LAS CRUCES, N.M. – After concluding their conference schedule, NM State will have a quartet of home games to close out the regular season, starting with a mid-week matchup against in-state rival UNM. The Aggies are 1-2 on the season against the Lobos, most recently falling 14-6 in a shortened eight inning affair in the Duke City.
Action against New Mexico begins Tuesday afternoon at 3 p.m., with fans able to follow along through Livestats, WAC Digital and over the air on 91.5 FM KRUX.
SCOUTING THE LOBOS
UNM is currently 26-21 on the year, with a 13-14 record in the Mountain West. Most recently, the Lobos split a four-game home series with the Nevada Wolfpack.
Benjamin Baker-Livingston is set to take the mound on Tuesday for New Mexico, sporting a 0-3 record on the year with a 8.18 ERA over 22 innings of work.
Reed Spenrath paces the Lobos in home runs with 18, while chipping in ten doubles and four triples. Dylan Ditzenberger leads the team in batting average with a .437 clip, collecting 59 hits and nine doubles on the year.
HISTORY VS NEW MEXICO
The Aggies are 25-28 against the Lobos since 2004, though both teams have gone on lengthy win streaks in recent years. The Lobos won each of the four games played between the teams last season, and NM State won six in a row over UNM from 2017-2019.
K LO K, CP!
Christian Perez has smacked 10 home runs this season to lead NM State. As a true freshman, Perez is also tied for the team lead in doubles (11) and has played in 40 games, making 38 starts.
KEEP UP WITH KEITH JONES
In WAC play,
Keith Jones II has been on an absolute tear. The outfielder from Oakland has hit .453 in conference games, adding 11 doubles and five home runs. Jones has also drawn 24 walks - 10 more than any other Aggie.
Jones trails just Jacob Wilson (GCU, .506) and Tyler Davis (Sam Houston, .468) in conference batting average. Jones also sits in third for doubles and walks in WAC play.
Call in The Fireman
In 10 appearances throughout conference play,
Aaron Treloar has lived up to his nickname of The Fireman. Treloar has a 2-0 record over 13.0 innings pitched, posting a 3.46 ERA.
KRUSH IT KEV
With eight home runs this season,
Kevin Jimenez has set a new career-high in long balls. The senior second baseman leads NM State in hits (57), runs batted in (37), runs scored (36), sacrifice flies (3), total bases (91), games played (45), and games started (45).
FOR THE RECORD...
Infielder
Kevin Jimenez sits inside or near the top-ten in NM State school history for many offensive categories. With 54 career doubles, Jimenez needs just seven this season to become NM State's all-time two-bag leader.
HE'S A GAMER
If Jimenez appears in Tuesday's game versus New Mexico, it will be No. 204 of his career, breaking a tie for fifth place (Henry Apodaca; 1978-81) on NM State's all-time games played list. The senior could finish the season with 207 games played, which would tie Andre Champagne (1995-98) for third all-time.
WALK IT OUT
Jimenez has drawn 127 career walks - The third most in NM State history. Jimenez passed Chris Fanning (1988-91) on April 8 vs. California Baptist.
Jimenez sits 15 walks behind Richard Stout (2007-09; 142) to move into a tie for second place.
WALK IT OFF
After the Aggies had not ended a game with a walk-off in over a year,
Damone Hale and
Preston Godfrey ended back-to-back games against Stephen F. Austin with a walk-off. On Friday, a three-run error after a fly ball by Hale ended the ballgame in run-rule fashion before giving way to Godfrey's two-run walk-off home run in the ninth inning on Saturday.
KEITH ZUNIGA'S PUNCH-OUT!!
In the three-game set against California Baptist, Zuniga's pitching staff struck out 36 hitters, including a season-high 15 strikeouts on Thursday. The mark is the new high for a series this season, surpassing 31 punch-outs against Bellarmine on Opening Weekend.
SIXTH INNING SPECIAL
When leading after six innings, the Aggies are 12-2 on the season. On the contrary, NM State is 0-33 when tied or trailing after the sixth.
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