NMSU visits Lobos Tuesday night
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Coming off its first series sweep of the year, the New Mexico baseball team jumps back into action on Tuesday night hosting New Mexico State at Santa Ana Star Field.
The third of four scheduled games between the rivals is set for a 6 p.m. first pitch on Tuesday, with the Rio Grande Rivalry knotted at 1-1 thus far in 2023. New Mexico will then hit the road for another important Mountain West Conference series, with three games at UNLV awaiting the Lobos this weekend.
After Tuesday’s matchup, the teams will square off a final time on May 16 in Las Cruces. New Mexico enters the week at 22-17 overall, while New Mexico State is 11-28 on the season.
Lobo Baseball Weekend Schedule
All times listed are Mountain Daylight Time
Tuesday, May 2 – New Mexico State – 6 p.m.
Friday, May 5 – at UNLV – 7:05 p.m.
Saturday, May 6 – at UNLV – 2:05 p.m.
Sunday, May 7 – at UNLV – 1:05 p.m.
LAST WEEK: In their most important series of the season up to this point, the Lobos delivered in a big way as they walked away with a three-game sweep of Fresno State at home over the weekend. It was New Mexico’s first sweep of a conference opponent since the 2021 season, and it lifted the Lobos back to life in the fast-approaching playoff race.
MOUNTAIN WEST STANDINGS: The Lobos leaped past Fresno State with the series win, and enter this week in fourth place in the conference standings with a league record of 10-10. Air Force is directly ahead of the Lobos in third place at 14-10, while Fresno State is right behind UNM at 11-13. UNLV, this week’s opponent, sits in sixth place at 8-13 in league play. The top-four teams at the end of the regular season advance to the conference tournament, which is set for May 25-27 at Fresno State.
LOBOS IN THE NCAA STAT RANKINGS: After putting together one of its biggest offensive weekends of the year, New Mexico climbed the national statistics rankings over the weekend. The Lobos are No. 2 in the NCAA in batting average at .337, fifth in slugging percentage at .569, sixth in scoring at 9.3 runs per game, eighth in hits with 494 and triples with 19, 11th in doubles per game with 2.41, and 23rd in both home runs per game at 1.77 and total runs scored with 364. Defensively, UNM’s 0.92 double plays per game rank it 24th while the team’s walks-per-9 innings mark of 3.12 is eighth-best in the country.
OLSON HAS HISTORIC WEEKEND: Justin Olson had the weekend of a lifetime, homering four times as he powered the Lobos to the series win. The junior first baseman hit three home runs in Saturday’s 17-7 triumph, and became the first Lobo since DJ Peterson in 2013 to drive in eight runs in a game. The three long balls and eight RBIs were both career highs for Olson, who upped his slash line to .412/.545/.980 on the season. Olson has driven in 23 runs in 25 games played, and has played perfect defense in 36 chances at first base.
SPENRATH CONTINUES POWER PRODUCTION: Reed Spenrath continued his tear at the plate, going 7-for-13 with a triple and two home runs in the series sweep. The slugger drove in six more runs to up his season total to a team-leading 53, and he scored seven times to give him 46 runs scored on the year. Spenrath ranks second in the conference with 14 home runs, and with an OPS of 1.177.
RUNION HOMERS IN THREE STRAIGHT: Braydon Runion became the first Lobo since Carl Stajduhar in 2017 to homer in three consecutive games, following his long ball at Arizona with one each in the first two against the Bulldogs. Overall in the series Runion went 7-for-16 with six RBIs, four doubles, two homers, and five runs scored. Runion upped his slash line to .374/.415/.632, and he leads the team in hits with 61 while driving in 45 runs this season.
SMITH WALKS IT OFF: Kyle Smith delivered the hit to clinch the series sweep on Sunday, smoking a ground ball into center field that scored Deylan Pigford from second base to break a 5-5 tie in the 10th inning. It was the Lobos’ fourth walk-off win of the year and the second in Smith’s UNM career, after he won last season’s game on May 20 to cap a seven-run ninth inning against Air Force. Smith went 3-for-5 with three RBIs, four runs, a double, and his fourth home run of the year over the weekend, extending his hitting streak to six games and his reached base streak to a team-leading 17 games.
STEINKAMP SUPERB: Arthur Steinkamp delivered the best outing of his collegiate career in the series opener, taking over with his team trailing 9-0 and throwing 4 1/3 shutout innings to give the Lobos a chance to get back into the game. Steinkamp allowed just one baserunner in the near-flawless outing, which lowered his season ERA to 2.51 across 14 1/3 innings pitched.
MR. HOLLAND’S OPS: Jake Holland had another huge weekend at the plate, going 4-for-9 with his 12th home run of the year and a double. Holland scored three times and drove in a pair of runs, upping his RBI count to 38 in his 27 games played this season. The newcomer’s OPS of 1.135 ranks third in the conference, as does his home run total.
ASHBY MATCHES CAREER HIGH: Lenny Junior Ashby matched his career high with four hits in the series opener against the Bulldogs, and overall he went 6-for-13 with a double and a home run last week, while crossing the plate five times. That boosted Ashby’s batting average to .363 on the season, and he is getting on base at a mark of .441 while slugging .538. Ashby snapped a hitting streak of 15 games, which was the second-longest of the season by a Lobo, on Sunday, and his reached base streak came to a close at 18 games.
STEPHENS STAYS HOT: Nine of Sean Stephens’ 15 hits this season have come in the last four games, as he went 6-for-13 in the series against the Bulldogs. Stephens drove in four runs, thanks to a pair of doubles and his first home run of the season. He also stole his second base of the year, and showed off his speed in the outfield with seven catches in center. Stephens is hitting .341 in his 27 games played this spring.
JACKSON LOGS FIRST-CAREER SAVE: Junior Jaren Jackson, making just the second relief appearance of his collegiate career, picked up his first-career save with three shutout innings on Saturday. The lefty had two strikeouts while allowing just one hit to close out the Lobos’ second victory in the series.
GALLEGOS TIES SEASON HIGH: Junior right-hander Isaac Gallegos tied his season high on Sunday, striking out seven Bulldogs in a strong seven-inning performance on the mound. Gallegos gutted out the 113-pitch no-decision, limiting Fresno State to three runs – two earned – on five hits. Gallegos leads the team and ranks second in the conference with an ERA of 3.25, and his opponents’ batting average of .228 is also second in the league.
DAVID SUPPLIES BIG DOUBLE: The first of two doubles last week for Jeffrey David helped solidify UNM’s 16-10 win in the series opener, as he plated three runs in the bottom of the eighth to cap his team’s scoring. David doubled again on Saturday, giving him 10 on the season. The junior was also perfect defensively in 10 chances, primarily playing third base over the weekend.
MCBROOM TWICE THE VICTOR: Brian McBroom was fittingly on the mound when the Lobos completed the sweep, as he collected his second win of the weekend and his fourth of the 2023 season. The right-hander totaled three innings in his two appearances last week, as he twice helped the Lobos out of high-leverage situations to ensure the series win. McBroom owns a 4-1 record with three saves and a 4.32 ERA in his conference-leading 21 appearances on the mound.
PIGFORD SCORES WINNING RUN: Deylan Pigford kick-started the Lobos’ series-winning rally on Sunday, leading off the bottom of the 10th with a base hit and eventually scoring on Smith’s walk-off knock. It was Pigford’s 38th run scored in his 38 games played this season, and he is hitting .316 with nine doubles, three triples, and five home runs.
LIVELY GRABS MW WINS LEAD: Tristin Lively was the first Mountain West pitcher to reach six victories on the season, as he grinded through 5 1/3 frames on Saturday to help the Lobos to the win. Lively reached the century mark in pitches thrown (105) for the fifth time this spring, while upping his season strikeout total to a team-leading 48.
ITURRALDE SCORELESS TWICE: Adolfo Iturralde continued his effective tenure on the mound in relief, delivering two more scoreless appearances over the weekend. The right-hander allowed just one hit in his combined one inning of work, lowering his season ERA to 2.57 across seven innings pitched.
KINKADE’S DOUBLE CRUCIAL: Konner Kinkade stepped up with a game-tying double in the ninth inning of Sunday’s win, delivering the clutch knock in a pinch-hitting role. It was Kinkade’s fourth double of the year, as he lifted his season batting average to .333 in 39 at-bats.
DITZENBERGER SIXTH IN HITTING: Despite limited playing time, Dylan Ditzenberger continues to rank among national leaders checking in at No. 6 in batting average at .441. That mark leads the conference, and he also ranks No. 26 in the NCAA with 1.62 hits per game.
New Mexico State Aggies
2023 Record: 11-28, 8-16 WAC
Head Coach: Keith Zuniga (Interim), First season
All-Time Series: UNM leads 165-92
In Albuquerque: UNM leads 76-34
First Meeting: 1948
Last Meeting: 4/18/2023
The Aggies dropped 2 of 3 games in their most recent series against Sacramento State, as they fell to 8-16 in WAC play this spring. After Tuesday’s game at New Mexico, NMSU will host Seattle University in a three-game series this weekend.
Keith Jones II is the top hitter for NMSU, boasting a .372 batting average with six home runs, 10 doubles, and 19 RBIs this spring. Kevin Jimenez leads the team with eight long balls and 32 RBIs, while batting .336 and starting 36 of 38 games. As a team, NMSU is hitting .277 while averaging 6.3 runs per game.
NMSU’s top starter has been Treyjen Meza, who holds a 5.52 ERA with 62 strikeouts in 62 innings pitched across 11 starts. Matthew Maloney leads the team with 19 appearances out of the bullpen, while striking out 36 in 33 innings to go along with a 4.09 ERA. The Aggies have a team ERA of 6.69, and the opposition is hitting .318 off of the pitching staff.