LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The New Mexico State baseball team had a successful season which saw them finish the year at 35-20 overall and 19-5 in Western Athletic Conference play.
 
The impressive finish came just a season after the biggest turnaround in the NCAA which saw the team go 34-23 in 2016. This was the first time the NM State baseball program had posted back-to-back 30-win seasons since they did so over a four-year stretch from '09-'12.
 
At season's end, the Aggies were ranked in the top-25 nationally in multiple categories. These impressive totals include finishing second in triples (31), fourth in batting average (.322), seventh in slugging percentage (.501), eighth in scoring (7.9 runs per game), 12^th in on-base percentage (.403), 17^th in runs (453) and 18^th in hits (650).
 
Several NM State players also cracked the top-25 nationally after strong seasons at the plate. Brent Sakurai finished first in the NCAA in triples (9) and outfielder Dan Hetzel ranked 19^th in RBI (67).
 
Cracking the national top-25 also led NM State to rank first in the WAC in numerous categories both at the dish and on the mound. Along with the aforementioned batting average, hits, runs, triples, slugging and on-base percentage the Aggies were also first in RBI (412), doubles (120), home runs (60), total bases (1,012), batters struck out (444) and wins (35) in the conference.  
 
The impressive statistics saw NM State and its players set multiple program records. With his nine triples, Brent Sakurai etched his name in the record books and topped the previous season-high of eight which was held by four previous Aggies. With a save in the final regular-season series, closer Ruger Rodriguez put his name atop the single-season record book tied with Scott Coffman (2011) and Orlando Griego (1989) for the most saves in one season at NM State with nine.
 
NM State as a squad also set new records with 31 triples which surpassed the previous single-season high of 29 and set a new season record in fielding percentage with a .969 mark in 2017.
 
After such a productive season, the Aggies saw multiple players earn postseason honors. Seven New Mexico State players earned recognition on the All-WAC baseball teams, tied for the most in 2017 with CSU Bakersfield and the most in school history since 2012.  
 
The All-WAC honorees included first-team honorees Hetzel, Mason Fishback LJ Hatch and Kyle Bradish. Then on the second-team the Aggies saw Sakurai, Tristen Carranza and Jonathan Groff earn the distinction.
 
Behind the plate, Fishback earned a Second-Team All-American nod from the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. Fishback was just the second Aggie to be named to the Collegiate Baseball post-season All-American team, joining 2002 selection Gabe Veloz.    
 
Sakurai was also named to the Midwest All-Region Second-Team. The teams were voted on by members of the ABCA and the process is led by the ABCA NCAA Division I All-America Committee.
 
Following the season, the Aggies made history in the 2017 MLB Draft. NM State pitcher Marcel Renteria was selected in the sixth round, pick 187, by the New York Mets.
 
This was the first time in program history that two Aggies had been drafted in the first six rounds in back-to-back years as Daniel Johnson was selected in the fifth round of the 2016 draft by the Washington Nationals. Renteria was also just the fifth NM State player all-time to be drafted in the first 10 rounds.