New Mexico (29-25-1, 19-9-1 MW) — with a huge win closing the regular season and a little bit of good luck — managed to secure the regular season title. Their win over Nevada, paired with then-No. 1 San Diego State's loss at home to Fresno State, allowed the Lobos to pursue the postseason title from the comfort of home.
The University of New Mexico is set to host the Mountain West Baseball Championship starting this Thursday.
Luck in the Lobos’ regular-season finale doesn't mean the team didn't exhibit some strong skills and fortitude in the 13-6 come-from-behind victory over the Wolf Pack.
After falling down 2-0 early on, the Lobos managed to tie the game in the bottom of the third at two runs. Nevada, though, chipped away at the tie and went up 6-5 before the Lobos exploded on offense in the seventh inning—an inning that ultimately propelled the team to the win.
UNM added seven runs in the seventh inning and went up 12-6 before adding one more run in the eighth for a final score of 13-6 on Saturday afternoon.
An unlikely hero, freshman Matt Villalobos, got just enough of a pitch to send a three-run home run over the fence and put the Lobos on top. Villalobos has only played in six games during the season and started just one of those.
But arguably no hit was bigger than his go-ahead homer.
In that same inning, outfielder/pitcher Luis Gonzalez also sent one over the wall. And Jared Mang played a major role in the win as well, going 4-for-5 at the plate with three RBI and a run.
Shortly after the Lobos sealed their regular season up with a win, they looked on as San Diego State — who was a half game ahead of UNM — fell to Fresno State 11-2 on Saturday.
Ironically, the same four teams that faced each other in the respective final series of the regular season are the participants in the Mountain West tournament.
Top-seeded New Mexico will continue to face Nevada, which earned the No. 4 seed. No. 2 San Diego State will also face the same opponent, Fresno State in the two-three matchup.
Although the Lobos lost the first two games of the three game series, UNM should be riding high off the most recent victory and has advantages over the Wolf Pack in many aspects.
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Despite losing the series to Nevada, it will likely be a major factor to be the host school in the tournament, as the Lobos posted an 18-8 record at home.
Lobo hitting showed up in game three, the same way it has throughout most of the season. As a team, UNM ranks ninth in the nation in batting average at .319. As for Nevada, they are hitting .278 — which doesn't even crack the top 50 nationally.
For the Lobos to play well against Nevada, both Gonzalez and Mang will likely need to have a big impact on offense. Mang has led the Lobos with a .374 batting average, two triples, 17 doubles, nine home runs, 62 RBI and 59 runs, while Gonzalez has posted a .361 average — third best on the team — with two triples, 22 doubles, eight home runs, 42 RBI and 62 runs.
San Diego State and Fresno State will kick things off on Thursday, May 25 at 3 p.m. with New Mexico and Nevada facing each other at 7 p.m.
If the Lobos win their first game, they'll play either Fresno State or San Diego State in the winner's bracket or face the loser if they are unsuccessful after playing against the Wolf Pack.
San Diego State
As a team, the Aztecs are hitting .318. Its best offensive threat comes in the likes of David Hensley who is hitting .381. Pitching wise, San Diego State poses an ERA of 3.86. The Lobos went 2-1 against San Diego State in conference play.
Fresno State
Fresno State might be the most dangerous team in the tournament, playing white-hot as of late on the way to winning 12 of its final 14 games to end the season. Unlike the Aztecs, Fresno State owns a 4-2 record in conference player against New Mexico, including a home sweep over the Lobos. As a team, they are hitting .310 and they are led by Aaron Arruda who's hitting .383. The Bulldogs’ ERA is 5.52.
A link to follow the tournament action and see the updated bracket can be found here.
Matthew Narvaiz is a sports reporter for the Daily Lobo. He primarily covers baseball and women's basketball. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @matt_narvaiz.
