April 21, 2008
Lobo Baseball at Arizona Game Notes 
Up Next For Lobo Baseball
Games #42-43 at Arizona
Tuesday, April 22 7 p.m. (MDT)
Wednesday, April 23 1 p.m. (MDT)
Jerry Kindall Park at Frank Sancet Stadium Tucson, Ariz.
Live Stats: Link available on GoLobos.com.
Against Arizona: Arizona holds a 153-33 series lead over the Lobos, including two wins last week in Albuquerque – 10-6 and 4-2.
Up Next: The Lobos host No. 16 UC Irvine at Isotopes Park on Friday-Sunday, April 25-27. Sunday is Youth Day at the ballpark.
LOBO BASEBALL QUICK HITS
LOBOS IN FIRST PLACE … New Mexico is currently tied for first place in the Mountain West Conference with TCU at 11-4, thanks to back-to-back series sweeps of Air Force and Utah. MWC series remaining on the schedule – at BYU (May 1-3), at UNLV (May 9-11), vs. TCU (May 15-17).
LOBOS IN COACHES POLL FOR THIRD TIME … UNM is getting some recognition from the coaches who vote on the USA Today Top 25 Coaches Poll. For a third time this season, the Lobos are receiving votes at 27-14 on April 21. UNM received votes in the poll on March 3 after a quick 7-1 start, then again on April 7, at 20-11.
THE MAGIC NUMBER IS 10 … Lobo fans aren’t just watching the scoreboard for the score. Fans are watching for the Lobos to reach10 hits in a game. Why? The Lobos are 24-3 on the season when they get at least 10 hits in a game. Just 3-11 when they don’t get to 10. The Lobos’ season-high is 28 hits against Air Force on April 12 in Farmington. The season-low is 3 against then-No. 1 Arizona State on March 4. If the Lobos also reach 10 runs, they are 13-0 on the season.
PARKING FOR UC IRVINE … With nationally-ranked UC Irvine in town and the Gathering of Nations Pow Wow across the street at The Pit, Lobo fans will want to take a little extra time getting to the ballpark this weekend.
NEW MEXICO AT A GLANCE (27-14, 11-4 MWC) … The Lobos are currently tied with TCU for first place in the Mountain West Conference and will spend the last four weeks of the regular season fighting for a conference championship and a stronger RPI … The majority of the Lobos remaining schedule is against Mountain West Conference competition (9 games) … This week, UNM will play five non-conference games against Top 5 team UC Irvine and Pac-10 power Arizona for good measure … UNM received votes in the USA Today Coaches Poll for the third time this season on April 21 and holds an unofficial RPI of 53 going into the U of A series … The Lobos have put together two seven-game winning streaks this season … Junior Brian Cavazos-Galvez leads the team in batting with a .368 average … The right side of the infield, first baseman Kevin Atkinson and second baseman Mike Brownstein, have started every game for the Lobos in 2008 … The weekend pitching has stabilized with seniors Bobby LaFromboise, Jacob Norton and Stephen Smith leading the way … Norton became the Lobos first 5-game winner on April 19 against Utah … Closer Clinton Cox leads the Lobo pitching staff with 17 appearances … John Hesketh and Will Kerr have been solid mid-week starters.
ARIZONA AT A GLANCE (25-11, 6-6 PAC-10) … The Wildcats are on a 10-game win streak and have won 12 of their last 14 games … After spending the majority of the 2008 season on the road, Arizona will have home games every week for the remainder of the season, with only two Pac-10 road series at Oregon State and California … Freshman Bryce Ortega leads the Wildcats with a .354 batting average, while starting 28 games … Mid-week starters for Arizona have been Mike Colla and a variety of others.
CHANGING HIS TUNE … When Lobo first baseman Kevin Atkinson asked to change his walk-up song 22 games into the season, the deal was that he had to start hitting better … So far, so good … Before the song change, Atkinson was hitting .319 with 13 runs, 30 hits, 12 RBI, 8 doubles, no triples, 1 home run, 2 walks, and 12 strikouts in 22 games … 19 games into the change, the Surrey, B.C., Canada native is hitting .380 with 26 runs, 30 hits, 25 RBI, 4 doubles, 2 triples, 8 home runs, 7 walks, and 5 strikeouts … So what was the change in tunes? From the Top Gun Anthem to Rockstar by R. Kelly featuring Kid Rock and Ludacris.
CLOSING TIME WITH COX … Junior closer Clinton Cox is a nominee for the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Award for the work he has done for the Lobos in 2008 … Cox leads UNM in appearances with 17 and has a 2-0 record to go along with two saves … The Rock Springs, Wyo., resident picked up his second win of the season on April 18 against Utah, 5-4 in 12 innings, withe 3.1 innings of relief work … Against San Diego State on April 3, Cox picked up his first win of the season with 2.1 innings of relief work in a 5-4 win … Cox has a 2.81 ERA in 32.0 innings pitched with 8 walks and 20 strikeouts … Cox is fourth in the Mountain West Conference in games finished with 13.
FINISHING THE JOB … Lobo starting pitchers have been keeping the bullpen, including Cox, on the shelf lately … UNM has four complete games on the season … Transfer Will Kerr got things started with a complete game 12-3 win over Vermont on March 28 … After not making an appearance for two weeks, senior Bobby LaFromboise has returned to the mound with a vengance … In two straight appearances, the Roger Clemens Award candidate has thrown two complete games – a 5-2 win at San Diego State on April 4 and a 7-1 win over Air Force on April 11, seven days later … Senior Stephen Smith worked the Lobos fourth complete game of the season on April 13 with a 13-3 win over Air Force.
MR. CONSISTENT … No matter who leads the Lobos in batting average during the season, Matt Hibbitts will be right there in the mix … The senior from Portland, Ore., is third in hitting with a .341 average and 56 hits … He also has 36 runs scored and 11 doubles … Hibbitts spends his days roaming left field on defense, after starting the season at third base for the injured Ian Hollick.
A CAREER MAN … Third baseman Ian Hollick has started 187 games and played in 203 games over his four-year career with the Lobos … Hollick has gradually worked his way back into the UNM starting lineup after having wrist surgery in early February … His best game so far this season was on April 12 against Air Force with a 4-of-5 performance at the plate with two runs, two RBI, a double and a home run … He also had five assists in the game from third base.
TURNING TWO … The Lobos currently lead the nation in double plays turned with 49 after the Arizona series … First baseman Kevin Atkinson leads the way, having a part in 42, while shortstop Scott Gracey has turned 33, and Mike Brownstein 30.
PLAYING THE BEST TO BE THE BEST … The Lobos have a tough non-conference schedule to go along with a solid Mountain West Conference schedule. UNM has already faced two Top 25 teams in Arizona State and California, with Arizona on April 22-23 and UC Irvine coming up April 25-27.