Despite last year’s losing season, head baseball coach Ray Birmingham said he thinks his team could make it to the national championship this year.
Last year UNM made the NCAA tournament by winning the MWC tournament, but it lost two games in the NCAAs to No. 10 Arizona State and No. 19 Arkansas to end its season.
Birmingham is in his fifth season as the coach of the Lobos. He said the team can make it to Omaha this year.
“This year I am looking for some big things,” he said. “I think by the time it’s all said and done, if we are good and lucky and everything falls into place, we are hoping to drive a bus to Nebraska in June.”
The Lobos are returning 17 lettermen. Birmingham said they played the hardest road schedule in Division I last season.
Birmingham said the team gained valuable experience from challenging difficult teams. He said it won’t be intimidated this season when it faces nationally ranked opponents.
“We have guys that don’t look in the other dugout and get nervous because it says Arizona State,” he said. “I think we have confident kids and as they execute the game I think they can do something special.”
Last year the Lobos struggled with playing 18 games against opponents in the top 20, but Birmingham said they came together at the end to rattle off four straight wins and capture the MWC. The Lobos beat No. 9 TCU in the championship game.
Sophomore first baseman DJ Peterson set the NCAA record for doubles by a freshman with 32 last season. Peterson said the team should start playing well right away, because it’s already more cohesive than last year’s group.
“Last year the record wasn’t there, but we got hot when it counted,” Peterson said. “I think we are still hot from last year and we have pretty much everyone from last year coming back.”
A poll from CollegeBaseballInsider.com said Birmingham was voted the best game-time coach in the MWC by his fellow coaches.
Peterson said last year’s young team adapted slowly to Birmingham’s style.
“He is a good motivator and he knows what he is talking about,” he said. “Once everyone bought in, look what happened.”
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UNM is also bolstered with experienced pitchers, returning five, including two seniors and two juniors.
Birmingham said his pitching staff will be the key if UNM wants to be successful this year.
“Our pitching staff is better than it has ever been,” he said. “I think we can match up with anybody in the country on the weekend.”
Senior pitcher Rudy Jaramillo said that, with so many good pitchers on the team, the competition for innings is going to make everyone better.
“It’s going to be a really great season pitching-wise for us,” he said.
