Mustangs, Gutierrez recorded a .281 batting average, 34 hits, two doubles, three RBI, nine runs scored, seven walks and four stolen bases. She played in 47 games, starting 46 and she had a high in hits with two occur six times. Gutierrez was named to the Lone Star Conference Commissioner's Honor Roll all three semesters.
Paradise Valley: Gutierrez, an outfielder from Paradise Valley CC in Phoenix, came away with a .444 batting average, 28 RBI, 32 runs scored and 18 stolen bases last season. During her senior season at Deer Valley High, she recorded a .512 batting average, 41 hits, nine RBI and 36 runs scored in 24 games this past season.

Brooklyn Misenhimer (Tucson, AZ/Sahuaro):
WNMU (2018): Misenhimer has played in 23 games, starting 12. She has nine hits, a double, a home run and three RBI, while also drawing three walks and scoring eight runs. She posted a pair of hits against Colorado Mesa and had her home run and a pair of RBI against Midwestern State.
For her three-year career at WNMU she played in 110 games, scored 22 runs, 49 hits, 10 doubles, two home runs, 17 RBI and 27 walks.
WNMU (2017): Misenhimer played in 40 games, starting 30. She tallied a .213 batting average, four runs scored, 17 hits, three doubles, four RBI and 11 walks. She went for a high in hits with three against Cameron and had a double against Hawaii Hilo and Cameron (twice). She drew two walks three times against Azusa Pacific, Eastern New Mexico and Texas A&M-Commerce. Misenhimer was named to the Lone Star Conference Commissioner's Honor Roll all three semesters.
WNMU (2016): Misenhimer played in 47 games, starting 30 for the Lady Mustangs, spending time both in the outfield and as the designated player. She tallied a .250 batting average, a home run, 10 RBI, six doubles, 23 hits, 10 runs scored and 13 walks. Her high in hits with two happened three times (Black Hills State (twice) and MSU Denver). She drove in an RBI in 10 different games. Misenhimer had three multi-hit games and posted a seven-game hitting streak during the season. She tallied a walk-off hit against New Mexico Highlands.
UNT :During her time at the University of North Texas she was on the Dean's List and also played club ball for the AZ Cats Gold where the team was a PGF National Qualifier and ASA National Qualifier, while also claiming an All-Star Colorado Sparkler award in 2010.
High School: Misenhimer played at Sahuaro High and posted strong number throughout her career. In 2011 she was named to the Tucson Citizen Second- Team All-Southern Arizona, Arizona Daily Star Honorable Mention All-Southern Arizona. During the 2012 season: AIA Section Player of the year Division II Section I, AIA All-Section First-Team Division II Section I, Arizona Daily Star First-Team All-Southern AZ. During the 2014 season: AIA Division II Section II All Section Second-Team, Arizona Daily Star All-Stars Honorable Mention, All-Sports Tucson.com All Southern Arizona First-Team, Division II First-Team. She also excelled in the classroom landing on honor roll all four years, Top Cat Academic Excellence Award, National Mathematics Award in 2011 from United States Achievement Academy.

Mariangela Garcia (Tucson, AZ/Desert View):
WNMU (2018): Garcia has started all 45 games this year, posting a .321 batting average, 45 hits, eight doubles, a triple, 18 runs scored and 19 RBI, while also drawing 12 walks and three stolen bases. She has 11 multi-hit games, going for a high of three hits which occurred three times against Embry Riddle, UT Permian Basin and Texas A&M-Commerce. Garcia also has five multi-RBI games with a high of three (twice) against West Texas A&M and Embry Riddle. She had an eight-game hitting streak during the season.
For her four-year career at WNMU, Garcia played in 198 games, posted 229 hits, 50 doubles, three triples, 11 home runs, 103 runs scored and 108 RBI.
WNMU (2017): Garcia posted a .336 batting average, along with 18 runs scored, 48 hits, 12 doubles, a home run, 15 RBI and 17 RBI in starting all 48 games. She led the team in batting average, hits and doubles. She had 10 multi-hit games, second-best on the team, with two games collecting four hits, one with three and seven with two. She also had three multi-RBI games. At one point during the season she strung together a seven-game hitting streak. Garcia's four-hit games came against Angelo State and UT Permian Basin. She had two RBI games against Eastern New Mexico, Angelo State and West Texas A&M. Garcia was named to the Lone Star Conference Commissioner's Honor Roll all three semesters.
WNMU (2016): Garcia continued to be one of the top players not only on the Lady Mustangs, but in the conference as she led the team in batting average (.391), hits (70), doubles (15), home runs (6) and RBI (38), while adding a triple and 12 walks. She started all 55 games at shortstop coming away with 90 putouts and 155 assists. She posted a perfect 4-4 game against Black Hills State and had five other games with three hits. Garcia recorded a four RBI game three times (New Mexico Highlands (twice) and CSU-Pueblo. She was named RMAC Offensive Player of the Week on Mar. 15 and was named to the All-RMAC honorable mention team. Her work in the classroom earned her Academic All-RMAC First-Team honors. Garcia led the team in multi-hit games (20), multi-RBI games (11) and had the longest hitting streak on the team at 19 games, ending the season on a three-game streak.
WNMU (2015): Garcia made an immediate impact for the Lady Mustangs as a true freshman. She was second on the team in batting average posting a .410, while tallying 42 runs scored, 66 hits, 15 doubles, a triple, four home runs and 36 RBI. She also added three steals and had a .455 on-base percentage. She collected an RMAC Player of the Week honor. She had a season-high three hits happen against Western Washington, Chadron State, Black Hills State, Colorado Mesa, Colorado Christian, Colorado Mines and MSU Denver. She recorded a pair of three RBI games versus Black Hills State and Colorado Christian.
High School: Played at Desert View High where she collected a multitude of honors including Division 2 softball coaches' pick, First-Team Infielder of the Year in 2014, All-American Second-Team in 2013, All-American honorable mention both 2011 and 2012, while earning the Certificate of Recognition- Native American Education Program. She also played travel ball for the Arizona Cats 96.

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Players Mentioned

#24 Victoria Arganda: IN; 5' 6"; Senior; R/R

#17 Carolyn Castillo: 3B/1B; 5' 5"; Junior; R/R

#14 Mariangela Garcia: SS; 5' 5"; Senior; R/R

#3 Aryana Gutierrez: OF; 5' 2"; Senior; L/R

#5 Alicia Habitzreuther: 2B/SS; 5' 6"; Redshirt Freshman; R/R

#20 Valeria Luna: OF; 5' 5"; Senior; L/R

#9 Ariana Maldonado: OF; 5' 3"; Junior; R/R

#16 Brooklyn Misenhimer: IN; 5' 6"; Redshirt Junior; R/R

Players Mentioned

#24 Victoria Arganda
: 5' 6"; Senior; R/R
: IN

#17 Carolyn Castillo
: 5' 5"; Junior; R/R
: 3B/1B

#14 Mariangela Garcia
: 5' 5"; Senior; R/R
: SS

#3 Aryana Gutierrez
: 5' 2"; Senior; L/R
: OF

#5 Alicia Habitzreuther
: 5' 6"; Redshirt Freshman; R/R
: 2B/SS

#20 Valeria Luna
: 5' 5"; Senior; L/R
: OF

#9 Ariana Maldonado
: 5' 3"; Junior; R/R
: OF

#16 Brooklyn Misenhimer
: 5' 6"; Redshirt Junior; R/R
: IN