ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The University of New Mexico baseball team (28-12, 15-4 MW) started off the weekend series against the San Diego State Aztecs (11-24, 4-9 MW) Friday with a 10-5 victory at Santa Ana Star Field. The win was the 300th for Ray Birmingham as head coach of the Lobos. In his career, he now has 1,118, the most for a collegiate coach in New Mexico.
“It is a neat thing,” Birmingham modestly stated. “Any time you reach any milestone as a coach its rewarding.”
Chris DeVito and Carl Stajduhar led the charge out of the 3-4 slot, each going 3-for-5. Stajduhar earned four RBI and a run scored, coming off a two-run blast in the eighth. DeVito, one of the nation’s best power hitters, played small ball and earned three RBI all on singles. Luis Gonzalez scored three times out of the lead-off spot, finishing 2-for-4 with a RBI.
Carson Schneider (7-1) earned his seventh victory in 5.1 innings of work. He held the Aztecs to three hits without giving up an earned run. Christian Tripp had a fantastic outing and earned his second save over the remaining 3.2 innings. He struck out two batters and limited the road to team three hits.
The Lobos fell into a multiple run hole early in a wild second inning. In the top side with a pair of Aztecs on base, two errors by New Mexico on a sacrifice bunt allowed both runners to score. The batter advanced to second and was batted home before the side ended. The Lobo staff rebounded, blanking San Diego State over the next four frames.
New Mexico began to crack into the 3-0 Aztec lead in the third with a pair of runs. Dalton Bowers started the rally, reaching base on a hit by pitch, before Gonzalez pushed him to third on a single through the right side. Jared Holley brought in the first run while reaching on an error. DeVito followed up with a RBI single up the middle to plate Gonzalez and make it a one-run game.
The game was taken over by the Lobos in the fourth, with five runs posted on the board. After one out, Andre Vigil and Austin Bell reached on back-to-back singles, while Bowers loaded the bases on balls. Four straight Lobos earned RBI, starting with a single to right from Gonzalez. Holley’s patience paid off in the next at bat, earning a four-pitch RBI walk with bases loaded.
With a 4-3 lead and bases loaded, DeVito continued to rally with a RBI groundout. Finally, Stajduhar blasted a ball to centerfield to plate both runners in scoring position. The hit gave the Lobos a 7-3 lead.
The home offense went quiet for the following few innings, but the pitching staff kept the game in hand. San Diego State scored another run in the seventh inning, but could not earn a multiple-hit frame from the third on.
New Mexico capped off the evening with a big eighth inning. Gonzalez reached on an error to lead off and stole second. DeVito plated him on a single to center on the first pitch he saw. With one runner on, Stajduhar hit his 11th home run of the season on a no-doubter over left field. The bomb put the Lobos up six, making San Diego State’s run in the ninth a moot point.
The Lobos will play the Aztecs in game two of the weekend Saturday at 2 p.m. The game will broadcast live on ESPN Radio 101.7 The TEAM.
NOTES: Holley earned a hit by pitch Friday, pushing his career total to 36, two short of a program record…Stajduhar’s home run caught DeVito for the team lead in home runs at 11. Both now rank in the top-15 nationally…San Diego State went hitless, 0-for-6, with runners in scoring position…They were also held to 1-for-9 hitting with two outs.
Lobos Down Aztecs in Birmingham’s 300th Win at UNM
