ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – After proving himself in his first season at New Mexico in 2022, Lenny Junior Ashby has been named a 2023 preseason all-Mountain West selection announced by the conference office on Thursday.
The Lobo junior earned second-team all-Mountain West accolades last spring, after leading the conference with 17 home runs. “It is a great honor for Lenny to be recognized by the other Mountain West coaches,” said UNM head coach Tod Brown. “Lenny will be a big part of our lineup this spring, and we are looking forward to the season.”
The top offensive producer for the Lobos last spring, Ashby led the team with 59 RBIs, 18 doubles, and 42 runs scored. He put together a slash line of .342/.406/.667, with each of those figures and his OPS of 1.073 leading the team as well. Defensively, the left fielder committed just one error in 89 chances for a fielding percentage of .989.
After transferring from Odessa College, Ashby was the only Lobo to start all 54 games last year. His season included 26 multi-hit games, 17 multi-RBI games, and his first multi-homer game on May 10 against New Mexico State. Other highlights from Ashby’s 2022 campaign included a Mountain West Player of the Week award on March 14, a streak of 21 games reaching base, and a season-high four hits and five RBIs on April 29 against San Jose State.
The Lobos received seven points and were picked to finish seventh in the Mountain West preseason coaches poll, which was also released on Thursday. UNM kicks off its 2023 slate of games at the College Baseball Classic in Surprise, Ariz., with four games spanning Feb. 17-20. The full schedule for the season can be viewed online here.