Lobos Close MW Schedule at UNLV
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— The Lobos are on the road to Las Vegas for the final weekend of the Mountain West schedule, set to play UNLV in a two-game series starting on Friday.
SCHEDULE
Friday: 3 p.m. PT
Saturday: 1 p.m. PT
UNM enters the weekend after winning its series against Nevada to close out the home schedule, the first time that the Lobos have won a series against the Wolf Pack since 2015. The series brought the Lobos to 19-29 on the season, 6-14 in conference play.
For the Rebels, UNLV enters the final series of the MW schedule 7-13 in conference play after most recently going 1-2 against Utah State. The Rebels also went 1-2 against the Spartans and Nevada, went 0-2 against San Diego State, 2-1 against Colorado State and Fresno State and 0-3 against Boise State. In MW games, UNLV is hitting .296 with 162 hits and 99 RBI, and is second in the conference in on-base percentage at .404.
BY THE NUMBERS
On the season, UNM is 13-3 when scoring first and 14-4 when scoring in the 1st inning. The Lobos are 13-2 when leading after the 4th, 11-1 when leading after the 5th and 12-0 when leading after the 6th.
The Lobos have scored 10+ runs in six games this season with a season-high 15 runs and a season-high 18 hits in game 3 at Utah State. UNM is 5-1 when scoring 10+ runs.
On the season, UNM is tied for the MW lead in triples (14) and hits (374), is fourth in batting average (.296) and tied for fifth in total bases (529). UNM also leads in fielding double plays (20). In MW games, UNM is tied for first in triples (8), second in fielding double plays (7) and tied for second in sac bunts (12).
UNM is 33rd in the NCAA in double plays per game (0.42), 30th in triples per game (.29), 55th in batting average (.296).
Rachael Hathoot leads the MW in batting average (.400), triples (7), is tied for third in hits (56), tied for fifth in total bases (88) and seventh in on-base percentage (.459) and eighth in slugging percentage (.629). Peyton Robinson is sixth in hits with 53, second in sac bunts at 10 and tied for seventh in stolen bases with 15. Ashley Archuleta is tied for second in triples with five. In MW games, Archuleta is second in batting average (.444) with Hathoot fourth (.426), while Hathoot is seventh in slugging percentage (.689) and Archuleta is tied for the conference lead with 28 hits. Archuleta and Hathoot are tied for second in triples with four. Defensively, Hathoot leads with 113 assists on the season and is second in fielding double plays with 14. In MW games, she’s tied for the conference lead in assists at 53 and second in fielding double plays with six.
Amber Linton leads the MW in batters struck out (155), 14 more than the 2nd-highest pitcher, batters struck out looking (47) and innings pitched (149.0). In MW games, the RHP is third in batters struck out with 57 and second in struck out looking at 16.
Amber Linton is 41st in the NCAA in strikeouts. Rachael Hathoot is third in the NCAA in triples, ninth in triples per game (0.15), 61st in batting average and 82nd in hits. Peyton Robinson is 29th in sac bunts per game (0.21) and Ashley Archuleta is 19th in triples and 28th in triples per game (0.11).
OPEN THE RECORD BOOK
In the March 19th win at Utah State, the Lobos finished with 18 hits, 15 runs and struck out 14 Aggies.
The 18 hits were the most since the Lobos had 21 against Howard back in 2018 and the 15 runs were the most since 2019 against UTEP. The 15 runs were the most against the Aggies since April 26, 2014, a 20-3 win in five innings.
The 14 strikeouts by Amber Linton were the most in a game since 2013, when Lauren Soles struck out 14 against Siena.
The 11.0 innings pitched by Linton against the Miners back on March 1 were the most innings pitched by a Lobo since Soles threw 10.0 innings back in 2016 against San Diego State.
UNM’s 8-0 win over SJSU on March 25 was the first shutout against the Spartans since May 8, 2015.
The 12 runs scored against CSU were the most runs the Lobos have scored against the Rams since April 15, 2016, a 14-3 win in six.
Rachael Hathoot’s seven triples this season are tied for the third most in a single season in program history. The last time a Lobo had seven was Lainie Horne in 1998. The single-season record is nine, done by Kathy Dyer in 1986. Jackie Van Hooydonk hit eight in 1997.
Amber Linton’s 155 strikeouts this season places her seventh all-time, one behind her strikeout total in 2022, two behind fifth. Her 7.28 strikeouts per game is the highest in program history.
IT STARTS IN THE CIRCLE
It all starts with returner Amber Linton, who has pitched in 30 games with 24 starts. On the season, she has pitched 149.0 total innings and recorded five or more strikeouts in 14 games this season and 10+ strikeouts three times. Linton leads the MW in strikeouts per game with 155 (14 more than the second-highest pitcher) and 47 looking. Nationally, she is 41st in strikeouts.
The Indiana native is averaging 7.28 strikeouts per game this season, which would be a program record. She has thrown 14 complete games, double her total from last season. She set a new career high in strikeouts with 14 in the first game against Utah State after throwing 9.1 innings.
In her two years at UNM, Linton has 311 strikeouts, placing her sixth all-time and 25 away from fifth.
The Lobos added two freshmen pitchers in Emmalyn Brinka and Bella Mitchell, a redshirt-sophomore transfer in Taylor Snow and a junior transfer in Jenna Trim.
Brinka has appeared in 21 games with nine starts and has thrown 47.1 innings with two complete games.
Snow has appeared in 27 game with 13 starts, and pitched 88.1 innings, the second highest amongst the pitchers in all three categories. Snow has recorded two strikeouts in eight games with a season-high three strikeouts at Texas Tech and has had six appearances of not allowing a run. Snow entered in relief in the first inning of the second Cal State Bakersfield game and pitched 7.0 scoreless innings to earn her first collegiate win. She pitched 5.0 scoreless innings in Saturday’s win against Nevada and didn’t allow a walk in either outing against the Wolf Pack.