Lobos Host Aggies Tuesday to Start Homestand

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.— Following a bye week, the Lobos return to the field on Tuesday at 4 p.m. against New Mexico State to start a four-game homestand. The game will be streamed on the MW Network with live stats available for those unable to attend.

Lobo rally towels will also be handed out to the first 250 fans.

SERIES HISTORY
UNM holds an 85-73 record all-time against NMSU and are 2-3 in the last five games. NMSU won the first two games of the series this year in Las Cruces, with the teams splitting the series last year as both teams won on its home field.

The Lobos won the last time the teams met in Albuquerque on March 28, 2023 by a score of 8-2.

FRESHMEN IMPACT
Nine freshmen have earned a spot in the starting lineup this season and six freshmen (DeNae Vasquez-Dickson, Katherine Brunner, McKenna Guest, Hayden Luderer, Karly Smith and Macie Andrews) have played in at least half of the games.

Of the freshmen, Brunner has played in 41 games with 36 starts- 17 as the designated player, 12 games at third and seven at second. Vasquez-Dickson has started in 36 games with 19 in center, 12 in left and five in right and played in 43 games, and Luderer with 15 starts and playing in 27 games with eight starts in center, six in right and one in left. Smith has played in 23 games with nine starts, seven as the designated player and two in right. Gabrielle Briones has started in five games, two at third, two at second and one as the designated player, and Macie Andrews has started 12 games, nine in left and three in right, and played in 23 games.

McKenna Guest leads the Lobos’ pitching staff with 22 starts and 34 appearances and a team-high 130.2 innings, Brooke Umali has made two starts and 14 appearances, throwing 22.0 innings and Kenzie Jones has appeared in 10 games with one start and 11.2 innings.

Vasquez-Dickson has played in 97.7% of the games, 91.8% of the innings and started in 81.8% of the games. Brunner has played in 93.2% of the games, starting in 81.8%, and playing in 83.2% of the innings.

In the circle, Guest has started 50.0% of the games, made an appearance in 77.3% of the games and pitched in 48.7% of the innings. The RHP has accounted for 59.6% of UNM’s strikeouts this season with 81 of UNM’s 136. Her 130.2 innings is 63.1 more innings than the next Lobo pitcher, and her 81 strikeouts is 62 more than the next Lobo pitcher.

Nationally, Guest has thrown the 17th-most innings in the NCAA and the third most by a freshman pitcher. Her 22 starts are tied for the third most by a pitcher and is the most by a freshman pitcher and her 34 appearances are the most by any pitcher in the NCAA.

UNM started five freshmen against UConn, in the March 19 game against UTEP and the first game at Nevada, 11 games with four freshmen starting and 20 games with three freshmen starting.

Brunner is tied for fourth on the team in RBI (12) and fifth in home runs (one), while Vasquez-Dickson leads in sac bunts (12), is third in RBI (13) and runs scored (14), is tied for third in stolen bases (four) and home runs (one), is fourth in slugging percentage (.317) and fifth in total bases (32), and Smith is tied for fourth in walks (eight). Vasquez-Dickson also leads the MW in sac bunts.

BY THE NUMBERS
The Lobos have reached double figures in hits four times this season: UNM’s win against Tennessee State in the season opener, where the Lobos finished with 12 hits, 15 hits in the win against Marist on Feb. 16, 12 hits in the March 22 game against UNLV and 13 hits in game two against San Diego State.

UNM is 6-1 when scoring at least six runs, 8-3 when scoring at least five runs, 6-4 when outhitting its opponent, 5-3 in one-run games and 2-2 in extra-inning games.

If the Lobos can score in the first inning and hold a lead after the first inning, the Lobos are 6-4 when leading after the first, 7-3 after the third, 7-2 after the fourth inning, 8-3 when leading after the fifth and 7-0 when leading after the sixth inning.

UNM is 34-65 (.523) with a runner on third and less than two outs, going 5-5 in the first game against Marist, 3-3 in the second game against the Red Foxes and 2-2 in the win against Toledo. UNM also went 3-4 in the win against SFA. In the series at SJSU, the Lobos were a combined 5-5 in the series.

The Lobos have had their leadoff hitter reach 35.4% of the time (102-288), with all seven reaching in the first game against Marist, 4-6 at McNeese and in the second game against Marist, and 5-7 in the game at GCU.

KEY CONTRIBUTOR
Keyannah Chavez leads in slugging percentage (.641), on-base percentage (.463), total bases (66),

triples (five) and walks (13). Chavez is second in batting average (.388), home runs (four), runs scored (23), hits (40), RBI (18) and third in sac bunts (five).

Chavez is tied for the lead in triples in the Mountain West and against MW opponents with three.

The sophomore is 15-33 (.455) as the leadoff in an inning, 33-56 (.589) in successfully advancing runners, 4-6 (.667) with runners on third and less than two outs, and of her 18 RBI, nine are with two outs.

She’s had 12 multiple-hit games (nine games with two hits and three games with three), tying her total from her freshman season, and four multiple RBI games (three games with two RBI and a game with four), with the four the most RBI in a game by a Lobo this season.

Chavez has already surpassed her season total from her freshman season in total bases with 66 (from 52) and has increased her batting average (.315 to .388), on-base percentage (.410 to .463) and slugging percentage (.364 to .641) from her freshman season to this season. She has also hit five triples and four home runs after not having either last season.

MIDDLE (WO)MEN
The Lobos are anchored in the middle infield with the stability and experience of Ashley Archuleta (second) and Rachael Hathoot (shortstop). To date, Archuleta has started in 136 games with 131 starts at second and Hathoot has started all 44 games this season and all 50 games last season at shortstop, and has started all 166 games during her UNM career.

This season, Hathoot leads the Lobos in hits (54), runs scored (28) and in batting average (.391), is second in sac bunts (six), on-base percentage (.430), slugging percentage (.471) and in total bases (65), and tied for second in doubles (five). She is 26-59 (.441) as the leadoff hitter in an inning. The Lobo is fourth in the MW in hits, seventh in batting average and leads in assists (101). Nationally, Hathoot is 39th in the NCAA in hits.

Hathoot enters the week on a career-best 23-game streak of reaching base. She has also recorded a hit in 22 of the last 23 games and has a team-high 16 multiple-hit games (14 with two hits, two games with three).

Archuleta leads the Lobos in stolen bases (seven), is tied for second in doubles (five), third in on-base percentage (.311) and fourth in batting average (.236) and in total bases (33), fifth in slugging percentage (.300), and tied for fourth in RBI (12). She went a career-best 4-4 in the March 22 game against UNLV.

ABOUT THE AGGIES
NMSU enters the game 24-17, 10-5 in CUSA and 6-4 in road games.

The Aggies are led at the plate by Dezianna Patmon who is hitting .391 behind a team-high 45 hits, 10 doubles and 79 total bases and also is 10-12 in stolen bases.

Desirae Spearman has hit 13 home runs and leads with 32 RBI, holding a slugging percentage of .963 and an on-base percentage of .490, while also going 6-7 in stolen bases.

Spearman leads the Aggies in the circle as well with a 3.14 ERA and a 7-2 record, making 11 appearances, 10 starts and throwing six complete games in 55.2 innings. Jaileen Mancha has appeared in a staff-high 27 games and a team-high 104.0 innings, throwing seven complete games. Emily Dix has made the most starts at 17 and has appeared in the second-most games with 26 and thrown the second-most innings at 81.2. Spearman and Mancha are tied for the team high with 50 strikeouts with Dix striking out 41.

UP NEXT: Following Tuesday’s game, the Lobos resume conference play with a three-game series against Utah State starting on Friday night.