Game Thirty-Four
NM State (11-22, 9-11 WAC) at Tarleton (15-24, 8-12 WAC)
Friday, April 23 | 2:00 p.m. | Stephenville, Texas | Cecil Ballow Complex
Watch | Live Stats | NM State Game Notes | Tarleton Game Notes | Weather Forecast
Pitching Matchup | RHP Rorik Maltrud (2-2, 3.03 ERA) vs. LHP Alex Pinedo (2-4, 4.30 ERA)
Game Thirty-Five | Seven Innings
NM State at Tarleton
Saturday, April 24 | Noon | Stephenville, Texas | Cecil Ballow Complex
Watch | Live Stats | NM State Game Notes | Tarleton Game Notes | Weather Forecast
Pitching Matchup | RHP Chris Jefferson (4-4, 5.10 ERA) vs. RHP Luke Bailey (3-3, 4.40 ERA)
Game Thirty-Six
NM State at Tarleton
Saturday, April 24 | 3:00 p.m. | Stephenville, Texas | Cecil Ballow Complex
Watch | Live Stats | NM State Game Notes | Tarleton Game Notes | Weather Forecast
Pitching Matchup | LHP Sammy Natera (0-2, 6.49 ERA) vs. RHP Bryce Hackett (2-3, 6.75 ERA)
Game Thirty-Seven
NM State at Tarleton
Sunday, April 25 | 11:00 a.m. | Stephenville, Texas | Cecil Ballow Complex
Watch | Live Stats | NM State Game Notes | Tarleton Game Notes | Weather Forecast
Pitching Matchup | RHP Cam Blazek (1-1, 5.06 ERA) vs. RHP Ryan Jacobs (0-1, 8.71 ERA)
LEADOFF HITS
• Hoping to put an end to a seven-game losing skid, the NM State baseball team travels to Stephenville, Texas, for the first time in program history for a four-game Western Athletic Conference (WAC) series at league newcomer Tarleton State.
• The inaugural meeting between the Aggies and Texans is set for 2:00 p.m. MT Friday afternoon from the Cecil Ballow Complex. Game one of the four-game set will see sophomore Rorik Maltrud get the start for NM State on the pitching rubber.
• NM State's seven-game losing streak is the team's second seven-game skid of the 2021 season. It marks the program's longest stretch of consecutive losses since the Aggies fell 11-straight times in the 2015 season.
• The Aggies sit in fifth place in the 10-team WAC standings. NM State sits behind California Baptist (13-3), Grand Canyon (16-4), Sacramento State (14-6) and UTRGV (8-8).
• Under head coach Mike Kirby, the Aggies possess a 5-9 (.357) record against teams from the state of Texas.
• One of the nation's ten best hitters by average, sophomore outfielder Zerek Saenz pushed his team-leading hitting streak to seven game by going 1-for-4 at #13 Arizona Tuesday night. Saenz, a Las Cruces, N.M., product, leads the WAC in six statistical categories including batting average (.421, 10th nationally), hits (51, 19th nationally), hits per game (1.59, 19th nationally), triples (three, 15th nationally) and on-base percentage (.496, 42nd nationally).
• Sophomore infielder Ethan Mann added to his WAC-leading RBI total Tuesday at #13 Arizona. The McKinney, Texas, product drove in one of the Aggies' four runs in their setback to the Wildcats, hiking his RBI total to 31 which ranks 120th among all NCAA Division I players.
• Senior right-hander Chris Jefferson added to his WAC-leading complete-game total last Saturday. The Pearland, Texas, product fired his league-best fourth complete game of 2021 in the Aggies' loss to the Lopes and ranks third nationally with four complete games tossed.
• Through the last few games, the Aggies have been forced to retool their lineup. Last Sunday, catcher Jason Bush was knocked out of NM State's game against GCU after colliding with pitcher Cam Blazek while trying to field a ground ball. Tommy Tabak, who had been a constant presence in the Aggies' outfield through the first 25 games of the season, hasn't suited up through his team's last six games.
• NM State has been two different teams in home and road games. The Aggies are batting .355/.442/.564 in their home venue of Presley Askew Field, but are slashing .215/.306/.293 in road games. This weekend in Texas, the Aggies will be going for their first series win since taking all four games against WAC foe Northern Colorado on March 19-21.
SCOUTING TARLETON | ROSTER | SCHEDULE | STATISTICS
• The only four home games on the Texans' schedule over the course of one month are the ones this weekend against the Aggies. After taking three out of four at Utah Valley last weekend, Tarleton sits just one game back of NM State for fifth place in the league standings.
• Winners of six of their last nine games, the Texans saw junior outfielder London Green pick up the title of WAC Hitter of the Week Monday morning. The only Tarleton player who has played - and started - in 38 of the team's 39 games this season, Green is slashing .304/.373/.442 and leads the squad in hits (42), doubles (13), extra-base hits (15) and runs scored (27).
• Green has generated at least one hit in 11 of hits last 12 outings and head into the weekend series riding an eight-game hitting streak. He's aided in the Texans' lineup by the team's RBI leader Colby Stezler. The sophomore is batting .212 and has driven in 28 runs on 21 hits and his six long balls are the team's highest total.
• Tyler Fowler (.281/.359/.363) is the only other player on Tarleton's roster besides Green who has amassed over 40 hits. His 41 base knocks have driven in another 17 runs for a Texans squad who is hitting .262.
• Tarleton's 15 wins have been distributed almost evenly among a group of seven pitchers. Leading the was in the victories category is projected game two starter Luke Bailey who has gone 3-3 in 2021. The man who will start off the series atop the hill for Tarleton, Alex Pinedo, is a former Aggie who has tossed a staff-best 52 1/3 innings while amassing 52 strikeouts over that same span.
• Out of the bullpen, AJ Wood (2-1, 2.41 ERA) has distinguished himself as the Texans' best reliever. The redshirt senior has racked up all seven of his team's saves while recording 23 punch-outs against just two walks in 18 2/3 innings of work.
ON DECK
• After finishing up their five-game stretch on the road, the Aggies will return to Presley Askew Field for five home contests next week. That run starts Tuesday afternoon at 5:00 p.m. when NM State hosts Benedictine Mesa for a non-conference bout.
++NM State++
