Football
On Wednesday, was announced that the New Mexico football team will travel to Los Angeles to battle the University of Southern California on Sept. 3, 2016.
The contest will make it the Lobos’ third-straight year with a PAC-12 opponent. UNM will begin a two-year series versus Arizona State next year at University Stadium.
“Opening the season with USC in 2016 will be a great opportunity for our football team,” UNM Associate Athletic Director Tim Cass said in a news release. “We will not be playing Fresno State or San Diego State in 2016, so this game will provide us an opportunity to stay connected to California from a recruiting and alumni standpoint.”
The Lobos now have three games on tap for their 2016 nonconference schedule, with home a game against Sam Houston State and another away game at New Mexico State.
The game will be the first between the Trojans and Lobos. However, the same can’t be said for head coach Bob Davie, who went 3-2 against USC while he was head coach of Notre Dame from 1997-2001.
UNM will receive $950,000 for the game versus USC.
Baseball
Former New Mexico third baseman DJ Peterson was named Mountain West Conference Male Athlete of the Year on Thursday.
Peterson, who was picked 12th overall by the Seattle Mariners in June’s 2013 MLB draft, led the Lobos to a league-record 25 MWC wins and the regular-season championship. Peterson also paced the Mountain West in several statistical categories including batting average (.408), home runs (18), RBIs (72), slugging percentage (.807), on-base percentage (.520), runs scored (68), doubles (25) and total bases (176).
The former Lobo was also named to Baseball America, Louisville Slugger/Collegiate Baseball and American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings All-America first teams this past season.
Swimming
Aimee Dunavant, a former New Mexico swimmer, was hired by the University on Saturday as an assistant coach for UNM’s swimming and diving program.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
Dunavant has been a coach for seven years, most recently at the University of Northern Colorado for three seasons, and will take over for former-assistant Cyrstal Forbes.
Before becoming an assistant with the Bears, Dunavant started at Evansville University in Evansville, Ind., from 2008-2010.
“I am very excited for Aimee to join our program,” said UNM head coach Kunio Kono. “She is a former Lobo and has been coaching at the Division I level for a while. She knows recruiting and how to win.”
The former Lobo was a four-time All-Mountain West selection during her time at New Mexico from 2001-2006.
