ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The quest for a fifth straight championship season began on a cold but clear Friday afternoon for the University of New Mexico baseball team. Despite temperatures in the upper 30s, the Lobos held their first practice of 2015 as they begin their quest to defend their Mountain West regular-season co-championship.
“We’re still a little young, still a little immature, and we might have four freshmen starting for us,” head coach Ray Birmingham said, “but the pitching staff looks really good, which is what we’ve been shooting for. They might have to hold down the fort while we get the young kids ready. But we’re planning on another championship.”
The Lobos are a young team despite bringing back numerous key contributors from last season’s championship team. UNM loses Chase Harris, Alex Real and John Pustay from the offense, and Josh Walker, A.J. Carman and Jonathan Cuellar from the pitching staff, but they return all the key arms in the bullpen and six players that started at least 33 games last season.
Even though he’s one of the premier hitting coaches in the country, Birmingham always wants to build his team around pitching and defense.
“On the mound (Colton) Thomson will be a good one,” he said. “And (Toller) Boardman is a newcomer, another left-hander, and he’ll be a good one. Then we’ll also have (Drew) Bridges. Those guys will carry us. Then we have our bullpen. Those guys didn’t give up any (games) when leading after the seventh inning last year. … Victor Sanchez will be in the running for closer of the year at the end of the year.”
Sanchez went 4-1 last year with a 2.33 ERA and 10 saves. Joining him in the bullpen will be junior righty Taylor Duree, who led the team with 29 appearances last year, senior righty Jake Cole, who struck out 38 in 41.2 innings and earned three saves of his own, and sophomore lefty Carson Schneider who set a freshman record last year with 24 games.
“Team-wise (our goals) are the same,” Sanchez said. “We want a conference championship, a tournament championship and to make it to a regional and hopefully beyond. We need everyone to pull together like we have the last few years.”
At the plate and in the field the Lobos bring back 2014 Academic All-American Sam Haggerty and Freshman All-American and Mountain West Freshman of the Year Danny Collier. Also back are senior Aaron Siple, who started 55 games in center, and junior Jared Holley, who will make the move from shortstop to third base this season. Also back are sophomores Andre Vigil and Jack Zoellner, who hit .311 and .301 last year, respectively.
“Our home run numbers were down a little (last year),” Birmingham said, “but our singles and doubles and triples were right in line with what we do at Lobo Baseball. … There just aren’t that many home runs hit at Lobo Field. It didn’t used to be that way. It used to be a launching pad before I got here, but we made it a lot bigger. So now speed in the outfield and line drives and drag bunts, along with good pitching and good defense, are the key.”
UNM has three weeks to prepare for its season-opening tournament in Surprise, Arizona against Michigan State, Northwestern and last year’s No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, Oregon State. The Lobos’ home schedule begins on Feb. 27 in the Lobo Invite against San Francisco and Utah Valley. Fans can purchase their Lobo Pride Pass and reserve their seat to all 29 home games this season.