Balanced Los Lunas softball surges to 16-3, tops district early

Los Lunas’ softball team has not needed one overpowering star to push into the heart of District 5-5A. The Lady Tigers stood at 16-3 overall and 3-0 in league play after a 12-2 win over Rio Grande, and their No. 5 ranking in Class 5A reflected a run built on balance, depth and a schedule that had already tested them against top-ranked Alamogordo and No. 6 Volcano Vista.

Coach Patrick Ortiz said the formula has been simple and hard to beat. “We really don’t have anyone that slows the team down,” Ortiz said. Brooke Baca has done the heavy lifting in the circle and entered the stretch hitting .417, while the defense has made the routine plays and the offense has delivered both power and timely hits.

That offense has spread across the lineup. Natalie Madrid had six home runs, while Callista Gayle Bertrand and Kellen Lucero each had three homers and batting averages near .450. Those numbers help explain why opposing pitchers have had to work through the order rather than circle one dangerous hitter. Players such as Ashley Baca, Jacelyn Baca, Haidyn Garley and Jaslene Duran have also added to the depth that has made Los Lunas difficult to navigate from top to bottom.

The roster’s experience has mattered as much as its production. Kelsie De Graaf, Natalie Madrid and Halie Delgado already had college destinations lined up, with De Graaf headed to Eastern New Mexico University, Madrid to the College of St. Mary and Delgado to Luna Community College. That kind of continuity helped Los Lunas open spring as the defending District 5-5A champion after returning all of its starters, and it has shown up again in the way the Lady Tigers have handled pressure.

The stakes were already rising in a district race that can shape seeding for the 2026 state tournament window, set for May 6-16. Los Lunas also entered the spring carrying the memory of a first-round exit in 2025, when Atrisco Heritage Academy ended its postseason after the Tigers left the bases loaded multiple times. This time, the Lady Tigers have played like a team determined to turn that lesson into a deeper run, and their early hold on District 5-5A has made them one of the most serious contenders in New Mexico softball.