The foundation has been laid, and arguably even some of the infrastructure.
Posting a 34-25 record under first-year head coach Ray Birmingham, the Lobo baseball team entered the Mountain West Conference Championships as the No. 2 seed in what Birmingham admitted was an unexpected position.
"When I got here, it was a bigger mountain to climb then I realized," he said. "So, you walk in and you say, 'This is where we are; this is where we need to be.' And this is what I was shooting for. We were one game away from being (MWC) champions, and I know we can get there."
UNM was also one game away from competing in the College World Series.
But there was one team obstructing UNM from becoming Albuquerque's feel-good-story-of-the-year: TCU.
And those hated Horned Frogs, those battle-tested MWC kings of the diamond - cementing their elite status among college baseball royalty with their fifth straight NCAA Regional appearance - sabotaged the Lobos' chances of trying on that MWC Championship ring.
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However, it wasn't a straight shot for TCU. Rather, it was a long, arduous journey to the championship game.
After UNM defeated TCU 3-2 to secure an appearance in the championship game, the Horned Frogs were forced to make a pit-stop in the loser's bracket before they had a chance to compete for the tournament title.
But TCU proved its resilience, as the Horned Frogs ousted Utah in the loser's bracket and advanced back for another showdown with New Mexico.
Similar to the regular season, when TCU claimed the regular season title, the Horned Frogs also needed a pair of victories to secure the hardware.
That's exactly what they got, defeating the Lobos 9-2 and 15-2.
After the clincher concluded, UNM second-baseman Mike Brownstein, who was named to the All-Tournament team, said he was so fumed that he just left the field to board the bus.
"Some girl came running out and was like, 'Are you Mike Brownstein? Cause I heard you got an award.' And I was like, 'Huh?' So, I had to run back to the field to get the award. It's nice, but winning a championship is a lot better," he said.
Winning a championship? Last year, there was no talk of a championship. Going 28-30 last year, the Lobos couldn't muster a winning record.
Really, it's indicative of the overhaul - the extreme makeover - Birmingham has accomplished, how he has come in and made these players buy into a culture of winning - the "Ray Way."
Now, with a fresh perspective and some experience under their belts, the real work begins for the Lobos - building off of that success. And much like those Under Armour commercials, Birmingham feels "(The Lobos) must protect this house."
After establishing themselves as contenders, Brownstein said the Lobos might have to deal with some trials next season - mainly because they will have a target on their backs.
Still, he said he doesn't envision experiencing anything more than some hiccups.
"You know, it's interesting, when you have some doubt, it's difficult to really pull everyone together and play for a cause - but if everybody's on the same page heading into fall, it's hard to have those long-term adversities, because if one guy's struggling, four other guys are on," he said.
But whether they know it or not - and Birmingham is well aware of it - there's a certain level of hype surrounding the future of UNM baseball after having one of the most brilliant seasons in Lobo baseball history, And the Lobos have raised the bar of expectations for themselves, their fan-base and also for their critics.
Because the Lobos were able to reach the MWC Tournament's championship game, it isn't out of the strike zone to say they'll be expected to win it.
And if they don't, Birmingham said he's prepared to deal with the proverbial onslaught of savageries.
"I don't care what (the critics) will think," he said. "I know what needs to be done. I've gotten some phone calls this year. But I'll never be held hostage by other peoples' emotional crap. I care about making this program the best it can be. And if they want to sit back and criticize, let them."
Brownstein said even if UNM endures some struggles, he expects the Lobos will be the pride of Albuquerque.
"Fans and the rest of the community will buy into (us)," he said. "It's going to be a fun atmosphere. We expect to draw a lot of fans - more than this year. But I don't see us having any letdowns because of our mind-set - we really want it."
