Melanie Macias never imagined herself wearing a UNM Lobo softball jersey. And honestly, who could blame her? The last time this program made a postseason appearance, Macias—an Albuquerque native and Volcano Vista graduate—hadn't even been born yet.
But here we are, in a season that's rewriting the script for Lobos softball. And on Friday, under the lights at the UNM Softball Field, Macias stepped up to write her own chapter in this remarkable story.
With the bases loaded in the fifth inning, Macias ripped an RBI single that sealed an 11-3 run-rule victory over Utah State. The moment carried extra spice: the Aggies had intentionally walked UNM's power hitter, Miracle McKenzie, to get to Macias. Big mistake.
"I mean, it fired me up, I'm not gonna lie," Macias said, her confidence shining through. "I was ready. I trust my preparation. But I also knew, even if I didn't provide, we still had one out and Hayden (Luderer) had my back. My team has my back. I have theirs. That's how this has been all year."
The Lobos came out swinging from the first pitch, with DeNae Vasquez-Dickson launching a leadoff homer to ignite a five-run first inning. Macias added an RBI single in the same frame, and Ella Dawson crushed a two-RBI double. By the time the dust settled, UNM had staked a 5-0 lead before most fans had found their seats.
Friday's win followed Thursday's 12-6 thumping of the Aggies, where the Lobos exploded for four runs in both the first and second innings. That victory officially punched UNM's ticket to the Mountain West Tournament for the first time since 2006—a drought that spanned Macias's entire lifetime.
Now sitting at 25-25 overall and 12-12 in conference play, the Lobos hold fourth place heading into Saturday's regular-season finale. It's the first time the program has reached 25 wins or double-digit conference victories since 2015, when they went 29-25. That year, they finished fourth in the Mountain West too—but there was no conference tournament to cap the season.
So what's behind this long-awaited turnaround? For McKenzie, the answer is simple.
"It's all about her setting the culture for this team," McKenzie said, pointing to fourth-year coach Nicole Orgeron. "She really allows a space for everybody to be themselves, and you can really have that connection with her open door policy."
This Lobos team isn't just peaking at the right time—they're proving that some stories are worth the wait.