Jan. 28, 2005
The New Mexico baseball program began a new era last season by playing all of its home games in the newly renovated Isotopes Park. The young team, which featured only two seniors, bounced back from a rough start to challenge for the Mountain West regular season title, falling only percentage points short of the program’s second conference title in the last four years. Head coach Rich Alday, who is entering his 16th year at New Mexico and is the winningest coach in the history of the program, passed one of his toughest tasks last year in molding a young team together and bringing UNM to the cusp of a conference crown. This spring, the nucleus of Alday’s squad returns and is gearing up for another run at a league championship.
The Lobos return 19 players in 2005, including 11 position players and eight pitchers. Several of the returning position players were starters and gained valuable experience last season. While the underclassmen matured later in the season after a difficult non-conference schedule, Alday says this year’s team must be ready to play earlier in the season.”Last year we told the team we were preparing for conference play,” said Alday. “This year, they’re veterans and have the experience. We have to start right away and battle. We play too good of teams early on not to be ready to play. Every game is important, and we’re trying to instill in this team that we need to be better early.
“We plan on having a very successful year,” Alday continued. “The key is to get off to a good start early in the season.”
One thing the Lobos shouldn’t be worried about early on is offensive production. New Mexico is traditionally one of the top offensive teams in the nation, and last year proved to be no different. The Lobos ranked among the top 25 in the nation in 2004 in five offensive categories, including batting average (11th – .326), home runs (12th – 1.34 per game) and scoring (22nd – 7.8 per game). In fact, the Lobos have hit over .300 as a team for 14 consecutive seasons and have hit over .330 eight times in Alday’s tenure. UNM can hit for power as well, as the Lobos have led the Mountain West in homers and slugging percentage the last two seasons.
“We’re going to be a good offensive club,” Alday said. “If we continue to work hard, we could really put some runs on the board this season.”
Leading the way offensively are returning starters Jeff Grady (Sr., catcher), Garrick Haymore (Sr., left field), Ryan Barba (Jr., shortstop), A.J. Spitaleri (Jr., catcher), Chris Dabbs (So., right field), Matt Foote (So., center field) and Daniel Stovall (So., first base).
While Coach Alday knows offense is a key aspect of the game, he believes the difference in this year’s team will be pitching and defense. The pitching staff returns eight letterwinners, including two conference starters, to go along with seven newcomers. The defensive alignment, which will see returning players playing different positions than last year, remains solid nonetheless. Coach Alday says he believes the team will be improved defensively, which is impressive knowing the fact that the Lobos led the Mountain West last season in fielding percentage.
“It’s all going to depend on our pitching and defense,” said Alday. “For us to be successful, we have to play really good defense. We’re going to score runs and the hitting will be there. If we put it all together, we have a chance to be a really good club.”
PITCHING
One of the strengths of this year’s team appears to be a pitching staff that is a mix of eight returning pitchers, three transfers and four freshmen. The staff will be coached by first-year assistant Ken Jacome, who spent the previous six seasons as the head coach at El Paso Community College.
The Lobos have the good fortune of returning two conference starters. Senior right-hander Jason Fernandez, last year’s No. 1 starter, led the team in wins with seven and innings pitched with 94.0. He had several impressive victories in 2004, including a complete-game victory over College World Series participant Arkansas. Fernandez collected six wins over league opponents and led the Mountain West in conference games with 69.2 innings pitched.
“Jason’s a great competitor,” Alday said. “He throws strikes and was the No. 1 guy that kept us in every game he pitched.”
Also returning to the weekend rotation will be sophomore southpaw Danny Ray Herrera. As a true freshman, Herrera made 14 starts and won four games in 72.2 innings of action. Herrera’s specialty is keeping hitters off balance with an array of off-speed pitches. The talented lefty is also hoping for better luck this season – four of his seven losses last season were in one-run games, including a heartbreaking 2-1 defeat at Texas A&M in only his second collegiate start.
Sophomore lefty Danny Ray Herrera returns to the rotation in 2005. |
“D-Ray came in right away last season and did an excellent job,” said Alday. “We’re looking for more of the same this year.”
Junior right-hander Darren Coltrinari is the third starter projected for the weekend rotation. Coltrinari showed promise his freshman season, starting 10 games and logging over 70 innings with three wins and 37 strikeouts, but he struggled to find his control last season and made only nine appearances. After a strong summer season playing for the Alexandria Beetles of the Northwoods League and a fall season in which he was one of the top pitchers on the staff, Coltrinari looks to have regained his old form.
“Darren’s really turned it around,” stated Alday. “He’s back to pitching the way he was his first year. He had a really good summer and continued that success in the fall. We’re definitely counting on him this season.”
Senior Karsten Gaarder could also see time in the weekend rotation in addition to making starts during the weekday games. Gaarder pitched 53.1 innings last year in 19 appearances, compiling a 3-3 record. He turned it up in the Texas Collegiate League last summer, going 3-1 with a 2.23 ERA and 48 strikeouts in 36.1 innings of work for the McKinney Marshalls.
The Lobos will have plenty of options in the middle relief corps. Veteran right-handers include Kevin Letz, a three-year letterwinner who made 25 appearances last season, and senior Petr Pacas, who logged over 44 innings in 2004 as a starter and a reliever. Three transfers, Jesse Garcia-Perez (Eastern New Mexico), Javier Lopez (Arizona State) and Raymond Pelton (El Paso CC), will be relied upon for innings out of the bullpen. Freshmen righties Tyler Cales and Brandon Hewett will also see action.
UNM has two lefties for middle-relief work in senior Mike Smith and freshman Bobby Moore. Smith appeared in 14 games last season.
Unlike last year, where departed senior Joe Salas was the lone closer, Alday says it will depend on the situation in deciding who will close the game. Letz could also see time as a closer in addition to his middle relief duties, while fellow right-hander and freshman Jordan Pacheco will get a chance to pitch in the late innings. Pacheco will likely start at second base, but like Salas a year ago, he can do more than just hit. The Albuquerque native, who led La Cueva High School to back-to-back state championships, went 7-0 on the mound his last two years of high school and has a devastating curveball.
“We’re counting on Jordan in situational spots late in the game,” said Alday. “We’re looking for him to come in and get out the tough right-handed hitters.”
Sophomore lefty Jackie Smith will be the other option. Smith only pitched 15.2 innings in 19 appearances last season, but showed glimpses of his potential in middle relief situations. During one stretch, he went eight consecutive appearances without allowing a run.
“Jackie has all the tools,” said Coach Alday. “When he’s coming in with guys on base, he has to throw strikes. He was throwing in the low 90’s on Scout Day and his slider was around 82, which is pretty decent.”Overall, Coach Alday is convinced this pitching staff is improved heading into the season.
“Our pitching depth is much, much better,” he said, “and we’re versatile. We’re going to do a lot of experimenting early on because we have so much depth. But we did practice their roles in the fall, so we have a good idea of what everyone can do. It’s very possible that one of our middle relievers could become a starter or vice versa. We’ll just have to see how everyone performs.”
CATCHERS
The Lobos have three solid catchers on the roster, and all of them will see action. Junior A.J. Spitaleri and senior Jeff Grady will split time, while junior Carlos Castillo could also see some starts.
Junior A.J. Spitaleri was named to the preseason All-Mountain West team as a catcher. |
Spitaleri is the best offensive threat and the leading returning hitter after batting .361 in 37 games last season. He also collected five homers, five doubles and 17 RBI. Behind the plate, he only committed three errors, good for a .986 fielding percentage, and allowed just one passed ball while throwing out nine base runners.
Grady brings power to the plate, as he slugged nine homers in 29 games last season, good for fourth on the team. Behind the dish, he amassed a .987 fielding percentage, committing only three errors while firing down five runners.
Castillo, a junior transfer from El Paso Community College, was an all-conference selection both years for the Tejanos. Castillo is an excellent defensive catcher with a great arm – he caught 27 out of 61 base stealers last season. He also has power at the plate, as hit .284 with six homers and 35 RBI in his two years at EPCC.
“We have three great options at catcher,” Alday said. “A.J.’s our best offensive guy, Jeff has great power, and Carlos puts the ball in play.”
INFIELD
The Lobos will do some shuffling in the infield, but return experienced players at three positions.
Junior Ryan Barba, who started at second base the last two seasons, will make the switch over to shortstop after Josh Mader departed due to getting drafted. Barba is an excellent defensive fielder with great hands, and was originally recruited as a shortstop. He broke out offensively last year, slugging seven homers and driving in 37 runs while batting .346. A lifetime .352 hitter, Barba also produced nine doubles and scored 49 runs.
Junior Ryan Barba will be the starting shortstop this season for the Lobos. |
“I think that moving Ryan to shortstop will help us defensively,” said Alday. “He needs to anchor us now, and he has the capability to do so. He’s going to do a good job.”
Sophomore Daniel Stovall earned his way into the starting lineup last year at first base, and hasn’t looked back since. Stovall earned Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-America honors after batting .347 with 12 homers, 14 doubles and 34 RBI, making him an easy selection for the All-Mountain West team. The powerful slugger was named the National Co-Hitter of the Week April 19, and prior to this season, was one of 58 players chosen to the Wallace Award Watch List, which is annually awarded to college baseball’s best player.
“Dan’s worked really hard offensively,” commented Alday. “He had some injuries over the summer and the fall, but he’ll be ready to go.”
Sophomore Chris Carlson, a transfer from Kansas State, could also see some starts at first base if Stovall is the DH.
With Barba’s departure to shortstop, the Lobos will platoon sophomore Jay Russell and redshirt freshman Chad Itokazu at second base. Russell saw action at third in his first year, batting .273 with five doubles and 13 RBI in 88 at-bats. He will also see action at third base again this spring. Itokazu sat out last season, but gained valuable practice time while improving his defensive skills.
“We’re going to let them both see action, and see what happens,” Alday said. “Jay is good offensively, but Chad is good with the glove. There’s a lot of combinations we can use if need be.”
The Lobos rotated three freshmen at third base last season, but are looking for Russell and newcomer Jordan Pacheco to fill the void this season. Pacheco is a high impact player who was named a High School All-American at La Cueva after batting .500 with 35 RBI, 12 doubles and five homers. Pacheco, who will also pitch in a relief role, will also play his high school position at second base.
Sophomore Tim Grady and freshmen Nick Carlson and Ian Hollick could also see time in the infield.
“We do have some people playing new positions, so time will tell if we are better defensively, but I think later in the season we’ll be pretty solid,” stated Alday.
OUTFIELD
The outfield will have a new look this season as two veterans will be absent from the lineup. Sean Murray, a two-year starter in both left and right field, graduated, and Matt Young, a three-year starter in the outfield, signed as a free agent with Atlanta.
The Lobos will replace Young with sophomore Matt Foote. Although Foote was an infielder last season and is still learning the outfield, he has the natural athletic ability and leadership qualities needed for such a demanding position. Foote was expected to be a seldom-used reserve infielder his freshman year, but he made the most of his opportunity, and his bat kept him in the lineup. The Albuquerque product batted .333 with eight doubles, hit a whopping .457 (16-for-35) with runners in scoring position, and led the team in conference play with a .429 average.
“Matt definitely has all the tools,” said Alday. “He’s learning how to play center field, and it will take some time, but before long, he’s going to be an excellent center fielder. He’s very fast and has a great arm. He will also start off as our leadoff hitter. He’s very aggressive, has good power and can bunt well.”
Sophomore Chris Dabbs is penciled in as the starting right fielder. Dabbs split time with Murray last year, making 29 starts. He had an impressive rookie season at the plate, batting .305 with four homers, five doubles and 17 RBI, but is looking for bigger numbers in 2005 after gaining experience for the Anchorage Glacier Pilots last summer.
Senior Garrick Haymore will be one of the starters in left field. |
“For the most part, Chris played very well last summer in the Alaskan Wooden Bat League,” commented Alday. “He had a good fall and he’s been working extremely hard on both his offense and his defense. He’s working on becoming a better outfielder.”
Senior Garrick Haymore, a left-handed hitter, and sophomore Chris Carlson, a right-hander, will likely split time in left field, giving Alday the option depending on the opposing pitcher. Haymore, a good contact hitter who can nail the gaps, started 32 games in left field last year, batting .275 with three homers and 20 RBI. Carlson is still learning the outfield, but his potent bat should find him a place in the lineup. He could also see action at first base or DH.
“Chris is a very powerful hitter,” Alday said. “We’ll definitely find him some at-bats. Offensively, he’s going to be very good for our team.”
Junior Brandon Bingham, who has played in 11 games his first two years, could also see action in the outfield.
SCHEDULE
The 2005 schedule is a mix of tough non-conference opponents along with the competitive Mountain West Conference slate. The Lobos will play four teams that earned NCAA berths last season (Arizona, Texas Tech, Rice, UNLV) and three that are ranked in the Collegiate Baseball preseason top 40 (Arizona – 12th; Rice – 15th; Nebraska – 31st).
The Lobos open with a road trip to Arizona Feb. 4-6. The Wildcats, who earned a berth in the College World Series last season, will return the favor and play UNM in Albuquerque April 19. UNM then travels to Texas Tech Feb. 8 for the first of three times this season before hosting rival New Mexico State in the home-series opener Feb. 11-13 at Isotopes Park.
After hosting Texas State Feb. 18-20, UNM heads to Houston, Texas, for what may be the biggest challenge of the year. The Lobos match up against Nebraska Feb. 25, Western Carolina Feb. 26 and Rice Feb. 27.
“We have some rough games early in the year,” said Alday. “It’s going to be a dogfight. The key for us to get off to a good start.”
Following the tournament at Rice, UNM plays 10 consecutive games at home and hosts its next four series. The Lobos begin Mountain West play March 17-19 against BYU. The Lobos do not leave home until March 23, when they travel to Las Cruces for the first of three single games against the Aggies. UNM also plays NMSU March 29 and April 12.
UNM’s first road series in conference play is April 1-3 at Utah. After playing the Utes, the Lobos get a unique opportunity and will play the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes in an exhibition game April 5 at Isotopes Park.
The Lobos’ last home series of 2005 is May 12-14 against San Diego State, and the final series of the regular season is May 19-21 at Air Force. The Mountain West Conference Tournament will be held May 25-28 at Franklin Covey Field in Salt Lake City, Utah.