Lobo Baseball – at Peccole Park, Reno, Nev.
When: Friday – 5 p.m. (MT), Saturday – 2 p.m. (MT), Sunday – 2 p.m. (MT)
Who: Nevada Wolf Pack
GoLobos.com: Live stats, live stream, box score, postgame recap and stats
Video: Nevada will stream all three games live and they can be found at GoLobos.com
Mountain West Standings
| Place | School | MW record | Overall record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | 5-1 | 13-3 |
| 2 | New Mexico | 4-2 | 10-4 |
| 2 | San Diego State | 4-2 | 14-3 |
| 4 | Fresno State | 3-3 | 9-9 |
| 4 | Air Force | 3-3 | 8-8 |
| 6 | UNLV | 1-5 |
7-8 |
| 6 | San José St. | 1-5 |
6-10 |
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Last week the Lobos played their biggest series of the season to date against the San Diego State Aztecs and took two of three at Lobo Field. This week they will again play their biggest series of the season to date, this time against the Nevada Wolf Pack in Reno, Nev.
The Wolf Pack are a game up on the Lobos in the early stages of the Mountain West season, and they have been absolutely crushing the ball so far. They have 18 home runs this season and are slugging .457 as a team. Junior transfer Ryan Howell is leading the way with a .429 average, six home runs and 23 RBIs. He’s slugging an astonishing .893. He has had plenty of help, though. Senior first baseman and Presason First Team All-American Austin Byler is batting .377 with four home runs, 15 RBIs, 15 walks and a .575 OBP. Freshman Cal Stevenson is hitting .383, senior Kewby Meyer is at .311, and 2014 Freshman All-American Trenton Brooks is at .288 but has chipped in with three homers and 22 RBIs.
It won’t be an easy test for the Lobos, who allowed 12 combined runs in the eighth inning or later in three straight games, before shutting down Stephen F. Austin Wednesday afternoon. These will also be the first true road games for UNM this season. The Lobos started the season at the Surprise College Baseball Classic in Surprise, Ariz., and went 3-1 against Oregon State, Michigan State and Northwestern. The next weekend they were supposed to travel and play at Air Force, but snow forced the series to Albuquerque. So although UNM played as the “visiting team,” they were in the friendly confines of Lobo Field.
Their first road trip won’t be an easy one. Nevada is 7-0 at home this season, albeit three of those wins were by a single run, and two came in extra innings. UNM has had success in Reno in years past as well, posting a 5-1 record at Peccole Park the last two season.
Taking at least two games in this season will move UNM ahead of the Wolf Pack in the MW standings, while getting swept would drop the Lobos four games back with 21 league contests remaining.
Against Nevada: The Lobos have won seven of the last nine against Nevada, including two in Reno last season. Of the 14 games the two teams have played since the 2012 season, 10 have been decided by one or two runs or in extra innings.
Series Record: 9-7
Home: 3-3; Away: 5-1; Neutral: 1-3
Up Next: UNM travels to No. 12 Arizona State for a midweek game, before returning to Lobo Field to face No. 25 Houston for a three-game series next weekend.
• SCOUTING NEVADA … There’s no other way to put it, the Wolf Pack have been mashing the ball this year. They have 18 home runs this season and are slugging .457 as a team. Junior transfer Ryan Howell is leading the way with a .429 average, six home runs and 23 RBIs. He’s slugging an astonishing .893. He has had plenty of help, though. Senior first baseman and Presason First Team All-American Austin Byler is batting .377 with four home runs, 15 RBIs, 15 walks and a .575 OBP. Freshman Cal Stevenson is hitting .383, senior Kewby Meyer is at .311, and 2014 Freshman All-American Trenton Brooks is at .288 but has chipped in with three homers and 22 RBIs.
The bullpen has also been terrific, led by closer Adam Whitt (0.71 ERA, 7 saves) who has allowed just one run in 12.2 innings with 13 strikeouts against just one walk. Junior Zach Wilkins has a 1.42 ERA in seven relief appearances this year.
One place where the Wolf Pack have struggled is in their starting rotation. Outside of senior Jason Deitrich (2-1, 1.80 ERA in four starts), their starters have left something to be desired. Veterans Michael Fain and Barry Timko both have ERAs above 8.30, and they’ve started seven combined games. Junior transfer Christian Stolo has a 4.15 ERA in five appearances, including four starts. If the Lobos want to take down the Wolf Pack and claim first place in the Mountain West, they will probably want to get on the board early and often.
• LET’S TURN TWO … New Mexico has been one of the most prolific teams in the nation in turning double plays since 2012. Over the last three-plus seasons UNM has turned 183 double plays, which is the 10th most in the country during that span. This season they are 23rd in the NCAA with 16 twin killings, and 18th in double plays per game with 1.14.
• THREE FOR ME … On Tuesday, March 10, freshman catcher Cory Voss tripled twice in UNM’s 8-5 loss to Stephen F. Austin. He was the first Lobo to record two triples in a game since Alex Allbritton did so on April 18, 2010, against Coppin State. Heading into the weekend he’s fourth in the NCAA with four triples.
• HIT ME BABY ONE MORE TIME … Despite standing just 5-foot-8 and being the shortest player in each of his three years on campus, Jared Holley has become a baseball magnet. He has been hit by 26 pitches in his career, which is good for a four-way tie for fifth in UNM history.
• FOLLOW MY LEAD … The Lobos have had their leadoff man reach at a .398 (49-for-123) clip this season, which has helped them average 7.1 runs per game.
• ON BASE MACHINE … Sam Haggerty saw his streak of reaching base safely (via hit, walk or hit by pitch) end on March 7 versus San Diego State. He had reached in 38 straight games dating back to last season. For his career he has reached safely in 121 of his 127 career starts.
• BULLPEN DOMINANCE … The UNM bullpen has been outstanding at protecting leads during the last several seasons. The Lobos have won 39 straight games when leading after six innings, a streak that dates back to June 1, 2013. And if UNM is leading after eight innings? Forget it. The Lobos haven’t lost when leading after eight in 66 straight games. The last time the Lobos blew a lead was in their first game at the renovated Lobo Field when Luke Campbell lost a ball in the sun, which would have been the final out of the game, and allowed the go-ahead (and eventual winning) run to score.