Baseball | Thursday 03/02/2017

LAS CRUCES, N.M – The New Mexico State baseball team returns home after a midweek match up at Arizona State to host the Yale Bulldogs for a four-game weekend series (March 3-5) at Presley Askew Field.   
 
PROBABLE STARTERS
New Mexico State will roll out the same rotation as last weekend's series against Mount St. Mary's. With that said, Johnathan Groff will once again get the call for the series opener on Friday as Yale counters with righty Scott Politz – who went 6-3 last season with 3.64 ERA. Kyle Bradish and Matthew McHugh will start on Saturday with Bradish taking the mound to open the doubleheader while McHugh gets the ball to close out the day. Marcel Renteria will once again wrap the series up as he takes the hill on Sunday.
 
Friday, March 3 at 6 p.m.
NM State: Jonathan Groff | LHP | 1-1, 5.40 ERA
Yale: Scott Politz | RHP | 0-0, 0.00 ERA
 
Saturday, March 4 at 2 p.m. (Double-Header)
Game 1
NM State: Kyle Bradish | RHP | 1-0, 2.45 ERA
Yale: Tyler Duncan | RHP | 0-0, 0.00 ERA
 
Game 2
NM State: Matthew McHugh | RHP | 1-1, 7.00 ERA
Yale: Eric Brodkowitz | RHP | 0-0, 0.00 ERA
 
Sunday, March 5 at Noon
NM State: Marcel Renteria | RHP | 1-0, 3.24 ERA
Yale: Drew Scott | RHP | 0-0, 0.00
 
WHERE TO WATCH
Adam Young will have the call for all four games on 91.5 FM KRUX while Nolan Fox serves as the analyst. In addition, Sunday's game against Yale will be broadcast live on ESPN3, FOX Sports Arizona PLUS, FOX College Sports Pacific Live and Altitude 2.
 
FOX Sports Arizona PLUS (LIVE)
Sunday, March 5, at Noon
DISH: SD: 449, HD: 9519 | DISH Hopper: 412-37 | DTV: 686-1
 
FOX College Sports Pacific (LIVE)
Sunday, March 5, at Noon
DTV: 608
 
Altitude Sports 2 (LIVE)
Sunday, March 5, at Noon
DTV: 681 | DISH: SD: 412/3, HD: 5413

LISTEN UP!
Aggie fans that can't make it to the game can listen to Adam Young (@youngpbp) all season 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.
 
GET YOUR SEASON TICKETS NOW!
With the start of the 2017 season tickets, Aggie fans can be a part of the action for every home game (including the remaining double-header) 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.
 
WEEKEND PROMOTIONS
Against Yale (March 3-5) this weekend, kids that play in the Las Cruces Youth Baseball Association will gain free admission to the series opener on Friday, March 3. For Saturday's, March 3, doubleheader, all fans in attendance can purchase $1 ice cream sandwiches followed by the traditional $1 hot dog Sunday special.
 
BATTLE IN THE BORDERLAND
New Mexico State is set to return to Southwest University Park, home of the El Paso Chihuahuas, once again to take on Battle of I-25 rival New Mexico. This year's rivalry game is set for Tuesday, March 7 with a first pitch slated for 6:30 p.m. New Mexico State University students get in for free with their NMSU ID card while adults can get tickets for $10 with youth 12-and-under tickets set for $5.
 
Fans can purchase tickets by calling the Pan American Center ticket office at 575-646-1420. Organizations and teams looking to purchase group tickets can contact Nicole Gomez by email at nicolemg@nmsu.edu or via phone at 575-646-8050.
 
BOTELLO EARNS WEEKLY HONOR
Senior outfielder Austin Botello was named this week's Western Athletic Conference Hitter of the Week on Monday, Feb. 27, after a monstrous weekend at the plate for New Mexico State.
 
Botello was 15-of-23 at the plate, hitting for a WAC-best .652 average with a 1.043 slugging percentage and .678 on-base percentage. The Aggie outfielder finished the week with three doubles, two home runs, nine runs scored, 12 RBI and one stolen base.
 
Botello had multiple hits in each game over the weekend, leading the team with 20 over four games. The Galveston, Texas, native began the series with two hits in a 13-2 victory for the Aggies on Friday night. Saturday featured a doubleheader for the team, as they won both games to a combined score of 31-7. Over the two contests, Botello had six hits, with one double, one homer and five RBI.
 
The senior's best game came on Sunday afternoon in the weekend finale. Botello posted a career-high six hits in seven at-bats (.857), a feat not accomplished since Kristoffer Koerper on May 11, 2014. The afternoon matchup also saw the Aggie add five RBI with one double and a round tripper.
 
IN THE NATION
Through the team's latest game on Wednesday, March 1, here's how the Aggies are compared to other teams in the country.
 
NM State (Rk)              Category                   NCAA
.366 (4)                        Batting Avg.                .378
137 (1)                         Hits                             137
113 (1)                         Runs                            113
51 (11)                         Walks                            61
.461 (5)                        OBP                            .490
.540 (13)                       SLG%                         .642
27 (6)                            Doubles                        30
4 (19)                            Triples                           11
10 (26)                          Home Runs                    23
20 (2)                            HBP                              22

 
Senior Austin Botello leads the NCAA in hits with 21, and is also in the top-10 in several other categories. He's fifth in the country with 11 walks drawn, seventh in RBI (15), 13th in runs (13) and ninth in total bases (31). In addition, Botello is also 15th in the nation with a .615 on-base percentage and 14th with a .525 batting average.
 
Shortstop LJ Hatch is fourth in the country with six doubles and only trails the NCAA leader by two. Brent Sakurai is also third in runs with 15.
 
BATTLING THE BULLDOGS
Friday's meeting between New Mexico State and Yale will be the first time the two programs have clashed on the diamond. Friday's contest will also serve as the season-opener for the Bulldogs. Yale will continue on the road after its four-game set with the Aggies and won't host its home-opener until March 21 against Connecticut.  
 
The Bulldogs return 10 arms from its pitching staff last season, including all four right-handed pitchers who will be pitching this weekend at Presley Askew Field. Yale will also have the services of 14 position players.
 
Last season, the Bulldogs went 19-28-1 on the year and 11-9 in Ivy League play under head coach John Stuper, who enters his 25th season at the helm.
 
LAST TIME OUT
New Mexico State traveled to Phoenix Municipal Stadium on Tuesday night for a showdown with the Arizona State Sun Devils. On a night where the Aggies used eight relievers, the team dropped the contest to a score of 12-5.
 
Although the Aggies saw seven of their 10 batters reach base, including eight hits, the final box score showed 10 runners left on base which limited their offensive production. The defense also committed three errors which the opponent capitalized on. NM State looked to rally late but ended up dropping their 10th contest of the year to ASU.
 
UP NEXT
After the weekend series versus the Yale Bulldogs, the Aggies will then travel to El Paso, Texas, for a neutral contest against Battle of I-25 rival New Mexico. The teams will square off at Southwest University Park, home to the San Diego Padres Triple-A affiliate El Paso Chihuahuas, on Tuesday with first pitch scheduled for 6:30 p.m. MT.