LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The New Mexico State baseball team travels to Chicago, Ill. for a weekend series against Western Athletic Conference opponent Chicago State, May 12-14.
First pitch for the opening contest on Friday, May 12, is slated for 6 p.m. MT. The second game of three on Saturday begins at 2 p.m. and the final contest on Sunday is set to start at noon.
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.
FOLLOW THE ACTION
Along with following the Aggies on Twitter and Instagram @NMStateBaseball you can follow live stats at www.sidearmstats.com/csu/baseball/ for the entire weekend series at Chicago State.
SCOUTING THE COUGARS
Host Chicago State enters the weekend series at 11-35 overall and 7-11 in WAC play. The opponent is currently on a four game losing skid and has a 2-8 record in their last 10 contests. The Cougars have been able to get at least one win in each of their first seven conference series.
At the dish, the opposition is led by infielder Matt Sullivan who posts a team-high .302 BA with 10 extra-base hits and 17 RBI. Matt Paciello paces the team with a .421 slugging percentage and Zach Thomas holds a team-high .447 on-base percentage.
On the base path, Jacob Vanitvelt and Julian Russell each boast a team-high six stolen bases. Thomas has the golden glove in the outfield and on the hill with a .974 fielding percentage to lead the team.
On the mound, the team turns to Jake Perkins who has started in the most games with 12. Over 70.0 innings, Perkins has 58 strikeouts to go with a 4.24 ERA. From the bullpen the opposition often looks to Noe Arteaga who had made 18 appearances and posts an opposing batting average of .280 through 36.2 innings of work.
Chicago State's pitching staff as a whole has a 6.32 ERA with 6.0 strikeouts per nine innings and an opposing batting average of .304.
FIRING ON ALL CYLINDERS
May 2-7, the Aggies went 4-0 in road games beginning with a midweek victory over Battle of I-25 rival and top-40 RPI opponent New Mexico. The team then went on to sweep WAC foe Utah Valley and cap off a strong week for the team at the plate and on the hill.
Through the four contests, the Aggie bats combined for a .390 batting average with 58 runs scored, 13 homers and a perfect 13-13 on stolen bases. The power at the plate saw the team boast a .727 slugging percentage.
The pitching staff held 2.91 ERA over 34.0 innings of work with 27 strikeouts and only four walks allowed. Tossing eight hurlers over the week, they only gave up six extra-base hits and posted a .222 opposing batting average.
THE WAC LEADER
Along with leading the race for the number one spot in the WAC Tournament, the Aggies also lead their conference foes in numerous key statistical categories.
Among the nine-teams in the WAC, NM State posts highs in batting average (.319), slugging percentage (.495), on-base percentage (.402), runs (390), hits (556), RBI (353), doubles (104), triples (24), home runs (52) and total bases (864).
From the hill, the Aggie rotation leads the league in strikeouts (380) and wins (30).
LOOKING TO CHANGE THE RECORD BOOKS
Aggie second baseman Brent Sakurai sits in the top-10 in single-season triples in program history. The senior's total of six puts him in a tie for seventh. That mark was set in 1988 by Gil Padilla, who recently won his 300th game at Las Cruces High School.
Ruger Rodriguez' seven saves put him in a tie for fifth all-time. Rodriguez is two saves shy of tying the Aggies all-time record held by Orlando Griego (1989) and Scott Coffman (2011).
LAST TIME OUT
NM State returned from Orem, Utah where they squared off against Utah Valley in a three-game series. On a great weekend both on the mound and at the plate, the Aggies opened the series with a 24-1 run-rule victory in seven innings.
In game two, the team took down the opposition 16-6, followed by a 6-0 complete game shutout victory for Jonathan Groff in the finale.
Over three games, the Aggie bats combined for 46 runs with 10 round trippers and 12 stolen bases. On the mound, the staff only gave up seven runs with 23 strikeouts and just two walks allowed.
UP NEXT
After the weekend series at Chicago State the Aggies then return home for the final series of the regular season from May 18-20, playing host to WAC opponent CSU Bakersfield.
