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Lobos Visit Air Force For Three-Game Road Series

UNM is 14-21 on the season, after starting 0-6 at New Mexico State and Arizona.

March 28, 2001

FIRST PITCH: The University of New Mexico baseball team (14-21, 4-5 Mountain West Conference) hits the road in conference play for the first time this season, as the Lobos travel to Colorado Springs, Colo., to play the Air Force Academy Falcons (17-15, 3-6) for a three-game series. The teams will play Friday at 1 p.m. (MST) and on Saturday and Sunday at noon at the Academy¹s Falcon Field. UNM has been at home for its first nine Mountain West games. Following the Air Force series, the Lobos will return to Albuquerque to face UNLV April 6-8. New Mexico will then play 12 of its final 15 league games on the road.

UNM is 14-21 on the season, after starting 0-6 at New Mexico State and Arizona. The Lobos went 2-2 last week, losing at home to Texas Tech on Tuesday, then taking two of three from league foe San Diego State in the Sports Stadium over the weekend. New Mexico has currently won three of its last five after losing eight of 10 from Mar. 9-23. The Lobos are 4-5 in Mountain West Conference play, tied for fourth with UNLV. UNM is two games behind league-leader Utah (6-3) and one behind SDSU and Brigham Young (5-4).

PRESS BOX PHONE: For updates at this week¹s games, the press box number at Falcon Field is (719) 333-3472.

TICKETS: Single game tickets for Lobo baseball are: $5 for reserved, $3 for adult, $2 for seniors and $1 for youths. Additionally, season-ticket packages (30 single-game tickets) can be bought for $99 for reserved, $40 for adult, $35 for senior, $17 for youth and $85 for family. For more ticket information, call (505) 925-LOBO.

HEAD COACH RICH ALDAY: Rich Alday is in his 12th season on the bench for UNM and is second on the school¹s all-time win list. Alday sports a career mark of 337-319-2 at UNM, ranking behind only Vince Cappelli, who won 384 from 1977-89. Alday was the 2000 Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year after leading UNM to a 35-21 record and the school¹s first division title in 15 years. He was also the Western Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 1992 and 1995. Alday got his start in the coaching business at Pima Community College in Tucson, Ariz., where he built the program from scratch and went 496-220 in 17 seasons. All told, Alday has a record of 833-539-2 in 28 years of collegiate coaching. He has also worked on a national level, coaching Team USA in the Olympics, winning gold in 1988 and bronze in 1996.

Alday is assisted by Mark Martinez (13th year, Mesa State ¹84) and Ryan Beggs (3rd year, UNM Oe98).

A NEW HOME FOR THE LOBOS: UNM will have a new residence in 2001, as the Lobos take over at the expansive Albuquerque Sports Stadium for all their home games. The Stadium was left vacant last year after the Triple-A Albuquerque Dukes (top farm club of the Los Angeles Dodgers) moved to Portland after having played here since 1969. UNM has played in the Sports Stadium in year¹s past, including last year, when the Lobos played a three-game series against Brigham Young. They frequently played there throughout the 1970s and 1980s, but have not been regulars on the corner of University and Cesar Chavez since the mid-80¹s, before current head coach Rich Alday¹s arrival.

The Sports Stadium holds a capacity of 10,516 and will allow UNM to play night games, beginning with the conference season in March. It features professional locker rooms, a batting cage and an extensive video scoreboard. The Lobos are scheduled for 27 home games this season in the Sports Stadium.

ABOUT AIR FORCE: Air Force is 17-15 on the season, 3-6 in MWC play. The Falcons have won three straight, including a win at New Mexico State Tuesday and two of three at Brigham Young last weekend. The Academy is coached by Reed Peters (40-49, 2nd season overall and at school) and led by outfielder Mike Thiessen. Thiessen, who was the 2000 MWC football offensive player of the year as the AFA quarterback, is hitting .337 with 5 HR and 21 RBI. SS Brian LaBasco leads the team with a .374 avg., and C Gerremy Goldsberry has team-bests of 8 HR and 32 RBI. Air Force is hitting 309 as a team and averaging 7.0 rpg. On the mound, Michael Tufte is 6-3 with a 5.97 ERA and 52 K in 57.1 IP, while Matt Kaercher is 3-4 with a 6.07 ERA and 31 K in 43.0 IP. As a team, Air Force has a 6.59 ERA and opponents are hitting .321 against them.

SERIES HISTORY: UNM has owned Air Force in recent years, winning 11 straight games between the two since the 1998 season. The Lobos are 65-30 all-time against the Falcons and have gone 20-3 since the 1996 campaign. Last year, the Lobos won seven straight against the Falcons, including the first round of the Mountain West Conference Tournament. Ironically, UNM was defeated in its next two games of the tourney, but AFA went on to the championship game before losing to San Diego State.

LAST WEEK¹S RECAP: New Mexico went 2-2 last week, all at home, losing to Texas Tech 11-9 on Tuesday, losing to San Diego State 8-5 on Friday, beating the Aztecs 5-4 on Saturday and 9-3 on Sunday. Against the Red Raiders, UNM fell behind right off the bat, as TTU scored five runs in the first inning. It was 8-2 in the fifth when the Lobos began to rally. They scored four runs in the inning, thanks to two-run singles by Anthony Lovato and Aaron Stanley. UNM had the tying run on first base, but Scott Tajima struck out to end the threat. The Red Raiders added some insurance in the eighth with three runs off Ken Yamaoka to grab an 11-7 lead, but UNM would not go down without a fight, tallying twice in the ninth and bringing the tying run to the plate before Dusty Young fanned. Jason Bengert (2-3) suffered the loss, allowing all five runs in the first inning, his only frame of work. Stanley tied a career-high with 4 RBI, while Stanley, Tajima and Mark Okano had three hits apiece to lead the Lobos¹ 15-hit attack.

On Friday, UNM fell behind 7-0 to SDSU thanks to four errors and three unearned runs in the first five innings. The Lobos scored a run in the fifth on Matt Alexander¹s RBI single, a run in the seventh on Troy Cairns¹ RBI double, and three in the eighth thanks to Young¹s two-run double. The uprising cut the deficit to 8-5, and UNM had the tying run at the plate, but Sean Murray grounded out, and the Lobos went quietly in the ninth. UNM starter Chris Cooper (2-4) allowed 7 runs (4 earned) on 7 hits in 5.0 IP. He struck out eight and walked just one. Jeremy DeYapp was impressive in relief, allowing no earned runs on four hits in 4.0 IP. Matt Alexander and Cairns had 3 hits apiece for the Lobos, who banged out 12 hits on the evening.

On Saturday, UNM rode the strong pitching of David Young and used a four-run sixth inning to humble the Aztecs 5-4. Trailing 2-0 in the fourth, the Lobos got a run back when Okano¹s groundout scored Casey Tornberg, who had led off the frame with a single. Down 2-1, UNM took control of the game in the sixth. Okano¹s RBI double tied the game at 2-2, and Stanley and Chris Alexander followed with RBI singles to give UNM a 4-2 advantage. The Lobos got an insurance run when SDSU SS Taber Lee booted a grounder, and UNM led 5-2. The advantage held up, despite the Aztecs¹ scoring single runs in the eighth and ninth. Young (2-4) was impressive, allowing 3 runs on 9 hits in a season-high 7.1 IP. He got 14 outs on ground balls, struck out three and walked none. Jeff Perez picked up his fourth save, allowing a run in 1.2 innings of relief. Donny Sevieri, Chris Alexander and Stanley had two hits apiece to pace the Lobo offense.

On Sunday, New Mexico scored six runs in the eighth inning to break a 3-3 tie and cruise to a 9-3 victory. The Lobos took the early lead, 1-0, on Chris Alexander¹s solo home run. Tied 1-1 in the fourth, UNM scored twice on Anthony Lovato¹s RBI double, and a wild pitch, allowing Lovato to cross the plate. The Aztecs tied the game with two runs in the seventh, but UNM reliever Kris Gross escaped a bases-loaded jam to keep the game deadlocked. In the eighth, Lovato doubled in the tiebreaking run, then scored again on a wild pitch to give UNM a 5-3 lead. Chris Alexander singled to drive in another run and Cairns doubled to make the score 7-3. Cairns and Dusty Young would each cross the plate on wild pitches, and when the inning ended, UNM had six runs on seven hits and took full advantage of four SDSU wild pitches. James Vermilyea (3-0) earned the victory in relief, going 2.0 IP, allowing just two hits and no runs. Greg Atencio was the starter and pitched well, allowing 3 runs on 6.0 IP, but got the no-decision. Okano was 4-5 for the Lobos, while four others had at least two hits in UNM¹s 14-hit attack.

NOTABLE:

David Young won his second straight start by beating SDSU, after an 0-4 start. His ERA in his first six appearances had been 10.21 and he had walked at least two batters each time out. However, in his last two starts, he is 2-0 with a 3.38 ERA. He did not walk a batter for the first time all season against SDSU, and tossed a season-high 7.1 IP. Young is pitching for the first time in two years this season, after sitting out the 2000 campaign due to an injury in his pitching hand.

Senior OF/3B Aaron Stanley is starting to catch fire after a recent slump had him sitting on the bench. In four starts last week, he went 7-14 (.500) and had a .588 on-base percentage. Stanley had been hitting 4-19 in UNM¹s last 10 games (six of which he did not play), but his average is now up to season-high .306.

Senior CF Mark Okano has picked things up lately as well. He went 9-17 (.529) in four games last week, including 3-3 vs. Texas Tech and 4-5 vs. San Diego State. He is now batting .293, raising his average 87 points in the last 15 games, since he was hitting just .206 on March 3. Okano has hit safely in 13 of his last 15 outings, compared to just 11 of his first 18 games.

Chris Alexander¹s home run against SDSU Sunday was his third of the season - but the first for the Lobos in 16 games at home. UNM had not gone deep in Albuquerque since Donny Sevieri cracked a long ball against Nebraska on Feb. 16, a span of 529 at-bats.

UNM¹s 5-4 win over the Aztecs ended a stretch which saw the team lose four of five in conference play.

The five runs was the fewest scored in a win at home since 1992, when the Lobos beat Utah 3-1.

SS Dusty Young continues to be one of the most productive Lobos at the plate. While hitting just .274, he has driven in 21 runs (third on the team), mostly from the ninth spot in the batting order. Young had just 23 RBI last year in 127 at bats, and has 21 this year in 117 at-bats - with 21 games left to play. Young is UNM¹s top hitter in conference play, as he is batting .414 (12-29) with a team-high 12 RBI.

James Vermilyea continues to be a pleasant surprise as a freshman. The Tucson, Ariz., native is 3-0 with a 6.65 ERA this year. If his bad outing against BYU is eliminated (7 ER in .2 IP), the ERA drops to 3.86. Vermilyea leads the team with 12 appearances, and he has 15 strikeouts in 21.2 IP.

Jeff Perez has thrived in his role as closer for the Lobos. He is 1-1 with 4 saves in 11 appearances this year. He is 4-4 in his last four save opportunities, and his save total is already tied for the sixth-highest single-season in school history.

Chris Cooper has come alive in terms of strikeouts the last few weeks, as he has fanned eight in two of his last four appearances. Cooper, who led the Mountain West with 106 K last year, had just 11 in his first 31.1 IP. He has 20 in his last 23 innings and currently leads the Lobos with 31 strikeouts on the season. Strangely, Cooper, who was 2-1 in his first three starts, has gone 0-3 in his last four appearances with a 7.83 ERA - all since he has started increasing his strikeout total.

Mark Okano has gone 8-12 in stolen base opportunities this season and has now moved into a fifth-place tie on the UNM career swipes list. Okano has 56 stolen bases for his career, tied with Ken Johnson (1969-71) and Luke Oglesby (1993). Tom Francis (62) is next on the list.

LOBOS TABBED SECOND IN MWC: UNM was picked to finish second in the Mountain West preseason coaches poll. The Lobos received 20 points including one first place vote, behind favorite San Diego St., which got 24 points and four first place votes.

SCOUTING THE LOBOS: UNM returns five position players and 10 of 12 pitchers from last year¹s team which went 35-21, 22-8 in MWC play. Leading the charge is right fielder Donny Sevieri, who hit .392 with 10 HR and 54 RBI last year en route to first team all-conference honors. Center fielder Mark Okano, a fourth-year starter, hit .361 and stole 22 bases last season, and is 48-55 in career thefts. Left fielder Aaron Stanley hit .346 and stole 24 bases, second in the MWC, and had a 24-game hit streak last year. Second baseman Troy Cairns hit .352 in conference games and was named second team all-league, while shortstop Dusty Young hit .339 and was one of the top fielders in the conference. On the mound, top starter Chris Cooper went 9-3 with a 5.05 ERA and a league-best 105 strikeouts as he was named second team all-conference. David Young was 3-7 with a 7.46 ERA in 1999 as a junior before missing all of last season as a medical redshirt. He will be the Lobos number two starter to begin the season.

Among the newcomers to watch, 1B/DH Anthony Lovato was an All-American at Lamar JC last season where he hit 22 HR, C Matt Alexander is a transfer from Trinidad State JC where he hit 31 HR in two years and was drafted by Montreal in 1999, 3B Chris Collins hit 11 HR last year at South Mountain CC in Tucson, OF Joe Salas hit .494 with six HR at Rio Grande HS last season, and P Josh Love went 16-7 with a 4.00 ERA and 160 strikeouts at New Mexico JC last season.

PRESEASON ACCOLADES: A pair of UNM players have been predicted to win postseason honors this season. Right fielder Donny Sevieri was chosen second team All-American by Collegiate Baseball magazine and was also the magazine¹s preseason pick for MWC Player of the Year. Pitcher Chris Cooper was selected as the preseason MWC pitcher of the year. Additionally, Collegiate Baseball chose OF Mark Okano and OF Aaron Stanley as players to watch in the 2001 season.

2000 MOUNTAIN WEST CHAMPS: For the first time in 15 years, New Mexico captured a division flag by winning the first ever Mountain West Conference title in 2000. The Lobos finished 22-8 - a school record for conference wins - putting them 4 1/2 games ahead of second place San Diego State. The championship was the fifth for the Lobos in their school history, having won the WAC crown in 1985 and the Skyline Championship in 1953, 1958 and 1962.

MISSING FACES: The Lobos lost several key players from last year¹s team, which helped make it one of the top in school annals. Third baseman Aaron Sisk, the 2000 MWC player of the year, was a seventh-round draft pick of the Toronto Blue Jays and left school after his junior season. Sisk hit a school record 24 HR last season and his career total of 53 long balls is the best in UNM history. Junior shortstop Scott Candelaria was drafted by Milwaukee in the 22nd round after hitting .399 last year and becoming just the third player in school history to record over 100 hits (103) in a season. Senior pitcher Joe Abell was the savior out of the bullpen, recording six saves and a career-low 3.20 ERA. He was named first team all-conference and recorded the third-highest save total in school history.