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New Mexico (4-2) @ No. 10 Texas Tech (8-1)
Tuesday, Feb. 28 • 1 p.m. (MT)
LHP Luis Gonzalez (1-0, 1.80 ERA) vs. RHP John Henry Gonzalez (1-0, 3.10 ERA)
Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park – Lubbock, Texas
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The University of New Mexico baseball team will play its seventh game against a 2016 NCAA postseason team in a row to start the season as the Lobos travel to take on 10th-ranked Texas Tech 1 p.m. Tuesday at Rip Griffin Park.
This will be the 20th consecutive year the Lobos have played Texas Tech at least once during the season, last not playing the Red Raiders during the 1997 season. The Lobos went 1-3 against Texas Tech last season, including losing to the Red Raiders in the Lubbock NCAA Regional, 4-3 – a game New Mexico led 3-1 heading into the eighth inning. The Lobos lost both meetings in Lubbock last season and are looking for their first win at Rip Griffin Park since beating the Red Raiders 7-6 on March 24, 2015.
The Red Raiders enter Tuesday’s midweek game 8-1 after sweeping a four-game series at home against Cal – outscoring the Bears 23-7 and never allowing more than two runs in any game. Texas Tech is 5-0 at home this season and its only loss came to Mississippi State 8-5 on Feb. 19 in Starkville, Mississippi. Last season, Texas Tech as the No. 5 national seed reached the College World Series – the Red Raiders’ second appearance in three years.
Listen to the game 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 traveled to 23rd-ranked Dallas Baptist University and went 1-2 against the Patriots at Horner Ballpark – the first time UNM has traveled to play at DBU’s field.
New Mexico gave itself a chance to take the rubber match of the series on Sunday after scoring three runs in the top of the ninth to tie DBU 4-4 – capped by a pinch-hit, game-tying RBI single from Hayden Schilling – to force extra innings. In extra innings, the Lobos scored two in the top of the 11th – led by a go-ahead RBI single by Schilling – to take a 6-4 lead before Dallas Baptist hit a game-winning, three-run home run to beat the Lobos, 7-6.
Highlighting the series for UNM was Luis Gonzalez as he went 8-for-11 with a home run, two doubles, two RBI, three runs and five walks. This includes reaching base in 13 of his 16 appearances and 11 of his last 12. DBU walked Gonzalez in each of his final three at-bats in the series, including an intentional walk in his final at-bat. For his effort Gonzalez was named the Mountain West Player of the Week.
UNM got a pair of solid starts in the final two games of the series as Carson Schneider picked up the win Saturday by going six innings and giving up two runs on eight hits with three strikeouts and two walks while Johnathon Tripp went six innings Sunday and gave up three runs on six hits with six strikeouts and two walks (getting a no decision).
Christian Tripp, who set a freshman UNM record last season with 27 appearances, picked up the Lobos’ first save of 2017 on Saturday.
SCOUTING NO. 10 TEXAS TECH … The Red Raiders have won five in a row heading into Tuesday’s matchup with the Lobos and are playing well thanks to a 2.63 ERA on the season (34th in the nation).
That ERA dropped during a four-game sweep of Cal in Lubbock over the weekend as the Red Raiders didn’t allow more than two runs in any game while outscoring the Bears 23-7.
Three of the four Texas Tech starting pitchers that have started two games this year have a 2.13 ERA or below.
Tuesday’s projected starter against the Lobos, freshman John Henry Gonzalez, is 1-0 with a 3.10 ERA. In his first collegiate start against New Mexico State last Tuesday, Gonzalez went 5.1 innings and gave up one run on two hits with five strikeouts and two walks.
At the plate, Hunter Hargrove has been the Red Raiders’ most dangerous hitter as he’s batting .421 with three home runs, six doubles an 16 RBI. Orland Garcia is hitting .323 with three home runs and 14 RBI for Texas Tech while Grant Little leads the team with a .481 average and a team-best 13 runs.
UNM BASEBALL NOTES
- GONZALEZ’S BIG WEEK LEADS TO MW PLAYER OF THE WEEK (Feb. 20-26) … For the second week in a row to start the season the Lobos have earned the Mountain West Player of the Week as Luis Gonzalez was selected for the honor. The junior outfielder hit .727 (8-for-11) with a home run, two doubles, two RBI, two stolen bases and three runs on the road against No. 23 Dallas Baptist. He also drew five walks and reached base 13 of his 16 plate appearances, including reaching base in 11 of his final 12. Gonzalez for his career is now 18-for-27 (.667) at the plate against Dallas Baptist.
- RUN SCORING STREAK FOR VIGIL … Andre Vigil has started a nice streak for himself to start the 2017 campaign as the senior has scored a run in each of the Lobos’ first six games. Overall, he has scored seven runs and already has doubled his career home run total entering the season with two blasts early in the season.
- ZOELLNER TABBED MW PLAYER OF THE WEEK (FEB. 13-19) … 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 126 of the Lobos’ 127 games during his career, including the last 114 – 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
114 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 127 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 4-0
- 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 19-6 in his career, which is a win short of reaching the all-time top 10. His .750 winning percentage is tied for second 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 (19-6) Carson Schneider, 2014-present
.750 (12-4) Jim Coleman, 1991-94
.743 (26-9) Josh Walker, 2012-14
.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