ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The University of New Mexico baseball team returns home to host Grand Canyon University on Tuesday at 6 p.m. (MT) at Santa Ana Star Field.
The squads last met on March 3-4, 2020, when Grand Canyon took the first game, 5-1, and New Mexico took the second game, 7-3. The last time the Lobos and Lopes faced off in Albuquerque, N.M., was on April 30-May 1, 2019, when UNM won the first game by 9-8, but lost the second game by 9-7.
LAST WEEK FOR THE LOBOS
- The Lobos are coming off a hard-fought series at UNLV, in which the Rebels took two out of the three-game series.
- New Mexico lost the first game by a final score of 15-2, but won the second game by a score of 7-4. Lenny Junior Ashby (10) and Cody Holtz (3) both hit home runs in the 7-4 game two win.
- The Lobos battled in the final game but fell, 13-11, to the Rebels. Kyle Smith led the team as he went 4-for-5 with six RBI and a run, hitting a double shy of the cycle.
- New Mexico earned an exciting 11-10 walk-off win over No. 9 Texas Tech on April 19, thanks to a Jeffrey David three-run homerun in the bottom of the ninth. Seven other Lobos had multi-hit games to help New Mexico take the win.
- This marks New Mexico’s second win over a ranked opponent this season, both coming in the past month. The Lobos previously defeated No. 11 Arizona by a score of 12-7 on March 23.
BAKER-LIVINGSTON FINDS HIS GROOVE
- Freshman Benjamin Baker-Livingston is beginning to find his groove on the mound. He was named the Mountain West Freshman of the Week on April 25, after a pair of good outings against Texas Tech and at UNLV the previous week.
- After two tough outings against Oregon State opening weekend and at Texas Tech mid-March, he has dominated the mound since.
- On April 8 at Fresno State, he pitched an inning and allowed just one hit and no runs.
- In the Lobos’ 11-10 walk-off win over No. 9 Texas Tech on April 19, he kept the hot-hitting Red Raiders to a single run on two hits while fanning three in 2.1 innings of relief.
- The Richardson, Texas, native completed 1.1 innings and allowed no runs on only three hits to the conference leading Rebels in New Mexico’s 13-11 series finale loss at UNLV on April 24.
SCOUTING THE LOPES
- New Mexico holds a 24-14 advantage over Grand Canyon, including a 11-4 record at Santa Ana Star Field.
- The Lopes and Lobos first faced off in 1991, when GCU took a 18-4 win in Phoenix, Ariz.
- The squads last met on March 3-4, 2020, when Grand Canyon took the first game, 5-1, and New Mexico took the second game, 7-3.
- The last time the Lobos and Lopes faced off in Albuquerque, N.M., was on April 30-May 1, 2019, when UNM won the first game by 9-8, but lost the second game by 9-7.
- GCU has a 27-14 record (15-3 in WAC) so far this season, following a 5-1 win over No. 7 Stanford on Saturday.
- The Lopes are led by Juan Colato who is hitting .377 this season with 52 hits and 34 RBI.
RUNION RAKES
- After transferring from Texas Tech, Braydon Runion has recently emerged as one of the Lobos’ two sluggers this season, notching eight home runs this season – right behind Lenny Junior Ashby’s 10.
- Runion hit three home runs on April 15 against San Diego State, becoming the first Lobo to connect for three jacks in a single game since Carl Stajduhar on May 6, 2017.
- Despite missing a few games at the beginning of the season, Runion has stepped up since then, earning himself 27 starts and 30 total games played.
- The Florence, Ky., native also hit a solo home run against his previous team – the Red Raiders – on March 16.
THE FIGHT IN THE DOG PREVAILS
- New Mexico has notched two huge wins against top-15 teams in the past month, including a 12-7 win over then-No. 11 Arizona on March 23 and a 11-10 victory over No. 9 Texas Tech on April 19.
- After losing the first matchup against the Wildcats earlier in the season in Tucson, the Lobos got their revenge as they hosted then-No. 11 Arizona and took the victory, 12-7.
- The score and lead jumped back and forth through the first two innings, but then the Lobos had an offensive explosion for six runs in the bottom of the fourth.
- Lobo relief pitching came in clutch as the five pitchers to get some innings of relief allowed only two runs through the final six innings.
- Justin Olson launched a grand slam in the Lobos’ big six-run fourth inning, his first home run in the Lobo uniform. His grand slam was the first Lobo grand slam since Carl Stajduhar vs. San Diego State on May 26, 2017. Nearly five years since the last time it happened.
- The Arizona win marked the Lobos first win over a ranked opponent since a 12-9 victory over then-No. 11 Texas Tech on April 3, 2019.
- The Lobos then defeated No. 9 Texas Tech on a 11-10 walk-off win, thanks to a Jeffrey David three-run homerun in the bottom of the ninth.
- On the mound, Benjamin Baker-Livingston had his best and longest outing yet as he struck out three batters and allowed a single run on two hits in 2.1 innings pitched.
- The last time the Lobos defeated the Red Raiders was on April 3, 2019, when New Mexico took a 12-9 win over the then-No. 11 Texas Tech squad. New Mexico last won a matchup against a top-ten team on April 25, 2017, against none other than the then-No. 6 Red Raiders, defeating Tech by a score of 16-5.
SUNNY SIDE UP
- Riley Egloff was named the MW Pitcher of the Week on March 21 after a career outing against Wichita State on March 18.
- Egloff turned in his best outing in the Lobo uniform against the Shockers, shutting down Wichita State in a career-high eight innings while fanning a career-high nine batters, allowing just four hits for no runs.
- The Littleton, Colo., native has earned his spot as New Mexico’s Friday ace, spotting a 5-4 record in nine starts this season.
TOUCH ‘EM ALL ASHBY
- Lenny Junior Ashby is one of the Lobos biggest contributors with a .344 batting average, 54 hits, 26 runs and 38 RBI.
- The Oranjestad, Aruba, native was named the MW Player of the Week on March 14 after hitting three jacks and a double for a .444 batting average the week of March 7.
- With a total of 24 extra base hits (13 doubles, one triple and team-leading 10 home runs) this season, Ashby has established himself as New Mexico’s power hitter.
END OF GAME CLEANUP
- Brian McBroom, a transfer from Howard College, has established himself as the Lobos’ key closer through the first month of the season.
- In 15 appearances, McBroom holds a 2-1 record and has notched three saves.
- The Oakley, Calif., native has pitched 34.1 innings and struck out 27 batters during that time. He holds opponents to a .303 batting average.
AROUND THE CONFERENCE
- With 18 triples and .46 average per game so far, New Mexico leads the conference.
- With 10 starts on the season, Brett Russell is tied for first with six other pitchers in the conference for most starts.
- With three triples, Willie Cano and Jeffrey David are third in the conference.
SEEING DOUBLE
- The Lobos lead the nation in turning double plays with 47 DP’s and 1.21 double plays turned per game.
- The middle infield consists of a combination of either Kamron Willman, Chase Weissenborn, Cole Posey or Lance Russell. All together, the four of them account for 265 assists and 150 putouts.
DONT RUN ON THE ‘BOS
- Catcher Cody Holtz threw out three Spartans runners trying to steal second base in the conference-opening San Jose State series. He threw out another against Fresno State.
- Johnny (Shane) Podsednik has thrown four out this season, one vs Holy Cross, one at Wichita State, one at Air Force and one vs San Diego State.
- The Lobos have caught ten stealing so far this season.
A BROWN NEW ERA
- In July of 2021, Tod Brown was hired as the Lobos new head coach to fill the role of 14-year former UNM coach Ray Birmingham, who retired at the conclusion of the 2021 season.
- A native of Arizona, Brown returns home to the southwest after spending the past 14 years as North Dakota State’s head coach, earning a 341-350 record during that time.
LANDERS ON BOBBY BRAGAN WATCH LIST
- Senior first baseman/designated hitter Kyle Landers was named to the Bobby Bragan Collegiate Slugger Award Watch List prior to the start of the season.
- He held a .293 batting average with 11 doubles, a triple and a homerun for a .467 slugging percentage last season (2021).
- He was the conference batting champ with a .417 batting average and .567 slugging percentage in the shortened 2020 season.
- This season, Landers has a .291 batting average with a team-leading 13 doubles.
SOMETHING TO PROVE
- Coming off a 16-25 record, the Lobos finished sixth in the conference last season, preceding only San Jose State.
- The squad was voted to finish sixth in the preseason conference poll.
- With an almost completely new coaching staff and roster, the Lobos are hoping to turn things around.
- The Lobos have already tied their win total of 16 wins from last year with 15 more games to go.
NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
- New Mexico’s 2022 squad includes 18 newcomers – three DI transfers, 12 JUCO transfers, and three true freshmen.
- Kamron Willman (K-State transfer) has been an asset in the middle infield for the Lobos. Playing short and second, he has 49 putouts and 83 assists.
- Lenny Junior Ashby (Odessa College transfer) has contributed greatly to the squad, leading the team with a .344 batting average, 38 RBI and 24 extra-base hits, starting in all 39 games so far.
- Jeffrey David (Dallas Baptist transfer) is the only other Lobo to start in all 39 games, notching a team-high 55 hits and 30 runs, while hitting .337 batting average.
- Owen Loesch (Seminole State JC transfer) and Brian McBroom (Howard College transfer) have been assets out of the bullpen for New Mexico, combining for 54.0 innings and 41 strikeouts.
LIVELY UP THE PLACE
- Tristin Lively was named to the nine-player Preseason All-Mountain West team on February 10. The all-conference team is voted on by coaches around the league.
- Lively has the second-best ERA of returning starting pitchers for the Lobos (4.59 ERA in the spring of 2021).
- In 33.1 innings of work last season, he struck out 36 batters and held opponents to a .186 batting average.
I’M THE CAPTAIN NOW
- Prior to the start of the season, the 2022 squad voted on the team captains.
- The captains were selected solely by the student-athletes.
- Newcomers Kamron Willman and Cody Holtz, along with returner Adam Schneider, were named the 2022 team captains.
ON DECK
The Lobos will then host a three-game series against San Jose State on April 29-May 1.
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