2007 NEW MEXICO BASEBALL

Transcription

1 2007 NEW MEXICO BASEBALL UNM Athletics Media Relations - MSC University of New Mexico - Albuquerque, NM Baseball Contact: RaeAnn McKernan Office Phone: (505) Fax: (505) Cell Phone: (505) feenaurm@unm.edu Website: SCHEDULE/RESULTS UP NEXT IN LOBO BASEBALL Overall Record: H: 9-6 A: 3-8 N: 2-4 MWC Record: 3-3 H: 3-3 A: 0-0 FEBRUARY 6 Texas Tech... W, Arizona... L, Arizona... L, Arizona... L, New Mexico State... W, #Nebraska (DH)... L, 6-2; W, #Illinois State... L, #Texas-Arlington... L, New Mexico State... W, Texas State... W, Texas State... W, Texas State... L, Texas Tech... L, 10-8 MARCH 2 %St. Louis... L, %Oregon State... L, %Texas A&M... L, %St. Louis... W, Rhode Island... W, Rhode Island... W, Rhode Island... W, New Mexico State... L, UC Irvine... L, UC Irvine... L, UC Irvine... L, New Mexico State... W, Utah*... W, Utah*... L, Utah*... L, San Diego State*... W, San Diego State*... W, 8-4 APRIL 1 San Diego State*... L, ALBUQUERQUE ISOTOPES (Exh.)... 6:05 p.m. 5 San Diego State*... 6 p.m. PT 6 San Diego State*... 6 p.m. PT 7 San Diego State*... 1 p.m. PT 13 Air Force*... 2 p.m. 14 Air Force*... 1 p.m. 15 Air Force* p.m. 17 Texas Tech... 3 p.m. CT 19 Utah*... 6 p.m. 20 Utah*... 6 p.m. 21 Utah* p.m. 27 Hawaii-Hilo... 6 p.m. 28 Hawaii-Hilo... 6 p.m. 29 Hawaii-Hilo... 1 p.m. MAY 3 BYU*... 6 p.m. 4 BYU*... 6 p.m. 5 BYU*... 1 p.m. 8 Texas Tech p.m. 10 UNLV* p.m. 11 UNLV* p.m. 12 UNLV* p.m. 17 TCU*... 6:30 p.m. CT 18 TCU*... 6:30 p.m. CT 19 TCU*... 2 p.m. CT Mountain West Conference Tournament... TBA *indicates Mountain West Conference game # indicates UTA Invitational % indicates Dominos Pizza Aggie Baseball Classic All home games in BOLD at Isotopes Park All times local to host and subject to change Check for schedule updates NEW MEXICO LOBOS vs. ALBUQUERQUE ISOTOPES April 3 6:05 p.m. Isotopes Park PROJECTED STARTERS RHP Shane Dyer (UNM) vs. RHP Ricardo Rodriguez GameTracker & Live Audio on THE GAME: The Lobos (14-18, 3-3 MWC) take a break from Mountain West Conference action, playing the Albuquerque Isotopes in a seven-inning exhibition game Tuesday night at Isotopes Park. Right-handed freshman Shane Dyer is expected to start the 6:05 p.m. game against the Isotopes right-handed Ricardo Rodriguez. Live video of the game will be streamed for free on via Lobos All-Access. CSTV s GameTracker is also available, providing up-to-the-minute stats, play-by-play and more. THE PAST: The last two consecutive years the Lobos have played an exhibition game with the Isotopes, Triple- A affiliate of the Florida Marlins. The two met for the first time in an exhibition game at Isotopes Park on Tuesday, April 5, 2005 before 3,692 fans, with the Isotopes coming out on top in seven innings, Last year the New Mexico baseball team scored first but the Isotopes scored more thanks to a five-run third that lifted them to a 6-2 win in front of 3,171 fans on Tuesday, April 4, Then-junior Matt Foote completed the evening 3-for-3, scoring both of UNM s runs. Junior Chris Carlson was 2-for-3 with a RBI. LOOKING AT THE LOBOS: New Mexico is overall and 3-3 in the Mountain West Conference. The Lobos took the first two of a three-game series with San Diego State over the weekend at Isotopes Park. Jordan Pacheco led the Lobo offense against the Aztecs, producing team highs in batting average (.583), runs (6), hits (7) and RBI (5). He had the long home run for UNM on the weekend, ending the team s 13-game home run drought. Pacheco drew two walks on the weekend and didn t strikeout out once in 12 at bats. On Friday night, he went 4-for-5 with five RBI for the second straight game, earning head coach Rich Alday his 500 th at UNM. His five RBI tied his career high, set last weekend in the final game with Utah. On Saturday, Pacheco went 1-for-2, drawing two of the team s five walks and scoring a team-leading three runs. On Sunday, he was one of two Lobos to have multiple hits vs. SDSU and one of five to score. Saturday night vs. San Diego State, Stephen Smith pitched one of the best games of his season, going a career-high 7.1 innings. It was the first time in his nine appearances that he did not surrender a walk and was just the second time in eight starts he struck out more than four batters. With his third win as a Lobo, he handed SDSU ace Bruce Billings his first loss of the season. The win was also New Mexico s fourth straight over the Aztecs. In each of the first three innings, he struck out the first batter he faced, all swinging. Smith held SDSU to just four hits through the first seven innings. LAFROMBOISE NAMED PITCHER OF THE WEEK AGAIN: Junior left-hander Bobby LaFromboise was named Mountain West Conference Pitcher of the Week for the second time this season on Monday. He is the first pitcher this season to earn the MWC s award twice. A Downey, Calif., native, LaFromboise collected his fourth victory of the season in New Mexico s 9-1 series-opening win over conference foe Utah. In 8.0 innings of work, he gave up four hits and one earned run, while striking out six and walking none. This performances marks the fifth time in eight appearances on the season that LaFromboise has given up one run or less. The Utes batted only.148 with LaFromboise on the mound. THINGS YOU SHOULDN T TALK ABOUT: There are certain things in baseball you just don t talk about. But superstition aside, there are some notables going on with the Lobos. Three Lobos, senior Daniel Stovall and juniors Ian Hollick and Jordan Pacheco, have hit streaks while sophomore Brandon Hewett has a scoreless streak. Stovall has hit safely 12 straight games while Hollick has hit in 11 straight and Pacheco has hit in nine. Hewett hasn t allowed a run in 3.2 innings over his last three appearances. In Hewett s last 9.2 innings over seven appearances, he has allowed runs in just two innings. WHO SAYS YOU CAN T PITCH IN ALBUQUERQUE: The general concensus is that it s impossible to pitch in Albuquerque. Between the altitude and the hitter-friendly confines of Isotopes Park, it just can t be done, or so the experts say. Last year Danny Ray Herrera proved them wrong and junior Bobby LaFromboise has picked up

2 New Mexico Baseball Notes Page 2 BY CLASS Seniors (6) Quentin Andes, Matt Foote, Sean McKee, Jay Russell, Jackie Smith, Daniel Stovall Juniors (9) Joe Balbas, Matt Hibbitts, Ian Hollick, Bobby LaFromboise, Drew McDonald, Jacob Norton, Jordan Pacheco, Adam Skelton, Stephen Smith Sophomores (7) Dane Hamilton, Brandon Hewett, Chad Itokazu, Drew Kendrick, Dustin Lucy, Bobby Moore, Max Willett Freshmen (14) Johnny Anaya, Newel Beauchamp, Adam Courcha, Shane Dyer, Ryan Escarcega, Bret Fanning, Scott Gracey, Brian Hill, Tim McGuire, Aaron Pate, Derek Pilkington, Delano Ponce, Mark Rockey, Jarrad Watkins BY POSITION Pitchers (20) Quentin Andes, Joe Balbas, Newel Beauchamp, Shane Dyer, Ryan Escarcega, Scott Gracey, Brandon Hewett, Brian Hill, Chad Itokazu, Drew Kendrick, Bobby LaFromboise, Timothy McGuire, Sean McKee, Bobby Moore, Jacob Norton, Aaron Pate, Adam Skelton, Jackie Smith, Stephen Smith, Jarrad Watkins Catchers (4) Dustin Lucy, Drew McDonald, Delano Ponce, Mark Rockey First Base (1) Daniel Stovall Second Base (3) Jordan Pacheco, Adam Courcha, Johnny Anaya Shortstop (3) Scott Gracey, Chad Itokazu, Johnny Anaya Third Base (2) Ian Hollick, Dane Hamilton Outfielders (7) Matt Foote, Jay Russell, Dane Hamilton, Max Willett, Derek Pilkington, Bret Fanning, Matt Hibbitts PRONUNCIATION Alday = All-day Anaya = uh-nye-ya Andes = Andies Beauchamp, Newel = New-L Bo-champ Courcha = Core-cha Escarcega = S-carce-egg-uh Itokazu = Ito-KI-zoo Jacome = Hawk-o-me LaFromboise = La-frahm-boys Pacheco = Puh-check-o Pate = PAY-te Petrie = Pee-tree Pilkington = Pilk-ing-ton Ponce, Delano = Del-A-No Po-nce 2007 BASEBALL ROSTER No. Name Pos. Ht/Wt B/T Yr./Exp. Hometown/Last School 1 Jordan Pacheco 2B 6-1/190 R/R Jr./2L /La Cueva 2 Adam Courcha IF/OF 5-7/170 R/R Fr./HS Gosnells, West Australia/S. Fremantle 3 Jay Russell LF 6-0/185 L/R Sr./3L Austin, Texas/Westlake 4 Bobby Moore LHP 6-0/180 L/L RSo./1L Edgewood, N.M./Moriarty 5 Aaron Pate RHP 6-0/165 R/R Fr./HS Carlsbad, N.M./Carlsbad 6 Bobby LaFromboise LHP 6-4/185 L/L Jr./TR Downey, Calif./Rio Hondo CC 7 Scott Gracey SS/RHP 6-2/190 R/R RFr./HS /La Cueva 8 Jackie Smith LHP 6-1/225 L/L Sr./3L Denton, Texas/Ryan 9 Dane Hamilton OF/IF 6-2/170 L/R So./1L Grand Junction, Colo./Grand Junction 10 Ian Hollick 3B 6-2/195 R/R Jr./2L Corona, Calif./Santiago 11 Bret Fanning OF 5-10/160 R/R Fr./HS Cheyenne, Wyo./Cheyenne Central 12 Matt Foote CF 6-1/180 R/R Sr./3L /Albq. Academy 13 Chad Itokazu SS/RHP 5-8/160 R/R RSo./1L Pearl City, Hawaii/Pearl City 14 Drew Kendrick RHP 6-0/160 R/R So./1L Forney, Texas/Forney 15 Matt Hibbitts OF/IF 6-1/180 R/R Jr./TR Portland, Ore./Mt. Hood CC 16 Brandon Hewett RHP 5-11/220 R/R RSo./1L Terrell, Texas/Forney 17 Jacob Norton LHP 6-1/180 L/L Jr./TR Buena Park, Calif./Rio Hondo CC 18 Max Willett OF 5-10/180 R/R So./1L Highlands Ranch, Colo./Thunder Ridge 19 Drew McDonald C 6-2/215 R/R Jr./1L Tucson, Ariz./Univ. of Arizona 21 Derek Pilkington OF 6-2/190 S/R RFr./HS Sterling, Colo./Sterling 23 Stephen Smith RHP 6-2/220 R/R Jr./TR Gilbert, Ariz./Arizona Western JC 24 Quentin Andes RHP 6-2/205 R/R Sr./1L /Arizona State 25 Newel Beauchamp RHP 6-7/185 R/R Fr./HS Hotchkiss, Colo./Hotchkiss 27 Timothy McGuire RHP 6-2/200 R/R RFr./HS /Rio Grande 28 Sean McKee LHP 5-9/170 R/L Sr./1L /Yavapai College 29 Jarrad Watkins RHP 6-1/180 R/R Fr./HS Farmington, N.M./Farmington 30 Mark Rockey C 6-1/215 R/R Fr./HS Mt. Lake Terrace, Wash./Shorewood 31 Shane Dyer RHP 6-3/180 R/R Fr. HS Eaton, Colo./Eaton 32 Joe Balbas RHP 6-1/240 R/R Jr./TR Boise, Idaho/Albertson College 33 Adam Skelton RHP 6-1/215 R/R Jr./TR Taos, N.M./Colby CC 34 Daniel Stovall 1B 6-1/210 R/R Sr./3L Midland, Texas/Midland 35 Brian Hill LHP 6-1/185 L/L Fr./HS Cheyenne, Wyo./Cheyenne Central 37 Ryan Escarcega RHP 6-0/175 R/R Fr./HS /West Mesa 38 Johnny Anaya INF 5-10/185 R/R Fr./HS /Rio Grande 40 Dustin Lucy C 6-0/175 R/R So./1L Farmington, N.M./Piedra Vista 41 Delano Ponce RHP 6-1/180 R/R Fr./HS /Albq. Academy Head Coach: 26, Rich Alday (18th year) Emporia State 70 Assistant Coaches: 22, Ken Jacome (3rd year) Oklahoma City 91 20, Trent Petrie (2nd year) Lubbock Christian 93 Vol. Assistant: 36, Josh Scott (1st year) Baylor 01 THIRD BASE Ian Hollick (31/31) Scott Gracey (1/1) BULLPEN Brandon Hewett (0/13) Adam Skelton (0/13) Scott Gracey (0/9) Brian Hill (0/7) Sean McKee (0/3) Bobby Moore (0/3) Jackie Smith (0/1) Chad Itokazu (0/1) LOBO DEPTH CHART (Starts/Appearances) LEFT FIELD Jay Russell (24/25) Bret Fanning (3/4) Max Willett (3/8) Adam Courcha (2/2) SHORTSTOP Jordan Pacheco (15/15) Scott Gracey (15/16) Chad Itokazu (2/4) CENTER FIELD Matt Foote (26/26) Derek Pilkington (6/7) Bret Fanning (0/1) Adam Courcha (0/1) PITCHERS Bobby LaFromboise (8/9) Stephen Smith (8/9) Jacob Norton (7/9) Ryan Escarcega (5/10) Shane Dyer (3/5) Jarrad Watkins (1/13) CATCHERS Drew McDonald (25/27) Mark Rockey (6/10) Adam Courcha (1/1) RIGHT FIELD Dane Hamilton (11/13) Derek Pilkington (12/13) Adam Courcha (5/7) Max Willett (3/4) Bret Fanning (1/3) SECOND BASE Jordan Pacheco (9/9) Dane Hamilton (8/8) Chad Itokazu (6/9) Adam Courcha (3/3) Matt Hibbitts (6/6) FIRST BASE Daniel Stovall (29/29) Jordan Pacheco (2/2) Matt Hibbitts (1/1) DESIGNATED HITTER Matt Hibbitts (20/20) Jay Russell (5/6) Dane Hamilton (1/1) Daniel Stovall (3/3) Jordan Pacheco (3/3) Adam Courcha (0/1) Max Willett (0/1) Bret Fanning (0/2)

3 Page 3 right where he left off. Through seven starts last year, Herrera was 5-0 with a 1.49 ERA, 10 walks and 43 strikeouts in 54.1 innings. Through seven starts this year, LaFromboise is 4-1 with a 3.12 ERA, 16 walks and 48 strikeouts in 52 innings. MILESTONES: Friday night against Utah head coach Rich Alday coached his 1,000th game at the University of New Mexico and earned a win as the Lobos won 9-1. With a record at New Mexico, he needs just one win for 500. As a collegiate head coach, he is , leaving him just five victories shy of 1,000. REWRITING THE RECORDS: Senior Daniel Stovall doubled Tuesday night agaist New Mexico State, bringing his career total to 70 doubles, breaking Dusty Young s 69 set from With 465 total bases in his career, Stovall is second all-time, passing Joe Salas s ( ) 458 that same game against the Aggies. The record is held by Lon Yamaguchi ( ), with 496. Stovall is also just shy of the top-5 in home runs. Currently with 34 in his career, he needs just two to tie Chris Carlson ( ). Salas and Yamaguchi are tied for fourth with 38. Stovall will have to have his best year yet if he wants to take over second or first, needing 16 to tie Chris Alexander s ( ) 50 and 19 to match Aaron Sisk s ( ) 53. LAST TIME OUT: Two was the magic number for the Utah baseball team in its 11-9 win in the final game of the three-game series with the Lobos at Isotopes Park. The Utes won their second straight game against New Mexico, scoring two runs in the first, second and third inning and recorded all but two of their 12 hits after there were two outs in the respective inning. Freshman starter Ryan Escarcega started each of his three innings throwing well, but surrendered six runs on six hits and three walks, putting the Lobos in a 6-0 hole heading into the bottom of the third. Sophomore Max Willett started the Lobo charge in the third, leading off with a double to center and taking third on a fielding error by the Utes. Willett put New Mexico on the scoreboard in the next at bat, scoring on a wild pitch. Back-to-back walks brought up junior Jordan Pacheco, who tripled to right center, driving in seniors Matt Foote and Jay Russell. Pacheco scored on a RBI-single from senior Daniel Stovall, cutting Utah s lead to 6-4. The Utes pushed their lead back to six, scoring four runs in the top of the fourth. After junior reliever Jacob Norton recorded the first two outs in the inning, Utah scored four runs on three singles and a walk. Willett and Pacheco tried to get UNM back in it in the sixth as Willett led off the inning with another double and Pacheco brought him home with a RBI single through the left side. Again, Utah erased the Lobos run, scoring one in the top of the seventh on a two-out home run belted over the bullpen into the picnic pavilion by Jay Brossman. Willett and Pacheco were at it again in the bottom of the seventh as Willett doubled for the third time, plating a run. Pacheco, with two outs, sent a little liner into right field, driving in two more runs, leaving UNM trailing INJURY UPDATE: Last Friday night at UC-Irvine, sophomore Dane Hamilton and junior Jordan Pacheco went for a grounder shot up the middle. Neither could get the ball, or finish the game. Hamilton was diagnosed with a dislocated shoulder and is expected to miss approximately two to three weeks. Pacheco has been cleared to play this weekend. ALL ABOARD: Tuesday night against New Mexico State, the Lobos had 10 consecutive batters reach base in the sixth inning thanks to four hits, three hit batters, two walks and a fielder s choice. The last time the Lobos had at least 10 straight reach safely was March 11, 2005, when Savannah State boarded 16 straight UNM hitters. PILKINGTON PICKING UP: Freshman Derek Pilkington had the best weekend of all the Lobos, hitting.556 (5- for-9), doubling in each game. He had two of the team s four RBIs last weekend, drew two walks and scored one of the team s four runs. Currently, he has a five-game hit streak. SKELTON S STREAK: Junior Adam Skelton has a four-game scoreless streak heading into the weekend. Skelton has thrown 6.1 innings in the last four games and hasn t allowed a run to cross the plate. During the streak, he s struck out three and allowed five hits. BRAND-NEW BRAND-ON: Sophomore Brandon Hewett is like a brand-new pitcher. His first year as a Lobo, he made four appearances for 3.0 innings, allowing 11 runs with two strikeouts for a ERA. He ended up redshirting that year due to an injury. Last year as a redshirt freshman, he made 13 appearances for 19.1 innings, giving up 26 runs with seven strikeouts for a 8.84 ERA. This year, he has already made 10 appearances, struck out seven and allowed just 11 runs in 13.0 innings. His 4.85 ERA is the third lowest on the team and second best out of the bullpen. NEARING THE MILESTONES: Head coach Rich Alday is nearing two major coaching milestones. With a record at New Mexico, he needs just three wins for 500. As a collegiate head coach, he is , leaving him just seven victories shy of 1,000. STREAK STOPPED: The Lobos had were cruising on a four-game win streak, hitting.455 with a 3.75 ERA. Then they met up with New Mexico State Tuesday night and the streak came to a halt. The Lobos hit just.235 against the Aggies and allowed nine earned runs. HOME SWEET HOME: The Lobos hitters love playing at home. They hold a.372 batting average when play at Isotopes Park this season but hit just.256 when on the road. Senior Matt Foote and junior Ian Hollick have nightand-day stats when playing on the road compared to at home. In 11 games on the road, Hollick hit a dismal.233 but in eight games at home, hit.455. Foote, hitting.371 at home over eight games, hit just.167 in 11 games on the road. REWRITING THE RECORDS: Senior Daniel Stovall is so close to rewriting multiple program records at New Mexico. Currently with 69 career doubles, Stovall needs one more to break Dusty Young s 69 set from With 457 total bases in his career, Stovall is fifth all-time. Second place in the book is easily within his grasp, needing two to pass Joe Salas s ( ) 458. The record is held by Lon Yamaguchi ( ), with 496. Stovall is also just shy of the top-5 in home runs. Currently with 34 in his career, he needs just two to tie Chris Carlson ( ). Salas and Yamaguchi are tied for fourth with 38. Stovall will have to have his best year New Mexico Baseball Notes BASEBALL POLLS Baseball America Top 25 (as of 3/26/07) Rk. School 2007 Record Prev. 1. South Carolina Florida State Vanderbilt Oregon State Virginia North Carolina Arkansas Rice Texas Wichita State Clemson Pepperdine Cal State Fullerton Oklahoma State Coastal Carolina Arizona State Oklahoma Texas A&M East Carolina San Diego Mississippi Kentucky Long Beach State UC-Irvine USC Collegiate Baseball Top 30 (as of 3/26/07) Rk. School 2007 Record Prev. 1. Florida State Oregon State North Carolina South Carolina Vanderbilt Virginia Arkansas Kentucky Texas Arizona State Wichita State Clemson Mississippi Texas A&M Rice Cal State Fullerton Pepperdine Long Beach State Coastal Carolina Oklahoma East Carolina Oklahoma State Arizona San Diego Missouri 20-6 NR 26. TCU UC Irvine La.-Lafayette 20-5 NR 29. Tulane 19-7 NR 30. Texas State 19-8 NR USA Today/ESPN Top 25 (as of 3/25/07) Rk. School Record Prev. 1. Florida State Oregon State South Carolina Vanderbilt North Carolina Virginia Texas Arkansas Rice Arizona State Clemson Pepperdine Wichita State Texas A&M Cal State Fullerton Kentucky Coastal Carolina Oklahoma State Mississippi East Carolina Oklahoma 20-7 NR 22. San Diego Long Beach State UC-Irvine NR 25. Arizona 21-6 NR BOLD indicates 2007 opponent

4 New Mexico Baseball Notes Page 4 BASEBALL QUICK FACTS UNIVERSITY INFORMATION Institution... University of New Mexico Location... Enrollment... 26,500 Founded by Territorial Legislature Colors... Cherry and Silver Nickname... Lobos Conference... Mountain West Acting President... David W. Harris Director of Athletics... Paul Krebs Deputy Athletics Director... Tim Cass Senior Woman Administrator... Janice Ruggiero Faculty Representative... Breda Bova BASEBALL INFORMATION Head Coach... Rich Alday (18th year) Alma Mater... Emporia State 70 Career Record (34 years) Record at New Mexico (17 years) Alday s ... ambrose@unm.edu Assistant Coach - Pitching... Ken Jacome (3rd year) Alma Mater... Oklahoma City 91 Jacome s ... kjacome@unm.edu Assistant Coach - Hitting... Trent Petrie (2nd year) Alma Mater... Lubbock Christian 93 Petrie s ... tpetrie@unm.edu Volunteer Coach... Josh Scott (1st year) Alma Mater... Baylor 01 Baseball Phone... (505) Baseball Fax... (505) Trainer... Rob Rimorin (1st year) Marketing/Group Sales Contact... Brad Hutchins Marketing/Group Sales Phone... (505) Baseball Mailing Address... MSC University of New Mexico... Albuquerque, NM BASEBALL STADIUM Stadium... Isotopes Park Capacity... 11,124 Dimensions... LF: 340, LF Power Alley: LFC Point: 425, CF: 400, RFC Point: RF Power Alley: 404, RF: 340 Lobos Occupancy... Since 2004 Press Box Phone... (505) yet if he wants to take over second or first, needing 16 to tie Chris Alexander s ( ) 50 and 19 to match Aaron Sisk s ( ) 53. HOLLICK NAMED MWC PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Junior Ian Hollick has been named Mountain West Conference Player the Week, garnering the honor for the first time in his career. A Corona, Calif., native, Hollick posted team-highs in batting average (.667), runs scored (eight), RBI (six) and walks (six) as New Mexico swept a three-game series from Rhode Island last week in Albuquerque. In the opening game of the series, he went 2- for-2 while scoring three runs and knocking in two runs in UNM s 17-5 win. Hollick also drew three walks in the contest. In game two, he went 2-for-4 with one RBI and one run scored. In the fourth inning his RBI single scored a run, then he also crossed the plate to put the Lobos up 4-2 on the way to an 8-2 victory. In the final game he had a 2-for-3, four-run, three-rbi performance. He walked three more times, two of which were with the bases loaded, and collected another RBI single as New Mexico won, DAY VS. NIGHT: Does the time of day matter in the game of baseball? To some of the Lobos, the answer is definitely yes! Freshman Scott Gracey, when hitting at night, hasn t recorded a hit yet, but during the day, is hitting.389. However, when Gracey is pitching at night, he has fanned five batters and not allowed a single run to score. In the day, Gracey has struck out three batters but posted an ERA of Senior Matt Foote and freshman Adam Courcha are like Gracey when it comes to hitting. Foote has a.143 average for day games but hits.368 at night.courcha hits.250 under the sun while posting a.476 average under the lights. Freshman Bret Fanning is the opposite of Foote and Courcha, hitting.500 at night but just.250 during the day. RUN LIKE THE WIND: In the three-game series last weekend vs. Rhode Island, New Mexico scored a total of 46 runs, averaging 15.3 runs per day. Although this total is high, it does not come close to the Lobos record. Last year UNM crossed the plate 73 times in a three-game series with Air Force, April The top 5 runs in a three-game series are: vs. Air Force April 13-14, vs. Air Force April 16-18, vs. Fresno State April 1-3, vs. Texas A&M Corpus ChristiMarch 28-30, vs. Hawaii March 14-16, vs. Utah March 12-14, vs. New Mexico State March 2-3, 1985 HOT HITTERS: The Lobos were red-hot at the plate against Rhode Island, hitting.465 (53-for-114) as a team. Every Lobo to record an official at bat hit at least.333 for the weekend. Freshman Derek Pilkington was one of the hottest, hitting a team-high.800 (4-for-5). Senior Daniel Stovall cranked out a team-leading seven hits in 15 at bats (.467). INHERITED HEROES: Seven Lobo pitchers have inherited a total of 20 runners this season and gotten out of the situation with just two of them crossing the plate. Three Lobos, junior Adam Skelton, sophomore Brandon Hewett and freshman Jarrad Watkins, have come in twice with runners aboard. Overall, Watkins has inherited five runners and held them all in place. Skelton has also taken on five total and allowed just one to score. Hewett has taken on one in two different appearances and not allowed them to score. SCORE EARLY AND SCORE OFTEN: In order to win, New Mexico has had to get up early on its opponents and score lots of runs. When the Lobos hold a lead after the first inning, they are 5-1. They are 6-3 when leading after the second and 7-2 when leading after the third. If the Lobos were tied or trailing after one, they won just 2 and lost 10. After two innings, they are 1-8 and after three, 0-9. Also, when UNM scores 10 or more runs, they are 6-0. But, if they score nine or fewer, they are just REVIEW Overall Record MWC Record/Finish /5th Home Record Away Record Neutral Record Letterwinners Returning/Lost... 19/15 Starters Returning/Lost Pitchers Returning/Lost... 7/9 Newcomers PROGRAM HISTORY All-time Record... 1,451-1, (.520) MWC Record (.540) NCAA Appearances... 1 (1962) Conference Championships... 5 (1953, 58, 62, 85, 2000) MEDIA RELATIONS Baseball Contact... RaeAnn McKernan Contact s Phone... (505) Contact s Cell Phone... (505) Contact s ... feenaurm@unm.edu Assoc. AD for Media Relations... Greg Remington Phone... (505) gregrem@unm.edu Fax... (505) Website... HEAD COACH RICH ALDAY New Mexico head coach Rich Alday, the winningest coach in UNM history, is in his 18th year at the helm of the New Mexico program. Alday, with a overall coaching record of and a UNM record of , could earn his 1,000th and 500th wins this season. Alday has been conference coach of the year three times (2000-MWC, 1995-WAC, WAC) and was an assistant coach on the 1988 and 1996 Olympic teams. He has coached 10 All- Americans and five conference players of the year in his tenure. ALDAY S HIGHLIGHTS All-time winningest coach at UNM with 487 victories 983 career victories in 34 years as a head coach 34 Major League Draftees 56 All-Conference Selections Four Conference Players of the Year One Conference Pitcher of the Year 12 All-Americans Five Freshman All-Americans Six Academic All-Americans 2000 Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year 1992 & 1995 WAC Coach of the Year Assistant Coach of 1988 and 1996 USA Olympic Teams ALDAY S RECORD AT NEW MEXICO Overall Conf. Conf. Year Record Pct. Record Pct. Finish th th rd T2nd-E nd-E nd-E nd-E th-S rd-S th st T3rd th th T2nd th th Totals

5 Page 5 LINE UP THE LEFTIES: Two Lobos, senior Matt Foote and junior Matt Hibbitts, should be thrilled that Rhode Island is throwing two southpaws this weekend. Foote has the second highest average against lefties, hitting.467 (7-for-15) while Hibbittts is 5-for-16 (.313) with a team-high five RBI. The pair haven t fared as well against right-handed pitchers, putting up batting averages of.256 (11-for-43) and.167 (5-for-30), respectively. WHEN IT MATTERS MOST: The Lobos are hitting just.269 as a team overall and a dismal.229 when the bases are empty. However, they are hitting when it matters most. With runners in scoring position, UNM is hitting.296 and.299 with runners in scoring position and two outs. With the bases loaded, the Lobos are hitting their best,.324. THE HEAT IS ON: The UNM pitching staff has an opposing batting average of.306 but when the heat is on, they remain in control. With the bases loaded, New Mexico has faced 27 batters and allowed just one hit for a.059 average and have struck out six. NOT ON MY WATCH: Left-handed junior Bobby LaFromboise has not allowed an earned run in his last 24 innings. On Feb. 16 vs. Nebraska, he went 8.0 innings, giving up just one run in the first inning. On Feb. 23, LaFromboise threw a complete-game shutout, bringing his total to 16 straight scoreless innings. On March 2, he threw 7.0 innings, surrendering one unearned run in the fifth, ending his scoreless innings streak at 20. STOVALL NAMED MWC PLAYER OF THE WEEK: New Mexico senior Daniel Stovall was named the Mountain West Conference Player of the Week Monday, Feb. 26, garnering the award for the fourth time in his career. Stovall, from Midland, Texas, batted.526 (10-for-19) from the plate, with a home run, three doubles, eight runs scored and eight RBI, as New Mexico went 3-1 last week. In a 16-5 win over New Mexico State, Stovall went 3- for-6 with a two-run double, two RBI and two runs scored. In the first game of a three-game series vs. Texas State, Stovall went 3-for-5 with a home run, four RBI and two runs scored. He blasted his league-leading third homer of the season, a two-run shot, in the bottom of the third, putting UNM up 5-0 on the way to a 10-0 victory. In a 13-7 game two win, Stovall went 4-for-5 with two doubles, two RBI and three runs scored. His four-hit game was the first for the Lobos this season. Defensively, Stovall had 42 putouts with one assist and no errors. SHORT START: Junior Jordan Pacheco s start at shortstop on Feb. 20 at New Mexico State was not a one-time thing. The two-time all-mountain West Conference selection at second base has adapted so well to the move that head coach Rich Alday used him there for all three games vs. Texas State last weekend and vs. Tech Tech on Tuesday. In the five games combined, Pacheco has been perfect, recording 11 putouts, 15 assists, no errors and turning three double plays. Filling in for Pacheco at second base was sophomore Chad Itokazu. Itokazu seemed natural at the spot, posting nine putouts, a team-high 18 assists, no errors and three double plays in four games. RISING TO THE OCCASION: The Lobos have played almost 200 games against ranked opponents since Last year, New Mexico snapped a 12-game losing streak to ranked teams with a 13-2 win over then-12thranked Oregon State. After that, the Lobos lost three straight to ranked teams, all of whom were in the top-10. They extended the streak to four at the UTA Invite, falling in game one to No. 7 Nebraska. But they stunned the Huskers in game two, winning 6-2. HIT ME!: Senior Matt Foote has an eight-game hit streak for the Lobos, which is a season high for the team and matches his career high. During the streak, he is hitting.387 (12-for-31) with six runs, five RBI, three stolen bases and two doubles. He even got hit on his left hand by a pitch in the second game on Feb. 16 against Nebraska, sat out the rest of the tournament and returned to action a week later vs. Texas State. In the threegame series vs. the Aggies, Foote was 6-for-10 (.600) with three runs and two RBI. WALK THIS WAY: In the last five games junior Ian Hollick has posted the team s second highest on-base percentage (.600) thanks in large part to his 10 walks. Hollick drew a career-high three walks on Feb. 24 vs. Texas State, leaving him with only one official at bat that day. LOBOS VS. ISOTOPES ISOTOPES PARK APRIL 3, 2007 For the third consecutive year, the Lobos will play an exhibition game with the Isotopes, Triple-A affiliate of the Florida Marlins. The two met for the first time in an exhibition game at Isotopes Park on Tuesday, April 5, 2--5 before 3,692 fans, with the Isotopes coming out on top in seven innings, Last year the New Mexico baseball team scored first but the Isotopes scored more thanks to a five-run third that lifted them to a 6-2 win in front of 3,171 fans on Tuesday, April 4, Thenjunior Matt Foote completed the evening 3-for-3, scoring both of UNM s runs. Junior Chris Carlson was 2-for-3 with a RBI. New Mexico Baseball Notes UNM IN THE MWC 2007 STATS TEAM - OFFENSE 1. On Base Pct RBI Runs Scored Doubles Walks Sacrifices Hits Total Bases Hit By Pitch At Bats Batting Avg Slugging Pct Home Runs Strikeouts Triples Stolen Bases INDIVIDUAL - OFFENSE: Batting Average 1. Jordan Pacheco Daniel Stovall Slugging Percentage 4. Jordan Pacheco On Base Percentage 1. Jordan Pacheco Daniel Stovall Runs 1. Jordan Pacheco T2.Daniel Stovall T9.Jay Russell Hits 1. Jordan Pacheco T2.Daniel Stovall RBI 1. Daniel Stovall T2.Jordan Pacheco Drew McDonald Doubles 1. Daniel Stovall T4.Jordan Pacheco Total Bases T4.Jordan Pacheco Daniel Stovall Walks 1. Jay Russell T2.Ian Hollick T4.Jordan Pacheco T7.Daniel Stovall Hit By Pitch T4.Jordan Pacheco... 6 Sacrifice Bunts 1. Scott Gracey... 6 T3.Drew McDonald... 4 Sacrifice Flies T1.Matt Hibbitts... 4 Stolen Bases 1. Matt Foote Plate Appearances 3. Daniel Stovall T6.Jay Russell Jordan Pacheco Ian Hollick At Bats 3. Daniel Stovall Steal Attempts 1. Matt Foote Strikeouts T8.Daniel Stovall Caught Stealing T7.Matt Foote... 3 Grounded Into DP T1.Jay Russell... 4 T6.Matt Hibbitts... 3 Matt Foote... 3 INDIVIDUAL - PITCHING: ERA 2. Bobby LaFromboise Opposing Bat. Avg. 2. Bobby LaFromboise All Games (as of April 1) TEAM - PITCHING 2. Innings Pitched Losses Wins Strikeouts Walks Allowed Saves ERA Opp. Batting Avg TEAM - DEFENSE 1. Fielding Pct Chances Putouts Assists Fld. Double Plays Errors Innings Pitched 2. Bobby LaFromboise T4.Stephen Smith T8.Jacob Norton Strikeouts T1.Bobby LaFromboise. 53 Strikeouts Looking 1. Bobby LaFromboise Stephen Smith Wins T1.Bobby LaFromboise 5 Finishes T7.Scott Gracey... 7 Sac Bunts Allowed 6. Bobby LaFromboise... 6 T7.Jacob Norton... 5 Sac Flies Allowed T1.Stephen Smith... 5 T5.Jarrad Watkins... 4 Losses 2. Jacob Norton... 6 T3.Stephen Smith... 5 Pickoffs T5.Stephen Smith... 2 Wild Pitches T4.Stephen Smith... 6 Balks 1. Jacob Norton... 4 T7.Ryan Escarcega... 2 Hit Batters T4.Brandon Hewett... 7 T7.Jacob Norton... 6 Fewest Runs Allowed T8.Bobby LaFromboise Fewest Earned Runs Allowed T9.Bobby LaFromboise Fewest Walks Allowed T8.Stephen Smith Fewest Doubles Allowed T2. Jacob Norton... 5 Fewest Triples Allowed T4. Jacob Norton... 1 Fewest Home Runs Allowed T5. Bobby LaFromboise... 1 INDIVIDUAL - DEFENSE: Chances 1. Daniel Stovall Drew McDonald Putouts 1. Daniel Stovall Drew McDonald Assists T9.Jordan Pacheco Fielding Double Plays 1. Daniel Stovall T6.Jordan Pacheco Steal Attempts Against 1. Drew McDonald Stolen Bases Against 1. Drew McDonald IN THE NATION - All Games (2006 FINAL) TEAM INDIVIDUAL 1. Double Plays. 75, 1.27 pg 3. Jordan Pacheco, scoring. 79, 1.34 pg 7. Scoring , 8.6 pg 6. Chris Carlson, RBI... 79, 1.34 pg 10. Slugging Pct Chris Carlson, Home Runs 21, 0.36 pg 12. Daniel Stovall, RBI... 75, 1.27 pg 15. Batting Avg Daniel Stovall, Doubles... 25, 0.42 pg 22. Doubles , 2.27 pg 17. Chris Carlson, Slugging Pct..711

6 New Mexico Baseball Notes Page 6 LAST TIME IN LOBO BASEBALL BATTING CATEGORIES Grand slam: Chris Carlson vs. UNLV, 5/23/06 Hit for the cycle: Ian Hollick vs. Air Force (game 2), 4/13/06 Four hits: Jordan Pacheco vs. San Diego State, 3/30/07 Five hits: Chris Carlson vs. UNLV, 5/23/06 Six hits: Cory Robbins vs. New Mexico State, 3/23/99* Five runs: Jordan Pacheco vs. Air Force, 4/14/06 Six runs: Sean Murray vs. Air Force, 5/15/04* # Six RBI: Jay Russell and Daniel Stovall vs. No. Colo., 3/5/06 10 RBI: Mark Gulseth vs. San Diego State, 4/19/92 * Three doubles: Max Willett vs. Utah, 3/25/07 Four doubles: Joe Salas at Air Force, 4/17/04 * # Two triples: Ryan Barba vs. SDSU, 5/13/05 * Inside-the-Park home run: Chris Dabbs at Air Force, 5/20/05 Two home runs: Jordan Pacheco, 2/6/07 Three home runs: Mark Wulfert vs. Air Force, 5/13/95 * Two home runs in one inning: Josh Mader at Utah, 4/8/04 Two or more players with multi-homers: Chris Carlson and Ryan Barba vs. Air Force, 4/14/06 Back-to-back homers: J. Pacheco & Daniel Stovall vs. TTU, 2/6/07 Back-to-back-to-back homers: G. Haymore, C. Carlson, D. Stovall at AF, 5/19/05 Multiple back-to-back homers in same game: (2), Joe Salas and Daniel Stovall, vs. Air Force, 5/16/04 Four strikeouts: Matt Foote at UC-Irvine, 3/16/07 PITCHING CATEGORIES: No-hitter (7-inning): Mike Connell vs. N.M. Highlands, 3/24/77 No-hitter (9-inning game): Jim Kremmel vs. Arizona, 4/17/70 One-hitter: Ron Sims vs. New Mexico State, 3/25/73 Complete game: Jacob Norton at UT-Arlington, 2/18/07 Complete-game shutout: Bobby LaFromboise vs. Texas St., 2/23/07 10 or more strikeouts: 12, Karsten Gaarder at AF, 5/19/05 15 strikeouts: 15, Bob McAulay vs. UTEP, 5/13/66 10 or more strikeouts (staff): 10 vs. Rhode Island, 3/9/07 15 or more strikeouts (staff): 15 at Air Force, 4/17/04 No walks: 3/31/07 vs. San Diego State (34 batters faced) 10 or more walks (staff): 11 at #5 Oregon State, 4/28/06 FIELDING CATEGORIES No errors: 3/18/07 at UC-Irvine (L, 13-1) Five errors: 2/27/05 vs. Western Carolina A Lobo committed three+ errors: 3, Jordan Pacheco vs. Saint Louis, 3/2/07) Eight or more assists: 8, Scott Gracey at UC-Irvine, 3/17/07 15 or more putouts: 16, Daniel Stovall vs. Cal Poly, 4/29/06 Triple play: Mike DeMore, Ray Granillo, Greg Dunn at Wyo., 5/7/89 UNM hit into a triple play: 5/16/04 vs. Air Force INNING CATEGORIES: 10 or more runs in an inning: 12 vs. Rhode Island, 3/112/07 15 or more runs in an inning: 15 vs. Savannah St., 3/11/05 4 or more homers in an inning: 4 at Air Force, 5/19/05 5 or more doubles in an inning: 5, vs. Savannah State, 3/11/05 10 or more hits in an inning: 13 vs. Savannah State, 3/11/05* 10 or more Consecutive Hits: 11, vs. Savannah St., 3/11/05* 10+ Consec. Batters to Reach Base: 10 vs. NMSU, 3/20/ Consec. Batters to Reach Base: 16 vs. Savannah St., 3/11/05 SCORING AND MISC. CATEGORIES A Lobo stole home: Ryan Barba vs. Savannah State, 3/13/05 UNM tied: 2/22/04 vs. Northwestern (3-3) UNM was shut out: 2/17/07 vs. Illinois State (L, 9-0) UNM shut out opponent: 2/23/07 vs. Texas St. (W, 10-0) Five or more home runs: 6, at Texas Tech, 2/6/07 20 or more hits: 21, vs. Rhode Island, 3/11/07 Allowed 20 or more hits: 24, at UC-Irvine, 3/18/07 20 or more runs: 26, at Air Force, 4/14/06 Allowed 20 or more runs: 28, vs. San Diego State, 5/14/05 30 or more runs: 31, at Air Force, 4/17/04 * # 20 or more RBI: 28, at Air Force, 4/17/04 # 50 or more total bases: 53, at Air Force, 4/17/04 # No strikeouts: Feb. 26, 2006 vs. Utah Valley State (29 At Bats) 10 or more strikeouts: 10, at Texas A&M, 3/4/07 10 or more walks: 10, vs. Rhode Island, 3/11/07 15 or more walks: 16, at Air Force, 4/17/04 # Won an extra-inning game: 3/29/06 vs. SDSU (3-2, 12 innings) Lost an extra-inning game: 3/2/07 vs. Saint Louis (5-2, 11 inn.) Won on last at-bat: 4/23/06 vs. Utah (9-8) Lost on last at-bat: 2/18/07 at UT-Arlington (2-1) UNM swept Non-conference series: vs. Rhode Island., 3/9-11/2007 UNM swept MWC series: vs. Air Force, 4/13-14/2006 UNM was swept in a Non-conf. series: UC-Irvine, 3/16-18/07 UNM was swept in a MWC series: TCU, 5/18-20/2006 * Denotes school record; # Denotes Mountain West record DOUBLE OR NOTHING: Through 14 games this season, the Lobos have teamed for 28 multiple-rbi performances, equaling two per game. They average just over 2.5 multiple hits per game, posting 36 so far. Leading the way is senior Daniel Stovall and junior Jordan Pacheco. Stovall has a team-high six multiple-rbi games and six multiple-hit games, which is the second highest. Pacheco leads the team with seven multiple-hit games and is second with four multiple-rbi games. HITTING TO THE CORE-CHA: Freshman Adam Courcha changed his swing and reaped the rewards in his three games. After going hitless in his first three appearances, he has gone 6-for-8 (.750) with seven RBI, three runs, three doubles and a home run in three games. His best game to date was Feb. 27 vs. Texas Tech, where he went 3-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored, which were all team highs. He also hit his first collegiate homer that game. LAFROMBOISE NAMED MWC PITCHER OF THE WEEK: Junior left hander Bobby LaFromboise was named Mountain West Conference Pitcher of the Week, Monday, Feb. 19. LaFromboise, a Downey, Calif., native, led New Mexico to an upset victory over No. 7 Nebraska last week, tallying his first win of the season in the process. In 8.0 innings of work, he gave up just three hits, three walks and one earned run, while striking out nine. After the Cornhuskers scored a run in the first innings, LaFromboise settled in and allowed just two hits over the next five innings. He fanned two batters in the first, third and fourth innings en route to his nine strikeouts. PINCH WALKING: The normal terminology is pinch hitting but the Lobos who have filled that role so far have been walking, not hitting. Prior to the Texas State series, 10 plate appearances while pinch hitting resulted in six at bats, in which the Lobos were 0-for-6. However, they drew four walks, two for freshman Bret Fanning and one for sophomore Chad Itokazu and freshman Adam Courcha. FREE PASS: After the Lobos drew nine walks and three hit-by-pitches on Tuesday at New Mexico State, they moved into second place in the Mountain West Conference for both those categories. With 56 team walks, the Lobos trail just UNLV s 62 and their 14 times hit by a pitch is second to just TCU s 16. Individually, senior Jay Russell has been walked more than anyone else in the MWC, earning 10 free passes and junior Jordan Pacheco is on his heels with eight free trips to first. Pacheco is third in the conference for times hit by a pitch, getting plunked three times in 10 games. RUNNING LATE: The New Mexico runners had been going full-speed late in games. As a team, the Lobos were 5-for-6 in stolen base attempts with four of the six coming in the ninth inning prior to the Hilton Arlington UTA Invitational. UNM hadn t attempted a stolen base prior to the fifth inning and hadn t successfully swiped one prior to the 7th. Two Lobos, senior Matt Foote and freshman Bret Fanning, had stolen two bases each, all in the ninth. The Lobos broke the pattern at Texas-Arlington, swiping six bases on eight attempts and only two were in the ninth inning. At New Mexico State on Tuesday, senior Jay Russell successfully took second in the first inning and Fanning advanced safely in the third. BEGINNERS LUCK: It just might be a classic example of beginners luck for the New Mexico leadoff hitters. As a team, the leadoff man reached 38 percent (17-for-45) of the time heading into the UTA Invite. In each of the Lobos first three games, the leadoff man was 4-for-9. Four individuals were.500 when leading off an inning, including junior Jordan Pacheco (3-for-6). Senior Daniel Stovall, sophomore Dane Hamilton and freshman Mark Rockey were also hitting.500 when leading off, going 1-for-2. The only other Lobo with more leadoff attempts than Pacheco was junior Drew McDonald, who is 3-for-7 (.429). SECOND-INNING SLUMP: The Lobos started off great statistically, hitting.444 (8-for-18) with eight runs and eight RBI in the first inning. But in the second inning, the results were horrifying, going 0-for-15 with four strikeouts. It s the only inning they don t hit at least.200 in and haven t scored at least two runs in. STILL HITTING: Junior Jordan Pacheco ended the 2006 season hitting and started the 2007 season the same way. He hit in five consecutive after ending the 06 season with a three-game streak, bringing his total to eight straight games. Senior Daniel Stovall outdid Pacheco this season, hitting safely in the first seven games this season. Junior Ian Hollick, who hit in nine straight games to end the 2006 season, hit in four straight to start this year. After failing to get a hit in the Feb. 13 game at New Mexico State, his streak ended at 13 games, just one game shy of matching his career high. UNDER PRESSURE: The Lobo hitters posted a.262 batting average after five games this season. However, with the bases empty, the team hit just.195 compared to its.333 average when runners were on. Freshman Scott Gracey and junior Jordan Pacheco had the best batting averages with runners on at.667 (4-for-6) and.571 (4-for-7), respectively. When the bags were empty, Pacheco (5-for-10) and senior Daniel Stovall (3-for-6) were counted on to pick things up, hitting.500. BOMBS AWAY: The Lobos picked up right where they left off in 2006, blasting six home runs in the season opener at Texas Tech. Junior Jordan Pacheco went yard twice while seniors Matt Foote and Daniel Stovall and 2007 MOUNTAIN WEST CONFERENCE STANDINGS as of April 1 MWC Games Overall Games Team (Rk.) W L Pct. GB W L T Pct. TCU San Diego State BYU New Mexico UNLV Utah Air Force

7 Page 7 juniors Matt Hibbitts and Drew McDonald left the park once. Last year UNM ranked 14th in the nation in home runs per game, averaging 1.19 for a season total of 62. DOUBLE TROUBLE: Last year UNM led the nation in double plays, turning 66 for a 1.27 per game average. Despite the loss of their shortstop from last season, the Lobos are still making twin-killings look easy. In the season opener, New Mexico turned three thanks to preseason all-americans junior Jordan Pacheco at second base and senior Daniel Stovall at first. FIRST OFF: Senior center fielder and leadoff hitter Matt Foote couldn t have started the Lobos season off any better had he tried. Foote, in his first at bat in the season opener at Texas Tech on Feb. 6, blasted his ninth career home run. It is the first time a leadoff homer has started the season since at least Play-by-play for Lobo games prior to 1980 are unavailable. A PREVIEW OF THINGS TO COME: If junior second baseman Jordan Pacheco s performance in the season opener at Texas Tech on Feb. 6 is a preview of things to come, Pacheco is set to have a phenomenal year. He had two home runs in the game and turned three doubles plays. Pacheco s line at the end of the night read 3- for-4 with four runs, three RBI, two walks and a double. WELCOME TO THE BIG SHOW: Junior Matt Hibbitts transferred to the University of New Mexico in the fall from Mt. Hood Community College. Prior to the season, he was informed he would be filling the enormous shoes of two-time All-American designated hitter Chris Carlson. Hibbitts didn t let the pressure get to him and put on a great show in his first game, going 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. SEASON PREVIEW: A seasoned coach like Rich Alday knows how to win. Entering his 35th year as a head coach, and his 18th at the helm of New Mexico baseball, Alday is sticking with the same strategy he has used repeatedly as he approaches his 1,000th win and 500th as a Lobo. Everything we do, everyone else in the country does, head coach Rich Alday said. Baseball isn t like some of the other sports, where there are trick plays or a surprise defense. Execution is the key in baseball and whoever does it correctly is going to win. Last year the Lobos did win, that is until the last month of the season. Our major problem last year was pitching, Alday said. Our pitching staff is basically brand new this year but I think we have better pitching and more depth. These guys are capable of throwing more strikes. If our pitchers can keep us in the ballgame, it s going to be a very good season. We will hit and play good defense so pitching is the key. Alday is correct. The Lobos will hit and play good defense. At least, they should. All New Mexico lost from last year s team on the field was its shortstop, Ryan Barba. Plus, the infield is laced with three preseason Louisville Slugger All-Americans in first baseman, senior Daniel Stovall, second baseman, junior Jordan Pacheco and third baseman, junior Ian Hollick. We should have a good defensive club, Alday said. We just need to take sure we don t rush things and turn every routine play. The only other loss UNM has to worry about is two-time All-American designated hitter Chris Carlson. Every year you are going to miss somebody who was an important player, Alday said. We cannot worry about it though. We need to move on and trust that the kids who are back and the ones we recruited can pick up the slack. There are a few newcomers who stick out in Alday s mind that can fill the void at shortstop and DH. Sophomore Chad Itokazu and redshirt freshman Scott Gracey are vying for the starting job at short while junior transfer Matt Hibbitts has the early claim on DH. The one thing we are telling the two competing for the starting job at shortstop is that their defense is more important than their offense, Alday said. Whoever is at short will hit ninth like Ryan Barba did. We just need them to be consistent and turn every play. We won t get the home run production from our DH that we did from Carlson. With Hibbitts or even freshman Bret Fanning, we just need a consistent guy who can do more running. It may take two or three guys to combine for Carlson s 21 home runs but if they can get more doubles, triples or stolen bases, it will even out. Aside from Carlson and Barba, the rest of the 2006 lineup is still around but Alday plans to tweak it this season. His plan is to move Pacheco from the leadoff spot, where he has hit the first two years in his career, down to third, filling the hole left by Carlson. Senior center fielder Matt Foote is expected to move to the leadoff spot, which is a logical move for someone who stole 24 bases and was hit 18 times last year. Finally, the DH will fall down anywhere between No. 6 and 8, depending on who else is playing that day. OUTFIELD Seniors Matt Foote and Jay Russell will be the mainstay in the outfield for New Mexico, filling center and left, respectively. Last year, Foote started every game for UNM in center and made 133 putouts and just two errors. Russell played in all but two games and started all except three in the outfield. The southpaw, who spent his first two collegiate seasons as an infielder, had a seemingly smooth transition, also making only two errors early in the season. Alday has several options for right field, including sophomores Dane Hamilton and Max Willett, who saw time at the position last year. If we are facing a right-handed pitcher, Hamilton will get the start, Alday said. If a lefty is starting against us, Willett or freshmen Adam Courcha, Derek Pilkington or Bret Fanning could play. Hamilton saw the most action in right last year, playing in 34 of 59 games and starting 26. He hit.301 and fielded.944. Willett, who hit.333, got into 15 games and started five. A catcher in high school, he was perfect in the outfield, recording 10 outs and one assist. INFIELD There is no doubt about it, Stovall will be at first, Pacheco at second and Hollick at third. Stovall and Pacheco started every game last year and Hollick missed just three. All three were named to the preseason all-mountain West Conference team and Pacheco was tabbed the likely MWC Player of the Year by Baseball America. I feel very comfortable with those guys back, Alday said. They are our defensive nucleus. They just need to relax, go out there and have fun. They can t tell themselves `I ve got to be the guy. They need to be consistent New Mexico Baseball Notes UNM S RECORD WHEN Home Away Neutral Against Top Non-Conference Mountain West Last 5 Games Last 10 Games vs. Left-handed Starter vs. Right-handed Starter Day Night Extra-Innings On Sunday On Monday On Tuesday On Wednesday On Thursday On Friday On Saturday In February In March In April In May UNM Scores First Opponent Scores First Scoring 0-2 Runs Scoring 3-5 Runs Scoring 6-9 Runs Scoring 10+ Runs Opponent Scoring 0-2 Runs Opponent Scoring 3-5 Runs Opponent Scoring 6-9 Runs Opponent Scoring 10+ Runs One-Run Games Two-Run Games UNM Hits Home Run Opponent Hits Home Run Leading After 6 Innings Trailing After 6 Innings Tied After 6 Innings Leading After 8 Innings Trailing After 8 Innings Tied After 8 Innings Last At-Bat Wins Collecting 1-3 Hits Collecting 4-6 Hits Collecting 7-9 Hits Collecting 10+ Hits Out-hitting Opponents Out-hit By Opponents Hits Are Tied UNM is Errorless Commits 1 Error Commits Multiple Errors Opponent is Errorless Opponent Commits 1 Error Opponent Commits Multiple Errors UNM Starter Gets Decision UNM Bullpen Gets Decision A Big Big West Missouri Valley Mountain West Pac Southland WAC Independent