The losing streak that the Lobo baseball team was stuck in nearly two weeks ago seems a distant memory, as the team returns home riding a five-game winning streak.
New Mexico (16-9, 9-0 MW) looked pedestrian at times during the losing streak, especially with the bats going quiet on the road. But with one exception, the games were competitive against some of the top teams in the nation.
But the Lobos have been perfect in conference play and will look to extend their conference record to 10-0 as it hosts Fresno State (14-10, 5-4 MW).
UNM has one blemish on its home record, a 6-1 loss to Grand Canyon on Mar. 21. Aside from that outing, the team has looked indestructible at Santa Ana Star Field though, boasting a winning margin of more than eight runs per game in the other seven home games.
The last time the team played in Albuquerque, the Lobos peppered Grand Canyon 22-3 on Mar. 22 to avenge the previous loss.
The Bulldogs have not seen a lot of action on the road, posting a 3-2 record away from home so far this season. The team took two of three games against Air Force in its most recent road trip.
In the Lobos most recent action, the team earned a three-game sweep over conference foe UNLV, followed by a 5-3 victory over in-state rival NMSU on Mar. 28.
New Mexico and Fresno State have met each other 46 times in the past, with the Lobos holding a 23-13 series advantage, a release said. That trend seems likely to continue as UNM shown the ability to generate runs and rely on a steady bullpen to close things out.
UNM has the statistical advantage at the plate, comparing its .314 batting average to .297 for Fresno State. The Lobos have blasted 30 home runs, with many of them coming at home, while the Bulldogs have gone yard 19 times this season.
The Lobos have already sprinted out to a three-game cushion in the Mountain West standings, but can use the weekend to create even more separation between them and the third-place Bulldogs.
One player to keep an eye on might be Lobo sophomore Jared Mang. Though he has cooled off a bit, the outfielder has been solid at the plate during the five-game winning streak, collecting 12 RBI over that span.
The usual suspects of Jake Zoellner, Carl Stajduhar and Luis Gonzalez also figure to be impact players this weekend. That trio has played in all 25 games so far and each is hitting .340 or better from the plate.
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The three-game series begins Friday, Mar. 31 at 6:30 p.m. Lobo right-hander Tyler Stevens (3-2, 4.31 ERA) is slated to take the hill opposite lefty Ricky Tyler Thomas (2-1, 3.05 ERA) for the Bulldogs. Fans can watch the game on the Mountain West Network and will also be broadcast on on ESPN radio, 101.7 the TEAM.
Robert Maler is the sports editor for the Daily Lobo. He primarily covers football and men’s and women’s tennis. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @robert_maler.
