LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The New Mexico State baseball team gets set for its third weekend series of the 2019 season as the team welcomes the Delaware Blue Hens to Presley Askew Field for a four-game stint, March 1-3.
PROBABLE STARTERS:
Friday, March 1 at 6:05 p.m.
NM State: Brock Whittlesey, RHP (2-0, 4.09 ERA)
Delaware: Brandon Walter, LHP (0-2, 2.79 ERA)
Saturday, March 2 at 1:05 p.m. (Game 1)
NM State: Justin Dehn, RHP (2-0, 4.76)
Delaware: Chris Ludman, RHP (0-1, 6.35 ERA)
Saturday, March 2 at 4:35 p.m. (Game 2)
NM State: Chris Jefferson, RHP (1-1, 8.10 ERA)
Delaware: TBD
Sunday, March 3 at 12:05 p.m.
NM State: Chance Hroch, RHP (2-0, 0.73 ERA)
Delaware: TBD
GAMEDAY PROMOTIONS
All Aggie fans who make it out to The 'Skew for this weekend's series have the opportunity to be a part of some great promotions from NM State. The series opener on Friday, March 1, features a giveaway to the first 100, the first of three New Mexico "State" T-shirts in a series to be given out over the season. Friday's game also offers one-dollar popcorn and fans get to see the ceremonial first pitch thrown out by NM State Chancellor Dr. Dan E. Arvizu.
Saturday offers two games for the price of one for Aggie fans who get to see extra baseball with a doubleheader beginning at 1:05 p.m. MT. Sunday's series finale features Bark in the Park where Aggie fans are encouraged to bring their friendly canines to the Presley Askew and one-dollar hot dogs are to be sold throughout the game at the concession stand.
GET CONNECTED
Get up to the minute information and news about the NM State baseball team all season on Twitter, and Instagram by following @NMStateBaseball and on Facebook.com/NMSUAthletics.
LIVE STATS
Live stats are available for all of NM State's remaining home games this season. Those looking to follow along with the stats can access each game on
StatBroadcast or by visiting the team's schedule page
online.
WHERE TO WATCH
For fans looking to watch the games on television or through a stream, you can catch all four weekend games versus the Blue Hens. Friday's series opener is set to air live on FOX Sports Arizona PLUS, FOX Sports Southwest and on ELEVEN Sports. The game on Friday can also be caught on FOX College Sports Pacific on delay playing at 1 a.m. MT on March 2
nd. The series opener is also available live on the FOX Sports App.
All four of the games for the weekend series against Delaware can also be streamed live on the
WAC Digital Network. The series opener has Adam Young on the call with Jerry Lujan serving as the analyst and the series finale also features Young on the call.
LISTEN UP!
Aggie fans that can't make it to the game can listen to Adam Young (@youngpbp) for the series finale Sunday afternoon on 91.5 FM KRUX. Fans can also listen to the game live with their mobile or tablet device on the TuneIn app for free by searching KRUX or by using the link on the team's schedule page
online.
TAKING A LOOK AT DELWARE
Delaware heads into Presley Askew this weekend looking for its first win as the team stands at 0-6 so far on the season. The Blue Hens first six games have seen the team swept by Charlotte and Liberty, allowing 37 runs and only combining to score 12.
Due to the geographical location, Delaware is set to play its first 11 games of the season on the road in more suitable climates. The challenging road tests have cost the Blue Hens at the plate as the team has scored four or less runs in all six games and only combined for one in the previous two contests.
The Blue Hens pitching staff has tried to help keep the team in its games posting 58 strikeouts to just 16 walks and holding opposing batters to a .243 average. However, the Delaware offense has only put together a .194 batting average with only 11 extra-base hits and zero stolen bases.
Delaware still looks to get back to its winning ways that has seen the team post three-straight seasons with 30 wins or more and featured an NCAA Regional appearance for the opposition in 2017. Blue Hen head coach Jim Sherman has recorded 540 career wins in his time at the helm.
IN THE NATION
Nine games into the season the Aggies currently rank in the top-25 nationally in 14 categories, including nine NCAA-leading statistics:
NM State (Rk) Category NCAA
.423 (1st)
Batting Average .423
28 (1st)
Hit by Pitch 28
140 (1st)
Hits 140
18 (1st)
Home Runs 18
.531 (1st)
On-Base % .531
146 (1st)
Runs 146
16.2 (1st)
Scoring 16.2
.710 (1st)
Slugging % .710
9 (1st)
Triples 9
10 (3rd)
Double Plays 11
23 (4th)
Doubles 26
8 (6th)
Sacrifice Flies 10
57 (8th)
Base on Balls 79
6 (9th)
Sacrifice Bunts 10
ANOTHER ONE!
Another stellar performance at the plate in the past weekend series earned New Mexico State's
Nick Gonzales his second-straight WAC Hitter of the Week and Bobby Bragan Collegiate Slugger of the Week honors.
This past weekend series versus Yale saw Gonzales pick up a hit in each of the Aggies' four games. The sophomore finished the week hitting .611 (11-of-18) from the plate, posting a 1.222 slugging percentage with six extra-base hits.
Gonzales drove in 11 runs and scored another seven as NM State took 3-of-4 from the Bulldogs. His strong play was highlighted in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader where the second baseman went 3-for-4 with a pair of home runs and six runs batted in. Then in the series finale Gonzales continued to roll going 3-for-5 with 5 RBI. On the season, Gonzales is hitting .675 with 19 runs scored, 27 RBI and six home runs.
LAST TIME OUT
The NM State baseball team hit the road for the first time in 2019 with a trip to Dan Ryan Field – Rip Griffin Park to take on No. 3 Texas Tech on Tuesday, February 26. The Red Raiders produced runs in four different frames and held the Aggies scoreless as the team fell on the road, 7-0.
UP NEXT
Following the four-game series with Delaware, the New Mexico State baseball team remains at home for its final four-game weekend series of the season when the team welcomes LaSalle to Presley Askew field on March 8-10.
