March 8, 2007
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THE GAME
New Mexico happily returns home after a disappointing showing last weekend at the Domino’s Pizza Aggie Baseball Classic, going 1-3. The Lobos are 2-2 at home and, with a 7-11 overall record, could pull even at .500 (11-11) if they sweep the Rhode Island Rams this weekend.
Friday night’s game, slated for a 6 p.m. start, should pit two southpaws against each other in the Lobos’ junior Bobby LaFromboise (2-0, 2.32 ERA) and the Rams’ senior Adam Perkins (1-1, 6.94 ERA). Saturday and Sunday’s contests are scheduled for 1 p.m. Two righties, UNM junior Stephen Smith (1-3. 8.67 ERA) is supposed to start against URI’s junior Brett Palanski (0-2, 19.80 ERA) on Saturday. Two more lefties are tabbed to start Sunday in UNM junior Jacob Norton (0-4, 7.20 ERA) and Rhode Island freshman Nick Greenwood (0-1, 7.00 ERA).
LIVE ACTION
All three games this weekend will be streamed live for free at www.GoLobos.com via Lobos All-Access. CSTV’s GameTracker is also available, providing play-by-play, up-to-date stats and more.
LOOKING AT THE LOBOS
New Mexico, 7-11 overall, snapped a five-game losing streak in the final game of the Domino’s Pizza Aggie Baseball Classic, beating Saint Louis 17-5. The win was the Lobos largest this season, topping their 16-5 win over New Mexico State on Feb. 20.
The Lobos have struggled offensively so far, posting a .269 batting average. UNM hasn’t hit below .300 in a season since 1990. Junior Jordan Pacheco and senior Daniel Stovall have produced at the plate, however. Pacheco, hitting .412, has a team-high 28 hits and 20 runs with 13 RBI and 16 walks. Stovall, hitting .333, has a team-high 20 RBI with 24 hits and 16 runs. Freshman Adam Courcha holds the team’s best batting average at .421 (8-for-19), but has only played in eight games.
Pitching as a whole has been good for New Mexico, posting a 5.84 ERA, which is the lowest for the staff since 1996. Junior starter Bobby LaFromboise has filled the vacancy left by Danny Ray Herrera nicely, going 2-0 with a 2.32 ERA. In 31.0 innings, LaFromboise has struck out a team-high 32 batters. Out of the bullpen, junior Adam Skelton, sophomore Brandon Hewett and freshman Brian Hill have led the Lobos. Hill, with a 3.86 ERA, has struck out six in 7.0 innings while Hewett, with a 4.00 ERA, has struck out six in 9.0 innings. Skelton holds a 4.09 ERA and has fanned eight in 11.0 innings.
REVIEWING THE RAMS
Rhode Island is just 1-6 overall heading into the weekend. The Rams have lost five straight thanks to a winless outing at the Microtel Inn & Suites Challenge at Conway, S.C. At the tournament, they fell to 22nd-ranked Coastal Carolina, West Virginia and Marist.
Hitting hasn’t been the team’s problem. The Rams hold a .317 batting average with six players posting averages over .400. Dan Tucker holds a .556 average, followed by Dan Rhault’s .455 and Zach Zaneski’s .435 averages. Ryan Cunningham, hitting .433, leads the team in hits (13) and RBI.
Pitching has been Rhode Island’s weakness, turning in a 8.38 ERA. Relievers Tim Boyce and Dan Rossignol have the lowest ERA’s at 0.00 and 4.76, respectively. Boyce, in two appearances, has struck out seven while Rossignol has throw 5.2 innings in four appearances. Adam Perkins has the lowest ERA of the team’s starters at 6.94. He has thrown a team-high 11.2 innings and struck out a team-high 11 batters.
HISTORY LESSONS
The Lobos have never faced Rhode Island, a member of the Atlantic 10 conference. They just faced fellow A-10 member Saint Louis, splitting the two games. Overall, UNM is 2-1 against A-10 members.
UNM prefers to know its opponents, going 58-72-1 in the first meeting with a new school. Under coach Rich Alday since 1990, the Lobos have gone 12-25-1 against first-time opponents.
NEARING THE MILESTONES
Head coach Rich Alday is nearing two major coaching milestones. With a 494-494-3 record at New Mexico, he needs just six wins for 500. As a collegiate head coach, he is 990-714-3, leaving him just 10 victories shy of 1,000.
REWRITING THE RECORDS
Senior Daniel Stovall is so close to rewriting multiple program records at New Mexico. Currently with 67 career doubles, Stovall needs two to tie Dusty Young’s 69 set from 2000-03.
With 444 total bases in his career, Stovall is fifth all-time. Second place in the book is easily within his grasp, needing 15 to pass Joe Salas’s (2001-04) 458. The record is held by Lon Yamaguchi (1996-99), with 496.
Stovall is also just shy of the top-5 in home runs. Currently with 34 in his career, he needs just two to tie Chris Carlson (2005-06). Salas and Yamaguchi are tied for fourth with 38. Stovall will have to have his best year yet if he wants to take over second or first, needing 16 to tie Chris Alexander’s (2000-03) 50 and 19 to match Aaron Sisk’s (1998-00) 53.
NOT ON MY WATCH
Left-handed junior Bobby LaFromboise has not allowed an earned run in his last 24 innings. On Feb. 16 vs. Nebraska, he went 8.0 innings, giving up just one run in the first inning. On Feb. 23, LaFromboise threw a complete-game shutout, bringing his total to 16 straight scoreless innings. On March 2, he threw 7.0 innings, surrendering one unearned run in the fifth, ending his scoreless innings streak at 20.
INHERITED HEROES
Seven Lobo pitchers have inherited a total of 20 runners this season and gotten out of the situation with just two of them crossing the plate. Three Lobos, junior Adam Skelton, sophomore Brandon Hewett and freshman Jarrad Watkins, have come in twice with runners aboard. Overall, Watkins has inherited five runners and held them all in place. Skelton has also taken on five total and allowed just one to score. Hewett has taken on one in two different appearances and not allowed them to score.
SCORE EARLY AND SCORE OFTEN
In order to win, New Mexico has had to get up early on its opponents and score lots of runs. When the Lobos hold a lead after the first inning, they are 5-1. They are 6-3 when leading after the second and 7-2 when leading after the third. If the Lobos were tied or trailing after one, they won just 2 and lost 10. After two innings, they are 1-8 and after three, 0-9. Also, when UNM scores 10 or more runs, they are 6-0. But, if they score nine or fewer, they are just 1-11.
LINE UP THE LEFTIES
Two Lobos, senior Matt Foote and junior Matt Hibbitts, should be thrilled that Rhode Island is throwing two southpaws this weekend. Foote has the second highest average against lefties, hitting .467 (7-for-15) while Hibbittts is 5-for-16 (.313) with a team-high five RBI. The pair haven’t fared as well against right-handed pitchers, putting up batting averages of .256 (11-for-43) and .167 (5-for-30), respectively.
WHEN IT MATTERS MOST
The Lobos are hitting just .269 as a team overall and a dismal .229 when the bases are empty. However, they are hitting when it matters most. With runners in scoring position, UNM is hitting .296 and .299 with runners in scoring position and two outs. With the bases loaded, the Lobos are hitting their best, .324.
THE HEAT IS ON
The UNM pitching staff has an opposing batting average of .306 but when the heat is on, they remain in control. With the bases loaded, New Mexico has faced 27 batters and allowed just one hit for a .059 average and have struck out six.