Lobo Baseball All-Decade Team (2000s)

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The turn of the millennium brought along with it a renaissance of baseball at the University of New Mexico. In the very first year of the 2000s, the Lobos captured the inaugural Mountain West Championship.

Over the course of the remainder of the first decade in the new millennium, Lobo baseball posted five 30-plus win seasons and racked up nearly 300 wins.

Individually, the program garnered three Mountain West Player of the Year honorees, a Pitcher of the Year, a Freshman of the Year and a Coach of the Year. On a national level, the Lobos had nine All-Americans including four that were Freshman All-Americans. In terms of players that went on to the professional ranks, the Lobo baseball program had 22 players get drafted, five sign as undrafted free agents. Of those that continued their careers beyond UNM, five made it all the way to The Show.

“This is a very difficult process that includes alumni, media, etc. in the selection of this team,” noted current head coach Ray Birmingham. “We had to move guys around to make it fit. Our media relations director Daniel Gallegos has also been awesome in digging up the information needed to make these decisions.”

Given that impressive list of team and individual accomplishments, there were many players deserving of consideration for the 2000s UNM Baseball All-Decade Team. The following is a list of those that garner the distinction:

C | Rafael Neda (2008-10)

• Drafted in the 10^th Round of the 2010 MLB Draft by the Milwaukee Brewers
• Freshman All-America (2008)
• MW Freshman of the Year (2008)
• 3x All-MW (1^st team in 2009; 2^nd team in 2008 & 2010)
• 10^th-highest single-season On-Base Percentage (.504; 2009)
• 6^th-most career Hit-By-Pitch (27)

1B | Chris Alexander (2000-03)

• Drafted in the 15^th Round of the 2003 MLB Draft by the Texas Rangers
• All-America (2003)
• Second Team All-MW (2003)
• 3x Academic All-MW
• Set single-season record for home runs with 25 in 2003
• Second-most RBIs in a season with 94 in 2003
• Second-most RBIs in a career with 225
• Second-most home runs in a career with 50
• 8^th-best single-season slugging percentage of .773 in 2003
• 9^th-best career slugging percentage of .634

 1B | Daniel Stovall (2004-07)

• 3x All-MW (1^st team in 2004; 2^nd team in 2006 & 2007)
• Freshman All-America (2004)
• Career record for At-Bats with 960
• Career record for RBIs with 226
• Career record for Total Bases with 550
• Career record for Putouts with 1,886
• Tied for most career Doubles with 78
• Second-most career Games Played with 226
• Second-most career Hits with 332
• Fourth-most career Home Runs with 42

2B | Mike Brownstein (2008-09)

• Drafted in the 14^th Round of the 2009 MLB Draft by the Milwaukee Brewers
• MW Player of the Year (2009)
• 2x All-MW (1^st team in 2009; 2^nd team in 2008)
• MW All-Tournament Team (2008)
• 2x All-America (2008 & 2009)
• Tied for the sixth-most Hits in a season with 101 (2009)
  • One of eight players in program history to have 100 or more hits
• Tied for most hits in a game with six (6)

3B | Aaron Sisk (1998-2000)

• Drafted in the 7^th Round of the 2000 MLB Draft by the Toronto Blue Jays
• MW Player of the Year (2000)
• All-MW First Team (2000)
• All-WAC (1999)
• 2x All-America (1999 & 2000)
• Career record for Home Runs with 53
  • Only player with multiple seasons with at least 20 home runs
• Second-most Home Runs in a season with 24 (2000)
• Tied for fourth-most RBIs in a season with 81 (2000)
• Tied for fourth-most RBIs in a career with 198
• Third-best career Slugging Percentage at .702
• Seventh-most career Total Bases with 442

 SS | Dusty Young (2000-03)

• Signed as an undrafted free agent with the Florida Marlins in 2003
• 2x All-MW (1^st team in 2003; 2^nd team in 2002)
• 4x Academic All-MW
• Academic All-America (2003)
• All-America (2003)
• Program record for Hitting Streak (39; 2003)
• Fourth-most career At-Bats (842)
• Eighth-most career Runs (188)
• Tied for sixth-most hits in a season (101; 2003)
  • One of nine players all-time with at least 100 hits in a season
• Fifth-most career Hits (286)
• Tied for second-most career Doubles (69)

UT | Jordan Pacheco (2005-07)

• Drafted in the 9^th Round of the 2007 MLB Draft by the Colorado Rockies
• Made his MLB debut in 2011
• MW Player of the Year (2007)
• 3x All-MW First Team
• Freshman All-America (2005)
• All-America (2007)
• Fourth-most Runs in a season (79)
• Fourth-most Runs in a career (207)
• Sixth-highest career Batting Average (.384)

OF | Brian Cavazos-Galvez (2008-09)

• Drafted in the 12^th Round of the 2009 MLB Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers
• 2x All-MW First Team (2008 & 2009)
• All-America (2009)
• Program record for Home Runs in a game with four (4)
• Program record for Total Bases in a game with 16
• Tied for most Hits in a game with six (6)
• Tied for most RBIs in a game with 10

OF | Matt Young (2002-04)

• Signed as an undrafted free agent with the Atlanta Braves in 2004
• Made his MLB debut in 2011
• 2x All-MW First Team (2002 & 2004)
• Freshman All-America (2002)
• Sixth-most Runs in a season (76; 2003)
• Sixth-most Runs in a career (200)
• Tied for second-most Triples in a season (12; 2004)
• Second-most career Walks (133)

OF | Chris Carlson (2005-06)

• Drafted in the 29^th Round of the 2006 MLB Draft by the Detroit Tigers
• 2x All-MW First Team (2005 & 2006)
• 2x MW All-Tournament Team (2005 & 2006)
• 2x All-America (2005 & 2006)
• 2x Academic All-America (1^st team in 2006; 2^nd team in 2005)
• Twice tied for the fifth-most RBIs in a season (79)
• Third-most Home Runs in a season (21)
  • One of only four players in program history with at least 20 Home Runs in a season
• Eighth-most Home Runs in a career (36)
• Highest career Slugging Percentage (.736)
• Career record for Sacrifice Flies (19)

DH | (RH) Josh Mader (2002-04)

• Drafted in the 29^th Round of the 2004 MLB Draft by the Philadelphia Phillies
• All-MW First Team (2003)
• MW All-Tournament Team (2004)
• Tied for most at-bats in a game with eight
• Homered twice in one inning vs. Utah (4/8/04)
• Twice led team in batting average (2002 & 2004)

DH | (LH) Ryan Honeycutt (2009-10)

• Drafted in the 41^st Round of the 2010 MLB Draft by the San Francisco Giants
• MW All-Tournament Team (2010)
• One of 20 players all-time to hit .400 or better in a season
• Advanced as high as AAA

SP | Danny Ray Herrera – LHP (2004-06)

• Drafted in the 45^th Round of the 2006 MLB Draft by the Texas Rangers
• Made his MLB debut in 2008
• MW Pitcher of the Year (2006)
• 2x All-MW First Team (2005 & 2006)
• MW All-Tournament Team (2006)
• All-America (2006)
• Tied for second-most starts in a season (17; 2006)
• Tied for third-most starts in a career (44)
• Tied for third-most wins in a season (10; 2006)
• Tied for fifth-most win in a career (22)
• One of only two pitchers to not have a losing decision (min. 8 decisions)
  • 10-0 in 2006
• 11^th-best career winning percentage (min. 15 career decisions)
  • (.647; 22-12 record)
• Second-most Innings Pitched in a season (128.1; 2006)
• Fourth-most career Innings Pitched (294.0)
• Fifth-lowest single-season ERA (2.24; 2006)
• Tied for fifth-most career strikeouts (222)

SP | Bobby LaFromboise – LHP (2007-08)

• Drafted twice:
  • 14^th Round of the 2007 MLB Draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks
  •  8^th Round of the 2008 MLB Draft by the Seattle Mariners
• Made MLB debut in 2013
• 2x All-MW (1^st Team in 2007; 2^nd team in 2008)
• MW All-Tournament Team (2007)
• 10^th-lowest career ERA (3.65)

SP | Jamie Vermilyea – RHP (2001-03)

• Drafted in the 9^th Round of the 2003 MLB Draft by the Toronto Blue Jays
• Made MLB debut in 2007
• 2x All-MW (1^st team in 2003; 2^nd team in 2002)
• Single-season record for starts (18; 2002)
• Tied for second-most starts in a season (17; 2003)
• Eighth-most career starts (40)
• Single-season record for Innings Pitched (131.2; 2002)
• Third-most innings pitched in a season (126.1; 2003)
• Third-most innings pitched in a career (303.1)
• Twice struck out over 100 batters (112 in 2003; 107 in 2002)
• Fourth-most career strikeouts (251)

SP | Chris Cooper – LHP (2000-01)

• Drafted in the 35^th Round of the 2001 MLB Draft by the Cleveland Indians
• 2x All-MW (1^st team in 2000; 2^nd team in 2001)
• Fourth-most strikeouts in a game (15 vs. Southern Utah)
• Twice tied for the second-most starts in a season (17; 2000 & 2001)
• Tied for fourth-most wins in a season (9; 2000)
• Ninth-most strikeouts in a season (106; 2000)
• 10^th-most strikeouts in a career (188)

RP | Clinton Cox – RHP (2008-09)

• All-MW Second Team (2008)
• 2x Academic All-MW (2008 & 2009)
• 2x MW Scholar-Athlete (2008 & 2009)
• Tied for 8^th-most career saves (9)
• Lead team in pitching appearances in 2008 (26)