ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The University of New Mexico baseball team has its captains for the 2016 season. After receiving input from the team, head coach Ray Birmingham chose three individuals he felt would excel as leaders: redshirt senior RHP Victor Sanchez, redshirt junior RHP Matt Villalobos, and sophomore infielder/catcher Carl Stajduhar.
“These are three exceptional young men,” Birmingham said. “The team goes how the leaders go, so they all have a lot of responsibility riding on them. They are all unselfish, and they don’t get emotional on the field. They are competitive on and off the field. I trust Carl, Victor and Matt to lead, and I know they will do a great job in this role.”
A right-handed reliever, Sanchez blossomed after becoming UNM’s closer as a sophomore in 2014. He was named to the watch list for both the Stopper of the Year and the Gregg Olson Award (Breakout Player of the Year). He became just the second Lobo to ever record double-digit saves in a season (10), while going 4-1 with a 2.33 ERA. He is third all-time at UNM with 12 career saves.
“This is a huge honor,” the Albuquerque native said. “During my time here I’ve been on teams that made it to a regional and also on teams that fell short. I think that experience can help me with this year’s team and how I can help us get back to a regional. This is a really cool deal.”
Villalobos was equally excited and honored when informed of the news.
“Me, Victor and Carl. How about that?” he said. “That’s great.”
A native of Rio Rancho, Villalobos originally came to UNM as a position player and tried his hand both behind the plate and in the field. He moved to the pitcher’s mound as a sophomore in 2014, though, and went 1-0 with a 2.45 ERA in six appearances. In order to gain more time to develop on the mound, he redshirted last season.
“Being a captain following my redshirt year means a lot,” he said. “To me it shows the coaching staff and my teammates have noticed all the hard work and preparation I put in during the offseason. I go about my business trying to lead by example. I want to motivate each and every one of my teammates to be better than they were the day before. I just want to help the team win as many games as possible.”
Stajduhar was a Freshman All-American last season after setting a UNM record for RBIs by a freshman with 53. He was named both Second Team All-Region by the ABCA and Second Team All-Mountain West after leading the Lobos in RBIs, hits (75), doubles (21), home runs (9) and total bases (127) while finishing second in runs (45) and slugging (.545).
“It feels great,” he said about being named a captain. “I’m glad the team thinks of me that way. I hope I can help lead the team to a great season.”
The Lobos open their 2016 campaign on the road with four games at Hawai’i beginning Feb. 19. They start their home schedule on Feb. 26 against Wichita State.