The Lobos and Aggies will face off against each other for the third and final time on the diamond this season, with UNM hosting the game on Tuesday.
New Mexico (26-18-1, MW 16-3-1) won the first two meetings between the schools. The Lobos defeated the Aggies 8-2 in a Mar. 7 neutral site game and followed that up with a 5-3 victory in Las Cruces, later that month on the Mar. 28.
The teams appear to be going in opposite directions entering the matchup. The Aggies (26-19, 11-4 WAC) were riding high with a record that had them 11 games over .500 but recently have fallen on hard times.
NMSU will come to Albuquerque on a four-game losing skid. The Aggies were shut out in their most recent game, a 9-0 loss to Grand Canyon, on Saturday, Apr. 29.
Meanwhile, the Lobos rebounded after dropping game one to San Diego State on the road, to win the final two meetings and win the series over the weekend. UNM has won five of its last six conference games.
Lobo outfielder Jared Mang received Mountain West Player of the Week honors for his role in the series. He went 11-for-25 last week and had a multi-home run game on Sunday, helping his team to a 12-10 comeback win over the Aztecs in a key conference battle.
Tuesday’s game will be the final non-conference game on the schedule for UNM. New Mexico will play nine straight Mountain West games to end the regular season but would be wise not to look past the Aggies.
New Mexico hasn’t seemed to take anything for granted at home, despite posting some gaudy numbers. UNM has gone 15-4 in Albuquerque this season and averaged slightly over 11 runs per game at Santa Ana Star Field.
The Lobo bats have been hot as of late, putting up at least 11 runs in seven of their last eight games.
But the Aggies are capable of lighting up the scoreboard as well. NMSU has a solid batting lineup that showcases seven players who have hitting .300 or better on the season.
Both teams have been impressive with the ability to hit the ball deep. The Lobos have taken 44 pitches out of the yard, while the Aggies have register 39 home runs on the year.
The Aggies were a bit sloppy in the first meeting against UNM, committing four costly errors, but they hung tough with the Lobos the second time around.
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New Mexico has not named its starting pitcher, according to a release, but the Aggies are expected to trot out right-hander Andy Frakes for the game.
Frakes has made 17 appearances throughout the season. While he has put together a 2-1 record, his ERA is a hefty 8.14.
The game will begin at 6:30 p.m. at Santa Ana Star Field. It will be broadcast on the Mountain West Network as well as 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.
