Complete WAC Release
DENVER - Baseball season is right around the corner for NM State.
That became more apparent Wednesday morning when the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) unveiled its 2021 Preseason Baseball Coaches Poll as well as its 2021 Preseason All-WAC Team.
Junior outfielder Noah Haupt was the lone NM State representative on the 14-man Preseason All-WAC Team which was made up by players from eight of the 10 WAC baseball programs.
Set to start his fourth season in an Aggie uniform in 2021, Haupt appeared in all but four of the Aggies' 16 games during the team's abbreviated 2020 campaign. Before COVID-19 put an end to the college baseball season, the Clovis, Calif., product put forth a slash line of .405/.395/.667 during his 42 at-bats. One of the numerous Aggies who frequently put their power on display, Haupt's slugging percentage of .667 was the second-best on the team while his 1.062 OBPS stood third among the Aggies' ranks.
Six of Haupt's 17 hits in 2020 were of the extra-base variety including three doubles, one of the Aggies' seven triples and two long balls. All but two of his 14 RBI on the year came during the Aggies' four-game set against Purdue Fort Wayne. In all, Haupt has taken part in 59 games with 42 starts for NM State headed into 2021.
As far as the league's preseason poll goes, the WAC coaches have envisioned a fourth-place finish for the Aggies in 2021. UTRGV, Grand Canyon and Sacramento State finished in a three-way tie for first place in the preseason poll by gaining 73 points apiece. NM State amassed 53 points and took up the fourth-place slot while California Baptist (49) rounded out the top five teams in the preseason list.
Seattle U (37), Utah Valley (32) and Dixie State (26) ranked sixth, seventh and eighth respectively while Northern Colorado (17) and Tarleton State (17) were deadlocked in ninth place in the 2021 preseason poll.
Haupt and the Aggies have their sights set on the 2021 season which is scheduled to begin on Friday, Feb. 19. That day, NM State starts a four-game series at UNLV.
For complete coverage of NM State baseball throughout its 2021 season, visit NMStateSports.com - the official home of Aggie athletics - and follow the Aggies on Facebook (NM State Baseball), Twitter (@NMStateBaseball) and Instagram (@NMStateBaseball).
2021 WAC Preseason Baseball Coaches Poll
Rank. Team (First-Place Votes) | Points
T1. UTRGV (4) | 73
T1. Grand Canyon (3) | 73
T1. Sacramento State (3) | 73
4. NM State | 53
5. California Baptist | 49
6. Seattle U | 37
7. Utah Valley | 32
8. Dixie State | 26
T9. Northern Colorado | 17
T9. Tarleton State | 17
2021 Preseason All-WAC Team
Position: Player, Year, School
Catcher: Conrado Diaz, Sr., UT Rio Grande Valley
First Base: Blake Burns, Sr., Tarleton
Second Base: Juan Colato, Jr., Grand Canyon
Third Base: Justin Kodama, Jr., Seattle U
Shortstop: Connor O'Brien, Jr., Seattle U
Shortstop: Christian Sepulveda, Sr., UT Rio Grande Valley
Outfield: Ulises Caballero, Sr., California Baptist
Outfield: Chad Castillo, Jr., California Baptist
Outfield: Noah Haupt, Jr., NM State
Utility/DH: Joseph Impeduglia, Sr., UT Rio Grande Valley
Starting Pitcher: Pierson Ohl, Jr., Grand Canyon
Starting Pitcher: Scott Randall, Jr., Sacramento State
Starting Pitcher: Jesse Schmit, Sr., Utah Valley
Relief Pitcher: Frankie Scalzo, Sr., Grand Canyon
++NM State++
