Lobo Baseball Opens 2024 Season in Surprise This Weekend

New Mexico Baseball is set to open the 2024 season this weekend at the College Baseball Classic in Surprise, Ariz., with matchups against No. 5 Oregon State, CSU Bakersfield and Minnesota on the docket.

UNM will face Oregon State on Friday at 12 p.m. MT and Minnesota on Sunday at 5 p.m., with a pair of games against CSU Bakersfield on Saturday (5 p.m.) and Monday (2 p.m.). All four games will take place at Surprise Stadium, the Spring Training home of the Kansas City Royals and Texas Rangers.

This is the Lobos’ seventh consecutive year opening the season in Surprise and third straight facing the Beavers — a perennial College World Series contender — in their first game of the season. They’re looking to build off a 2023 season that saw them post the most wins (26) since 2017 while ranking among the best in the nation on offense (.328 team batting average, No. 3 in NCAA D-I) and improving from a 9.06 ERA as a team in Brown’s first season to a 5.95 — the program’s lowest in a single season since 2016. Last season, UNM upset OSU on opening day, handing the then-No. 23 Beavers a 7-2 loss that snapped a streak of nine straight losses.

In his third season at the Helm, Head Coach Tod Brown’s Lobos were picked to finish fifth in the conference in the preseason coaches’ poll – the highest they’ve been projected to finish during his tenure.

“I thought we made a nice jump from year one to year two, but we need to make another jump from year two to year three and I think we’re off to a good start,” said Brown at preseason media availability earlier this week. “But until you play outside competition and turn the lights on, you just never know. I think we have a good mix of new guys and returners that are blending in well.”

All four games will be streamed via FloBaseball, with all live stats and streaming options for this weekend’s games available in one place at GoLobos.com/SurpriseTournament. Follow @UNMLoboBaseball on socials for game day updates, behind-the-scenes content and more.

COLLEGE BASEBALL CLASSIC
Feb. 16-19 | Surprise Stadium | Surprise, Arizona
Feb. 16, 12 p.m. MT (vs. No. 5 Oregon State): Live Stats | Stream (FloBaseball)
Probable Starters: LHP Jaren Jackson (UNM) vs. RHP Aiden May (Oregon State)
Feb. 17, 5 p.m. MT (vs. CSU Bakersfield): Live Stats | Stream (FloBaseball)
Probable Starters: RHP David Lopez (UNM) vs. RHP Gary Grosjean (CSU Bakersfield)
Feb. 18, 5 p.m. MT (vs. Minnesota): Live Stats | Stream (FloBaseball)
Probable Starters: RHP Dayne Pengelly (UNM) vs. RHP Will Semb (Minnesota)
Feb. 19, 2 p.m. MT (vs. CSU Bakersfield): Live Stats | Stream (FloBaseball)
Probable Starters: TBA vs. TBA

HISTORY IN SURPRISE
The Lobos have played 32 games in total at Surprise Stadium since 2015, compiling a 13-19 record in that span. They’ve faced Oregon State the most – 13 times to be exact, posting a 3-10 record against one of the premier college baseball programs in the west in the process. The Lobos went 2-0 against the Beavers in their first meeting at Surprise Stadium in 2015 but didn’t pick up another win over them until last season. UNM is 1-0 against Minnesota in Surprise after a 12-inning walk-off thriller last season in their lone matchup, and CSUB is making its first appearance in the annual tournament this year.

SEASON-OPENING NOTES / EARLY RETURNS
– UNM looks to improve its standing in the Mountain West for a third consecutive season – the Lobos finished sixth (10-20 MW) in Brown’s first season as head coach in 2022 and narrowly missed out on the conference tournament with a fifth-place finish (13-17 MW) in 2023.
– The Lobos’ offense in 2023 was one of their most productive in recent memory – UNM’s .328 team batting average was the third-best in the NCAA and best in the Mountain West, as well as the Lobos’ best since 2013.
– UNM’s 26-25 record in 2023 was the most wins since 2017 and first winning season since then (not counting UNM’s 14-4 record in the canceled COVID season of 2020).
– Reed Spenrath has been named to the Mountain West Baseball Preseason All-Conference Team, with the Lobos picked fifth in the preseason poll as voted on by the league’s coaches. Spenrath was named to D1Baseball.com’s Top 50 First Baseman rankings last week, coming in at No. 46 in the nation. He was named one of three captains for this year’s Lobos squad along with fellow seniors Chase Weissenborn and Brett Russell.

SCOUTING THE FIELD
OREGON STATE
– The three-time CWS champion Beavers start the season at No. 7 in D1Baseball.com’s Preseason Top 25 rankings, and are picked to win the Pac-12 in 2024 by the league’s coaches.
– The Lobos are 5-18 against OSU all-time and 4-15 in neutral-site games, snapping a nine-game losing streak to the Beavers after upsetting them 7-2 on Opening Day last season but falling 6-14 two days later.
– OSU went 41-20 (18-12 Pac-12) in 2023, with the Beavers’ season ending with 13-7 loss to eventual CWS Champions LSU in the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional. They finished the regular season second in the Pac-12 standings.
MINNESOTA
– UNM is 2-2 against Minnesota all-time and 2-1 in neutral-site games, walking off the Gophers 4-3 in a 12-inning thriller last season in Surprise.
Minnesota finished 10th in the Big 10 last season with an 18-34 (10-14 B1G) record.
– UM Head Coach John Anderson is the winningest baseball coach in the history of the Big Ten with a 1,365-997-3 (.579) overall record and a 614-414 (.598) record against conference opponents. Inducted into the American Baseball Coaches Association in 2008, Anderson has been named the Big Ten Coach of the Year eight times, most recently in 2018 after leading Minnesota to a Big Ten Championship and the Super Regional for the first time in program history. He announced in December that he will be retiring at the end of the 2024 season.
CAL STATE BAKERSFIELD
– This weekend will be the first two meetings between the Roadrunners and Lobos.
– Bakersfield finished ninth in the Big West in 2023 with an 18-34 (9-21 BW) record. They’re picked to finish 10th in the Big West Preseason Poll as voted on by the league’s coaches.

BROWN’S PROGRAM-BUILDING RESUME
– In his first five seasons as head coach at North Dakota State, Brown’s teams improved their winning percentage in each season, going from 15-30 (.333) in his first season in 2008 to 40-20 (.667) in 2012 and finishing each of the next nine seasons above .400. The Bison reached the Summit League tournament eight times in that span, advancing to NCAA Regionals in 2014 and 2021.
– Brown coached the Bison to 40-win seasons in 2012 and 2021.
– In Brown’s second season at UNM, the Lobos improved to 26-25 from 21-33 the year prior, with the highest team batting average since 2013 (.328) and lowest team ERA since 2016 (5.95).
– In 16 years as a D-I Head Coach, Brown has finished the season above .400 13 times and above .500 five times – the only three seasons in which he’s finished below .400 were his first two years in Grand Forks (2008, 2009) and his first season in Albuquerque (2022).

SPENRATH CRACKS THE TOP 50 1B’S
– UNM Senior First Baseman Reed Spenrath was named to D1Baseball.com’s Top 50 first baseman rankings, coming in at No. 46 in the nation. A first-team all-conference selection in first season with the Lobos, Spenrath led the team and ranked second in the conference in 2023 with 19 home runs – the sixth-most in a single season in program history – and 65 RBIs. The 6’5” power hitter also led the team and ranked third in the conference with 54 runs scored, batting .321 while reaching base at a clip of .421. He finished the season with 16 multi-hit games and 18 multi-RBI games.
– “One thing Reed has to be careful with it that they’re gonna pitch him very carefully. It’s important that we have guys around them that produce as well,” said Brown of his top returning player. “Reed brings a senior leadership and work ethic — good defensive first baseman, and then obviously the bat. 19 home runs last year. First Team all-Mountain West. He brings that presence to the lineup that at any time he can hit the ball in the parking lot, and so they’re gonna have to pitch him careful.”

YOUR 2024 LOBOS ROSTER
– UNM’s 2024 roster includes 16 returning players with 24 newcomers – the Lobos return seven position players who started at least 10 games in 2023 and losing six.
– Of the Lobos’ newcomers, 8 are freshmen and 16 are transfers – 12 from junior colleges and four from four-year institutions.
– 29 players are upperclassmen – 13 seniors and 16 juniors – the most upperclassmen Brown has had on a roster in Albuquerque.

• BREAKDOWN BY POSITION
  • Pitchers: 8 Returners / 12 Newcomers
  • Catchers: 2 Returners / 2 Newcomers
  • Infielders: 4 Returners / 6 Newcomers
  • Outfielders: 1 Returners / 7 Newcomers

PITCHING ROUNDUP
BROWN’S TAKE: “You really need six high-end guys — three starters, three bullpen guys — for a weekend series in the Mountain West, and I really feel like we have that. But our seven through 14 is much improved in terms of depth. That way you can sustain an injury and not feel like you’re in a bad position. So I think overall depth in our pitching staff quality is probably our biggest change and we’re looking forward to letting those guys toe the rubber.”
– The Lobos lost three weekend starters (Tristin Lively, Riley Egloff, Isaac Gallegos) to graduation, but return LHP Jaren Jackson, who made eight starts last season while pitching the most innings of any returner (44.2 IP).
– Five returners – Brian McBroom (40.2 IP, 39 K, 5.53 ERA), Arthur Steinkamp (25.2 IP, 12 K, 2.81 ERA), Ben Baker-Livingston (24 IP, 10 K, 8,63 ERA), Justin Still (21.1 IP, 20 K, 5.91 ERA) and Wil Bannister (19 IP, 11 K, 9.47 ERA) all saw significant action in ‘23. UNM brings in 12 incoming pitchers this season – eight transfers and four freshmen.
– Steinkamp posted the lowest ERA of any pitcher with more than two appearances in 2023 (2.81), going his final 10 appearances without walking a single batter and only walking four on the season.
– McBroom led the Lobos with 25 appearances all out of the bullpen in ‘23, leading the team and ranking seventh in the conference with three saves while allowing zero or one earned runs in 20 appearances.
– Two of this weekend’s probable starters on the mound will be junior college transfers making their UNM debuts — RHP David Lopez (Wharton County JC) is slated to get the start on Saturday against CSU Bakersfield, with RHP Dayne Pengelly (Pima CC) taking over on Sunday against Minnesota. Monday’s starter in the Lobos’ rematch with CSUB is still to be determined.

RETURNER-FILLED LINEUP
BROWN’S TAKE: “We took the last year’s fall and this year’s fall and we compared the stats and this year’s team was very comparable to what that team did the year before, where we feel like it can carry over into games. But again, once the lights come on, we’re gonna have to do it.  I feel like we tried to address our lineup with high-contact guys that can really defend and then not be so reliant on the home run, being able to do some other thing … because if you don’t hit the home runs that day, it’s hard to win. And that was last year’s lineup. This year we’re trying to get a little bit more diverse in the ways that we can win games.
– UNM returns three starters that batted above .300 in 2023 – Jake Holland (.333), Reed Spenrath (.321) and Sean Stephens (.349). Spenrath and Holland led the team in slugging percentage last year, with Spenrath slugging at a .721 clip and Holland at .633, good for second and fourth-best in the Mountain West that season.
– In first season with the Lobos, Holland earned mention on the Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award watch list, ranking fifth in the MW with 12 home runs while slugging .633 on the season — also good for fifth-best in the conference.
– The Lobos also return senior middle infield duo Chase Weissenborn (.291) and Devon Dixon (.274). Weissenborn is the Lobos’ only returning player who started every game in 2023, improving his fielding percentage to .963 in 2023 on a career-high 218 chances. Dixon and Weissenborn both connected on 10 doubles each last season.
– Other experienced seniors include catcher/DH Kyle Smith (20 starts in ‘23, 5 HR, 13 RBI) and infielder Konner Kinkade (10 starts, 35 appearances, 4 2B, 12 RBI).
– Transfers Josh McAlister (Ohio State), Will Asby (San Francisco), Khalil Walker (E. Arizona College) and Tye Wood (Iowa Western CC) are all in the mix for significant spots in the Lobos’ lineup.

PROJECTED TOP NEWCOMERS
Josh McAlister | INF | JR
The junior infielder transferred to UNM from Ohio State over the offseason, where he appeared in 87 games over three seasons, starting 76. He posted career-highs in walks (25), RBI (18) and fielding percentage (.954) in 36 games for the Buckeyes in 2023, and is slated to get the start at third base for the Lobos this weekend.
BROWN ON MCALISTER: “Very athletic, good defensive player; has some juice in his bat and can hit doubles and home runs.He brings some experience at the Division I level coming in.”

Tye Wood | OF | JR
A junior college transfer by way of Iowa Western, Wood hit for a .413 average last season at Iowa Western en route to his second First Team All-Region honor in as many seasons. In 2023, the switch-hitting outfielder connected on 16 doubles and five triples while stealing 23 bases. He’s projected to start in the outfield and hit at the heart of the order.
BROWN ON WOOD: “He’s had a nice spring so far – he’s a guy that we expect to see a lot of playing action early.”

Khalil Walker | OF | JR
Another JuCo transfer outfielder, Walker comes to UNM by way of Eastern Arizona College, where he was named First Team All-ACCAC and Second Team All-Region while also finishing the season as a National Golden Glove nominee. He hit .350 for EAC last season, getting on base at a .458 clip while driving in 31 runs for the Gila Monsters.
BROWN ON WALKER: “Left-handed hitter, high-speed guy, high-contact guy that can steal bases. Big defender in the outfield.”

Andrew Neil | RHP/INF | JR
Neil – a two-way player during his two seasons at Folsom Lake CC – was slated to start Friday’s season opener for the Lobos before a hand injury. He displays a potent three-pitch mix and accumulated a 9-3 record on the mound with a 4.44 ERA last season for the Falcons, hitting .320 with 25 RBI to go with eight doubles and three homers.
BROWN ON NEIL: “Hopefully here in the next two, three weeks, he’ll resume starting to throw and get back out there. He’s gonna be a big part of our pitching staff, either as a starter or a closer.”

2023 BY THE NUMBERS
– UNM’s .328 batting average in 2023 was its highest since 2013 – The Lobos led the Mountain West in that category and ranked third nationally.
– The Lobos hit 87 home runs – their most since 2003. That total led the Mountain West and is the third most in program history.
– UNM slugged .559 on the season, the sixth-highest in program history and highest since 2003, leading the Mountain West.
– With a .974 fielding percentage – second-highest in program history (2017) – the Lobos led the Mountain West.
– Improving from a a 9.06 ERA as a team in Brown’s first season to a 5.95, UNM only allowed 3.20 walks per nine innings, its lowest average since 2014 and the best in the Mountain West. The Lobos’ 1.59 WHIP was its lowest since 2015.
– UNM scored 441 runs (most since 2017, led MW) and racked up 617 hits (most since 2017, led MW) to go with 24 triples (most since 2015, led MW) and 411 RBI (most since 2017, led MW).
– Lobo batters reached base at a .406 clip, UNM’s best average since 2017 (Led MW).
– UNM turned 48 double plays in 51 games, the most in the MW and 33rd-most in the nation. The Lobos’ .94 double plays per game ranked No. 9 in the nation.

A LOOK AT THE SCHEDULE
– UNM’s 54-game 2024 schedule, including 30 Mountain West Conference games, features five different teams that reached NCAA Regionals last spring – Oregon State, Texas Tech, Arizona, San Jose State and Sam Houston State – with 27 games against nine opponents that ranked in the Top 150 in the nation in last season’s final RPI rankings.
– UNM will play 30 games at Santa Ana Star Field in Albuquerque and 24 games on the road throughout the regular season.
-For the seventh season in a row, UNM is opening the season at the Sanderson Ford Collegiate Baseball Classic in Surprise, Ariz.
– The Lobos then return to Albuquerque for 12 home games in a row at Santa Ana Star Field, opening things up with a four-game series with South Dakota State Feb. 22-24 (DH on Feb. 24), followed by another four-game swing with Hofstra March 1-3 (DH on March 2). UNM’s first midweek matchup of the season with Texas Tech – who the Lobos walked off with a ninth-inning Jake Holland homer for an 11-10 win at home in their last meeting – is set for March 5.
– Mountain West play begins March 8-10 with a home series against UNLV, with UNM’s first true road games of the season the following week with a midweek matchup at Arizona State (March 12) and a three-game conference swing with Nevada in Reno (March 15-17).
– The first of four Rio Grande Rivalry matchups with New Mexico State will take place on March 19 at home before UNM plays host to defending MW Champions San Jose State (March 22-24). They’ll face the Aggies twice more in Las Cruces (April 9, April 30) before concluding the four-game season series at home on May 7.
– After a MW series with San Diego State on the road March 28-30, the Lobos get four consecutives matchups with 2023 NCAA Regional qualifiers, set for a midweek matchup with Arizona in Tucson on April 2 before returning home to host 2023 WAC Champions Sam Houston State for a three-game set April 5-7 – UNM’s final multi-game nonconference series of the season.
– Up next, another four-game homestand includes UNM’s only MW series with Fresno State April 12-14 before a matchup with D-II CSU-Pueblo on April 16. The Lobos then travel to Air Force – another MW opponent they’ll only face in one series – for a three-game series April 19-21 before heading down to Lubbock, Texas for their second and final meeting with Texas Tech April 23. Rematches with San Diego State at home (April 26-28), UNLV on the road (May 3-5), Nevada at home (May 10-12) and San Jose State on the road (May 16-18) comprise the remainder of UNM’s regular season, with Senior Day set for May 12.
– Should the Lobos finish among the Top Four in the Mountain West standings, they’ll earn a berth to the MWC Championships May 23-25, hosted this year by San Diego State. The winner earns the conference’s automatic berth into the NCAA Championships.