Lobos know the challenge that awaits them in Texas
You might say the competition gets bigger in Texas for the University of New Mexico baseball team.
After sweeping a season-opening home series from Binghamton, the Lobos will take on a pair of Texas heavyweights over the next five days. UNM opens a three-game series today at Dallas Baptist and visits Texas Tech for a single game Tuesday.
Both opponents are 3-1 and nationally ranked, depending on which poll you prefer to believe. This week’s Collegiate Baseball Newspaper rankings have Texas Tech at No. 20 and DBU at No. 23. The Lobos (3-0) are receiving votes in two other polls but CBN lists only its top 30 teams.
While early-season rankings are speculative, UNM coach Ray Birmingham and his players know the caliber of teams they’re about to face. The Lobos met both in last season’s NCAA Lubbock Regional, splitting two games with DBU and dropping a heartbreaker to Texas Tech.
Big things are expected from all three programs in 2017 and Birmingham believes UNM’s Texas two-step will be educational.
“The next four games will be a great barometer of where we are and where we need to be,” Birmingham said. “DBU and Tech both lost some key guys but they’re loaded again. We’re used to playing up against teams like this but doing it on the road is always a challenge.”
The Lobos found out the hard way about Dallas Baptist’s talent level last season. The Patriots came to Albuquerque and swept a three-game series, winning one of the games by a 33-8 margin, and knocking UNM right out of the national polls.
New Mexico’s returning players remember that series all too well.
“They just handled us,” said right-hander Tyler Stevens, who will start tonight’s opener for UNM. “We’ve had the DBU series circled on our calendars ever since this year’s schedule came out.”
Birmingham hopes his team will rise to the occasion but insists his lineup is still a work in progress. New Mexico employed different defensive lineups for all three games against Binghamton and several position battles are still under way.
For example, catchers Daniel Herrera, Andrew Pratt and Robby Campillo took turns behind the plate last week and each collected one hit. Pratt’s hit was a long home run, and the sophomore could see time at designated hitter as well as at catcher.
Newcomers Justin Watari and Beau Capanna also are battling for the second base spot, and there could be some shuffling in the outfield, Birmingham said. Corner starters Andre Vigil and Jared Mang are off to slow starts with the bats, which could create openings for DH Danny Collier and/or utility man Matt Villalobos.
“I don’t mind having some battles, especially early in the season,” Birmingham said. “Guys realize they’re being pushed and if they don’t produce, somebody else gets a chance. That can be a motivating factor.”
The Lobos also will make a change in the starting pitching rotation, with senior Christian Tripp set to follow Stevens and Carson Schneider to the mound. Luis Gonzalez, who started last Sunday, will play center field exclusively this weekend and start on the mound Tuesday at Texas Tech.