UNM SERIES NOTES | WATCH | LISTEN |
New Mexico (11-5) at No. 7 Cal State Fullerton (11-5)
Friday, March 17 • 8 p.m. (MT)
RHP Tyler Stevens (2-1, 5.06 ERA) vs. N/A
Saturday, March 18 • 7 p.m. (MT)
RHP Johnathon Tripp (1-0, 6.75 ERA) vs. N/A
Saturday, March 18 • 7 p.m. (MT)
LHP Luis Gonzalez (1-1, 5.68 ERA) vs. N/A
Goodwin Field – Fullerton, Calif.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The University of New Mexico baseball team looks to bounce back from a pair of losses at No. 23 Oklahoma State on Tuesday and Wednesday when they travel west to take on No. 7 Cal State Fullerton in a three-game series starting 8 p.m. Friday (MT) at Goodwin Field.
The Lobos and Cal State Fullerton have met just once in the previous 30 years, a 2010 meeting in the Fullerton NCAA Regionals in which UNM lost 11-3 – ending the Lobos’ season. This was UNM’s first season to make the NCAAs in 48 years. Prior to the 2010 meeting, the Lobos and Titans last met in a three-game series from March 7-9, 1986, in Fullerton (the Titans swept the series). All 12 meetings have been in California with 11 being in Fullerton (the one neutral game was played April 3, 1969, in Anaheim).
The seventh-ranked Titans are coming off a 4-0 shutout victory of No. 12 Arizona on Wednesday – their seventh win in their last eight games. CSF has played three Mountain West schools – losing to San Diego State (Feb. 22), taking two of three from UNLV (Feb. 24-26) and beating San Jose State (March 14).
Listen to series 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 head to California this weekend after dropping a pair of games at No. 23 Oklahoma State on Tuesday and Wednesday.
UNM fell to the Cowboys 3-0 on Tuesday as OSU held the Lobos to one hit (a Carl Stajduhar single). In the loss, James Harrington was solid on the mound for the Lobos in his first start of the season. The junior went six shutout innings and gave up just two hits in getting the no decision.
On Wednesday, UNM gave up seven two-out runs in the first two innings and lost 13-0 with Danny Collier, Jared Mang and Hayden Schilling each collecting a hit for the Lobos.
Prior to the Oklahoma State games, UNM was coming off its second consecutive Mountain West series sweep – beating San Jose State three times at Santa Ana Star Field over the weekend.
The Lobos opened the series with a stellar performance by Tyler Stevens on the mound as he guided UNM to an 11-1 victory on Friday. The junior tossed a four-hitter, giving up a run while striking out eight. At the plate, Luis Gonzalez paced the Lobos with a pair of home runs and finished 3-for-5 with three RBI and two runs. Carl Stajduhar went 3-for-5 with a home run and Jack Zoellner finished 3-for-4 with a home run, double, two RBI and two runs.
In game two Saturday, the Lobos rallied from an 8-2 deficit with 14 consecutive runs to defeat the Spartans 16-8. UNM was led by freshman Beau Capanna’s first four-hit game as he went 4-for-5 with two doubles and three RBI. Jared Mang finished a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBI and a career-best four runs while Gonzalez went 3-for-5 with three runs, a triple and an RBI. The Lobo bullpen was solid with Austin Isenhart getting the win, going 2.2 innings and giving up no runs on three hits with a strikeout and no walks.
In the series finale, UNM scored five runs in the sixth inning to break a 2-2 tie and pull away for an 8-3 victory to finish the sweep. Justin Slaten picked up the win in relief, going 2.2 innings and giving up a run on four hits with three strikeouts – two coming with a runner on third and one out to get the Lobos out of a jam in the sixth inning. Christian Tripp picked up his second save, going the final 1.1 innings and giving up a lone hit with a strikeout. At the plate Danny Collier led the Lobos with a 3-for-5 performance, including a home run, two RBI and two runs.
SCOUTING NO. 7 CAL STATE FULLERTON … The Titans have been paced this season by their stellar pitching as they own a 2.13 ERA, ranked seventh in the nation (which includes coming off of a shutout win against No. 12 Arizona on Wednesday).
CSF has had eight different pitchers start on the mound this season, and only one pitcher on their staff sports an ERA above 3.60. Connor Seabold leads the team in innings (28.0), starts (4) and strikeouts (25) while boasting a 3.21 ERA. Gavin Velasquez has been stellar as well as in 24.1 innings he owns a 1.11 ERA. John Gavin, who is second on the team with three starts, has a 2.33 ERA in 19.1 innings with 15 strikeouts.
At the plate, Taylor Bryant has paced the Titans as the senior leads the team in average (.412), slugging (.667), home runs (2), doubles (7) and RBI (13). Cullen Hunter (.333) and Chris Hudgins (.314) are the other two players for CSF hitting above .300.
UNM BASEBALL NOTES
- LOBOS SWEEP MW WEEKLY AWARDS (March 6-13) … UNM swept the Mountain West weekly awards this week as Jack Zoellner was named the Mountain West Player of the Week while Tyler Stevens was selected the Mountain West Pitcher of the Week on Monday.
Zoellner hit .529 (9-for-17) this week with two home runs, three doubles, eight RBI and four runs while helping the Lobos go 4-0. The senior had two RBI in each of the four games and three multi-hit games. Zoellner is hitting .444 with a team-high seven home runs (just one off his career best) and 23 RBI on the season. It’s the second time Zoellner has earned MW Player of the Week honors this year (won it during the first week of the season) as a Lobo has earned the award in each of the first four weeks of the season (Luis Gonzalez won it in week two and Carl Stadjuhar won it week three).
This week marks the first time in 2017 a Lobo has won MW Pitcher of the Week as Stevens earned the honor by tossing a four-hit complete game against San Jose State on Friday. The junior right-hander struck out eight and walked one while retiring 15 in a row at one point during the Lobos’ 11-1 victory at Santa Ana Star Field. It was Stevens’ first complete game since his freshman season in 2015.
- LOBOS AND HITTING ARE LIKE PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY … Since the arrival of Ray Birmingham 10 seasons ago, the Lobos have been known for their offensive prowess – and 2017 is no different. The Lobos are fourth in the nation in slugging percentage (.537), are sixth in batting average (.331) and are 16th in on-base percentage (.417). The Lobos are also third in the nation in runs per game (9.2).
- JACK ATTACK – A HIT STREAK TO REMEMBER … UNM’s Jack Zoellner might have felt a little left out when he was sitting at 0-for-5 late in the game Saturday as the Lobos racked up 24 runs and 28 hits at Air Force. The senior hit a single in his second-to-last at-bat (he walked in his final plate appearance of the day) in that contest to keep from getting the collar – but little did anyone know it would start an impressive hit streak. Zoellner went 5-for-5 Sunday at Air Force and got a hit in his first three at-bats against New Mexico State on Tuesday for nine consecutive at-bats with a base hit before being retired in his final at-bat Tuesday night. Zoellner also walked three times during that span, meaning he reached base an eye-popping 12 straight plate appearances.
- BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK JACK … Jack Zoellner’s incredible start to 2017 saw him do something that a Lobo hasn’t done since 2013. The senior first baseman hit home runs in three consecutive games (March 5 versus Air Force, March 7 versus New Mexico State and March 10 versus San Jose State), the first time a UNM player has done that since DJ Peterson in 2013.
- SWEEP HERE, SWEEP THERE … In sweeping Air Force and San Jose State to start Mountain West play, the Lobos are off to their first 6-0 start in conference play since the MW was created during the 1999-2000 season. It’s also the first time the Lobos have swept back-to-back Mountain West series since 2014.
- STAJDUHAR MAKES IT 3-FOR-3 FOR LOBOS IN MW PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS (Feb. 27-March 5) … Carl Stajduhar gave the Lobos three Mountain West Player of the Week honors in the first three weeks of the season as the junior was selected for the award after hitting .550 (11-for-20) with three home runs, four doubles, nine runs and nine RBI in helping UNM go 3-1, including a three-game sweep at Air Force where the Lobos put up 59 runs and 68 hits. In the Lobos’ lone loss of the week at No. 6 Texas Tech (a 7-2 defeat) on Feb. 28, Stajduhar went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run and a double. The Lobo third baseman had multiple hits in each game during the week and hit a homer in three of the four games. Stajduhar matched a career high with five RBI on Saturday after going 4-for-6 with a home run and two doubles during the Lobos’ 24-16 win over Air Force.
- RUNS & HITS GALORE … UNM’s big weekend at Air Force included a 24-16 win over that saw rarified numbers produced – even for the Lobos. The 24 runs were the most for the Lobos since defeating Coppin State 29-3 on April 18, 2010, and their 28 hits was the most since racking up 29 in that same game. The Lobos were still seven runs off their program record of 31 set against Air Force on April 17, 2004, and four hits off their program record of 32 set against Fresno State on April 1, 1999.
- NOT ONE, NOT TWO, NOT THREE, NOT FOUR, BUT … UNM junior Danny Collier did something a Lobo hasn’t done in nearly seven years as he scored five runs during Saturday’s 24-16 victory over Air Force. He’s the first Lobo to score five runs in a game since Justin Howard scored six against Coppin State on April 18, 2010.
- 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.
- 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 136 of the Lobos’ 137 games during his career, including the last 124 – which is tied for fifth 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
124 Carl Stajduhar, 2015-present
118 Sam Haggerty, 2013-15
117 Chase Harris, 2013-14
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 32 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
32 Carl Stajduhar, 2015-present
29 Mark Gulseth, 1992-93
- 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 133 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 10-0
- 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