Rebels await Lobos in Vegas this weekend
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – As the New Mexico baseball team enters the final stretch of the 2023 regular season, another crucial Mountain West series awaits this weekend as the Lobos face UNLV in a three-game road slate.
The Lobos (23-17, 10-10 MW) have won four straight games including a three-game sweep of Fresno State at home last week to lift them back into the Mountain West tournament race. This weekend marks the only regular-season meeting with the Rebels, who are 17-25 overall and 8-13 in conference play to sit in sixth place.
Lobo Baseball Weekend Schedule
All times listed are Mountain Daylight Time
Lobo Baseball Weekend Schedule
All times listed are Mountain Daylight Time
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.
LOBOS TAKE THE LEAD IN RIO GRANDE RIVALRY: New Mexico took a 2-1 season lead over New Mexico State with a thorough 14-6 triumph over the Aggies on Tuesday night at home. The victory made it four in-a-row for UNM, and four more home runs from the Lobos upped their season total to 73 which ranks sixth in single-season history.
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 weekend 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.
BACK TO THE TOP OF THE NCAA STAT RANKINGS: New Mexico reassumed its position as the No. 1 hitting team in the NCAA this week, upping its season batting average to .342 which leads the country. The Lobos also rank No. 2 in slugging percentage at .580, fifth in hits with 513, sixth in triples per game with 0.50, seventh in scoring with 9.4 runs per game and in total triples with 20, and ninth in doubles per game with 2.48. New Mexico’s 378 runs scored are 15th-most among NCAA teams, and the team ranks 16th in home runs per game with 1.82, 21st in on-base percentage at .418, and 23rd in doubles with 99. Defensively, the Lobos rank 11th in the country with an average of 0.98 double plays turned per game, and the pitching staff’s mark of 3.10 walks-per-9 innings ranks eighth in the country.
OLSON BUILDS OFF 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, and he followed with another home run in a 2-for-5 performance against New Mexico State on Tuesday. Despite starting just 12 games and totaling 56 at-bats, Olson has 10 homers and 25 RBIs to go with a slash line of .411/.535/.982.
SPENRATH CONTINUES POWER PRODUCTION: Reed Spenrath continued his tear at the plate, going 9-for-16 with a triple and three home runs in the Lobos’ four-game winning streak. The slugger drove in eight more runs to up his season total to a team-leading 55, and he scored eight times to give him 47 runs scored on the year. Spenrath leads the conference with a slugging percentage of .750, while ranking second in the league with 15 home runs.
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. He followed that by becoming the first Lobo in a decade to collect four extra-base hits in a game, with a career-high three doubles and a triple in Tuesday’s win over NMSU. Runion’s .387 batting average ranks 56th in the NCAA, while his 17 doubles and 65 hits lead the team.
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 seven games and his reached base streak to a team-leading 18 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, and followed with another shutout inning on Tuesday against NMSU. The big week for the lefty lowered his season ERA to 2.35 across 15 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. He followed by going 3-for-4 with three RBIs, three runs scored, and his sixth home run of the year on Tuesday. That boosted Ashby’s batting average to .372 on the season, and he is getting on base at a mark of .450 while slugging .567. 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: Ten of Sean Stephens’ 16 hits this season have come in the last five 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 .333 in his 28 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.
WEISSENBORN TALLIES SIXTH DOUBLE: Chase Weissenborn collected his sixth double of the season on Tuesday, bringing home a pair of runs in the 2-for-4 performance. That elevated his batting average to .275, and defensively Weissenborn has had five assists in three of his last four games.
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.
BANNISTER EARNS FIRST WIN AS A LOBO: The author of two strong innings on Tuesday, Wil Bannister claimed his first win as a Lobo in the triumph over the Aggies. The right-hander had a season-high three strikeouts, while throwing 48 pitches and allowing just one run.
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.
UNLV Rebels
2023 Record: 17-25, 8-13 Mountain West
Head Coach: Stan Stolte (8th season)
All-Time Series: UNLV leads 100-85
In Las Vegas: UNLV leads 71-41
First Meeting: 3/3/1978
Last Meeting: 4/24/2022
UNLV dropped its most recent Mountain West series 2-1 against San Diego State last week, but salvaged a 4-1 victory in the series finale. The Rebels remain alive in the fight for the postseason, with nine games left on the schedule including this weekend’s series against the Lobos.
Jacob Sharp, Alex Pimentel, and Chase Gallegos are the three Rebels hitting north of .300 on the season, with Sharp leading the team at .327 with eight home runs and 33 RBIs. Paul Myro has a team-high 34 RBIs, while Austin Kryszczuk’s 12 doubles are the most on the squad. UNLV holds a team batting average of .276 and averages 7.3 runs per game.
On the mound, Noah Beal has been the work horse with a team-high 50 2/3 innings pitched across 10 starts. Josh Sharman and Joey Acosta have each started seven games for the Rebels, who have used eight different arms in a starting role this season. Jack Sellinger is one of the top bullpen arms in the league, boasting a 3.82 ERA over 15 appearances with a team-high 51 strikeouts in 30 2/3 innings. He has four saves on the season. UNLV holds a staff ERA of 6.49, and the opposition is hitting .310 off of the Rebels.