Las Cruces teams set for 5A softball state tournament

The state softball tournament starts this week, and Las Cruces is sending four teams into the 5A bracket. 

Mayfield, Organ Mountain, Centennial and Las Cruces High each enter with different matchups and different expectations as opening-round pod play begins Friday. From a top seed to a lower-seeded group finding its stride late, the field presents a range of paths for local teams. 

Mayfield earned the No. 1 seed and will share an opening pod with Centennial, while Organ Mountain hosts its own pod. Las Cruces High, seeded No. 10, will travel to Alamogordo to begin tournament play. 

The Trojans have built their position at the top behind consistent pitching and hitting, something head coach Daniel Dominguez said has defined their season. 

“The biggest key to our team’s success has been our consistency with pitching and hitting,” Dominguez said. 

That balance carried Mayfield through a demanding district schedule and into the postseason with confidence. Dominguez said the group has grown into its identity over time. 

“We had a young group coming into this year, and they have grown up a lot during the year,” he said. “We play in the toughest district in the state, so we believe that we are now a battle-tested veteran team.” 

Execution in key moments will determine how far that experience takes them. 

“To make a deep run we have to play clean on defense and have timely hitting,” Dominguez said. “Defense is the key because we need to keep runs at a minimum.” 

In the circle, Mayfield has leaned on Ariana Lujan and Audrina Guillen, who stepped into larger roles early and helped stabilize the staff. 

Organ Mountain, seeded No. 3, enters with a group that has found its rhythm late in the season. Head coach Ray Diaz said the team’s approach has remained steady, heading into the postseason.Diaz added that the message doesn’t change with the stakes. 

“They believed in themselves,” Diaz said. “They’re focused on the game and having fun.” 

Las Cruces High, the No. 10 seed, arrives as a team that could create problems in its pod after continuing to develop throughout the year. Head coach Edward Kriner said the team’s progress has been rooted in chemistry and understanding its identity. 

“The biggest key to our success this season is unity,” Kriner said. “This team took a little bit to come together, but now we are all on the same page headed into the postseason.” 

That cohesion has translated into a more focused group entering tournament play, one that is embracing its position in the bracket. 

“At this point we are focused on one game at a time and what we can control,” Kriner said. “This is what makes us dangerous as the 10 seed.” 

Kriner also pointed to several players who have stepped into larger roles, including Krista Barela, Leah Pacheco, Erica Silva and Zaysha Hawkins. 

Centennial, seeded No. 9, rounds out the Las Cruces teams in the field and will open play in the same pod as Mayfield, as they enter with an opportunity to challenge one of the top seeds early. 

Opening-round pod games will take place Friday, May 8, with both Mayfield and Organ Mountain hosting at the Field of Dreams in Las Cruces. Las Cruces High, seeded No. 10, will open play in a pod at Alamogordo, while Centennial, the No. 9 seed, is grouped with Mayfield in Las Cruces. 

Teams that advance out of pod play will move on to the quarterfinals May 13, with the tournament shifting to Albuquerque for the semifinal and championship rounds May 14–15 at the University of New Mexico. The remaining teams will continue in a double-elimination format as the bracket plays out. As of now, exact game times and matchups within each pod are still being finalized, but the structure sets up multiple potential early tests for local teams.