Feb. 22, 2007
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THE GAME: The Lobos (4-6) are looking to win their second game in a row for the first time all season, hosting Texas State (8-3) for a three-game series this weekend. It’s New Mexico’s first home series of the 2007 season. They play the Bobcats Friday and Saturday at 3 p.m. and Sunday at noon.
Friday, left-handed junior Bobby LaFromboise (1-0, 4.80 ERA) is scheduled to make his first start at Isotopes Park, facing Texas State’s right-handed Mike Hart (2-0, 1.06 ERA). Right-handed junior Stephen Smith (0-2, 9.00 ERA) is slated to start Saturday’s game for New Mexico, going up against right-handed Kyle Gembler (1-1, 1.15 ERA) in his first home appearance. On Sunday, junior lefty Jacob Norton (0-2, 4.96 ERA) should make his first home start for the Lobos, taking on right-handed Philip Lynch (0-0, 6.75 ERA).
LIVE ACTION: Lobo fans can follow the action live for free this year. Stats provided by CSTV’s GameTracker are available at www.GoLobos.com. Audio is also available at www.GoLobos.com if you sign up for a free Lobos All-Access account. Live video is also in the works for all-access members so keep checking the Lobos’ official site for more information.
BASEBALL RADIO BROADCASTS: Dan Rivera will call the play-by-play for the Lobos, while Mike Foote will provide analysis. It marks the fourth straight season the duo will call Lobo baseball. Prior to each broadcast there will be a pre-game show, which includes an interview with head coach Rich Alday, sponsored by First Community Bank. Fans who want to comment on the games or ask our analysts a question, send emails to the crew at daniel.rivera@home123.com anytime and they will be read on air.
SCOUTING THE BOBCATS: Texas State is coming off a 7-1 loss at the University of Texas but boasts an 8-3 record overall. The Bobcats are perfect at home (4-0) and are 3-0 at neutral locations. They are just 1-3 on the road, however.
The Bobcats are outhitting their opponents, .311-.196. Aaron Garza leads the team with a .476 batting average, 12 runs scored and 11 RBI. David Wood, hitting .396, also has a team-high 11 RBI and has scored 11 runs.
Texas State holds a 3.47 team ERA, striking out 92 in 96.0 innings. Starters Mike Hart and Kyle Gembler have been superb, posting a 1.06 and 1.15 ERA, respectively. Hart is 2-0 while reliever Jason Baca is a team-best 3-0 with a 1.35 ERA in seven appearances.
HISTORY LESSON: The all-time series between New Mexico and Texas State is even at 3-3. The series began in 2005 with three games in Albuquerque, which the Bobcats won two of. Last year the Lobos went to San Marcos and got revenge, taking two of three. UNM won the last two meeting, 7-3 and 3-2. The Lobos lone win at home was the series opener on Feb. 18, 2005, 19-5.
LAFROMBOISE NAMED MWC PITCHER OF THE WEEK: Junior left hander Bobby LaFromboise was named Mountain West Conference Pitcher of the Week, respectively. LaFromboise, a Downey, Calif., native, led New Mexico to an upset victory over No. 7 Nebraska last week, tallying his first win of the season in the process. In 8.0 innings of work, he gave up just three hits, three walks and one earned run, while striking out nine. After the Cornhuskers scored a run in the first innings, LaFromboise settled in and allowed just two hits over the next five innings. He fanned two batters in the first, third and fourth innings en route to his nine strikeouts.
NEARING THE MILESTONES: Head coach Rich Alday is nearing two major coaching milestones. With a 491-489-3 record at New Mexico, he needs just nine wins for 500. As a collegiate head coach, he is 987-709-3, leaving him just 13 victories shy of 1,000.
SHORT START: Junior Jordan Pacheco’s start at shortstop on Feb. 20 at New Mexico State may not be a one-time thing. The preseason All-American and two-time all-MWC honoree adapted so well to the move that head coach Rich Alday is considering keeping him there. Filling in for Pacheco at second base was sophomore Chad Itokazu.
PINCH WALKING: The normal terminology is pinch hitting but the Lobos who have filled that role so far have been walking, not hitting. In 10 plate appearances, resulting in six at bats, the Lobos have been 0-for-6 while pinch hitting. However, they have drawn four walks, two for freshman Bret Fanning and one for sophomore Chad Itokazu and freshman Adam Courcha.
WALK THIS WAY: After the Lobos drew nine walks and three hit-by-pitches on Tuesday at New Mexico State, they moved into second place in the Mountain West Conference for both those categories. With 56 team walks, the Lobos trail just UNLV’s 62 and their 14 times hit by a pitch is second to just TCU’s 16. Individually, senior Jay Russell has been walked more than anyone else in the MWC, earning 10 free passes and junior Jordan Pacheco is on his heels with eight free trips to first. Pacheco is third in the conference for times hit by a pitch, getting plunked three times in 10 games.
RUNNING LATE: The New Mexico runners had been going full-speed late in games. As a team, the Lobos were 5-for-6 in stolen base attempts with four of the six coming in the ninth inning prior to the Hilton Arlington UTA Invitational. UNM hadn’t attempted a stolen base prior to the fifth inning and hadn’t successfully swiped one prior to the 7th. Two Lobos, senior Matt Foote and freshman Bret Fanning, had stolen two bases each, all in the ninth.
The Lobos broke the pattern at Texas-Arlington, swiping six bases on eight attempts and only two were in the ninth inning. At New Mexico State on Tuesday, senior Jay Russell successfully took second in the first inning and Fanning advanced safely in the third.