Lobo baseball players sport playoff beards, sunny outlook
New Mexico prepares for MWC Tournament, knowing the stakes are high
Fun, games and sarcastic comments were in ample supply Tuesday at Santa Ana Star Field.
The University of New Mexico baseball team was going through its paces, preparing for Thursday’s Mountain West tournament opener against Nevada, but it felt like just another sunny day at the ballpark.
Head coach Ray Birmingham took the opportunity to assess the “playoff” beards several of his players are now sporting. Juniors Danny Collier, Carl Stajduhar, Luis Gonzalez and senior Andre Vigil were seated together in the Lobos’ dugout, all of them long removed from their last encounters with a razor.
“They look like a bluegrass band,” Birmingham said. “Danny could play the wash tub, Carl on the fiddle. Just don’t let them sing and they’d be fine.”
Yes, the Lobos are well aware that their most significant games of the season are fast approaching. UNM faces Nevada on Thursday in round one of the double-elimination Mountain West bracket, and the Lobos (29-25-1) almost certainly have to win the tournament to advance to next week’s NCAA Regionals.
The same is true for the other three tournament entries. Topseeded UNM has the best RPI ranking in the field at 63. No. 2 San Diego State (89), No. 3 Fresno State (122) and fourth-seeded Nevada (195) would be even less
likely than UNM to get NCAA at-large consideration.
Still, the Lobos feel much of the pressure that dogged them in recent weeks is now off. By winning the MWC’s regular-season title, New Mexico earned the right to host the league’s postseason tournament, something Birmingham and his players badly wanted. The pressure of trying to secure home-field advantage began to show during a fivegame losing streak that briefly dropped UNM into second place.
The Lobos then won Saturday’s regular-season finale and caught a break when Fresno State defeated league-leading SDSU, allowing the Lobos to claim the regular-season title.
“I think we got caught trying to defend our lead,” sophomore Jared Mang said, “instead of just going out and playing to win. Now, all four teams are in the same position and we get to play at home. We’ve got some swagger back.” Pitcher Tyler Stevens agreed. “We went through a rough patch at the end of the season but the dice fell our way,” he said. “It’s a big relief knowing we’ll be playing in front of our fans when the stage is so big.”
Stevens will get the ball for Thursday’s opener against Nevada, but UNM’s other tournament pitching plans have yet to be determined, Birmingham said.
“We’re going to use whoever we need to get through game one,” he said. “Everyone’s available and everyone has a short leash. You worry about game two when you get there.”
Birmingham was more definitive about naming a starter at first base. Stajduhar, Andre Gregory and Brandon Langan have started games at the position since senior Jack Zoellner suffered a broken bone in his left hand on May 12, but none will get the nod Thursday. Instead, senior Matt Villalobos will start at first base for the first time this season.
“Matt earned it,” Birmingham said, referring to Villalobos’ stunning performance in UNM’s 13-6 win over Nevada on Saturday. Villalobos came off the bench to deliver a groundrule double, a go-ahead threerun homer and a walk in three plate appearances.
“I’ve taken a lot of ground balls at first throughout the season,” Villalobos said. “I actually feel pretty comfortable there.”
UNM’s overall comfort level appeared high Tuesday. Teammates ribbed Mang when he stumbled and nearly fell on an attempted push bunt, and players cheered when a line drive destroyed a water bottle on the pitcher’s mound, sending its contents showering around the infield.
“We’ve battled through some adversity this year,” Gonzalez said, “but postseason baseball is fun. We still believe we’re the best team in the Mountain West and we get a chance to prove it on our home field. What’s more fun than that?”