Aggie baseball opens season hosting Texas Southern
Defending champs await UNM Lobos
New Mexico State opens its 2019 baseball season today with stability atop the program, continued optimism and the opener of a three-game home series vs. Texas Southern.
Coach Brian Green, who signed a four-year contract extension in the offseason, led NMSU to a 40-22 record and an NCAA Regional berth in 2018. For today’s opener, he turns to Brock Whittlesey to face Aron Solis in a matchup of right-handers picked to be their respective league’s pitchers of the year.
Other Aggies named preseason all-Western Athletic Conference: catcher Braden Williams, first baseman Caleb Henderson, second baseman Nick Gonzales, shortstop Joey Ortiz and outfielder Tristen Carranza.
Texas Southern, 27-28 in 2018, has won three Southwestern Athletic Conference championships in the last four seasons.
New Mexico, meanwhile, opens its 2019 season today at 1 p.m. against defending national champion Oregon State at the Surprize (Ariz.) Tournament. UNM is coming off a 20-33-1 2018 season.
SOFTBALL: Thursday’s scheduled game between New Mexico (2-1) and No. 9 Arizona in the Hillebrand Invitational in Tucson was canceled because of rain.
Today, UNM is to face Alabama, ranked No. 7, and Cal State Fullerton, which is receiving votes. Illinois-Chicago, South Florida and Arizona await the Lobos later in the week.
Through three games, UNM’s top of the lineup — Andrea Howard, D’Andra DeFlora and Cameryn O’Grady — have combined for 14 RBIs, 15 hits with four doubles, a triple and three home runs.
The 4-0 New Mexico State squad is playing host to a tournament for the second consecutive weekend. The Troy Cox Classic includes Texas State (2-2) and Bradley (1-4), the Aggies’ two opponents today, Montana (1-4) and San Jose State (3-3).
Aggie junior pitcher Samario Diaz got off to a hot start, picking up two wins and a save while allowing opponents a .133 batting average last weekend.
TENNIS: The UNM men (1-3) are at BYU today and the women (3-6) are at Texas Tech. New Mexico State’s women (2-2) are heading to Las Vegas, Nev., for matches against UNLV and Colorado State ( Saturday) and UC Riverside (Sunday)