SERIES NOTES | WATCH | LISTEN | LIVE STATS
New Mexico (4-3) @ Air Force (4-3)
Friday, March 3 • 2 p.m. (MT)
RHP Tyler Stevens (0-1, 8.10 ERA) vs. RHP Evan Floyd (0-1, 7.71 ERA)
Saturday, March 4 • 1 p.m. (MT)
LHP Carson Schneider (2-0, 1.64 ERA) vs. RHP Nick Biancalana (0-1, 11.57 ERA)
Sunday, March 5 • 1 p.m. (MT)
RHP Johnathon Tripp (1-0, 2.70 ERA) vs. RHP Matt Hargreaves (1-0, 2.77 ERA)
Falcon Field – Air Force Academy, Colo.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The University of New Mexico baseball team will open Mountain West play on the road as it continues its eight-game stretch away from Santa Ana Star Field with a series with Air Force starting 3 p.m. Friday at Falcon Field.
The series opener marks the 182nd meeting between New Mexico and Air Force with the Lobos holding a 134-47 record against the Falcons. UNM has won 10 consecutive series against the Falcons in Colorado (last losing a series there in 2002), including taking two of three from Air Force last season at Falcon Field. The Lobos also faced Air Force last season in the Mountain West Tournament in Albuquerque, beating the Falcons 6-4 (the second year in a row the Lobos have played Air Force during the MW Tournament).
Air Force is coming off one of its best seasons in program history in 2017, going 30-27 (a school record for most NCAA Division I wins) and making it into the final three of the Mountain West Tournament. This season, the Falcons have played their first seven games on the road (including losing at No. 2 LSU, 10-3) and are coming off a series win over Navy.
Listen to the series live with play-by-play from Scott Galetti 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 are coming off a 7-2 defeat at No. 10 Texas Tech on a windy Tuesday in Lubbock.
A four-run third inning for the Red Raiders (9-1) erased the Lobos’ early 2-0 lead from Carl Stajduhar’s two-run home run in the first inning.
UNM had its chances, including loading the bases with one out in the eighth inning and down just 5-2, but went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position to fall to 4-3 on the season.
Stajduhar went 2-for-4 with a home run, double and two RBI while Jack Zoellner was 3-for-4 with two doubles.
Luis Gonzalez picked up the loss, going 2.2 innings and giving up five runs on five hits with four strikeouts, two walks and three hit batters (all the hit batters came in the four-run third inning for Texas Tech).
Austin Isenhart shined in relief for UNM, getting the Lobos out of the jam in the third inning and tossing four more hitless innings before allowing a hit and a walk to lead off the eighth inning – ending his stretch of six hitless innings in a row.
Prior to Tuesday’s midweek contest, 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 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 AIR FORCE … The Falcons are coming off taking two of three from Navy at the Freedom Classic Friday through Saturday in Kinston, N.C. After dropping the first game 11-3, Air Force won game two 19-8 and game three 3-2 in 10 innings.
The Falcons had a Mountain West-high four selections to the preseason Mountain West All-Conference team in outfielder Adam Groesbeck, third baseman/DH Bradley Haslam, outfielder Tyler Jones and third baseman/DH Nic Ready.
It’s someone outside of those four pacing the Air Force attack as Tyler Zabojnik leads the team with a .480 average (12-for-25) with two home runs, two doubles and five RBI. Jones is the other Falcon hitting .300 or better at exactly .300 with three home runs, six RBI and six runs. As a team, the Falcons have hit 11 home runs.
On the mound, Matt Hargreaves (Sunday’s scheduled starter) leads the way with a 1-0 record, 2.77 ERA and 13 strikeouts in two starts (13 innings). Evan Floyd (0-1, 7.71) and Nick Binacalana (0-1, 11.57) are also expected to start games against the Lobos.
Air Force has had solid production out of its bullpen as well, led by Tyler Mortenson and Ethan Nichols. The duo is a combined 2-0, hasn’t allowed a run, allowed just four hits and has struck out nine in 10.1 innings of work (five combined appearances).
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 started a nice streak for himself to begin the 2017 campaign as the senior 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 2017.
. - 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 127 of the Lobos’ 128 games during his career, including the last 115 – 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
115 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. The junior also has 29 in his career, tied for ninth on the UNM 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
29 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
(18 Carson Schneider, 2014-present)WINNING PCT. (Career, Min. 15 Dec.)
.773 (17-5) Luis Gonzalez, 1995-96
.750 (18-6) 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