Lobo Baseball hosts Northern Colorado in home-opener
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| NEW MEXICO LOBOS 2-2 |
NORTHERN COLORADO BEARS 2-2 |
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Friday, February 18 | 3 p.m. (MT) |
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Leading Off
After an overall positive opening weekend in Surprise, Ariz. for the University of New Mexico baseball team, the Lobos are set to make their home debut in 2020 this weekend as they host Northern Colorado for a three-game series starting on Friday, February 21. The series with Northern Colorado is the start of what is a seven-game home stand as the Lobos will host BYU in a four-game series starting next Thursday.
The Lobos enter their weekend series with Northern Colorado at 2-2 overall, but carry with them the confidence that they could also easily be sitting at 3-1. After a tough first inning against Oregon State, in which the Lobos surrendered nine runs, the remainder of their time at the Sanderson Ford College Baseball Classic featured brilliant pitching performances from a variety of arms.
Among those great pitching performances was the one turned in by projected Friday starter Aaron Makil. In his start in the first game against BYU, Makil tossed 6.0 shutout innings and scattered three hits and three walks while striking out six en route to collecting his first win as a Lobo. A junior college transfer, Makil’s start was special both during and after. During his start, Makil pitched in front numerous family and friends as he toed the rubber about 45 minutes from his hometown of Scottsdale, Ariz. After the start, Makil was named the Mountain West Pitcher of the Week.
Piggybacking off Makil’s start and turning in perhaps the most dominant pitching performance of the weekend was Payton Strambler. Strambler pitched the final 3.0 innings of that game, allowed no hits, one walk and struck out six as he slammed the door on the shutout of BYU.
The other two projected starters this weekend also had solid pitching performances as Justin Armbruester struck out five in 6.0 innings vs. Gonzaga while Tristin Lively had six Ks in 4.2 innings in the second game vs. BYU.
Scouting Northern Colorado
Northern Colorado enters play this weekend 2-2 overall. In their first action of the season, the Bears traveled to Lubbock, Texas to take on both Texas Tech and Houston Baptist, playing each team twice over opening weekend. Both of the Bears’ victories came against Houston Baptist as Northern Colorado won the season opener against the Huskies, 7-1. Two days later, UNC defeated Houston Baptist 12-5. Sandwiched around those wins were a pair of losses to #3 Texas Tech. The Red Raiders would out-score the Bears 36-7 over those two games.
Through the first weekend of games, the Bears are hitting .238 as a team (29-for-122). Currently four lineup regulars are hitting .333 or better and are led by Josh Glenn at .364 (4-for-11). Three of his four hits so far have gone for extra-bases as he already has a double and two home runs. Glenn is also pacing the team in RBIs with six.
On the mound, the games against Texas Tech swelled their team ERA to 10.13 entering this weekend’s action. Not accounting for any of that ERA is projected Friday starter Issac Bracken. In starting the season-opener for the Bears against Houston Baptist, Bracken pitched 6.0 innings of shutout baseball, allowed just one hit, one walk and struck out nine. The Bears are also expected to start Sam Colehower and Dylan Bowers this weekend against the Lobos.
In the dugout, Northern Colorado is led by Carl Iwasaki, who is now in his 10th season at the helm of his alma mater. In his time at Northern Colorado, Iwasaki has amassed a 193-289 record. Prior to returning to Northern Colorado, Iwasaki was head coach at DIII Austin College for six years. There, he posted a 103-140 record.