Lobos Host Aggies for Rio Grande Rivalry Matchup Tuesday

New Mexico Baseball continues its homestand with the first of four matchups with in-state rivals New Mexico State Tuesday evening at Santa Ana Star Field, with the Lobos (4-4) on the hunt for a third-straight win for the first time this year.

The Lobos sit at .500 through the first eight games of the season, going 2-2 in their opening week in Arizona before splitting last weekend’s four-game set with Northern Colorado (15-16, 11-15, 13-4, 12-7). UNM batted .426 on the weekend in their first games of the year at elevation, averaging 18.3 hits and 13.5 runs per nine innings. After dropping the first two games despite scoring a combined 26 runs between them, they held the Bears to single-digit runs in each of the next two games to rally for the series split.

Meanwhile, the Aggies bring a 5-2 record with them to Albuquerque after sweeping a three-game home series with Western Illinois last weekend in Las Cruces.

UNM’s midweek matchup will be broadcast free via the Mountain West Network, with live stats, streaming options and more available via GoLobos.com/BSBGameDay. Follow @UNMLoboBaseball on IG, X and Facebook for comprehensive coverage, promotional updates, behind-the-scenes content and more.

vs New Mexico State (5-2)
Feb. 25, 6 p.m. MT | Albuquerque, N.M. | Santa Ana Star Field

ALL-TIME SERIES
UNM is 167-95 all-time against their rivals to the south, with a 78-34 record in home matchups after winning the two teams’ only matchup last year in Albuquerque on March 19 and a 63-52 record in Las Cruces. UNM went 1-2 against the Aggies in 2024 before their initially-scheduled fourth game in Albuquerque was scrapped due to weather. Tod Brown is 7-4 against the Aggies in his tenure as UNM Head Coach.

JORDY ORIACH NAMED MW POTW
After leading the Lobos in batting across their four-game series at home last weekend, New Mexico’s Jordy Oriach has been named Mountain West Player of the Week, the conference announced Monday.
The honor makes it two weeks in a row in which a UNM player picks up a conference weekly honor after Cooper Brass was named MW Freshman of the Week last Monday.
Oriach hit a team-best .632 across four starts in left field vs. Northern Colorado at Santa Ana Star Field as the Lobos split the weekend series with the Bears, scoring 10 runs and driving in seven with four doubles and two homers.  UNM batted .426 on the weekend as a team in the Lobos’ first series at home, averaging 18.3 hits and 13.5 runs per nine innings.
In that span, Oriach batted .636 with runners on base (7/11) — he went yard in both of UNM’s wins on Saturday and Sunday, posting a team-high 1.158 slugging and .682 on-base percentage across all four games (1.940 OBP). He also drew two walks and only struck out once all weekend, posting a flawless 1.000 fielding percentage in left field, generating seven putouts.

LAST TIME OUT
New Mexico split last weekend’s four-game set with Northern Colorado in the Lobos’ first home series of the season, dropping the first two before winning two in a row to close (15-16, 11-15, 13-4, 12-7). UNM batted .426 on the weekend in their first games of the year at elevation, averaging 18.3 hits and 13.5 runs per nine innings. After dropping the first two games despite scoring a combined 26 runs between them, they held the Bears to single-digit runs in each of the next two games to rally for the series split.

• Offensively, Jordy Oriach (.632) led the charge with 12 hits, including four doubles and two home runs, while scoring 10 times and driving in seven. Akili Carris (.579) was equally productive, tallying 11 hits and 11 RBIs while striking out just once, while Khalil Walker (.529) launched two triples and a home run while adding four RBI and two stolen bases. Ethan Ott (.412) found some power upon the return to elevation with three doubles, a home run, and a team-best eight RBI on the weekend.
• UNM averaged 18.3 hits per game and 13.5 runs per nine innings over the weekend thanks to seven different hitters driving in at least four runs and eight different players recording multiple extra-base hits. Will Asby (.316) and Karsen Waslefsky (.368) each added a home run as the Lobos hit five in the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader, while Brodey Williams (.444) delivered clutch hits, including two doubles and a team-high .545 on-base percentage.
• RHP Diego Alvarez went the longest of any UNM starter so far this season in Saturday’s second game, earning the win with six innings of work — he allowed four earned runs on nine hits while striking out four. Less than an hour prior to the start of that game, the same UNC lineup had scored nine runs in the final three frames to take the first leg of the doubleheader, 15-11.
• On the mound, Ty Cunningham and Josh Barnhouse stood out in relief — Cunningham tossed three scoreless innings with four strikeouts, while Barnhouse worked 4.2 shutout frames, scattering just two hits and striking out three. Tommy White (1-0) earned his first win of the year with four strong innings, retiring 10 of the final 11 batters faced to slam the door on a comeback in Sunday’s finale.
• The Lobos were more aggressive on the basepaths on their home field even with their top base stealer in 2024, Tye Wood, out due to injury. UNM finished the series with 10 stolen bags in 13 attempts — Asby, Walker, and Waslefsky each recorded multiple steals.

EARLY RETURNS
Walker & Asby Named Preseason All-MW; Lobo Baseball Tabbed Fourth in Coaches’ Poll:

• Outfielders Khalil Walker and Will Asby were named to the All-Conference Preseason Team and New Mexico was one of three teams tied for fourth in the Mountain West Preseason Coaches’ Poll released Monday ahead of the 2025 baseball season.
  Walker and Asby – who both were All-MW selections after their first season at UNM in 2024 – make UNM one of four teams with multiple preseason all-league selections along with Fresno State (four selections), Nevada (three selections) and San Diego State (two selections).
• With six first-place votes for a total of 43 points, 2024 MW Tournament Champions Fresno State are the favorites to win the conference again ahead of Nevada (35 points) in second and Washington State (1 first-place vote, 30 points) in third. With 27 points, the Lobos are tied for fourth alongside UNLV (1 first-place vote) and San Diego State, the third season in a row in which they’ve improved their preseason rank. Before the 2023 season, UNM was picked to finish seventh and ultimately finished fifth — before the 2024 season, they were voted fifth and closed out the regular season one game out of sharing a regular-season championship with Air Force.

Asby Named to D1Baseball.com’s Top 100 Outfielders: 

• Senior Will Asby clocked in at No. 91 in the nation on D1Baseball.com’s National Outfielders Rankings released last week. In his first season with the Lobos in 2024, Asby entered the outlet’s midseason Top 100 Outfielder rankings at No. 94 after not being ranked heading into the season.
• Last season, Asby ranked second in the league in runs scored (59), eighth in slugging (.601) and ninth in total hits (71), breaking the program record for single-season grand slams with four – he needs just one more to match Mark Wulfert’s career record of five.

“Keep an Eye On” New Mexico in Mountain West Race:

• D1Baseball.com slated New Mexico as the team to “Keep an eye on” in this year’s Mountain West race behind preseason favorite Fresno State, citing improved pitching depth and a host of high-level hitters returning.
• “This year’s team has a chance at making [an NCAA Regional] with five returnees who hit .300-plus, two returning weekend starters on the mound and five key pieces in the bullpen also coming back to campus.”

A LOOK AT THE SCHEDULE
– The 53-game schedule, including 30 Mountain West Conference games, opens up at the MLB Desert Invitational in Arizona (Feb. 14-16) and concludes with a conference weekend series at home vs. Fresno State (May 15-17). In that span, the Lobos will face four different teams that reached NCAA Regionals last spring – Arizona, UC Irvine, Grand Canyon and Fresno State – nine times.
– In total, UNM will play 27 games at Santa Ana Star Field in Albuquerque and 26 games on the road throughout the regular season, with 18 games against seven opponents that ranked in the Top 150 in the nation in last season’s final RPI rankings.
– Should the Lobos stand among the top six teams in the Mountain West standings upon the conclusion of that weekend, they’ll earn a berth to the expanded MWC Baseball Championships May 21-25, hosted this year in Mesa, Ariz. The winner earns the conference’s automatic berth into the NCAA Championships.

2024 IN REVIEW
– The Lobos wrapped up the 2024 season with the most wins (28), most MW wins (17) and best MW finish (2nd) since 2017 to punch their ticket to the conference tournament for the first time since that season.
– The last time UNM increased its winning percentage over three consecutive seasons was 2012-2014. It was also the second year in a row in which the Lobos outperformed their conference preseason rank — they were picked to finish 7th in the conference in 2023 and finished fifth before being picked to finish fifth this year and concluding the season one game out of a regular season championship. They were one of just two MW teams to finish the season above .500.
– At the conclusion of the 2024 regular season, UNM ranked No. 8 in the nation in batting average (.319), No. 15 in the nation in double plays (51) and No. 17 in doubles per game (2.24).
– The Lobos led the MW in nearly every offensive category in 2024, with a slugging percentage of .515 that tied for the 10th-best in program history (No. 35 in the nation) and an on-base percentage of .421 that was also 10th-best in program history and No. 15 in the nation.
– Jake Holland was named MW Co-Player of the Year and ABCA All-Region Second Team following the season, with four Lobos making the All-MW team (most since 2017) and UNM taking home eight MW weekly awards (most since 2013).

WOOD HEATING UP THE BASEPATHS
– The Lobos’ projected leadoff man this season, Tye Wood became a real threat on the basepaths down the stretch in 2024, only getting caught stealing once in his last 11 attempts.
– Wood ranked second in the conference with 20 swiped bags – the most in a single season since Josh Melendez stole 22 in 2012. He stole at least one base against each of the Lobos’ last four opponents in the regular season and wrapped up the season ranked second in the MW in on-base percentage (.488) behind Walker (.490).
– Wood stole three bags – matching Sean Stephens for the most in a single game last season by a Lobo – in UNM’s series opener against Nevada May 10.

SEEING DOUBLE
– The Lobos excelled at getting two for one in 2024, ranking No. 15 in NCAA D-I in double plays per game (0.94) and No. 17 in doubles per game (2.24). They ranked No. 21 in total DP (51) and No. 50 in total doubles (121).
– Last season, the Lobos had four players hit double-digit doubles — two of them, Khalil Walker (11) and Will Asby (17), return for this season.

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.
– He’s done the same in each of his first three years in Albuquerque, improving from 21-33 (10-20 MW) in 2022 to 26-25 (13-17 MW) in 2023 to 28-26 (17-13 MW) in 2024.
– 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). They finished 28-26 on the season (28-24 in regular-season games) the following season in 2024.
– In 16 seasons as a D-I Head Coach, Brown has finished the season above .400 13 times and above .500 seven 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 2025 LOBOS ROSTER
– UNM’s 2025 roster includes 13 returning players with 17 newcomers – the Lobos return seven position players who appeared in at least 20 games in 2024 while losing seven.
– Of the Lobos’ newcomers, five are freshmen and 12 are transfers – nine transfers are from junior colleges and three from four-year institutions.
– 30 players are upperclassmen – 15 seniors and 15 juniors – the most upperclassmen Brown has had on a roster in Albuquerque.

THE OUTFIELD
The Lobos have the best possible problem on their hands in the outfield, with three returning starters in Khalil Walker, Tye Wood and Will Asby as well as 2023 NJCAA All-American transfer Jordy Oriach (Frank Phillips College) in the mix to compete for a spot.

In 2024, Walker led the MW in batting average (.391) and on-base percentage (.490) – ranking 20th and 43rd in the nation in those categories – with the lowest strikeout-to-walk ratio (30 BB/24 SO) among conference players in his first season as a Lobo. Asby ranked second in the league in runs scored (59), eighth in slugging (.601) and ninth in total hits (71), breaking the program record for single-season grand slams with four – he needs just one more to match Mark Wulfert’s career record of five.

They’re joined in the outfield by a productive switch-hitter in Wood (51 starts in 2024), who ranked 44th in the nation in on-base percentage (.488) and stole 20 bases last season, the second-most in the league and most by a Lobo in a single season since Josh Melendez in 2012 (23).

THE INFIELD
First and foremost, the Lobos look to replace three crucial middle infielders that soaked up most of the reps at shortstop and second in 2024 – Chase Weissenborn, Devon Dixon and Konner Kinkade. After both splitting time at the hot corner last season, junior Akili Carris (.301 average, 30 GS) looks to slot in at third full-time with senior Josh McAlister (.287 average, 10 XBH, 25 GS) moving back to second base, where he played over two seasons at Ohio State (2021-22). Luke Mansy (14 GP/7 GS) and juco transfer Karsen Waslefsky (South Mountain CC) also look to get significant reps up the middle, with utility transfer Elias Fiddler (Utah) as another option with D-I experience. Cooper Brass – who redshirted last season as a true freshman – and freshman Shane Miller are also both in the mix for reps up the middle in their collegiate debut seasons.

With the graduation of Reed Spenrath – who started 89 of 104 games at first base for UNM the past two seasons – UNM has two sluggers that could feasibly move into the starting spot in Ethan Ott (.553 slugging, 23 RBI in 30 games in 2024) and Gene Trujillo (.630 slugging, 13 RBI in 25 games). Both showed plenty of power at the DH spot in 2024, combining for eight homers and 10 doubles even with limited AB’s. 

CATCHERS
UNM relied on two fifth-year catchers in 2024, and there’s a three-way competition for who will get the most reps behind the dish in ‘25. Ironically, Caleb Herd – a junior who played his true freshman season at UNM in 2023 before transferring to Pima CC and returning to UNM this fall – is the only catcher on roster who’s appeared in a collegiate game for the Lobos. But junior transfer Brodey Williams (McLennan CC) and 2024 greyshirt Luke Banister are both in the mix to become key pieces.

PITCHING STAFF
In ‘24, the Lobos’ pitching staff posted a 7.71 team ERA after losing all three weekend starters from 2023 to the draft or graduation – with 10 newcomers and 32 games at elevation in New Mexico, UNM’s arms had significantly improved by the end of the season, posting a 5.17 ERA over the Lobos’ final 10 games and a 5.98 over their last 20. 

In the process, they struck out 394 in total – the most in a single season in Brown’s tenure and seventh-most in a single season in program history. This year’s returning arms produced 233 of those punchouts.

This year, all three projected weekend starters are senior returners that all got significant reps in 2024 in RHP Dayne Pengelly (11 GS, 50 IP), RHP David Lopez (11 GS, 65.1 IP) and LHP Daxton Purser (7 GS, 35 IP). 

• From D1Baseball: “The highlight of the fall practice sessions had to be the performance of the three projected starting weekend pitchers: righthanders Dayne Pengelly and David Lopez and lefthander Daxton Purser. The three seniors offer a lot of experience and combined for 30 of last year’s 54 starts. Pengelly can hit 95 on the guns and though he had some peaks and valleys last year (4-5, 7.63), the coaches say he can flash “unicorn-level stuff” when he is on. His power slider is his go-to pitch when he needs a big out. Lopez also posted some lofty numbers (4-2, 7.71) but his low-90s fastball has good life and his four-pitch mix (fastball, curveball, slider, splitter) has shown good improvement over the course of the offseason. Purser came out of high school as the No. 2-ranked lefthanded pitcher in the state of Utah and held opposing batters to a .245 average last season, which was the best of all the regular Lobo pitchers. He did not allow an earned run in his final three appearances.”

Four other pitchers that saw crucial innings as midweek starters and/or trusty relievers also return – Brian McBroom (95.1 IP in 59 app. at UNM), Josh Barnhouse (18 app. 35.1 IP in 2024), Ryan Castillo (10 app., 20.1 IP in 2024) and Ben Baker-Livingston (52.2 IP in 24 app. at UNM) – with six transfer juniors and four freshmen joining them.

• From D1Baseball: “The bullpen has some interesting pieces and timely additions. Righthander Ryan Castillo exceeded expectations as a freshman last season and looks to improve on his  1-2, 11.57 numbers. The coaches say he showed flashes of “next-level strike throwing” in the fall sessions. Castillo could also figure into a starting role this coming spring. Two transfers who will play key roles this season are lefty Matthew Cornelius (12 appearances at Arizona State, 3-0, 10.80) and righty Jack Messmore (13 starts at Delaware State, 2-4, 6.47), who both have key D1 experience. Another southpaw who will play a big role in the bullpen plans will be JC transfer Presley Monteforte, who uses a ton of deception in his offspeed offerings, which makes his 87-89 fastball play way up.”