SERIES NOTES | LIVE STATS | WATCH | LISTEN
New Mexico (3-0) @ No. 23 Dallas Baptist (3-1)
Friday, Feb. 24 • 5:30 p.m. (MT)
RHP Tyler Stevens (0-0, 7.20 ERA) vs. LHP Jordan Martinson (0-0, 6.75 ERA)
Saturday, Feb. 25 • 1 p.m. (MT)
LHP Carson Schneider (1-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. RHP Trevor Conn (1-0, 0.00 ERA)
Sunday, Feb. 26 • 12 p.m. (MT)
RHP Johnathon Tripp (1-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. RHP MD Johnson (0-0, 9.00 ERA)
Horner Ballpark – Dallas, Texas
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The University of New Mexico baseball team continues its stretch of six games against 2016 NCAA Regional qualifiers to start the season when the Lobos travel to take on No. 23 Dallas Baptist for a three-game series starting 5:30 p.m. (MT) Friday at Horner Ballpark.
The Lobos opened the season with a three-game sweep of defending America East champion Binghamton by a combined score of 29-12 – winning each game of the series by at least four runs. The 3-0 start for the Lobos marks the best start for the team since starting 7-0 in 2008.
UNM is looking for payback as the Lobos were swept by the Patriots at home last season in a three-game series, and after beating DBU 12-6 in the Lubbock NCAA Regional opener (and after a heart-breaking loss to eventual CWS team Texas Tech), UNM’s 2016 season was ended by the Patriots, 5-3.
These were the first meetings between these two programs since playing in Albuquerque in 2006 (the Lobos took two of three). This will be the first time the teams play in Dallas. Listen to all three games of this series live with play-by-play from Scott Galletti on ESPN Radio 101.7 The TEAM streamed at www.1017theteam.com and on the TuneIn Radio app.
LAST TIME OUT FOR UNM … The Lobos opened the season with a three-game sweep of fellow 2016 NCAA Regional team Binghamton at Santa Ana Star Field, winning 8-4 (Feb. 17), 10-4 (Feb. 18) and 11-4 (Feb. 19).
Lobo pitching was solid as a trio of quality performances from potential weekend starters highlighted the performance. Johnathon Tripp entered in relief in the opener and surrendered just one hit while not allowing a run and striking out six to pick up the win in the opener, Carson Schneider was his dependable self in tossing five shutout innings to get the win in game two and Luis Gonzalez gave up just a single run on four hits in five innings of work to pick up the victory in the series finale.
The Lobos also got a strong performance out of the bullpen from freshman Drew Gillespie as he struck out three in his first inning of work as a collegiate player on Feb. 18 then followed it up by getting the Lobos out of jam on Feb. 19 in 0.2 innings of work – including another strikeout – meaning four of his five outs recorded as a Lobo have come via the punchout.
Offensively the story was Jack Zoellner, particularly in the game two victory. The senior went 3-for-4 with three home runs and six RBI in the Lobos’ 10-4 victory on Feb. 18 and he finished the weekend 6-for-12 with eight RBI and five runs to earn Mountain West Player of the Week honors.
Danny Collier was a consistent force in the Lobo lineup in the series, going 4-for-10 with a home run, triple, four RBI and four runs. The home run was the first of the junior’s career – coming in his 366th at-bat.
SCOUTING NO. 23 DALLAS BAPTIST … The Patriots have won three games in a row since dropping their season opener to Louisiana Monroe, including an 8-4 victory Tuesday over No. 24 Rice on the road.
Dallas Baptist has been paced by Matt Duce, who is hitting .444 (8-for-18) with a home run, triple, double, four runs and three RBI As a team, the Patriots have found their power stroke early, hitting nine home runs in their first four games of the season (seven different players have homered).
The Patriots have also been solid on the mound with a 2.00 ERA with 34 strikeouts in 36 innings of work.
UNM BASEBALL NOTES
- ZOELLNER TABBED MW PLAYER OF THE WEEK … Jack Zoellner was the story of the weekend for the Lobos at the plate as the senior went 6-for-12 with three home runs, a double, eight RBI and five runs to earn Mountain West Player of the Week honors. Zoellner’s three home runs and six RBI in the Feb. 18 win over Binghamton were both career highs. This is the first time Zoellner has been selected for this honor.
- INNING TO REMEMBER … Freshman Beau Capanna had an inning to remember against Binghamton in his collegiate debut Feb. 19. In his first plate appearance as a Lobo in the third inning, Capanna singled, stole second base and eventually scored. As the Lobos kept putting together hits for what would be a seven-run inning, Capanna came up again and hit an RBI single – and stole another base. When the damage was done in the third inning, Capanna went 2-for-2 with two stolen bases, a run and an RBI. Not a bad debut to say the least.
- DEATH, TAXES & STAJ … To say Carl Stajduhar has been a staple in the Lobo lineup for his first two years in Albuquerque might be an understament. The junior has started 123 of the Lobos’ 124 games during his career, including the last 111 heading into this season – which is eighth on the Lobos’ all-time list.The lone game he didn’t start in his career? A March 8, 2015, game against San Diego State in Albuquerque – a contest he later entered as a pinch hitter.
CONSECUTIVE STARTS
181 Mitch Garver, 2010-13
144 Daniel Stovall, 2004-07
139 Antonio Fernandez, 1992-94
135 Aaron Sisk, 1998-2000
124 Larry Harrison, 1980-83
118 Sam Haggerty, 2013-15
117 Chase Harris, 2013-14
111 Carl Stajduhar, 2015-present
108 Matt Foote, 2004-07
101 Lon Yamaguchi, 1996-99
- YARD WORK BY STAJDUHAR … Carl Stajduhar’s 2016 season saw him swat 18 home runs, which tied for seventh in single-season Lobo history. It also gave him 27 on his career, which is 10th on UNM’s all-time list.
HOME RUNS (Career)
53 Aaron Sisk, 1998-00
50 Chris Alexander, 2000-03
42 Daniel Stovall, 2004-07
41 DJ Peterson, 2011-13
38 Joe Salas, 2001-04
38 Lon Yamaguchi, 1996-99
36 Chris Carlson, 2005-06
34 Jeff Grady, 2002-05
29 Mark Gulseth, 1992-93
28 Carl Stajduhar, 2015-present
- IT’S OVER AFTER EIGHT … The UNM bullpen has been outstanding at protecting leads during the last several seasons. If UNM is leading after eight innings? Forget it. The Lobos haven’t lost when leading after eight in 126 straight games, a streak that dates back to March 24, 2013.
Lobos when leading after 8 since 3/24/13
2013 25-0
2014 33-0
2015 29-0
2016 36-0
2017 3-0
- SCHNEIDER WINS – A COMMON THEME … Senior left-hander Carson Schneider is moving up the all-time win ranks after going 9-4 last season, tied for the sixth-most wins in single-season Lobo history. The Albuquerque native and Sandia High School grad is now 17-6 in his career, which is three wins short of reaching the all-time top 10. His .727 winning percentage is tied for fourth on the all-time Lobo list as well.
WINS (Career)
27 Rob Hoover, 1976-79
26 Josh Walker, 2012-14
24 Bob McAulay, 1966-68
23 Dean Duane, 1982-85
22 Danny Ray Herrera, 2004-06
22 Jim Kremmel, 1968-71
21 Kurt Hildebrandt, 1991-93, ’95
20 Rod Adair, 1971-74
19 Dean Duane, 1982-85
19 Jim Sharpe, 1979-82
19 Ralph Sallee, 1966-68
(17 Carson Schneider, 2014-present)WINNING PCT. (Career, Min. 15 Dec.)
.773 (17-5) Luis Gonzalez, 1995-96
.750 (12-4) Jim Coleman, 1991-94
.743 (26-9) Josh Walker, 2012-14
.739 (17-6) Carson Schneider, 2014-present
.727 (24-9) Bob McAulay, 1966-68
.722 (13-5) Don Miller, 1972-75
.708 (17-7) Chris Baum, 1992-95
.704 (19-8) Ralph Sallee, 1966-68
.688 (11-5) Gary Jacobs, 1969-70
.650 (13-7) Arnie Marzullo, 1972-73
.647 (22-12) Danny Ray Herrera, 2004-06