New Mexico Lobos baseball is a college baseball program of the
University of New Mexico
The University of New Mexico (UNM; es, Universidad de Nuevo México) is a public research university in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Founded in 1889, it is the state's flagship academic institution and the largest by enrollment, with over 25,400 ...
in
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...
. The Lobos have won three conference tournaments, finished first in regular season conference play eight times, and appeared in the
NCAA Division I Baseball Championship
The NCAA Division I Baseball Championship is held each year from May through June and features 64 college baseball teams in the United States, culminating in the eight-team Men's College World Series at Charles Schwab Field Omaha in Omaha, Nebr ...
five times. The team plays their home games on the University of New Mexico campus at
Santa Ana Star Field
Santa Ana Star Field, formerly known as Lobo Field, is a baseball stadium located in Albuquerque, New Mexico that serves as the home of the University of New Mexico Lobos baseball team. Lobo Field had served as New Mexico's practice field as th ...
.
Tod Brown has been the head coach of the Lobos since the 2022 season.
History
The first team was fielded in 1899 and has a 1,820–1,645–16 (.523) record through the 2022 season.
The 2022 season was the 105th season that the University of New Mexico has field a baseball team (the team did not play 19 seasons: 1902, 1903, 1909, 1918, 1924–1926, 1928, 1930–1938, 1944, and 1945).
In 1951, the Lobos began play in the
Skyline Eight Conference, recording a first place regular season finish in the Eastern Division in 1953, 1958, and their final season in the conference in 1962.
The 1962 season also saw the Lobos participate in the
NCAA Division I Baseball Championship
The NCAA Division I Baseball Championship is held each year from May through June and features 64 college baseball teams in the United States, culminating in the eight-team Men's College World Series at Charles Schwab Field Omaha in Omaha, Nebr ...
for the first time.
UNM was a charter member of the
Western Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference (WAC) is an NCAA Division I conference. The WAC covers a broad expanse of the western United States with member institutions located in Arizona, California, New Mexico, Utah, Washington (state), Washington, and Texa ...
(WAC) and begin conference play with Arizona, Arizona State, BYU, Utah, and Wyoming in 1963.
Until leaving the WAC to become a charter member of the
Mountain West Conference
The Mountain West Conference (MW) is one of the collegiate athletic conferences affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) (formerly I-A). The MW officially began operations o ...
(MW) in 2000, the Lobos finished first in the regular season standings only once, 1985 in the Southern Division, and lost to BYU in a postseason playoff series.
As a member of the MW, the Lobos have finished first in the regular season in six seasons: 2000, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2017.
The Lobos returned to the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship in 2000, the second time in program history. The Lobos won the
Mountain West Conference baseball tournament in 2011, 2012, and 2016.
The Lobos have had 27 different players earn All-America honors. Additionally, they have had 11 players be named Freshman All-America. In 2013
D. J. Peterson became the first player in program history to become a three-time All-American.
UNM has had 93 players selected in the MLB Draft in its history, including a pair of first-round picks: Kevin Andersh in 1985, and Peterson in 2013. Since Birmingham took over the team has had 24 players selected, including a school-record seven in 2013.
New Mexico student-athletes have set numerous NCAA records including season batting average (Keith Hagman, 1980 - .551), most triples (Hagman, 1980 - 17), RBIs in an inning (Jonathan Gallegos, 8 - vs. Utah, March 13, 1993) and doubles by a freshman (Peterson, 32 - 2011). The team also has several records including hits by both teams (68 vs. Fresno State - April 1, 1999), triples in a game (7 vs. CSU-Pueblo - March 27, 1976) and plate appearances in an inning (25 vs. Utah - March 13, 1993).
Ballparks
Santa Ana Star Field
Santa Ana Star Field is the home of UNM baseball. After spending nine and a half seasons across the street at Isotopes Park, UNM returned to Santa Ana Star Field for good on March 24, 2013, as the Lobos hosted a doubleheader against the Nevada Wolf Pack.
"We need to have our own place to play," said head coach Ray Birmingham. "The kids deserve their own field to practice and play on, and now we have that. They've earned it."
Santa Ana Star Field received a major upgrade that started before the 2013 season. It received a FieldTurf playing surface, upgraded scoreboard, dugouts, bullpens, and bleachers as a part of the first phase of the Lobo Field renovation. Further renovations enhanced the concession areas, the fan plaza between Lobo Field and the softball field, the press box and the bleachers. Lights were installed in the fall of 2013, and a new clubhouse was dedicated December 28, 2016.
[
"We have lights because of (former Lobo) Dee Dennis and a bunch of guys who chipped in to help me and Dee do this," Birmingham said. "This is Lobo Field. This is (the state of) New Mexico’s baseball field, at least that’s how I feel about it. ... There will not only be Lobo games on here, but there will also be state championship games here. We hope to bring in some great big tournaments over the years to this city and let our kids experience the world. We think New Mexico kids can get the rest of the experiences that the rest of the country has, then they will grow faster and realize they’re as good as anybody.”
After nine years at Isotopes Park, the Lobos returned to Lobo Field in March 2013. From 2013-2022, the team has a 94-38-1 (.711) record at home.]
On December 16th, 2015, UNM announced it had reached a 10-year, $1 million deal with Bernalillo company Tamaya Enterprises to rename the stadium Santa Ana Star Field. UNM used the money for further renovations to the field.
Isotopes Park
The Lobos played at Isotopes Park from 2003 until partway through the 2013 season when they returned to Lobo Field full-time.
People
Head coaches
The Lobos' head coach since the 2022 season has been Tod Brown. Ray Birmingham had a record of 467–413–4 (.531) in fifteen seasons at head coach. He took over for Rich Alday, who coached the Lobos for 18 season (1990–2007) and posted a record of 515-513-3 (.501). Prior to him Vince Cappelli was coach for 13 seasons from 1977-89, and he obtained a record of 384-350-6 (.523). Bob Leigh was the head coach from 1966-76, and in his 11 season he coached the Lobos to a record of 309-212-2 (.593). The first post-WWII head coach for UNM was George Petrol who was in charge of the program from 1947-65. In his 19 seasons the Lobos posted a record of 195-240-1 (.448).
Players
Former Lobo players include:
* David Carpenter
David Joseph Carpenter (born May 6, 1930), a.k.a. The Trailside Killer, is an American serial killer and serial rapist known for stalking and murdering a variety of individuals on hiking trails in state parks near San Francisco, California. He ...
* Jim Fregosi
James Louis Fregosi (April 4, 1942 – February 14, 2014) was an American professional baseball shortstop and manager, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from to , primarily for the Los Angeles / California Angels. He also played for the ...
* Mitch Garver
Mitchell Lynn Garver (born January 15, 1991) is an American professional baseball catcher for the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in MLB for the Minnesota Twins.
Early life
Garver was born on January 15, 19 ...
* Luis Fernando González Hoenig (born 1995), baseball outfielder for the San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yor ...
* Daniel Herrera
* Larry Jaster
Larry Edward Jaster (born January 13, 1944) is an American former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball as a left-handed pitcher between 1965 and 1972 for the St. Louis Cardinals, Montreal Expos and the Atlanta ...
* Mark Johnson
* Jim Kremmel
James Louis Kremmel (February 28, 1949 – October 12, 2012) was an American left-handed pitcher who spent two seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Texas Rangers (1973) and Chicago Cubs ( 1974).
Born in Belleville, Illinois, on ...
* Bobby LaFromboise
Robert Joseph LaFromboise (born June 25, 1986) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners and Pittsburgh Pirates. He was a Southern League All-Star in 2011 and 2012. ...
* Rod Nichols
* Jordan Pacheco
Jordan Patrick Pacheco (born January 30, 1986) is an American former professional baseball infielder and catcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Colorado Rockies, Arizona Diamondbacks and Cincinnati Reds.
Early career
Prior to p ...
* D. J. Peterson
* Jimmy Serrano
* Scott Strickland
Scott Michael Strickland (born April 26, 1976) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) relief pitcher who played for several teams between 1999 and 2010.
Amateur career
A native of Houston, Texas, Strickland attended the University of ...
* Jamie Vermilyea
* Matt Young
Matthew John Young (born August 9, 1958) is an American former professional baseball player. Young played eleven seasons in Major League Baseball for a variety of teams over his career, and is best known for his unofficial no-hitter against the ...
Year-by-Year results
1899: 1-0
1900: 1-1
1901-02: No baseball
1903: 1-0
1904: 2-0
1905: 2-0
1906: 5-2
1907: 3-1
1908: 3-2
1909: No baseball
1910: 7-1
1911: 1-5
1912: 2-3
1913: 1-1
1914: 4-2*
1915: 0-1
1916: 5-1
1917: 4-3
1918: No baseball
1919: 4-5
1920: 2-0
1921: 2-0
1922: 1-0
1923: 1-1
1924-26: No baseball
1927: 1-0
1928: No baseball
1929: 0-1
1930-38: No baseball
1939: 0-2
1940: 7-4
1941: 8-3
1942: 4-6
1943: 0-1
1944-45: No baseball
1946: 4-5
1947: 6-7
1948: 9-11
1949: 14-7
1950: 4-13
1951: 4–14 (0-8 Skyline)
1952: 6–8 (5-7 Skyline)
1953: 13–5 (10-2 Skyline)
1954: 8–11 (6-6 Skyline)
1955: 7–9 (5-7 Skyline)
1956: 8–9 (6-6 Skyline)
1957: 10–13 (6-6 Skyline)
1958: 13–9 (7-5 Skyline)
1959: 9–15 (4-8 Skyline)
1960: 11–19 (8-4 Skyline)
1961: 13–12 (9-3 Skyline)
''1962: 16–14 (9-3 Skyline)
''
1963: 18–16 (3-9 WAC)
1964: 8-29* (0-12 WAC)
1965: 18–19 (2-10 WAC)
1966: 23–17 (3-9 WAC)
1967: 24-19* (4-8 WAC)
1968: 37–13 (6-6 WAC)
1969: 30-17* (7-11 WAC)
1970: 27–18 (9-9 WAC)
1971: 29–26 (5-13 WAC)
1972: 29–14 (8-10 WAC)
1973: 28–17 (4-13 WAC)
1974: 28–23 (6-12 WAC)
1975: 26–24 (3-15 WAC)
1976: 28–24 (4-14 WAC)
1977: 32–20 (7-11 WAC)
1978: 31–24 (5-12 WAC)
1979: 37–23 (11-5 WAC)
1980: 41–22 (16-8 WAC)
1981: 24-30* (2-11 WAC)
1982: 33–29 (9-15 WAC)
1983: 25-41* (5-19 WAC)
1984: 31-26* (10-14 WAC)
1985: 42–17 (14-8 WAC)
1986: 26-21* (16-8 WAC)
1987: 29–29 (13-8 WAC)
1988: 23-31* (11-17 WAC)
1989: 10-37* (6-20 WAC)
1990: 25–31 (10-16 WAC)
1991: 25–33 (13-15 WAC)
1992: 34-25* (18-10 WAC)
1993: 35–21 (15-9 WAC)
1994: 32–24 (14-10 WAC)
1995: 29–26 (21-9 WAC)
1996: 27–24 (19-9 WAC)
1997: 25–32 (10-20 WAC)
1998: 27–31 (13-16 WAC)
1999: 29-30* (14-15 WAC)
2000: 35–21 (22-8 MW)
2001: 26–34 (14-16 MW)
2002: 22–35 (11-19 MW)
2003: 34–26 (17-13 MW)
2004: 26-29* (20-10 MW)
2005: 26–32 (15-15 MW)
2006: 30–29 (10-12 MW)
2007: 28–30 (12-12 MW)
2008: 34–25 (16-8 MW)
2009: 37–20 (15-8 MW)
''2010: 38–22 (14-8 MW)
''
''2011: 20–41 (10-14 MW)
''
''2012: 37–24 (18-6 MW)
''
''2013: 37–22 (25-5 MW)
''
2014: 37–20 (20-10 MW)
2015: 32–27 (17-13 MW)
''2016: 39–23 (20-10 MW)
''
2017: 30-27* (19-9* MW)
2018: 20-33* (11-19 MW)
2019: 23-28* (11-16* MW)
2020: 14-4"
2021: 16–24 (10-16 MW)
∗ denotes tie
" - season shortened due to COVID-19 pandemic
bold - qualified for conference tournament
''bold italic'' - qualified for NCAA tournament
References
External links
Official website
{{Mountain West Conference baseball navbox