It’s early-season college baseball’s version of the Fall Classic.
The UNM baseball team concluded its Cherry-Silver World Series on Thursday after a three-game set at Lobo Field.
Despite losing the first two games, the Silver squad won Game 3 7-5.
Head coach Ray Birmingham said he was pleased with both teams’ performance during the three-day series.
“It was the same thing that I have seen all fall,” he said. “There is a pretty good team here and a lot of talent. It’s young, but as they grow they’ll be pretty historical for the University of New Mexico.”
The game-changing play came in the fifth inning. Transfer outfielder Jase Morgan hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning to give Silver a 7-5 lead.
“I was just trying to get a decent pitch to swing at,” Morgan said. “I was just trying to change my approach just because I had been swinging at crap all day. Finally, I get a good pitch, and it was up. I made good contact, and to be honest with you, I just thought it was going to be a fly ball, but it ended up carrying out of the park.”
The Silver squad was also propelled by a little trickery.
On the mound in the seventh inning, Quay Grant used a hidden-ball play to get the second out at second base, picking off runner Nate Ross.
Birmingham said there is big-league talent on his roster.
“The thing that I noticed on the field when I was out here the other day, what could be our starting defense on the infield,” he said. “With (Mitchell) Garve and D.J. and Alex Allbritton, and whoever we can get here at first base, they could all get drafted.”
Cherry demolished silver 11-2 in Game 1 on Tuesday, pounding out 16 hits, before squeaking out a 10th-inning victory Wednesday.
Freshman third baseman D.J. Peterson led Tuesday’s charge. He was 3-for-5, with a home run, four RBIs and two runs. He scored four runs during Wednesday’s game.
Petersen said fall ball is a growing period for young players.
“It was a good experience, and it was competitive,” he said. “Both pitchers threw really well on both teams all fall and throughout the series, but the red team came out on top because they hit better.”
Despite making its first NCAA tournament appearance since 1962 last year, Birmingham said his squad feels no added stress this year.
“Are you kidding me? This team doesn’t feel pressure,” Birmingham said. “The University of New Mexico doesn’t feel any pressure. It’s the team that’s playing us who feels the pressure.”
