UNM will try and make it 2-0 this year against in-state foe the New Mexico State Aggies in Las Cruces, New Mexico.
The two teams previously met on March 7 of this year, where the Lobos (15-9, 9-0 MW) escaped with a 8-2 victory over the Aggies (14-11) in El Paso, Texas.
Both the Aggies and UNM have both exhibited streaky play. NMSU has boasted a 5-5 record since the last time the two teams met and are coming off of two-straight losses at UC Santa Barbara. The Lobos are on a four-game winning streak that dates back to a series split over Grand Canyon where UNM beat GCU 22-3 in Albuquerque. UNM has boasted a 7-6 record since the in-state rivals last met. The Lobos earned serie sweeps over San Jose State and UNLV.
The Aggies enter Tuesday’s game with a 9-3 record at home and the Lobos have had difficulty playing on the road. So the matchup can be a tough task for the Lobos.
The Aggies bats are producing, too, as they rank no. 12 in the country in batting percentage, boasting a .322 average as a team.
NMSU is led by Brent Sakurai with a .396 average at the plate to go alongside four doubles, three triples, two home runs, 15 RBI and 22 runs. Eight other Aggies are hitting above .300, though Joey Ortiz (.369) and Austin Botello (.347) are second and third, respectively.
On the other hand, UNM’s bats have came back to life recently. As a team the Lobos are hitting .317 at the plate. They're led by Luis Gonzalez who's recently been on a hitting slump, though he still is hitting .388 at the plate with 10 doubles, two triples, three home runs, 19 RBI and 28 runs. Hayden Schilling has replaced Jack Zoellner as the Lobos’ second best hitter, with a .364 average. However, Zoellner (.363) leads the Mountain West conference in home runs with eight and RBI’s with 29.
Pitching has also proven to be a weapon for UNM, especially out of the bullpen. On Saturday and Sunday starting pitchers Johnathon Tripp and Luis Gonzalez allowed a combined 21 hits. Relief pitcher Justin Slaten and closer Christian Tripp allowed only one hit and no runs to close out the games.
The Lobo bullpen hasn't given up a game in 137 when the teams is held an eight inning lead.
Head coach Ray Birmingham was proud of the bullpen’s strong performance, stating that “they were automatic” after Sunday's game.
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UNM, as a team, combines for a 4.92 ERA.
NMSU boasts a 5.08 ERA as a team, but pitchers who have tallied more than nine innings this season combine for a 4.61 ERA.
The game will be streamed live on ESPN Radio 101.7 The TEAM on Tuesday, Mar 28 at 6:30 p.m.
Matthew Narvaiz is a sports reporter for the Daily Lobo. He primarily covers women's basketball and baseball. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @matt_narvaiz
