Red-Hot Lobos Face Arizona State, Nevada on the Road This Week
With its 12-game homestand in the rear-view mirror and a sweep of its first Mountain West weekend series in hand, New Mexico Baseball (10-6, 3-0 MW) hits the road this week for a midweek matchup with Arizona State (7-8, 1-2 Pac-12) on Tuesday and its first conference road series of the season at Nevada (6-7, 2-1 MW) March 15-17.
The Lobos are winners of three straight after a loud sweep of UNLV that saw them score a record-tying 31 runs in a chaotic Game Two (31-15) and hold off the Rebels late in a pair of one-run contests in Game One (7-6) and Game Three (6-5). They’re the lone undefeated team in Mountain West conference play with every team having completed at least one weekend series.
UNM batted .401 as a team on the week and is out-batting its opponents by average on the season for the first time this spring – the Lobos’s .339 average currently ranks No. 11 in the NCAA and No.1 in the Mountain West. It’s the fourth consecutive week that their average has improved.
Through 16 games, the Lobos also rank No. 4 in NCAA D-I in total doubles (46), No. 5 in total hits (192), No. 6 in total double plays (17), No. 11 in total walks (110), No. 15 in team on-base percentage (.457) and No. 25 in runs per nine innings (No. 25) – they lead the Mountain West in each of those categories.
Tuesday’s midweek matchup is set for a 7:30 p.m. first pitch, with Friday’s series opener set for a 7:05 p.m. start, Saturday’s at 3:05 p.m. and Sunday’s series finale at 1:05 p.m. Streaming will be unavailable for the weekend series but fans can listen to the game via The Varsity Network with live stats available via GoLobos.com/BSBStats. Follow @UNMLoboBaseball on IG, X and Facebook for gameday updates, behind-the-scenes content and more.
vs. Arizona State (7-8, 1-2 Pac-12)
March 12 | Phoeniz, Ariz. | Phoenix Municipal Stadium
vs. Nevada (6-7, 2-1 MW)
March 15-17 | Reno, Nev. |Don Weir Field at Peccole Park
COACH BROWN NEARLY TO 400
UNM Head Coach Tod Brown needs just two wins to crack 400 in his career as an NCAA head coach – he currently holds a 398-414 record (North Dakota State 2008-2021, New Mexico 2022-present). A .500 week or better for the Lobos between Tempe and Reno would do just that.
ALL-TIME SERIES (Arizona State)
The ASU-UNM series dates all the way back to 1947, with UNM trailing 30-123 over more than 150 meeting between the two teams since then. The two teams last faced in 2022, when they split a pair of midweeks with the Sun Devils winning 12-5 in Tempe before the Lobos won 12-7 in Albuquerque. Prior to that, they hadn’t faced each other since 2016. A win in Phoenix would be just the 10th road win over ASU in program history and first since 2014 – UNM is 9-80 against the Sun Devils in road matchups.
ALL-TIME SERIES (Nevada)
UNM is 28-31 against Nevada all-time and 28-29 since the Wolfpack joined the conference in 2012, but the Lobos are 13-11 against them on the road and won four of their six meetings in 2023 and three of their last five in Reno. Head Coach Tod Brown is 5-4 against the Wolfpack during his tenure at UNM.
WOOD HITTING TO ALL FIELDS
Tye Wood is pacing the Lobos with a .434 batting average that ranks as the best in the Mountain West – he’s now up to No. 2 nationally in on base percentage (.665) and leads the conference in that category as well as slugging (.703), OPS (1.359), walks per game (1.13) and HBP per game (0.47).
He’s scored a run in 13 out of his 14 appearances for the Lobos, drawing multiple walks in four with a pair of multi-hit games in UNM’s sweep of the Rebels. He’s hit two homers — the second being UNM’s first grand slam of the season.
CARRIS’ BIG WEEK
Originally intended to redshirt until Josh McAlister’s injury pushed him into the starting lineup, Albuquerque native Akili Carris turned last week into a coming-out party with a big showing on both sides of the ball – he racked up seven RBI while batting .438 with two doubles and made some impressive plays at third, generating seven putouts and eight assists. He finished with a career-high three RBI on three hits in UNM’s 31-15 win over UNLV on Saturday. Prior to this weekend, Carris had yet to double or drive in a run – he had one hit in seven at-bats as a true freshman in 2023.
LOPEZ SHINING AS FRIDAY GUY
RHP David Lopez was a revelation in a career-high seven innings on the mound on Friday, holding the lineup that entered the week with the best batting average in the conference to just two earned runs in that span on six hits while striking out four and walking two. Lopez only allowed one extra base hit while totaling a career-high 107 pitches, picking up momentum as his pitch count rose – he gave up just one hit over his final three innings, retiring eight in a row for the second time in that game to close out his time on the mound.
LOBOS TRENDING UP
Three Lobo batters are riding double-digit on base streaks – Reed Spenrath (16), Josh McAlister (11) and Sean Stephens (10). Khalil Walker has come up with a hit in nine straight games, with Tye Wood and Stephens both up to a six-game streak each. As a team, UNM’s streak of 10 straight games with double-digit hits came to an end on Sunday with an eight-hit outing against the Rebels. The Lobos have finished with multiple doubles in 12 consecutive games, with six games of four or more two-baggers and two games with six.
WALKER SEEING IT WELL
Khalil Walker the Lobos in batting average (.588) in the leadoff spot over a 3-1 week that included an 11-8 loss to No. 17 Texas Tech and a three-game sweep of UNLV (7-6, 31-15, 6-5). Walker led UNM in hits (10) and runs (9) over that four-game stretch, hitting two doubles and adding five RBI while drawing four walks. He finished the week with a 1.342 OPS, only striking out once all weekend while collecting 14 putouts without an error in center.
Walker had five hits in UNM’s record-matching 31-run game on Saturday, scoring two runs and driving in three more – he finished with multiple hits in three of four games and with multiple runs in three of four as well.
REED BREAKS THE SEAL
After mashing 19 homers in his first season in Albuquerque, Reed Spenrath has been productive at the plate through his first 16 games (.300/.455/.483) but with just one thing missing – his first home run of the year. He finally broke through with his first of the year and the Lobos’ 18th in the weekend finale against UNLV, driving a three-run shot more than 450 feet out of Santa Ana Star Field to put the Lobos up 5-4 late.
Through four weeks of Baseball, Spenrath has accumulated nine RBI while hitting six doubles and one triple, connecting on 18 hits and drawing 16 walks. He has six multi-hit games and two multi-RBI games.
31-RUN MADNESS
The Lobos matched a program record set in 2004 with 31 runs scored in their series-clinching win over UNLV on Saturday, racking up 29 hits and getting multiple RBI from six different Lobos in the process. Will Asby drove in a team-high nine runs – the second-most in a single game in program history and the most since 2010 – and Kyle Smith added six more. UNM’s 29 hits in total are the most in a single game since 2010 and fourth-most in a single game in program history.
Asby was 2-for-2 with two doubles and 4 RBI in the first inning alone as the Lobos plated 20 runs in the first three frames. UNLV scored 15 runs in total and looked to get within striking distance late after plating eight between the fourth and sixth innings, but RHP Josh Barnhouse calmed things down in relief, allowing just one hit over 3 ⅔ innings of work while striking out four and walking two to calm things down and earn the first win of his UNM career.
MOUNTAIN WEST BREAKDOWN
Through 16 games, the Lobos lead the Mountain West in 13 statistical categories:
– Batting Average (.339)
– Slugging Percentage (.530)
– On Base Percentage (.457)
– Runs Scored (153)
– Hits (192)
– Runs Batted In (142)
– Doubles (46)
– Home Runs (18)
– Walks (110)
– Putouts (417)
– Sac Flies (10)
– Double Plays (17)
– Saves (4)
With every team now having played at least one weekend series, New Mexico (10-6, 3-0 MW) is the lone undefeated team in MW play, ahead of three other teams at 2-1 in MW matchups – Fresno State (11-4), Nevada (6-7) and Air Force (6-9). All three teams that have played two conference series sit at 2-4 in conference play – UNLV (9-6), San Jose State (6-9) and San Diego State (5-10). Both UNM and Fresno – the top two teams in the conference as of Monday by overall win % – are winners of three straight, while Nevada and Air Force have won two in a row. San Jose State and San Diego State have both been handed back-to-back losses, while UNLV’s 0-4 weekend extended their skid to five straight losses after starting the season 9-1.
SEASON-OPENING NOTES / EARLY RETURNS
– UNM looks to improve its standing in the Mountain West for a third consecutive season – the Lobos finished sixth (10-20 MW) in Brown’s first season as head coach in 2022 and narrowly missed out on the conference tournament with a fifth-place finish (13-17 MW) in 2023.
– The Lobos’ offense in 2023 was one of their most productive in recent memory – UNM’s .328 team batting average was the third-best in the NCAA and best in the Mountain West, as well as the Lobos’ best since 2013.
– UNM’s 26-25 record in 2023 was the most wins since 2017 and first winning season since then (not counting UNM’s 14-4 record in the canceled COVID season of 2020).
– Reed Spenrath has been named to the Mountain West Baseball Preseason All-Conference Team, with the Lobos picked fifth in the preseason poll as voted on by the league’s coaches. Spenrath was named to D1Baseball.com’s Top 50 First Baseman rankings last week, coming in at No. 46 in the nation. He was named one of three captains for this year’s Lobos squad along with fellow seniors Chase Weissenborn and Brett Russell.
BROWN’S PROGRAM-BUILDING RESUME
– In his first five seasons as head coach at North Dakota State, Brown’s teams improved their winning percentage in each season, going from 15-30 (.333) in his first season in 2008 to 40-20 (.667) in 2012 and finishing each of the next nine seasons above .400. The Bison reached the Summit League tournament eight times in that span, advancing to NCAA Regionals in 2014 and 2021.
– Brown coached the Bison to 40-win seasons in 2012 and 2021.
– In Brown’s second season at UNM, the Lobos improved to 26-25 from 21-33 the year prior, with the highest team batting average since 2013 (.328) and lowest team ERA since 2016 (5.95).
– In 16 years as a D-I Head Coach, Brown has finished the season above .400 13 times and above .500 five times – the only three seasons in which he’s finished below .400 were his first two years in Fargo (2008, 2009) and his first season in Albuquerque (2022).
SPENRATH CRACKS THE TOP 50 1B’S
– UNM Senior First Baseman Reed Spenrath was named to D1Baseball.com’s Top 50 first baseman rankings, coming in at No. 46 in the nation. A first-team all-conference selection in first season with the Lobos, Spenrath led the team and ranked second in the conference in 2023 with 19 home runs – the sixth-most in a single season in program history – and 65 RBIs. The 6’5” power hitter also led the team and ranked third in the conference with 54 runs scored, batting .321 while reaching base at a clip of .421. He finished the season with 16 multi-hit games and 18 multi-RBI games.
YOUR 2024 LOBOS ROSTER
– UNM’s 2024 roster includes 16 returning players with 24 newcomers – the Lobos return seven position players who started at least 10 games in 2023 and losing six.
– Of the Lobos’ newcomers, 8 are freshmen and 16 are transfers – 12 from junior colleges and four from four-year institutions.
– 29 players are upperclassmen – 13 seniors and 16 juniors – the most upperclassmen Brown has had on a roster in Albuquerque.
2023 BY THE NUMBERS
– UNM’s .328 batting average in 2023 was its highest since 2013 – The Lobos led the Mountain West in that category and ranked third nationally.
– The Lobos hit 87 home runs – their most since 2003. That total led the Mountain West and is the third most in program history.
– UNM slugged .559 on the season, the sixth-highest in program history and highest since 2003, leading the Mountain West.
– With a .974 fielding percentage – second-highest in program history (2017) – the Lobos led the Mountain West.
– Improving from a a 9.06 ERA as a team in Brown’s first season to a 5.95, UNM only allowed 3.20 walks per nine innings, its lowest average since 2014 and the best in the Mountain West. The Lobos’ 1.59 WHIP was its lowest since 2015.
– UNM scored 441 runs (most since 2017, led MW) and racked up 617 hits (most since 2017, led MW) to go with 24 triples (most since 2015, led MW) and 411 RBI (most since 2017, led MW).
– Lobo batters reached base at a .406 clip, UNM’s best average since 2017 (Led MW).
– UNM turned 48 double plays in 51 games, the most in the MW and 33rd-most in the nation. The Lobos’ .94 double plays per game ranked No. 9 in the nation.
A LOOK AT THE SCHEDULE
– UNM’s 54-game 2024 schedule, including 30 Mountain West Conference games, features five different teams that reached NCAA Regionals last spring – Oregon State, Texas Tech, Arizona, San Jose State and Sam Houston State – with 27 games against nine opponents that ranked in the Top 150 in the nation in last season’s final RPI rankings.
– UNM will play 30 games at Santa Ana Star Field in Albuquerque and 24 games on the road throughout the regular season.
– UNM’s first midweek matchup of the season with Texas Tech – who the Lobos walked off with a ninth-inning Jake Holland homer for an 11-10 win at home in their last meeting – is set for March 5.
– Mountain West play begins March 8-10 with a home series against UNLV, with UNM’s first true road games of the season the following week with a midweek matchup at Arizona State (March 12) and a three-game conference swing with Nevada in Reno (March 15-17).
– The first of four Rio Grande Rivalry matchups with New Mexico State will take place on March 19 at home before UNM plays host to defending MW Champions San Jose State (March 22-24). They’ll face the Aggies twice more in Las Cruces (April 9, April 30) before concluding the four-game season series at home on May 7.
– After a MW series with San Diego State on the road March 28-30, the Lobos get four consecutives matchups with 2023 NCAA Regional qualifiers, set for a midweek matchup with Arizona in Tucson on April 2 before returning home to host 2023 WAC Champions Sam Houston State for a three-game set April 5-7 – UNM’s final multi-game nonconference series of the season.
– Up next, another four-game homestand includes UNM’s only MW series with Fresno State April 12-14 before a matchup with D-II CSU-Pueblo on April 16. The Lobos then travel to Air Force – another MW opponent they’ll only face in one series – for a three-game series April 19-21 before heading down to Lubbock, Texas for their second and final meeting with Texas Tech April 23. Rematches with San Diego State at home (April 26-28), UNLV on the road (May 3-5), Nevada at home (May 10-12) and San Jose State on the road (May 16-18) comprise the remainder of UNM’s regular season, with Senior Day set for May 12.
– Should the Lobos finish among the Top Four in the Mountain West standings, they’ll earn a berth to the MWC Championships May 23-25, hosted this year by San Diego State. The winner earns the conference’s automatic berth to an NCAA Regional.