LAS CRUCES, N.M. — The New Mexico State softball team’s 2026 season kicks off at 3 p.m. today against University of Massachusetts Lowell at the NM State Softball Complex. They follow this up with a matchup against former Western Athletic Conference foe University of Texas Arlington at 6 p.m. These games are part of the NM State Invitational, which is a yearly tradition to start the season.
According to the 2026 Conference USA Preseason Poll, the Aggies are projected to finish eighth out of 12 CUSA teams.
NMSU finished right at .500 last season, with a record of 27-27 (14-13 CUSA). This was slightly worse than the previous year, where they went 30-25 (13-11 CUSA).
A big reason for the Aggies’ success the past couple seasons was pitcher Desirae Spearman, who transferred to Texas Tech University.
Spearman received many accolades in her two-year stint with NMSU, including 2024 CUSA Player of the Year and a 2025 National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Region First Team selection.
Despite losing such a key asset, many returning pitchers are expected to fill up the stat sheet for the Aggies. This includes left-hand pitcher Faith Aragon. Aragon, a Carlsbad New Mexico, native, saw action in 50 contests last year for NMSU as a sophomore. Aragon appeared in the starting lineup 48 times and led the team in innings pitched at 126.2, good enough for eighth in CUSA.
Right-hand pitcher Jaileen Mancha is also expected to see the mound often this season. The Las Cruces native made 22 pitching appearances with 10 starts last season. She held a 5.47 ERA and .344 opponent batting average. She also finished third on the team with 55 innings and two complete games, racking up 20 strikeouts.
Right-hand pitcher Taryn Bennett also saw the field quite a bit last season. She appeared in 17 games and made four starts. She pitched 40.1 innings, picking up two victories to rank third on the team. Bennett also allowed just eight earned runs in CUSA play, bringing her league ERA to 5.42.
The Aggies also bring back right-hand pitcher Zantelle Rodriguez, who made 13 appearances as a true freshman last season. On top of this, NMSU brings in three freshman pitchers, including, Liliana Montoya, Destiny Perez, and Kalena Lemus.
Other than the pitchers, outfielder Devin Elam is a name NMSU fans may recognize and for a good reason. Returning for her third year as an Aggie, Elam brings an impactful presence to the outfield. The true senior has racked up many awards the past few years, including a 2024 All-CUSA First Team selection and 2025 All-CUSA Preseason Team honor.
Something to note is that the Aggies have moved on from Kathy Rodolph, who was the head coach for 22 seasons. Rodolph led NMSU to six WAC Regular Season Championships, four WAC Tournament Championships and four NCAA Regional appearances.
Taking over this year will be interim head coach Benet Higgs. Higgs has spent the previous two seasons as assistant coach and helped NMSU earn 57 wins.
The Aggies are seeking an NCAA Tournament appearance and conference title for the first time since 2018.
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