Week 5 of the 2026 season is in the books, and conference play is about to start in the Mountain West Conference. It was a week filled with redemption for some teams, disappointment for the majority of them, and for one unfortunate squad, a stretch of seemingly never-ending misery. Let’s see how every team in the conference stacks up heading into the most important games of the year.
1. #17/23 Grand Canyon Lopes (27-0)
Last Week: #1
D1Softball RPI: #30
This Week’s Games:
at New Mexico (12-13) – Mar. 13, 5:00 p.m. MDT, Mountain West Network
at New Mexico (12-13) – Mar. 14, 1:00 p.m. MDT, Mountain West Network
at New Mexico (12-13) – Mar. 15, 11:00 a.m. MDT, Mountain West Network
vs. #19/12 Oklahoma State (18-7) – Mar. 17, 7:00 p.m. MDT, Mountain West Network
I knew GCU was going to be good this season, but never could I have imagined that they would go completely undefeated in preseason nonconference play, especially doing it all without their superstar hitter. Yet, here they are, one of just three undefeated teams in the country, unanimously ranked inside the top 25 in every poll despite playing zero Quad 1 or Quad 2 teams thus far.
For the first time this season, the Lopes are not in the top spot in the conference in batting average, now ranking directly in between SDSU (.325) and Nevada (.323) with a mark of .324. Addison Shifflett just continues to shine, sporting a .410 batting average with four home runs and 13 RBIs, while Jada Cooper is the team’s leader in home runs (six) and RBIs (24). The Lopes’ total of 5.96 RBIs per game is still far and away the best in the conference.
Where the Lopes shine brightest is in the circle. Five of the Lopes’ six primary pitchers, including reigning Pitcher of the Week Oakley Vickers, have an ERA of 1.46 or below, contributing to a conference-best ERA of 1.34, currently ranking fifth in the country. The Lopes have recorded 169 strikeouts, which ranks 11th in the country, and have allowed just 34 walks, accounting for a walk on just 4.7 percent of their batters faced, which is far and away the best in the nation. They rank sixth in the country in OPS allowed (.535), as well as sixth in percentage of batters left on base (81.5%). In other words, the Lopes don’t let you hit, never put you on base for free, and if you somehow do get on base, you are most likely not going to score. This is an absolutely lethal rotation that will take them far in this conference.
The Lopes travel to Albequerque this week for their first conference series against the New Mexico Lobos, then will come back home to face a true challenge: the #19/12 ranked Oklahoma State Cowgirls. This is an intriguing slate, to say the least. For one, Lope pitcher Natalie Fritz will be itching to get out there at all times, since this will be a matchup against her former teammates. In addition, the Lopes will finally get their chance to overcome their first real challenge after a full month of mostly cupcake opponents. If the Lopes go 4-0 this week, expect them to be much higher in the polls next week.
2. Nevada Wolf Pack (16-9)
Last Week: #2
D1Softball RPI: #44
This Week’s Games:
vs. Boise State (12-15) – Mar. 13, 5:00 p.m. PDT, Mountain West Network
vs. Boise State (12-15) – Mar. 14, 3:00 p.m. PDT, Mountain West Network
vs. Boise State (12-15) – Mar. 15, 12:00 p.m. PDT, Mountain West Network
at Pacific (8-17) – Mar. 17, 3:00 p.m. PDT, ESPN+
Nevada finally got the proverbial monkey off of their back this week, beating #18 Oregon in Eugene for their first win over a ranked team this season, and the program’s first ranked win since 2021. The Wolf Pack are a combined 1-6 in Quad 1 and 2 games this season, and are currently ranked eighth in RPI among mid-major teams, so there is still clearly work to be done.
The Wolf Pack slipped slightly in the batting rankings, now sitting third in the conference, just barely behind the Aztecs and Lopes with a mark of .323. Katie Wetteland turned in a Freshman of the Week performance in Oregon, hitting .647 on the week with 11 hits, two homers, eight runs, and seven RBIs. Wetteland, who was previously ineligible for rankings, now leads the conference with a season batting average of .500, as well as 20 RBIs and a conference-best OPS of 1.386. The team leader in both RBIs and home runs is still Hannah Di Genova, whose 25 RBIs and eight homers are second and first in the conference, respectively.
In the circle, things have continued to be worse than predicted, as the Pack are now firmly in third in the conference with an ERA of 3.32. Tess Bumiller (2.23) and Talia Tretton (2.70) are firmly entrenched as starters #1 and #2 after spearheading the Pack’s win over the Ducks, while Ainsley Berlingeri (3.87) and Sofie Seese (2.62) have been getting reps as starters in lower-tier matchups. Hailey McLean, despite her 46 strikeouts, the same amount as any two of her teammates combined, is just not going to cut it as a starter anymore for Nevada, sadly. Nevada has also had a serious problem with walking too many batters, giving up the second-most walks in the conference this season (88), only behind Boise State.
The Wolf Pack will be the final team in the conference to have their home opener this season, hosting Boise State this weekend for a special series featuring the Pack’s first ever home night game. Nevada has not won a home series versus the Broncos since 2016, so this is a great opportunity for some long-awaited redemption. They will also travel to Stockton for a rematch with Pacific on Tuesday. None of these games will be any more than Quad 3 opportunities, so while they cannot be resume-builders, they can most definitely be resume-breakers.
3. San Diego State Aztecs (15-10)
Last Week: #3
D1Softball RPI: #49
This Week’s Games:
vs. Colorado State (12-12) – Mar. 13, 6:00 p.m. PDT, Mountain West Network
vs. Colorado State (12-12) – Mar. 14, 4:00 p.m. PDT, Mountain West Network
vs. Colorado State (12-12) – Mar. 15, 12:00 p.m. PDT, Mountain West Network
San Diego State has had a rough few weeks, limping into conference play on a stretch of 15 games where they went 5-8. The Aztecs have a similar tournament resume as Nevada, being a combined 2-6 in Quad 1 and 2 games, but having two Quad 4 losses, whereas the Wolf Pack have none.
The Aztecs now lead the MWC in batting average, edging out the Lopes and Pack with a mark of .325. Most of this is due to the Aztecs tallying a combined 32 hits in wins over Princeton and Long Beach State, but surpassing GCU at the plate is impressive nonetheless. The Aztecs are the only team in the conference to have three full-time starters surpassing a batting average of .400: Jade Ignacio (.444), Jazmin Williams (.418), and Angie Yellen (.406). Williams leads the team in RBIs (22), while also being tied with Olivia Gigante for the team lead in home runs (6).
Meanwhile, the Aztecs are also struggling quite a bit in the circle. Yes, Faith Jordan did just toss a no-hitter against LBSU last week, she also made up for that by giving up five runs in 0.2 innings of relief duty to blow the Aztecs’ lead against Wisconsin. San Diego State has an overall team ERA of 4.19, which ranks sixth in the MWC. This is partly due to the Aztecs surrendering the second-most home runs (22), third-most walks (83), and second-most wild pitches (24) in the conference thus far.
SDSU hosts Colorado State this weekend to open conference play. The Rams are entering conference play red-hot, having gone 8-2 over their last 10 games. The Aztecs should be able to take care of business here, but given SDSU’s recent stretch of terrible play and CSU’s pitching excellence, I would not be surprised to see the Rams take at least one game, which would be a catastrophic Quad 4 loss for the Aztecs.
4. Fresno State Bulldogs (11-9)
Last Week: #5
D1Softball RPI: #82
This Week’s Games:
vs. Utah State (10-14) – Mar. 13, 6:00 p.m. PDT, Mountain West Network
vs. Utah State (10-14) – Mar. 14, 2:00 p.m. PDT, Mountain West Network
vs. Utah State (10-14) – Mar. 15, 12:00 p.m. PDT, Mountain West Network
Fresno State took a bit of a step back this week, taking two Quad 3 losses to Saint Mary’s and Santa Clara, while also beating each of those teams in other matchups. The Bulldogs enter conference play having won seven of their last nine, while being in prime position to bridge the gap between themselves and San Diego State for third place in the conference standings.
The ‘Dogs have continued their stretch of having trouble at the plate, ranking eighth in the conference with an average of .269. That average is buoyed heavily by Olivia Hill and Jamie Hicks, the former with a team-best average of .429, while the latter’s average of .356 is also propped up by her team-leading three home runs and 13 RBIs. The Bulldogs are averaging just 3.45 RBIs per game, which ranks eighth in the conference.
The Bulldogs continue to laugh in the face of San Diego State in the circle, as Fresno State’s ERA of 3.39 ranks fourth in the conference, well ahead of the Aztecs and their traitorous former pitchers. Lauryn Carranco has maintained the brunt of the load in this area, holding an ERA of 2.26 through her 65 innings of work, as well as a top-five conference mark of 44 strikeouts. Senior Alyssa Ramirez has gotten more reps in recent weeks, turning in an ERA of 1.38 through her 20.1 innings so far. I would expect her to continue getting more reps as the season goes on.
Fresno State hosts Utah State for their opening conference series this weekend. No team in the conference is playing worse than the Aggies are right now, with USU having lost 12 of their last 15 games following a 7-2 start, including a current four-game stretch of games featuring some of the worst softball I have ever seen. Based off of how both teams have been playing lately, I would expect Fresno State to sweep the Aggies here, with anything less than that being a bit of a letdown.
5. New Mexico Lobos (12-13)
Last Week: #4
D1Softball RPI: #137
This Week’s Games:
vs. #17/23 Grand Canyon (27-0) – Mar. 13, 5:00 p.m. MDT, Mountain West Network
vs. #17/23 Grand Canyon (27-0) – Mar. 14, 1:00 p.m. MDT, Mountain West Network
vs. #17/23 Grand Canyon (27-0) – Mar. 15, 11:00 a.m. MDT, Mountain West Network
vs. New Mexico State (12-13) – Mar. 17, 5:00 p.m. MDT, Mountain West Network
New Mexico predictably struggled a bit at first in the tough Jaguar Classic, going 2-3 overall after a dominant win over host South Alabama and a close-fought win against Samford. That, combined with their two close losses to #12 Mississippi State, means that dropping the Lobos too much didn’t really seem too fair, as this week could have certainly gone a whole lot worse (cough, cough, Utah State, cough).
The Lobos sank back down to last place in the MWC in batting average this week, holding serve with a team mark of .260. Gabrielle Briones and Miracle McKenzie are tied for the team lead with identical averages of .361 through 61 at-bats apiece. McKenzie, the reigning conference Player of the Week, leads the team in home runs with eight, while Allie Williams leads the team in RBIs (21).
The Lobos have had much more success in the circle this season, ranking fifth in the conference with a team ERA of 3.41. Their total of 122 strikeouts also ranks third among MWC teams. Freshman Caitlin Benningfield (2.15) and junior McKenna Guest (3.25) have become a lethal 1-2 punch in the circle this season, mostly alternating starts at this point in the season. Benningfield is actually the current conference leader in strikeouts, mowing down 54 batters so far this season.
New Mexico gets the ominous honor of hosting former prospect Natalie Fritz and the Grand Canyon Lopes for GCU’s first conference series in the Mountain West Conference. This is a daunting task for a Lobo squad that has not beaten a ranked team since defeating #19 Oregon State in 2023. Even one win over the undefeated Lopes would be a program-changing win for New Mexico, and it would give them incredible momentum heading into a rivalry matchup with New Mexico State on Tuesday, having just been run-ruled by the Aggies yesterday.
6. Boise State Broncos (12-15)
Last Week: #7
D1Softball RPI: #104
This Week’s Games:
at Nevada (16-9) – Mar. 13, 6:00 p.m. MDT, Mountain West Network
at Nevada (16-9) – Mar. 14, 4:00 p.m. MDT, Mountain West Network
at Nevada (16-9) – Mar. 15, 1:00 p.m. MDT, Mountain West Network
at Sacramento State (18-8) – Mar. 17, 2:00 p.m. MDT, ESPN+
at Sacramento State (18-8) – Mar. 17, TBA, ESPN+
Yes, the Broncos appeared in my “ugly” tier on Monday, but I realized that I had overreacted somewhat to Boise State’s raw stats being in the bottom three in the conference, and had completely discounted their four Quad 1 and 2 wins, the most in the conference. Therefore, they still move up here despite the fact that they did indeed have a bad week.
Boise State ranks seventh in the conference in batting average, averaging .271 at the plate so far. Marissa Gonzalez has the best average (.358), Skylar Stroh has the most RBIs (24), and Mya Flindt has the most home runs (seven). The Broncos rank in the top half of the conference in most offensive stats, but their biggest problem right now is that Boise State has struck out an incredible 147 times this season, by far the most in the conference, as well as the fourth-most in the nation. Needless to say, Boise State’s plate discipline needs some serious work.
Likewise, the Broncos currently rank seventh in the conference in ERA with a team-wide mark of 4.42. Charley Duran still has a firm grip on the team lead in ERA, recording a 2.60 in her 35.0 innings of work. Julianne Rose, meanwhile, has recorded the most strikeouts on the team (43), but has been more of an imitation of Nevada’s Hailey McLean this season, recording an ERA of 4.93 in her 44.0 innings. As a whole, the Broncos’ biggest problem is allowing walks, as Boise State has walked the most batters in the conference to this point in the season (95).
The Broncos travel to Reno this week for their final scheduled series against historic rival Nevada. The Wolf Pack are the odds-on favorite in this matchup, but an odd trend has emerged in this rivalry in recent years: the road team has won or tied each of the last four series. Obviously, this fact would favor the Broncos, so they are surely hoping for a continuation of that trend here. The Broncos will finish the week with a road doubleheader on Tuesday against a tough Sacramento State team.
7. UNLV Lady Rebels (12-13)
Last Week: #9
D1Softball RPI: #138
This Week’s Games:
at San Jose State (8-15) – Mar. 13, 6:00 p.m. PDT, Mountain West Network
at San Jose State (8-15) – Mar. 14, 3:00 p.m. PDT, Mountain West Network
at San Jose State (8-15) – Mar. 15, 12:00 p.m. PDT, Mountain West Network
vs. Utah Tech (10-14) – Mar. 17, 4:00 p.m. PDT, Mountain West Network
UNLV had a pretty good week in their final home invite, run-ruling Utah Tech, splitting with low-tier North Dakota State, and splitting with mid-major power Loyola Marymount. While this win was only a Quad 3 victory, it did serve as the first such win for the Rebels this season, as well as just their second game all season decided by two or fewer runs. It’s not much, but experience in close games is what the Lady Rebs truly need at this point.
UNLV is the only team outside of the Big Three to have a batting average above .300, currently sporting a team mark of .311. Keyannah Chavez leads the Rebs with an average of .432 and an OPS of 1.182, while Charelle Aki holds the team lead in home runs (seven) and RBIs (27). The Rebels are currently third in the conference in RBIs (128), but this can largely be attributed to the Rebels’ previously mentioned obsession with either winning or losing via blowout.
The Rebels are still struggling quite a bit in the circle, ranking eighth in the conference in ERA with a team mark of 4.58. Emma Wardlaw leads the team in ERA (3.97), while Lauren Fettic has by far the most strikeouts on the team (31). Yanina Sherwood, meanwhile, is still in the same boat as Hailey McLean is: supposed to be the ace, but just cannot get in any sort of consistent rhythm.
UNLV will travel to last-place San Jose State this weekend for their first conference series. I would hope UNLV would be able to at least win this series, if not sweep the lowly Spartans, but if there is one thing the Rebels are consistent at this season, it’s being inconsistent.
8. Colorado State Rams (12-12)
Last Week: #8
D1Softball RPI: #201
This Week’s Games:
at San Diego State (15-10) – Mar. 13, 7:00 p.m. MDT, Mountain West Network
at San Diego State (15-10) – Mar. 14, 5:00 p.m. MDT, Mountain West Network
at San Diego State (15-10) – Mar. 15, 1:00 p.m. MDT, Mountain West Network
Colorado State may be ranked very low in RPI rankings, but in reality, that is because there is genuinely something wrong with D1Softball’s RPI system. Despite having won at RPI #70 Texas State and #88 Sacramento State earlier in the year, which should both be Quad 2 wins, the Rams are listed as being 0-0 in Quad 2 games. In fact, only 15 of the Rams’ 24 games count towards the RPI ratings at all. I don’t believe that CSU is nearly as bad as what is being displayed, so I figured they should be recognized for their accomplishments here, unlike in the official rankings.
The Rams are currently in a tie for fifth in the conference in batting average with a team mark of .279. Lauren Stucky continues to be the most consistent hitter on the team, holding an average of .408. Jailey Wilson leads the team with four home runs, while Kyra Smith leads the way with 19 RBIs. The Rams’ biggest problem at the plate currently is their struggle getting extra-base hits, with only 45 total so far this season, which ranks eighth in the conference.
The Rams’ biggest strength as a team is their ridiculously underrated pitching staff, with ranks second in the conference with an ERA of 3.09. Reagan Wick is the heart and soul of this unit, recording an ERA of 1.88 across her conference-leading 70.2 innings, along with a bronze-medal tally of 48 strikeouts. Once you get past Wick, the unit largely consists of Giselle Bentley (3.05) and Andrea Jaskowiak (4.43), who both start and serve as relief pitchers in the rare times where Wick loses steam. This is a sneaky excellent pitching staff, and if the Rams can maintain this level of play during conference play, they may very well give several of the top teams a massive headache later in the year.
CSU opens conference play by traveling to San Diego for a matchup with the Aztecs. SDSU, despite being one of the top teams in the conference, has struggled a bit as of late. If Wick is allowed to start two of these games, I would have a hard time imagining that they will lose either of them. This is a big opportunity for the Rams to prove their legitimacy across the conference.
9. San Jose State Spartans (8-15)
Last Week: #10
D1Softball RPI: #179
This Week’s Games:
vs. UNLV (12-13) – Mar. 13, 6:00 p.m. PDT, Mountain West Network
vs. UNLV (12-13) – Mar. 14, 3:00 p.m. PDT, Mountain West Network
vs. UNLV (12-13) – Mar. 15, 12:00 p.m. PDT, Mountain West Network
No, your eyes do not deceive you. For the first time all season, I believe there is a team in the conference worse than San Jose State. RPI may say that team is Colorado State, but based off of recent performances, I don’t believe it is. Nonetheless, SJSU’s 3-1 week has finally gotten them out of the conference’s basement, as they are now just 2.5 games back of the nearest team.
The Spartans now rank in a tie for fifth in the conference in batting average, sporting a team mark of .279. Ahmiya Noriega and Reina Zermeno are still the team’s leaders at the plate, Noriega leading in average (.377), while Zermeno leads in OPS (1.042), home runs (three), and RBIs (15). Zermeno actually accounts for 60 percent of all SJSU homers this season, so that is a problem that needs to be fixed quickly.
The Spartans still rank ninth in the conference in ERA with a team mark of 4.65. Delaney Faus (3.80) and Norah Coulsell (4.15) have largely struggled throughout the year, but the pair have turned into a respectable 1-2 punch in the circle as of late. The Spartans’ biggest issue right now is that they seem incapable of striking batters out, ranking dead last in the conference in strikeouts with a pitiful 49 total strikeouts.
The Spartans host UNLV this weekend to open conference play. This will be a battle of the teams that have struggled in the circle all season, so I would expect several high-scoring games. Due to UNLV’s constant inability to make games close, win or lose, I think the Spartans have a chance to pick up one or two blowout wins against the Rebels here.
10. Utah State Aggies (10-14)
Last Week: #6
D1Softball RPI: #150
This Week’s Games:
at Fresno State (11-9) – Mar. 13, 7:00 p.m. MDT, Mountain West Network
at Fresno State (11-9) – Mar. 14, 5:30 p.m. MDT, Mountain West Network
at Fresno State (11-9) – Mar. 15, 12:00 p.m. MDT, Mountain West Network
at Idaho State (16-10) – Mar. 17, 4:00 p.m. MDT, ESPN+
I don’t even know what to say about Utah State at this point. I really believed in this team this season, I really, truly did. While it is definitely possible that the Aggies are just going through a rough patch right now, but even if that is the case, this is one of the worst rough patches I have ever seen.
Not only have the Aggies lost 12 of their last 15 games, but they are currently on an eight-game losing streak, the longest by any team in the conference this season. In addition, in this current eight-game stretch, the Aggies have been run-ruled five times. Even worse, though, is the fact that the Aggies have lost their last four games, including their home opener, by a combined score of 52-5. Not even lowly San Jose State has had any stretch of games even close to that bad. I don’t care if USU doesn’t have as bad of a record as the Spartans right now. If they were to keep playing like they are right now, they would most likely lose to a large majority of D-II teams.
The Aggies are ranked ninth in the conference with a batting average of .264. Three Utah State hitters are tied for the team lead with 14 RBIs, while Faith Kroening’s average of .387 is the only mark on the team better than .333. As for Utah State’s pitching staff, they are giving up a team ERA of an abhorrent 6.61, almost two full runs a game worse than the next-worst team in the conference (San Jose State). As if that stat wasn’t bad enough, over the course of their eight-game losing streak, the Aggies have recorded a team ERA of an absolutely obscene 14.85.
I would talk about what needs to change for Utah State to get back on track, but we would be here all day. This team looks completely unrecognizable from the team that started the year 7-2, and for a time, looked to be a mid-tier contender in the conference. Utah State travels to Fresno this weekend for a battle with the Bulldogs, then has a road game against the same Idaho State team that just thrashed them 13-2 in the Aggies’ home opener. At this point, the question is not “can they get a win.” Instead, it is “can they lose by single digits?”
