University of New Mexico Lobos athletics
Open Search
Open Announce
Baseball

Lobos Fall to No. 7 Oregon State 15-6 on Opening Day

by Connor Gilbert
Box Score (PDF)

SURPRISE, Ariz. – An explosive seven-homer outing from No. 7 Oregon State was too much for New Mexico Baseball on Opening Day at Surprise Stadium, with the Lobos falling 6-15 in the first of four games at the Sanderson Ford College Baseball Classic.

UNM’s weekend in Surprise continues tomorrow with the Lobos’ first matchup with CSU Bakersfield at 5 p.m. MT. Head to GoLobos.com/Surprise for this weekend’s FloBaseball streaming options and live stats links all in one place.

The Lobos tied things up at 1-1 early thanks to an RBI base knock from Josh McAlister in the first at-bat of his UNM career but didn’t get on the board again until a five-spot in the eighth that included a solo homer from Jake Holland and a bases-loaded double from Chase Weissenborn.

Holland (2B, HR, 2 R, RBI), Josh McAlister (1 R, RBI) and Sean Stephens (1 R) all finished with two knocks apiece to lead a 10-hit outing for UNM, with Weissenborn adding three RBI with his big double to match a career-high. Ethan Ott, Tye Wood and Kyle Smith all added a hit each, with Wood scoring a run.

Getting the start on Opening Day, LHP Jaren Jackson (L, 0-1) kept the damage minimal with inning-ending strikeouts in each of his first three frames on the mound but exited the game with one out on the board in the fourth after back-to-back Beavers home runs. He finished with four punchouts over 3 ⅓ innings of work and was tagged for eight earned runs on nine hits and three walks.

RHP Josh Barnhouse (2.2 IP, 4 K, 7 H, 7 ER) made his UNM debut in relief and LHP Arthur Steinkamp (2.0 IP, 1 K, 1 H, 0 ER) held the Beavers scoreless the rest of the way, retiring six of the seven batters he faced.

THE ACTION
Batting leadoff in his UNM debut, Khalil Walker got on base on an OSU throwing error in the first at-bat of the 2024 season but was thrown out attempting to steal second with Chase Weissenborn at the plate. OSU starter Aiden May struck out the next two batters he faced to end the inning without any further threat from the Lobos.

LHP Jaren Jackson managed to respond in kind in the bottom of the inning, working his way back from an 0-2 hole in his first at-bat before inducing a flyout and a grounder in succession. A two-out solo blast from the Beavers’ Micah McDowell plated the first run of the game before a walk and an infield error threatened more, but Jackson halted the advance with his first strikeout of the season.

Jake Holland reached scoring position with a one-out standup double to start the second, reaching third on a grounder from Tye Wood with Josh McAlister at the plate. With the count loaded, McAlister delivered, smacking a base hit to left field to tie things up at 1-1.

But the Beavers connected on hits in three of their first four at-bats in the bottom of the inning to retake the lead at 3-1 before Jackson could regain control. He connected with Devon Dixon on a throw to second to get the second out before ending the inning with his second K.

OSU extended the lead to 4-1 with a sac bunt and threatened more after Gavin Turley drew a walk and stole second, but Jackson generated a flyout and followed with his third-straight inning-ending punchout. UNM came up empty in the third despite getting runners on first and third and went three-and-out to start the fourth, when back-to-back Beavs homers in the bottom of the inning made it a 6-1 ballgame.

RHP Josh Barnhouse took the mound in relief with one out on the board – his UNM debut – but the Beavers kept rolling, plating five runs on a bases-clearing double and a two-run homer before Barnhouse could close out the inning with back-to-back K’s. 

Barnhouse kept the Beavers off the board in the fifth, inducing a grounder before Reed Spenrath and Chase Weissenborn teamed up on a frame-ending double play.

Spenrath got on base for the first time with a walk in the sixth, but the Lobos found themselves in a two-out situation yet again after a foulout from Holland. Tye Wood lined into left field in the next at-bat to give the Lobos multiple baserunners for the first time since the third and bring up McAlister, but the Beavers managed to shut out the Lobos for a fourth consecutive frame with a three-pitch punchout.

UNM finally got back on the board in the top of the eighth, with Holland slamming UNM’s first home run of the game and Wood and McAlister both getting on base with a hit-by-pitch and a single. A flyout from Dixon got Wood to scoring position and he capitalized on an OSU fielding error for another run to make it 3-15.

Walker drew a walk in the next at-bat to load the bases with two outs and Chase Weissenborn delivered a much-needed double after an eight-pitch battle that saw him battle back to a full count from 0-2 and foul off three consecutive pitches to make it a 6-15 ballgame.

After a pitching change, Ott drew UNM’s second walk of the inning, but a flyout from Spenrath stranded both runners.

Steinkamp continued to keep things quiet in the bottom of the frame, picking up his first strikeout while retiring three of the next four batters he faced. Konner Kinkade (walk) and Kyle Smith (single) both got on base in succession – both pinch-hitting – to threaten to cut into the deficit more with two outs left, but a flyout and strikeout ended the game.

UP NEXT / FOLLOW THE ACTION
Saturday’s game is set for a 5 p.m. (MT) start, with RHP David Lopez set to get the start on the mound against CSU Bakersfield RHP Gary Grosjean. Live stats and streaming options are available via GoLobos.com/Surprise  — follow @UNMLoboBaseball on Instagram and X for live updates, highlights and more.

Related Stories

PHOTO GALLERY: Cherry/Silver World Series Finale
PHOTO GALLERY: Cherry/Silver World Series Finale
PHOTO GALLERY: Cherry/Silver World Series, Games 1-2
PHOTO GALLERY: Cherry/Silver World Series, Games 1-2
PHOTO GALLERY: Team Lobos Wins MLB HRD X at Isotopes Park; Jared Mang Named MVP
PHOTO GALLERY: Team Lobos Wins MLB HRD X at Isotopes Park; Jared Mang Named MVP