New Mexico softball legend Andrea Howard named to Mountain West 25th anniversary team
May 7—It doesn't get much more local than Andrea Howard.
And there is no way to compile a 25th Anniversary Mountain West team without the Albuquerque softball legend headlining the list.
Andrea Howard, whose softball journey has seen her rise from 2012 Little League World Series champion with Eastdale Little League, to 2018 state champion at La Cueva High School to all-time Mountain West and Lobo home run champion at UNM to play in the 2021 Olympics for Italy, was named on Tuesday one of 25 position players (there were also 10 pitchers) on the Mountain West's 25th Anniversary Team.
She blasted a program-record 47 home runs in a Lobo uniform in her college career from (2018-2022) while also being named three times to the all-conference team and twice being a first team Academic All-America selection. She earned degrees in both biology and psychology and is currently enrolled in UNM's School of Medicine.
In Mountain West games, Howard owns the career records for home runs (35) also holds league records for games played (147) and started (146), RBI (107), doubles (30), total bases (199), hits (149), walks (106), runs scored (98) and at-bats (507) in MW games.
So feared was Howard in her 2022 senior season at UNM, she had one Mountain West stretch of six games in which she had 23 plate appearances and was walked 18 times, 16 of them being intentional walks. Her coach, Paula Congleton, even moved her to the leadoff spot at times, but she was still walked intentionally. Of the five plate appearances in that particular stretch that actually resulted in official at-bats, Howard homered twice.
In 2022, as her storied playing career was coming to a close at UNM and she was preparing to hang up the cleats and focus on medical school, Howard took a rare opportunity to reflect on her career and talk a little about herself in an interview with the Journal.
"I put a lot of hard work into the sport and especially for UNM," Howard said. "So I just hope that can kind of resonate with my teammates and how (the coaching staff) are able to coach younger players coming in, and that work ethic can stay here throughout the years."
MW 25th Anniversary Softball Team
POSITION PLAYERS:
Tara Glover, Boise StateOli Keohohou, BYUIaneta Le'I, BYUJodi Norton, BYUJessica Purcell-Fitu, BYUJennifer Whiteley, BYUAmber Nelson, Colorado StateJessica Strickland, Colorado StateKeahilele Mattson, Fresno StateBrenna Moss, Fresno StateKierra Willis, Fresno StateChelie Senini, NevadaAndrea Howard, New MexicoJenavee Peres, San Diego StateMac Barabara, San Diego StateLorena (Klopp) Bauer, San Diego StateErin Floros, San Diego StatePatrice Jackson, San Diego StateBrittany Knudsen, San Diego StateHayley Miles, San Diego StateRacheal Goodpaster, UNLVMarissa Nichols, UNLVGeney Orris, UNLVDiana Phillips, UtahJackie Wong, Utah
PITCHERS:
Jill Compton, Fresno StateHailey Dolcini, Fresno StateMaggie Balint, San Diego StateSamantha Beasley, San Diego StateBre DeSanta, San Diego StateSandra Durazo, San Diego StateChristina Ross, San Diego StateJenessa Ullegue, San José StateJenny Bressler, UNLVJacque Kerrigan, UNLV
