Lobos host Bulldogs in pivotal MW series
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – A pivotal Mountain West Conference series kicks off on Friday night at Santa Ana Star Field, as the New Mexico baseball team hosts Fresno State in a three-game series.
The Lobos (19-17, 7-10 MW) trail the Bulldogs (21-19, 11-10) by four games in the win column, and have an opportunity to make headway in the conference tournament push this weekend.
Lobo Baseball Weekly Schedule
All times Mountain Daylight Time
Friday, April 28 – 6 p.m. – vs. Fresno State
Saturday, April 29 – 2 p.m. – vs. Fresno State
Sunday, April 30 – Noon – vs. Fresno State
PLAYOFF PICTURE: Thirteen conference games remain on the regular-season schedule, as the Lobos enter the week in the thick of the postseason hunt. The Lobos are in fifth place in the Mountain West standings, with the top-four teams at the end of the regular season advancing to the conference tournament May 25-27 at Fresno State.
WEEKEND PROMOTIONS: Friday is Salute To Service Night at the ballpark, with all active duty military and veterans receiving free admission to the game. Saturday is Kids Club Day, and Sunday is Superhero Day with all first responders receiving free admission. Children ages 12 and under will also receive free admission on Sunday, and will be allowed to run the bases upon the conclusion of the game.
LAST TIME OUT: New Mexico battled Arizona tough in a mid-week game on Tuesday, falling 11-8 to close out a season-long five-game road stretch. The Lobos nearly overcame a 9-1 deficit, getting the score back to 9-8 to keep things close until the finish.
LAST WEEK: The Lobos dropped two of three games in their series at Air Force, winning the middle game of the set decisively while falling in the opener and finale. UNM also picked up a 13-0, 7-inning win at New Mexico State to even the Rio Grande Rivalry at 1-1 on the season.
LAST TIME AGAINST THE BULLDOGS: Fresno State claimed the first series between the teams 2-1 on March 17-19 in California, winning the first two games before the Lobos salvaged a triumph in the finale. Both of the defeats for UNM were close affairs, with FSU taking a 5-3 win in the opener before rallying for a heartbreaking, 9-8 walk-off win in the middle game of the series.
UNM IN THE NCAA STAT RANKINGS: As of Thursday, New Mexico ranked No. 3 in the NCAA with a team batting average of .332 on the season. The Lobos also ranked seventh in the country in triples with 18, 13th in slugging percentage at .547, and 14th in scoring with 9.0 runs per game and in total hits with 445. The Lobo pitching staff ranked No. 10 in the nation in walks-per-9 innings at 3.14, and defensively UNM’s 0.89 double plays per game rank it 28th.
SPENRATH TOP SLUGGER IN MW: Reed Spenrath unleashed three home runs in Sunday’s doubleheader, bumping his season total up to 12 as he is now two off Jay Thomason’s MW conference lead in the category. Spenrath upped his slugging percentage to .689 which ranks second in the conference, and his OPS to 1.117 which ranks second. He also drove in 10 runs last week, and leads the league with 47 RBIs on the season. Spenrath has raised his batting average 71 points over the last 15 games, as he is up to .318 on the season. He has also been superb defensively at first base, committing just one error in 332 chances at first base for a .997 fielding percentage.
LIVELY SUPERB, AGAIN: Tristin Lively proved that his 8 1/3 three-hit shutout innings against Air Force on March 11 wasn’t a fluke, as he kept the Falcons silent once again. This time the senior right-hander allowed seven hits across seven shutout innings, while striking out three and walking two. Lively matched Riley Egloff for the Mountain West lead in wins with his fifth of the year, and he lowered his ERA to 2.62 which leads the conference among qualifiers.
MR. HOLLAND’S OPS: Jake Holland became the third player in the Mountain West to reach double figures in home runs, blasting a pair of long balls in the series finale against the Falcons before adding another on Tuesday at Arizona. Holland had four RBIs in the game against the Falcons, and it was the second time this season he went yard twice as he also achieved the feat on March 3 against St. Bonaventure. Holland raised his slugging percentage to .720 to lead the conference, and his OPS reached 1.112 which ranks him second in the conference. He is now one behind Spenrath with 11 home runs on the season.
ASHBY EXTENDS HITTING STREAK: Lenny Junior Ashby had hits in all three of UNM’s games last week and on Tuesday, extending his current hitting streak to 13 games which is the third-longest by a Lobo this season. Ashby also has a season-high 16-game reached base streak intact entering this weekend. The junior went 5-for-13 with a pair of RBIs in the series against the Falcons, and had a career-high six catches in the second game of the series. Ashby owns a slash line of .354/.429/.517 on the season. Ashby is also among the toughest players in the NCAA to strike out, owning a ratio of 9.8 which ranks him 65th among all Division I players.
DITZENBERGER LEADS MW IN HITTING: A 4-for-13 performance by Dylan Ditzenberger kept his lofty season batting average at .448, as he leads the Mountain West and ranks fourth in the country in hitting. The senior is also fifth in the NCAA in hits per game with 1.79 and 22nd in runs per game with 1.34, with his 39 total runs scored leading the team. Ditzenberger is reaching base at a clip of .500 and is slugging .595, as he added his ninth double of the season last week.
RUNION KEEPS PRODUCING RBIS: Braydon Runion had RBIs in all three games last week, driving in eight total in the Lobos’ four games. Runion went 5-for-14 and scored seven times, while upping his double total to 11 on the season and hitting his sixth home run on Tuesday at Arizona. Runion is slashing .367/.412/.592 while starting all 36 games during his senior season.
SMITH JUST MISSES CYCLE: Kyle Smith had a season-high three hits in Game 2 against Air Force, coming up a double shy of the cycle. His triple was his third of the year as was his home run, as he drove in a pair, walked, and stole a base. Smith has reached base in all 15 games in which he has come to the plate this season, and is slashing .283/.457/.604.
OLSON’S REACHED BASE STREAK REACHES 10: Justin Olson got aboard in all three games last week, extending his string of games reaching to 10 which is tied for third on the team. Olson was 2-for-7 with three runs scored and a double, and he owns a slash line of .372/.518/.767 entering this weekend’s games.
DAVID COLLECTS EIGHTH DOUBLE: Jeffrey David’s series against the Falcons included his eighth double of the season, and he had hits in all three games to maintain his .320 batting average. David ranks 26th in the NCAA with four triples this spring, and has driven in 35 runs.
DIXON’S ERRORLESS STRING CONTINUES: Devon Dixon played error-free defense in seven chances up the middle last week, extending his latest errorless streak to 10 games and 43 chances during that span. Dixon owns a .973 fielding percentage, with just four errors in 146 total chances this spring.
WEISSENBORN RANKS AMONG LEAGUE’S TOP SHORTSTOPS: Chase Weissenborn ranks fifth in the Mountain West with 108 assists this spring, and owns a .960 fielding percentage in 36 games started at shortstop. The hometown junior is also tied for ninth in the conference with 20 double plays, and is coming off a career-high five putouts in the finale against Air Force. Like his double play partner, Weissenborn is in the midst of an errorless streak with no miscues in his last 28 chances over seven games.
MARTINEZ LOGS FIRST SCORELESS OUTINGS: Freshman Jordan Martinez picked up the first shutout performance of his young career, keeping the Falcons off the scoreboard in 1 1/3 innings in the series finale. The right-hander allowed just a walk and a hit batter in the fourth appearance of his Lobo career.
EGLOFF, GALLEGOS GRIND THROUGH TRYING OUTINGS: Starters Riley Egloff and Isaac Gallegos each battled tough during trying outings against Air Force, which features one of the most difficult ballparks to pitch in. Egloff worked through 5 1/3 innings in his outing, surrendering five runs on 11 hits. Gallegos meanwhile lasted six innings against the Falcons, with only three of the six runs he allowed being earned. Gallegos ranks fourth in the conference with an opposing batting average of .233.
HERD PICKS UP PINCH HIT: Seeing action for the eighth time in his true freshman season, Caleb Herd answered the call with a pinch-hit single on Friday at Air Force. It was Herd’s third hit of the year, and he crossed the plate for the third run scored of his young career as well.
Fresno State Bulldogs
2023 Record: 21-19, 11-10 Mountain West
Head Coach: Ryan Overland (1st season)
All-Time Series: Fresno State leads 34-32-1
In Albuquerque: New Mexico leads 19-9
First Meeting: 1960
Last Meeting: 3/19/2023
Fresno State won its mid-week game 14-9 over San Francisco on Wednesday, keeping its record on the season above .500 at 21-19. The Bulldogs are coming off a 2-1 series win over San Jose State in their most recent Mountain West series, getting themselves back into the playoff picture as they moved into a tie for third in the conference standings.
Freshman phenom Murf Gray is the top hitter for Fresno State, batting .293 with six home runs and 22 RBIs in his debut season. He has won five consecutive Mountain West Freshman of the Week awards, while slugging .509 and reaching base at a clip of .346 on the year. Tommy Hopfe leads the team with seven home runs and 27 RBIs, while Bobby Blandford is hitting .264 with a team-high eight doubles. As a team the Bulldogs are hitting .246 while averaging 4.95 runs per game.
On the Mound starter Ixan Henderson leads the team with 71 strikeouts in 60 innings pitched while holding a 3.15 ERA. Roman Angelo has also started 10 games with an ERA of 3.54 in 53 1/3 innings while striking out 52 hitters. Hopfe has a conference-leading eight saves, logging 15 1/3 innings across 14 appearances with a 5.28 ERA. As a team Fresno State has an ERA of 4.80 and an opponents’ batting average of .267.