Lobos Host San José State This Weekend in MW Action
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Winners of six of their last eight and tied for second in the league standings, the New Mexico Lobos (13-8, 4-2 MW) host San José State (7-14, 3-6 MW) at Santa Ana Star Field in Mountain West action this weekend, March 22-23.
Due to expected weather conditions on Sunday, the Lobos and Spartans will complete the series a day early with a doubleheader on Saturday at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m., respectively.
The Lobos are 3-2 over their last five, picking up their first road win over Arizona State since 2014 (6-4) last Tuesday but dropping the weekend series against the Wolf Pack (2-13, 3-4, 10-8) before run-ruling New Mexico State 14-4 in a midweek rivalry matchup this Tuesday. They’re looking to snap a streak of three straight series losses to the Spartans and secure their second MW weekend series win of the season.
The Lobos have hit 16 homers in their last 10 games, with five in their last two – they’ve won eight straight games in which they hit at least one homer and have yet to lose a game in which they hit multiple (8-0). After hitting his first no-doubter of the season in his 17th game on March 10, Preseason All-MW First Baseman Reed Spenrath has hit four of UNM’s last eight homers, driving in 13 of his 19 RBI this season in that six-game span. In conference matchups, UNM is batting .359 as a team with a team OPS of 1.002 while averaging 9.83 runs and 13 hits per game.
Through 21 games, the Lobos also rank No. 4 in NCAA D-I in total doubles (58), No. 5 in total double plays (23), No. 9 in total hits (243), No. 11 in batting average (.331), No. 16 in team on-base percentage (.443), No. 22 in total walks (129) and No. 23 in runs scored (178) – they lead the Mountain West in all of those categories.
It’s also PBR Country Weekend in Albuquerque, with the Ty Murray Invitational taking place right next to Santa Ana Star Field at The Pit on the same days, March 22-24. Fans who attend this weekend’s series will get to see a live bull and mingle with PBR bullriders along with a variety of promotional items including free cowboy hats.
Friday’s series opener is set for a 6 p.m. start with Saturday’s Game Two at 2 p.m. and Sunday’s series finale at Noon (all times MT). All three games will be streamed via the Mountain West Network at GoLobos.com/Watch. Follow @UNMLoboBaseball on socials for promotional/marketing and gameday updates, behind-the-scenes content and more.
vs. San José State (7-14, 3-6 MW)
March 22-23 | Albuquerque, N.M. | Santa Ana Star Field
GAME ONE: Friday, March 22 – 6 p.m. MT
GAME TWO: Saturday, March 23 – 2 p.m. MT
GAME THREE: Saturday, March 23 – 6 p.m. MT
THE ALL-TIME SERIES
UNM leads the all-time series with the Spartans 27-19-1, with an 18-6 mark against them at home and a 24-16-1 record since they joined the Mountain West in 2014. The Lobos have won at least one game in each of their last four weekend series with San Jose State but haven’t taken a weekend series from the Spartans since a three-game sweep May 22-23, 2021 (6-2, 14-2 [7 Inn.], 8-4). They only faced each other three times last season, with UNM winning the series opener in Albuquerque 16-8 but falling in the next two (3-8, 3-14 [8 Inn.]). UNM Head Coach Tod Brown is 3-6 against the Spartans in his career.
SCOUTING THE SPARTANS
San Jose State — the reigning 2023 MW Regular Season and Tournament Champions — returns seven of its top nine hitters from last season but lost four of its five most-used pitchers (230.1 IP combined). The Spartans are coming off a 1-2 Mountain West weekend against Fresno State and a midweek loss at Santa Clara that dropped them to 7-14 on the season and 3-6 in MW play. They’ve yet to win two out of three on a weekend series but have defeated the top two teams in the league by RPI — Air Force and Fresno State — once each.
Dalton Bowling had a stellar weekend against the Bulldogs, batting .583 over the weekend with seven hits, two home runs and a double and going 4-for-4 in the game two win on Saturday. He leads the Mountain West in home runs with eight, followed by Hunter Dorraugh, who matches UNM’s Will Asby for second with six.
The Spartans as a team are second behind the Lobos in the Mountain West in home runs (24) and lead the league in triples (9).
COACH BROWN BREAKS 400
UNM’s 10-8 win over Nevada on Sunday was the 400th of UNM Head Coach Tod Brown’s career (North Dakota State 2008-2021, UNM 2022-present) — he’s one of only three UNM coaches to surpass 400 wins in their careers, trailing only Rich Alday (515-313 [1990-2007]) and Ray Birmingham (414-341 [2008-2020]) – the second and third-longest tenured Lobo Baseball coaches in program history – for the most career wins. Brown has posted a 60-66 record since becoming UNM’s 12th Baseball coach in the summer of 2021.
RUN-RULE RIVALRY WIN
UNM opened up its Rio Grande Rivalry season series with New Mexico State with an emphatic 14-4 run-rule victory in seven innings at Santa Ana Star Field on Tuesday, racking up 17 hits with three home runs in the process.
The Lobos weathered an early three-spot in the top of the third from the Aggies (10-11, 1-2 C-USA) after plating the first run of the game in the bottom of the second, blowing the game open with an eight-run inning – punctuated by Will Asby’s second grand slam at Santa Ana Star Field and sixth homer this season – and keeping their foot on the gas the rest of the way with five more runs — and two more homers from Reed Spenrath and Devon Dixon — over the next four frames.
With the win, UNM Head Coach Tod Brown improves to 7-2 against the Lobos’ rivals to the south. The Rio Grande Rivalry will continue with two more meetings in Las Cruces, N.M. on April 9 and 30 before the four-game season series comes to a conclusion at Santa Ana Star Field on May 7.
“Really solid pitching today — got ourselves out of jams early in the game, and the bats really came alive the second time through the order,” Brown said. “Asby’s grand slam was a game-changer — the guys in front of him took their walks and kept things going to break the game open.”
SEEING DOUBLE
The Lobos have excelled at both double plays and hitting doubles this season, ranking No. 5 in NCAA D-I in total double plays (23) and No. 4 in total doubles (58). They rank No. 12 in double plays per game (1.12) and No. 5 in doubles per game (2.76), leading the MW in all four categories.
Will Asby and Jake Holland are both tied for the MW lead and No. 31 in NCAA D-I in doubles with nine each, with Asby among the Top 100 in the nation in doubles per game (0.43).
UNM ranks No. 2 in the MW in assists (188) and putouts (540), with Reed Spenrath ranking No. 2 in total putouts (157) and Devon Dixon ranking No. 3 in total assists (58) – Spenrath has been a part of 22 double plays (No. 1 in the MW), while Dixon has helped stitch 17 (No. 2 in the MW) with Chase Weissenborn pitching in on 10 (T-No. 7 in the MW) in just 11 games.
DIGGING THE LONG BALL
The Lobos have hit 16 homers in their last 10 games, with five in their last two – they’ve won eight straight games in which they hit at least one homer and have yet to lose a game in which they hit multiple (8-0). Nine different Lobos have hit a homer this season for a total of 25 through 21 games – 17 have been at Santa Ana Star Field.
Will Asby leads the Lobos with six homers and Jake Holland has five – Reed Spenrath has four, all of which came in UNM’s last five games since last Sunday’s series finale against UNLV. Devon Dixon hit his first homer of the season against Arizona State in Phoenix last Tuesday and followed with his second exactly a week later against NM State at home.
MOUNTAIN WEST RPI CHECK-IN
With a 4-2 record in their first two MW series, the Lobos are currently projected to finish third in the league behind Fresno State and Air Force by Warren Nolan after opening the season picked to finish fifth in the coaches’ poll – they have the third-best RPI (139) in the MW through games played Tuesday and are one of four MW teams that rank among the Top 150 in the nation by RPI along with Air Force (No. 81), Nevada (No. 113) and Fresno State (No. 150).
UNM and Fresno State are the only two teams in the league that have posted a record above .500 in their last ten games – they’ve both won seven of their last 10. UNM’s .619 overall win percentage through 21 games is also second to Fresno; they’re one of two MW teams that are entering the weekend coming off back-to-back wins along with UNLV (2-4, 12-8). San Jose State (7-14, 3-6) is one of four MW teams on multi-game losing streaks.
WOOD SWINGING A HOT BAT
Tye Wood is pacing the Lobos with a .400 batting average that ranks as the best in the Mountain West – he’s sitting at No. 3 nationally in on base percentage (.615) and leads the conference in that category as well as walks per game (1.00, No. 53 in NCAA D-I) and HBP per game (0.47, No. 36) while getting on base in all 17 games in which he got multiple at-bats.
He’s scored a run in 16 out of his 19 appearances for the Lobos, drawing multiple walks in four games with three multi-hit games in conference matchups. He’s hit two homers on the season — the second being UNM’s first grand slam of the season.
CARRIS’ BIG WEEK
Originally intended to redshirt until Josh McAlister’s injury pushed him into the starting lineup, Albuquerque native Akili Carris turned UNM’s four-game homestand against Texas Tech and UNLV into a coming-out party with a big showing on both sides of the ball – he racked up seven RBI while batting .438 with two doubles and made some impressive plays at third, generating seven putouts and eight assists. He finished with a career-high three RBI on three hits in UNM’s 31-15 win over UNLV on Saturday. Prior to that weekend, Carris had yet to double or drive in a run – he had one hit in seven at-bats as a true freshman in 2023.
In Tuesday’s midweek matchup, Carris finished with two hits, scoring two runs and driving in another to reach nine RBI and three doubles on the season.
LOPEZ SHINING AS FRIDAY GUY
RHP David Lopez was a revelation in a career-high seven innings on the mound in UNM’s MW opener with UNLV on March 9, holding the lineup that entered the week with the best batting average in the conference to just two earned runs in that span on six hits while striking out four and walking two. Lopez only allowed one extra base hit while totaling a career-high 107 pitches, picking up momentum as his pitch count rose – he gave up just one hit over his final three innings, retiring eight in a row for the second time in that game to close out his time on the mound.
Lopez has pitched the most innings (24.2) of the Lobos’ staff and is tied with RHP Josh Barnhouse for most strikeouts (18). Of his 429 pitches thrown this season, 62% were for strikes.
He’ll get the start again on Friday against the Spartans, looking to bounce back after a rough outing in Reno against the Wolf Pack (3.0 IP, 8 H, 8 R/7ER, 2 BB, 2 K) resulted in his first loss of the season.
HOLLAND AND ASBY BRINGING THE POWER
Jake Holland and Will Asby have combined for 11 of UNM’s 25 homers with 18 doubles and 42 RBI so far this season, with the two highest slugging percentages on the team at .808 and .646 respectively.
Holland went 4-for-5 with three doubles and a homer in UNM’s series finale against Nevada – he’s slugging .857 with an OPS of 1.292 over his last five games, with six doubles in that span. He’s up to five multi-hit games and three multi-RBI games so far this season with nine doubles (T-No. 1 in MW) and five homers (T-No. 4 in MW) despite only starting in 13 of UNM’s 21 games.
Batting .304 on the season, Will Asby lead the Lobos in multi-RBI games with six and overall RBI with 27 (No. 1 in the MW, No. 52 in NCAA D-I) — he’s been rung up the fewest times of any Lobo (Min. 2.5 AB/game) with a 12-7 strikeout to walk ratio (1.71) that ranks as the Lobos’ second best just behind Tye Wood (1.73).
The grad transfer by way of University of San Francisco has already driven in more runs in 21 games with the Lobos than he did all season across 38 appearances for the Dons in 2023 (26). He ranks second in the league with a team-high six homers — he’s hit two of UNM’s three grand slams already this season, against UNLV on March 9 (W, 31-15) and New Mexico State on Tuesday (W, 14-4). Tuesday was his third game this season with four or more RBI; he drove in career-high nine runs in UNM’s 31-15 win over UNLV on March 9, good for the second-most in a single game in program history. The Lobos matched the program record for single-game scoring with their 31 runs that night.
THE BIG MAN IS BACK
After mashing 19 homers in his first season in Albuquerque, Reed Spenrath was productive at the plate through his first 16 games (.300/.455/.483) but with just one thing missing – a home run. He finally broke through with his first of the year and the Lobos’ 18th of the season in the weekend finale against UNLV, driving a three-run shot more than 450 feet out of Santa Ana Star Field to put the Lobos up 5-4 late.
He’s done so again three more times since then with two more multi-run homers against Arizona State (March 12) and Nevada (March 17) and a solo shot against New Mexico State (March 19). UNM is 4-0 in games in which Spenrath hits a home run, and he’s finished with multiple hits in five of his six games since that first homer of the year on March 10.
Through five weeks of Baseball, Spenrath has accumulated 19 RBI while hitting seven doubles and three triples, connecting on 27 hits and drawing 17 walks. He has nine multi-hit games and four multi-RBI games, starting all but one game at first while racking up 157 putouts and 12 assists. He’s been a part of 22 of UNM’s 23 double plays (No. 5 in NCAA D-I) this season.
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.
OTHER BULLPEN NOTES
RHP Brian McBroom (1-0, 8.1 IP, 8.64 ERA, 3 SV, 2 BB, 8 K) has the second-most saves in the MW this season with three — he’s up to eight saves in his three-year Lobo career. He’s held opponents to one run or fewer in five of his seven outings in 2024 — striking out eight and walking just two over 8.1 innings — and UNM is 5-2 in games in which he takes the mound.
LHP Daxton Purser (0-0, 19 IP, 4.74 ERA, 15 BB, 15 K) went the longest of any Lobo pitcher this season without giving up a run in Saturday’s Game Two against Nevada in Reno, finishing with new career-highs in strikeouts (6) and innings pitched (6.0) while holding the Wolf Pack scoreless on two hits and four walks the entire time he was on the mound. It was his third scoreless outing of the season for the big lefty, who threw a career-high 99 pitches in the process.
RHP Josh Barnhouse (1-0, 16 IP, 7.88 ERA) is tied with David Lopez for most strikeouts on the squad with 18, doing so in just 16 innings of work to Lopez’s 24.2 IP. He has taken the mound in three of UNM’s last five games, holding opponents to two earned runs on three hits in total while striking out five and walking just one batter in that span.
Barnhouse matched a career-high of four strikeouts for the third time this season in three innings of scoreless relief to earn his first save of the season — it was his second scoreless relief outing of the week after a entering the game to get a clutch two outs against Arizona State last Tuesday that got the Lobos out of a jam.
MOUNTAIN WEST BREAKDOWN
Through 21 games, the Lobos lead the Mountain West in 11 statistical categories:
– Batting Average (.331)
– Slugging Percentage (.528)
– On Base Percentage (.443)
– Runs Scored (188)
– Hits (243)
– Runs Batted In (176)
– Doubles (58)
– Walks (129)
– Double Plays (23)
– Total Bases (338)
– Saves (6)
They rank second in the league in nine more:
– Home Runs (22)
– Putouts (519)
– Batters Struck Out Looking (52
– Wins (13)
– Sac Flies (10)
– Stolen Bases (23)
– Innings Pitched (180.0)
– Assists (188)
– Putouts (540)
With every team now having played at least two weekend series, New Mexico (13-8, 4-2 MW) sits in a three-way tie for second in the league standings behind first-place Air Force (9-10, 5-1 MW) along with Fresno State (14-6, 4-2) and Nevada (8-10, 4-2). Heading into their home series this weekend, UNM and Air Force are the only two teams that have yet to drop a conference game at home.
STREAKS AND MORE
As a team, UNM’s season-best streak of 10 straight games with double-digit hits came to an end on March 10 with an eight-hit outing against the Rebels. The Lobos finished with multiple doubles in each of their 12 consecutive home games from Feb. 22 to March 10, with six games of four or more two-baggers and two games with six.
UNM has hit at least one double in 19 consecutive games, with 15 games with multiple doubles in that span and nine with three or more.
Josh McAlister (out with injury since March 3) has the longest active on-base streak for the Lobos at 11, with Tye Wood just behind with 10 and Dixon with eight. Five other Lobos have active on base streaks of at least three games. Wood and Jake Holland both have the longest active hit streaks on the team with 3 each.
31-RUN MADNESS
The Lobos matched a program record set in 2004 with 31 runs scored in their series-clinching win over UNLV on March 9, racking up 29 hits and getting multiple RBI from six different Lobos in the process. Will Asby drove in a team-high nine runs – the second-most in a single game in program history and the most since 2010 – and Kyle Smith added six more. UNM’s 29 hits in total are the most in a single game since 2010 and fourth-most in a single game in program history.
Asby was 2-for-2 with two doubles and 4 RBI in the first inning alone as the Lobos plated 20 runs in the first three frames. UNLV scored 15 runs in total and looked to get within striking distance late after plating eight between the fourth and sixth innings, but RHP Josh Barnhouse calmed things down in relief, allowing just one hit over 3 ⅔ innings of work while striking out four and walking two to calm things down and earn the first win of his UNM career.
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 was 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 ahead of the season, 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.
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 Fargo (2008, 2009) and his first season in Albuquerque (2022).
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.
THE REMAINING 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.
– The first of four Rio Grande Rivalry matchups with New Mexico State ended with a 14-4 run-rule win, 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 consecutive 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 st 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 to an NCAA Regional.
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.
– The Lobos finished the season with a .974 fielding percentage – the second highest in program history (2017) – that also 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.