Wednesday night will boast another tough test for Lobo baseball as the team plays a one-game stint in California against No. 19 San Diego at Fowler Park.
New Mexico (18-10, 11-1 MW) enters Wednesday’s game having won seven out of its last nine games. The Lobos earned series wins over conference opponents UNLV and Fresno State as well as a victory over in-state rival New Mexico State.
During the stretch, two Lobo wins really stood out above the rest. After losing a sixth straight game, the Lobos showed they had plenty of fight by exploding for 25 hits en route to a 22-3 victory over Grand Canyon on Mar. 22.
UNM dominated Fresno State in similar fashion on Mar. 29, using a 22-hit performance to pummel the Bulldogs by a score of 24-4 at the Santa Ana Star Field in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
But despite those big wins, which came against unranked opponents, UNM has struggled against the top tier competition this season. The team has gone just 1-8 on the road against teams which were ranked in either D1baseball.com or BaseballAmerica.com’s top 25 during the
The losses included dropping two of three in a series against Dallas Baptist, a lone loss to Texas Tech, two more to Oklahoma State and all three games in a series against Cal State Fullerton. The only win UNM mustered was a one-run triumph over Dallas Baptist on Feb. 25, where the Lobos won 6-5.
On the plus side, New Mexico showed the ability to go toe-to-toe with Cal State Fullerton – arguably the toughest test the Lobos could face this season – as all three games were decided by a single run.
UNM’s only conference loss thus far came on Saturday when Fresno State squeaked by the Lobos in extra innings to take a 2-1 victory in the 11th inning. The defeat was only the second home loss for the Lobos this season.
San Diego (19-6, 8-1 West Coast Conference) has had convincing wins over major conference opponents. The Toreros have picked up quality wins over Vanderbilt,
UNM is led by junior outfielder Luis Gonzalez, who has hit .381 with 13 doubles, two triples, three home runs, a team-high 34 runs and 22 RBI. Senior first baseman Jack Zoellner has also been a big part of UNM’s offense, batting .368 with 11 doubles, one triple, a team-high eight home runs, 28 runs and 33 RBI – another team-high.
For San Diego, Jay Schuyler has been the main source of offense. He has gone .391 from the plate with 10 doubles, 15
As a team, San Diego is batting .269 at the plate, while the Lobos are averaging .313.
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Though UNM might hold a statistical advantage hitting, San Diego has posted better pitching numbers. The Toreros have a better team ERA at 3.57, compared to 4.42 for the Lobos.
The single-game matchup is set for Wednesday at 7 p.m. and can be viewed online at wccsports.com.
Matthew Narvaiz is a sports reporter for the Daily Lobo. He primarily covers women's basketball and baseball. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @matt_narvaiz
