Andrea Howard Named to Mountain West 25th Season Softball Team
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— A Lobo legend has solidified her spot among the best historically in the Mountain West as Andrea Howard was named to the Mountain West 25th Season Softball Team to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the conference on Tuesday.
Comprised of the top 25 players and 10 pitchers in MW history, Howard was the lone Lobo chosen.
Howard’s impact during her time at UNM is imprinted all over not only the program record book, but the MW record book as well, as she holds the conference career record for most MW games played (147) and started (146), as well as most RBI (107), doubles (30), home runs (35), total bases (199), hits (149), walks (106), runs scored (98) and at-bats (507) in MW games. She is also tied for fourth in career triples in MW games with six.
In addition, she is in the top 5 of single-season on-base percentage with .531 achieved in 2022, is second in walks in a single season in MW games with 26 also done in 2022 and led the conference in season slugging percentage (.875), batting average (.403), on-base percentage and walks (43) in 2022. She led the conference in overall home runs in 2021 and 2022 with 12 and 18, respectively, and in walks in 2022 and home runs in 2021 against just MW opponents.
At UNM, Howards holds the program record for career home runs (47) and total bases (380), is second in slugging percentage (.637), second in RBI (147) and walks (123), fourth in on-base percentage (.427), runs (126) and games played (222), tied for eighth in doubles (36) and tied for ninth in triples (eight).
The Albuquerque native also holds the program single-season record in on-base percentage (.531, 2022), and is second in RBI (57, 2022) and walks (43, 2022), third in total bases (126, 2022) and home runs (18, 2022), sixth in batting average (.403, 2022) and slugging percentage (.728, 2021) and tied for seventh in home runs (12, 2021) in single-season program records.
She was a three-time MW All-Conference recipient, having been named to the 2018 All-Mountain West Second Team, 2020 All-Conference Team and 2022 All-Mountain West First Team and a two-time MW Player of the Week.
Beyond her success on the field, Howard was a two-time CoSIDA First Team Academic All-American (2021, 2022) and a CoSIDA Second Team Academic All-American in 2019, a three-time NFCA Scholar-Athlete, four-time member of the MW All-Academic Team and four-time MW Scholar-Athlete.
Her accolades also included being selected as the UNM and the MW nominee for the NCAA Woman of the Year in 2022 and being named to the Italian Olympic Team and playing in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. She also served as a volunteer assistant coach for the Lobos last season.
Howard graduated from UNM with a double major in biology and psychology and is currently attending UNM Medical School.
MW 25th SEASON SOFTBALL TEAM
PLAYERS:
Tara Glover, Boise State
Oli Keohohou, BYU
Ianeta Le’I, BYU
Jodi Norton, BYU
Jessica Purcell-Fitu, BYU
Jennifer Whiteley, BYU
Amber Nelson, Colorado State
Jessica Strickland, Colorado State
Keahilele Mattson, Fresno State
Brenna Moss, Fresno State
Kierra Willis, Fresno State
Chelie Senini, Nevada
Andrea Howard, New Mexico
Jenavee Peres, San Diego State
Mac Barabara, San Diego State
Lorena (Klopp) Bauer, San Diego State
Erin Floros, San Diego State
Patrice Jackson, San Diego State
Brittany Knudsen, San Diego State
Hayley Miles, San Diego State
Racheal Goodpaster, UNLV
Marissa Nichols, UNLV
Geney Orris, UNLV
Diana Phillips, Utah
Jackie Wong, Utah
PITCHERS:
Jill Compton, Fresno State
Hailey Dolcini, Fresno State
Maggie Balint, San Diego State
Samantha Beasley, San Diego State
Bre DeSanta, San Diego State
Sandra Durazo, San Diego State
Christina Ross, San Diego State
Jenessa Ullegue, San José State
Jenny Bressler, UNLV
Jacque Kerrigan, UNLV