April 18, 2007
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THE GAME: The Lobos (17-21, 6-6 MWC) hope to extend their three-game win streak when they visit the Utah Utes (16-20, 5-4 MWC) in Salt Lake City for a three-game series starting Thursday. CSTV’s GameTracker is available on New Mexico’s website, www.GoLobos.com, providing up-to-the-minute stats, play-by-play and more. Free audio, provided by Utah, is also available on UNM’s website in the Lobos All-Access section.
The Lobos are expected to start right-handed freshman Ryan Escarcega (1-2, 8.70 ERA) on Thursday followed by right-handed junior Stephen Smith (4-5, 7.31 ERA) on Friday. Saturday’s starter should be either right-handed junior Adam Skelton (0-1, 6.30 ERA) or left-handed junior Jacob Norton (2-6, 7.22 ERA). Utah plans to throw right-hander Kerr Foster (0-3, 5.84 ERA) on Thursday, left-hander Eric King (4-1, 2.94 ERA) on Friday and right-hander Brad DeVore (1-0, 5.33 ERA) on Saturday.
LOOKING AT THE LOBOS: New Mexico, at 17-21 overall and 6-6 in the Mountain West Conference, has won its last three games, sweeping the series at Air Force. Junior Jordan Pacheco and senior Daniel Stovall lead the Lobos offensively, posting .426 and .378 batting averages with 43 and 38 runs scored and 35 and 40 RBI, respectively. On the mound, the team combines for a 6.33 ERA and is just shy of a 2-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ration. They have struck out 222 compared to their opponents’ total of 227 but have used the walks to beat the opponents, allowing just 137 compared to 206.
SCOUTING THE UTES: Utah, 16-20 overall and 5-4 in the MWC, went 3-1 last week, defeating Southern Utah in a non-conference tilt, before taking two-of-three games from San Diego State. The Utes have won seven of their last nine games and four of their last five series. Junior Jesse Shriner notched his third walk-off hit of the season in Sunday’s 9-8 victory over SDSU. All three game-ending hits have come in the last two weeks. Senior right-hander Brett Bruneel was on the mound at the end of all three of Utah’s victories, collecting a win and a save. Junior Dustin Hennis has both of Utah’s grand slams this season, the most recent serving as the Utes’ game-winning hit in Saturday’s 5-4 win over the Aztecs.
HISTORY LESSONS: Utah rallied from a game one loss in Albuquerque almost a month ago, winning the final two game to take the series. In the series, UNM out-hit Utah .330-to-.319 and scored more runs with more RBIs. Below are series notes:
All-time series record: 74-46, UNMSeries record in Albuquerque: 44-25, UNM
Series record in Salt Lake City: 27-17, UNM
Series record at neutral sites: 4-3, Utah
Last series win: 4/21-23/2006
Last series loss: 3/23-25/2007
Last home series win: 4/21-23/2006
Last home series loss: 3/23-25/2007
Last road series win: 4/1-3/2005
Last road series loss: 5/10-12/2001
Last UNM series sweep: 4/1-3/2005
Last Utah series sweep: 4/29-5/1/2005
Last 10 games: 4-6
Alday vs. Utah: 57-32
Longest UNM win streak: 7, 1992-93
Longest UNM losing streak: 4, twice
Last UNM win: 3/23/07 (9-1)
Last UNM loss: 3/25/07 (11-9)
Last UNM home win: 3/23/07 (9-1)
Last UNM home loss: 3/25/07 (11-9)
Last UNM road win: 4/3/05 (12-3)
Last UNM road loss: 4/10/04 (10-2)
Last UNM shutout win: 3/31/00 (3-0)
Last UNM shutout loss: 5/4/02 (3-0)
Highest scoring game: 35, 1953 (L, 20-15)
Largest margin of victory: 22, 4/23/94 (24-2)
Largest margin of defeat: 11, 5/17/88 (13-2)
UNM in one-run games: 10-13
Most runs by UNM: 26, 3/13/93 (W, 26-8)
Most runs by Utah: 20, twice
STOVALL’S STREAK: Senior Daniel Stovall has hit safely in his last 21 straight games, giving him the longest hit streak of his career and ties for the fourth longest active streak in the nation. He will have to keep up his .378 batting average if he wants to crack the top-5 all-time at UNM. Fifth is currently held by Scott Candelaria, who hit in 25 straight in 2000. The longest in Lobo history is 39, set by Dusty Young in 2003.
HOT-HITTING HIBBITTS: Junior Matt Hibbitt was red-hot in the Air Force series, hitting a team-leading .769 (10-for-13) with six runs scored. He was one of four Lobos to hit a home run and he scored a team-high six runs in the series. Broken down, Hibbitts was 4-for-5 in game one, 3-for-4 in game two and 3-for-4 in game three.
CYCLE IN THE SERIES: If you combine all three games at Air Force, senior Matt Foote hit for the cycle. He recorded just five hits in the series but they all came at critical times, driving in a team-high 11 runs. In game one, Foote’s grand slam in the ninth provided the winning runs. Later that night in game two, he doubled and tripled, driving in four more runs. In the final game, Foote singled and homered again, completing the cycle.
SOLID START: Junior Jacob Norton was not having much luck as a starting pitcher, going 0-4 in his first month before picking up his first win on March 11. It took almost another month before Norton was able to pick up his next win. Norton had a great outting as the starter at Air Force on Monday, April 16, allowing just one run on four hits and three walks. He matched his season high in strikeouts, fanning five in the win.
MILESTONE WATCH COMPLETE: As a collegiate head coach, Rich Alday garnered his 1,000 win on Monday, April 16 at Air Force. He is now 1,000-721-3. Alday already surpassed two other milestones this season. Friday, March 23 against Utah, Alday coached his 1,000th game at the University of New Mexico and earned a 9-1 win. Exactly one week later, he picked up his 500th win at UNM, beating San Diego State11-5.
REWRITING THE RECORDS: Senior Daniel Stovall doubled Tuesday night, March 20 against New Mexico State, breaking Dusty Young’s career doubles record of 69 set from 2000-03. Stovall didn’t stop there, currently boasting 76 total doubles over his four-year career.
He took the record for total bases from Lon Yamaguchi (1996-99, 496) in the final game at Air Force on Monday, April 16. Currently, Stovall has touched 500 total bases.
Stovall is also just in the top-5 for home runs. Currently with 37 in his career, he sits fifth. Stovall needs just one more to tie Joe Salas and Yamaguchi, who 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 13 to tie Chris Alexander’s (2000-03) 50 and 16 to match Aaron Sisk’s (1998-00) 53.
LEAGUE LEADERS: Of all the statistics kept track of by the Mountain West Conference, 10 Lobos combine to lead the league in 19 different categories. Senior Daniel Stovall is top dog the most, ranking first in five categories. Stovall’s 62 hits, 40 RBI, 16 doubles, 346 fielding chances and 325 putouts as of April 17 are the most in the MWC. Junior Jordan Pacheco holds the top spot in three statistics, batting average (.426), on base percentage (.534) and runs (43). Seniors Matt Foote leads the MWC in stolen bases (22) and steal attempts (25) while senior Jay Russell is first in walks (30), freshman Scott Gracey leads in sacrifice bunts (8) and junior Matt Hibbitts is tops in sacrifice flies (5). In pitching statistics, junior Jacob Norton leads the MWC in balks (5) and fewest doubles allowed (5). Junior Bobby LaFromboise has a MWC-leading 28 strikeouts looking while junior Stephen Smith’s six sac flies allowed in the most in the MWC. Defensively junior Drew McDonald ranks for the most steal attempts against at 54.