Lobo Baseball – at Santa Ana Star Field
When: Friday- 6 p.m. (MT); Saturday – 2 p.m. (MT); Sunday – 1 p.m. (MT)
Who: Wichita State Shockers
GoLobos.com: Live stats, box score, live stream and postgame recap
Video: Each game will be streamed live on the Mountain West Network on GoLobos.com
TV: All three games will be televised locally on Comcast channel 26
Radio: ESPN Radio 101.7 The TEAM will broadcast all three games. Robert Portnoy, the Voice of the Lobos, will have the call
Mountain West Preseason Poll (2015 records)
| Place | School | MW record | Overall record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1T | Air Force | 0-0 | 4-0 |
| 1T | Fresno St. | 0-0 | 4-0 |
| 3 | New Mexico | 0-0 | 3-1 |
| 4 | Nevada | 0-0 | 3-2 |
| 5 | San José St. | 0-0 | 2-3 |
| 6 | UNLV | 0-0 |
1-2 |
| 7 | San Diego St. | 0-0 |
1-3 |
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Coming off a successul road trip to begin its season, the University of New Mexico baseball team hosts Wichita State for three games at Santa Ana Star Field in its first home games of the year. The Lobos took three of four at Hawai’i last weekend, which was the first series win for UNM at UH since 1985 and just the second all-time for the Lobos. After a great start against a past nemesis, the Lobos will look to try and slay another demon from years past.
UNM has just six wins in 28 games against the Shockers, which includes a three-game sweep for Wichita State last season in Kansas. However, the Lobos had just six wins in 40 games all-time at Hawai’i and managed to come away with three wins, so maybe the tides are turning in UNM’s favor.
In order to come away with another series win the Lobos will need to have similar success at the plate and on the mound. UNM leads the nation in walks drawn with 38. The Shockers, though, aren’t far behind having drawn 35 of their own to rank fifth in the country. Carson Schneider, Tyler Stevens and Colton Thomson, who combined to allow four runs in 16 innings last week, will start on the mound for the Lobos. Both Schneider and Stevens showed signs of early season rust, walking eight in 10 combined innings, but the trio allowed only nine hits. If they are able to throw strikes, they should be able to limit the chances for the Shockers, who are hitting just .266 through four games of their own.
Offensively last week, UNM was led by Jack Zoellner, who reached base an astonishing 16 times against UH. Other surprise contributors include Dalton Bowers (.471, five RBIs), Scottie Graham (.429, team-high six RBIs) and newcomer Michael Eaton (.421, team-high eight hits). While Eaton wasn’t a huge surprise — UNM head coach Ray Birmingham said he might be the team’s best hitter this season — as a senior transfer, expectations were tempered. But UNM was able to have a lot of success despite slow starts from Preseason All-American Carl Stajduahr (.235, two RBIs), Chris DeVito (.231, 0 RBIs) and Jared Mang (.200, five strikeouts). While Stajduhar has three extra-base hits, DeVito drew four walks, and Mang clubbed a pair of homers, each is capable of producing more — a lot more. Plus, Preseason All-Mountain West performer Danny Collier only saw three at bats as he works his way back from an injury.
UNM will certainly have its hands full against a Shockers staff that dominated Northern Colorado last week. Friday night starter Sam Tewes allowed just one hit and two walks in six innings and Sunday started Chase Williams struck out eight in 5.1 innings. Zach Lewis has already pitched 6.2 innings out of the bullpen to lead WSU’s relievers, which as a group allowed just five runs in 18.1 innings of work.
All three games of the series will be streamed online on the Mountain West Network, will be carried on the radio by ESPN Radio 101.7 The TEAM, and televised locally on Comcast channel 26.
Against Wichita State: UNM was swept in three games at Wichita State last season, losing the three games by a combined four runs. The teams have not met in Albuquerque since splitting a four-game set in 1991.
Series Record: 6-22
Home: 5-9; Away: 1-12; Neutral: 0-1
Up Next: UNM remains at Santa Ana Star Field and hosts Dallas Baptist for a three-game series next weekend.
• SCOUTING WICHITA STATE … The Shockers began their season with a home series win over Northern Colorado. WSU defeated UNC 17-2 and 11-0 before dropping the finale 4-3. They then went to play at Oral Roberts and lost 6-4 on Wednesday.
Like UNM, the Shockers draw a lot of walks as the teams rank first and fifth in the NCAA, respectively. Senior second baseman Tanner Kirk is hitting .500 with a .700 slugging and .667 OBP to lead the team so far. Senior first baseman Ryan Tinkham leads the squad with seven walks and has a .579 OBP. As a team the Shockers are hitting .266 but reaching at a .431 clip.
The pitching staff and it’s 2.83 ERA is lead by Friday night starter Sam Tewes, who went six shutout innings in the season opener and allowed just one hit and two walks. Willie Schwanke (1-0, 4.50) and Chase Williams (0-0, 3.38) round out the weekend rotation. Junior Zach Lewis has already pitched 6.2 innings out of the pen and has a 1.35 ERA. In fact, the Shockers bullpen has allowed just five runs in 18.1 innings, which is good for a 2.45 ERA.
• JACK ATTACK … Lobo junior first baseman Jack Zoellner was UNM’s leading returning hitter entering the year, and he showed why in the Lobos’ season opening series at Hawai’i. In four games against the Rainbow Warriors Zoellner reached base 16 times in 23 at bats: eight hits, seven walks and one error. He is third in the nation in walks and 20th in doubles with three.
• BULLPEN DOMINANCE … The UNM bullpen has been outstanding at protecting leads during the last several seasons. If UNM is leading after eight innings? Forget it. The Lobos haven’t lost when leading after eight in 83 straight games, a streak that dates back to March 24, 2013.
• THE MANGHATTAN PROJECT … It didn’t take long for Lobo freshman Jared Mang to receive a nickname. Half a game, maybe? During UNM’s opener on Feb. 19 at Hawai’i, TV broadcaster Sam Spangler, himself an Albuquerque native, coined the nickname “Manghattan Project” for the Los Alamos, N.M. native. Los Alamos of course was home of the laboratory for the Manhattan Project, and Mang, a two-time Gatorade State Player of the Year, has prodigious power. Mang lived up to the nickname in his first collegiate series by smashing two home runs against the Rainbow Warriors.
• THOMSON RETURNS … Senior Colton Thomson missed the final two and a half months of the 2015 season with an injury, and he made his return in dominating fashion on Feb. 21 at Hawai’i. He pitched six shutout innings and allowed just two hits and one walk, all of which came in the fourth inning. He retired the first 10 batters he faced and the last eight in helping the Lobos romp to an 18-0 win.
• HIT ME BABY ONE MORE TIME … Despite standing just 5-foot-8 and being the shortest player in each of his four years on the Lobos, Jared Holley has become a baseball magnet. Last weekend at Hawai’i he was hit twice, which moved his career total to 31, which is good for second in UNM history. He is seven behind the leader, Joe Salas.