LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The New Mexico State baseball team is set to embark on its 2017 campaign this Friday, Feb. 17, when it hosts Bryant for a four-game set at Presley Askew Field.
 
Friday's tilt will be one of great fanfare as Aggie baseball head coach Brian Green gives opening day honors to Johnathan Groff, the 2016 Junior College Division III National Pitcher of the Year, while the Bulldogs counter with 2016 All-American and 2017 Preseason All-American James Karinchak.
 
PROBABLE STARTERS
Friday, Feb. 17 at 6 p.m.
NM State: Jonathan Groff | LHP | 12-0, 1.06 ERA
Bryant: James Karinchak | RHP | 12-3, 2.00 ERA
 
Saturday, Feb. 18 at 2 p.m. (Double-Header)
Game 1
NM State: Matthew McHugh | RHP | 6-3, 4.21 ERA
Bryant: Steve Theetge | LHP | 9-0, 2.72 ERA
 
Game 2
NM State: Kyle Bradish | RHP | 8-3, 4.67 ERA
Bryant: Ross Weiner | RHP | 1-1, 2.39
 
Sunday, Feb. 19 at Noon
NM State: TBD
Bryant: TBD
 
GET YOUR SEASON TICKETS NOW!
With the start of the 2017 season tickets, Aggie fans can be a part of the action for all 23 home games (including three double-headers) for just $100 per seat. Season tickets will guarantee fans a seat in the reserved section of 104 behind home plate. Fans can purchase 2017 Aggie baseball season tickets by going to the Pan American Center ticket office or by calling 575-646-1420.
 
GAMEDAY PROMOTION
For Friday's season and home-opener against Bryant, Aggie fans will get their hands on the 2017 poster at the game. Saturday's double-header will be "Bark in the Park" with fans encouraged to bring their favorite furry friend to the game. All dogs must be on a leash at ALL times. To close out the first series of the season, fans will once again get to enjoy "Dollar Dogs" Sunday promotion at the concession stand and then meet the team for the first time for with an autograph session at the conclusion of Sunday's game.
 
UPCOMING PROMOTIONS
Next weekend's series against Mount Saint Mary's feature a "Bingo" night on Friday followed by "Dollar Dogs" Sunday. In addition, kids will get a chance to run the bases postgame on Sunday as well.
 
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.
 
LISTEN UP!
Aggie fans that can't make it to the game can listen to Adam Young (@youngpbp) all weekend 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.
 
BROWSING THE BULLDOGS
Bryant is coming off its best season in program history, compiling a 47-12 record and owned the nation's best winning-percentage (.797). The Bulldogs have now won 42 or more games and reached the NCAA Regionals in three of the last four seasons. A steady contender for the Northeastern Conference title, Bryant has now collected five-straight NEC regular-season titles. They've also claimed three of the last four NEC Tournament Championship titles. In addition to its success, the Bulldogs have had 12 players draft in the past four seasons.
 
Bryant will only return three starting position players from last year's team that reached the NCAA Tournament while losing 6-of-17 pitchers. However, the Bulldogs have also replenished their roster with 10 new members to the team.
 
Preseason All-American and Friday's starter, James Karinchak, leads the group of arms for Bryant heading into the 2017 campaign. The junior righty went 12-3 in 2016 with a 2.00 earned runs average and 112 strikeouts in 2016 and was named an All-American from three different publications.
 
Steve Theetge returns on the mound for Bryant as well after a great freshman season, going 9-0 on the year with a 2.72 ERA in 72 2/3 innings of work. Ross Weiner wraps up the twin-bill for Bryant as he makes his first start on the mound since his freshman season in 2015. The 6-4, 215 pound right-hander went 1-1 last season with a pair of saves and a 2.39 ERA in 15 relief appearances for the Bulldogs.
 
KEEP IT GOIN'
Outfielder Greg Popylisen has safely reached base in 28-straight games heading into the 2017 season. The last time Popylisen didn't reach base safely was in the series opener against UT Rio Grande Valley on April 1 of last season. However, he did reach base on an error by the Vaquero second baseman in the fifth inning.
 
LOAD 'EM UP
Of the 39 players on the NM State roster, 24 have transferred in from the junior college ranks the past two seasons. The Aggies will not be short of any experience, boasting 15 seniors and nine juniors on the opening-day roster. Seven sophomores and eight freshmen round out the roster for third-year head coach Brian Green.
 
LOCKED 'N LOADED
Aggie skipper Brian Green has the luxury of having every arm that started in all 57 games last year at his disposal. Green only lost two players from his bullpen in Joe Galindo and Tyler Erwin, both of whom were taken in the 2016 MLB Draft.
 
Green also added the 2016 Junior College Division III National Player of the Year Jonathan Groff to his starting rotation for 2017. Groff comes to NM State after leading Tyler Community College to three-straight NJCAA Division III National Championships. The Castroville, Texas, native posted a 12-0 record in 2016 with a staggering 1.06 ERA in 102.1 innings of work. His 125 strikeouts were second-most in the nation while also recording double-digit punch outs in five of his 15 starts. Groff was also named the 2016 NJCAA Division III World Series MVP in addition of tallying NJCAA Division III First-Team All-American honors.
 
SECOND GO AROUND
The Aggie roster has five players that have played at their second Division I school.
 

• Matt McHugh (Purdue)
• Dan Hetzel (Rhode Island)
• Marcus Still (Loyola Marymount)
• Andy Frakes (San Francisco)
• Mason Fishback (Oregon State

 
TRIO OF AGGIE DRAFT PICKS
New Mexico State had three players selected in the 2016 MLB Draft, headlined by fifth-rounder Daniel Johnson – who was the 154th overall pick by the Washington Nationals. A day later, closer Joe Galindo was selected by the San Diego Padres with the 384th overall pick in the 13th round. Last, but not least, was Tyler Erwin – who was chosen in the 23rd round (691st overall) by the Baltimore Orioles.
 
The three first year players draft picks marked the first time since 2009 that at least three Aggies were drafted in the same year.
 
RECORD SETTING SEASON IN 2016
New Mexico State produced the best win improvement in the country in 2016, going from 11 wins in 2015 to 34 wins in 2016. The Aggies' turnaround of plus-19 (to determine games improved, add the difference in victories between the two seasons to the difference in losses, and then divide by two.*Includes postseason) was second to only SIU Carbondale (+20).
 
NATIONALLY-RANKED RECRUITING CLASSES
Head coach Brian Green and his staff has diligently pieced together one of the nation's best recruiting classes the last two seasons. The back-to-back nationally-ranked recruiting class according to Collegiate Baseball is a first in New Mexico State baseball history. Green's 2017 recruiting class was ranked 33rd in the nation while his 2016 class was ranked 37th.
 
With the 33rd best recruiting class nationally, the Aggies ranked above Stanford, USC and Tennessee. NM State was the only school in the Western Athletic Conference and the only school in New Mexico with a recruiting class ranked in the top-40.
 
AGGIES DUBBED RUNNER-UP IN PRESEASON POLL
New Mexico State was voted to finish second in the Western Athletic Conference this year in its preseason coaches' poll, garnering 52 points – including one first-place vote. The Aggies were picked to finish second behind Seattle U, who received 60 points – including four first-place votes.
 
Sacramento State was predicted to finish third with 47 points and two first-place votes while Grand Canyon checked in at fourth. Utah Valley was predicted to finish in fifth with 47 points, but managed to obtain two first-place votes. CSU Bakersfield, UT Rio Grande Valley, Northern Colorado and Chicago State rounds out the preseason poll for the WAC.
 
FOUR AGGIES EARN PRESEASON HONORS
Catcher Mason Fishback, third baseman Trey Stine, designated hitter/outfielder Austin Botello and pitcher Kyle Bradish were named to the 2017 Preseason All-WAC Team.
Fishback earned First-Team All-WAC honors last season as a sophomore after batting .384 with four home runs and 21 runs batted in throughout conference play. Overall, Fishback finished the season with a .329 average, four homers and 28 RBI over 42 games, including 39 starts.
 
Stine was named Second-Team All-WAC in 2016 after belting seven home runs with 39 RBI. The third baseman recorded 27 extra-base hits, including 19 doubles - which were the most by an Aggie since 2011 and tied for the WAC lead last season.
 
Splitting time in the outfield and as the Aggies designated hitter, Botello finished last season second on the team with a .354 batting average. The senior also played in 56-of-57 games, to go with 55 starts. Botello finished second on the team in home runs (8), RBI (55), triples (3) and slugging percentage (.528).
 
Rounding out the nominees is Bradish, who became just the fifth Aggie in school history to be named a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American and the first since 2010 (Zac Fisher). Bradish led the team in wins (8), starts (15), innings pitched (86.2) and strikeouts (82).
 
LOOKING BACK AT 2016

• The Aggie baseball team enjoyed a very successful campaign in 2016, nearly capturing its first conference regular-season title since 2002 and came up one game short.
• New Mexico State was successful away from home last season, going 16-9 on the road and 15-9 at Presley Askew Field.
• NM State also picked up three wins over Power-5 schools last year, collecting a road win at then-No. 23 Texas Tech (7-6) followed by two at Baylor.
• At seasons end, the Aggies led the Western Athletic Conference in batting average (.297), runs (371), doubles (112) and home runs (49). The .297 batting average was also good for 40th in the country.
• The NM State pitching corp. boasted a near three-run improvement in team ERA from 2015 to 2016, going from 7.35 to 4.61.
• Trey Stine's 19 doubles last season was the most by any Aggie since 2011.

 
BRADISH EARNS ALL-AMERICA STATUS
Pitcher Kyle Bradish was named to the Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American team in 2016. He became just the fifth freshman in school history to receive the honor and the first since Zac Fisher in 2010. The 6-4 righty was also the first pitcher in school history to receive the honor.
 
Bradish finished his freshman campaign 8-3 overall and with a 4.67 ERA in 86.2 innings of work. In his 15 starts, he led the team with 82 strikeouts. The Goodyear, Ariz., product also broke the school record for most strikeouts by a freshman, set by Jaime Mendes in 1992, with 78 punch outs.
 
NEW FACES JOIN GREEN
Head coach Brian Green added Terry Davis as an assistant coach and Jordan Becker as the volunteer assistant in the offseason.
 
Davis comes to Las Cruces from Division II Bellarmine, where he served as the hitting coach and recruiting coordinator while also working with the infielders. In addition to running the offense, Davis was the third base coach.
 
Before joining the Knights in 2013, Davis spent 10 years as an assistant at St. Catharine College, where he helped the Patriots move from a junior college to an NAIA member institution. In the summers, Davis was an active camp director at the University of Kentucky.
 
As a player, Davis helped Spalding University to the 2002 NAIA World Series and the program's first-ever 50-win season. Davis also earned his bachelor's degree from St. Catharine College in sports leadership.
 
Becker comes to the City of Crosses after serving as an assistant at Riverside Community College in Riverside, Calif., last season. At RCC, Becker served as the first base coach, hitting coach and worked with the infielders. He also assisted the Tigers staff with recruiting. Becker helped RCC qualify for the California Community College Athletics Association playoffs in 2016 and finished its season in the CCCAA Southern California Regionals. During the playoffs, the Tigers became the first No. 16-seed in state history to defeat a No. 1-seed in the first round.
 
UP NEXT
The Aggies hit the road for a mid-week showdown with Texas Tech on Tuesday, Feb. 21. First pitch is slated for 2 p.m. (MT) at Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park. The Aggies split with the Red Raiders last season in Lubbock, taking the first game 7-6 before dropping the finale 14-2.