Baseball season has finally arrived to Albuquerque! The Lobos (3-1) will play their first home series of the season against the Wichita State University Shockers (2-2) in what should be a competitive matchup. The Lobos look to build off their great weekend in Hawai’i, where they were able to go 3-1 against the Rainbow Warriors. The Lobos did a great job making Hawai’i’s pitchers throw strikes, as the Lobos offense already has 41 free bases (38 walks, 3 HBP), while striking out only 30 times in the four games. The pitching staff for the Lobos were able to command the strike zone, allowing only 19 free bases (18 walks, 1 HBP). If the Lobos can continue this, it will allow the starters to work deeper in the game, and force the other teams to go to their bullpens earlier.
There are a few things to watch during this three-game series:
- What is the starting rotation for the Lobos in a three game weekend series? We have some idea that it will be Carson Schneider starting Friday, Tyler Stevens starting Saturday, and Colton Thomson starting on Sunday, but the wildcard is James Harrington, who pitched very well in his start on Monday. Since the Lobos don’t have any midweek games this next week, whoever the fourth starter is will called on for long relief this weekend.
- Who is going to lead off? In the first three games of the season Luis Gonzalez led off and played centerfield and had a .438 OBP, and Jared Mang led off the last game of the Hawai’i series. In my mind, the obvious choice to lead off in Danny Collier, but right now he is limited to pinch hit duties. My guess is that Gonzalez will lead off this weekend.
- Who are going to be the main relief pitchers? During the Hawai’i series the Lobos used 7 different relief pitchers, with no one appearing in more than two games. It is very early in the season, but roles for the relief pitchers will likely be decided in the first couple of weeks. The only job that is clear right now is Victor Sanchez as the closer, as everything else looks to be up for grabs.
- Home, sweet home! Since the move back to Santa Ana Star Field a couple of years ago, the Lobos have been a great home team, winning over 70% of their games there. Playing at home will be key to the Lobos this season, especially given that the conference tournament will be played here.
Wichita State University Shockers
The Wichita State University Shockers, who are in the Missouri Valley Conference, are led by third-year head coach Todd Butler. Butler was an assistant at the University of Arkansas during their great run from 2006-2013, a team that the Lobos faced a couple of times during that period. The Shockers are coming off a down year in which they went 26-33 overall and were 6-19 away from home. It is hard to tell early if this year’s Shockers team is better than last year, only having played a series against the University of Northern Colorado and a game against Oral Roberts, going 2-2.
Historically, the Shockers have been a pitching and defense team, and this year looks to be no different. Their Friday night starter, Sam Tewes, was named MVC Pitcher of the Week for his first start. He is coming of only 5 starts last year, but he was very good in his short time on the mound. He received a medical red-shirt for last season, making him a sophomore again. The Lobos will have make the most of the opportunities they get Friday Night, as they might be few and far between.
Saturday’s starter will most likely be Willie Schwanke, who only went four innings in his first game, coming out after throwing 85 pitches. He looks to be someone the Lobos can take advantage of if they are able to be patient and get some key hits. Sunday’s starter will likely be Chase Williams, who can struggle with his command. For example, he had 3 walks in his first start along with 2 hit batters. If Williams struggles finding the strike zone, the Lobos will be more than willing to take the free base. The Shockers bullpen could play a huge part in this series, especially if the Lobos can chase the starters early. They have potential to be very good, but if they are called on to throw a lot of innings this weekend, the Lobos could take advantage.
The leading hitter returning for the Shockers is senior first basemen Ryan Tinkham, who hit .333 last year, with 10 home runs, 19 doubles and 46 runs batted in. The Lobos can’t allow Tinkham to have a big series this weekend. I have to think that he is the one guy that Coach Birmingham will make sure doesn’t beat them, so they might pitch around him. One thing that the Shockers have done well as a team is drawing walks, as already this year they have picked up 35 walks.
Series Prediction:
I really like the Lobos chances for a sweep this weekend, although it won’t come easy. The game that I think will be the hardest for the Lobos to win will be the game Friday night. If the Lobos are able to win Friday, I do think the Lobos will sweep the series, as I think the pitching matchups are favorable on Saturday and Sunday. I have a feeling that Schneirder is going to match Tewes on Friday and the Lobos will be able to find a couple of key hits to win the game, which would set them up nicely for a 3-0 weekend.
Game Info:
All games played at Santa Ana Star Field
Friday, February 26th at 6 PM: (1-0) Carson Schneider vs. (1-0) Sam Tewes
Saturday, February 27th at 2 PM: (0-0) Tyler Stevens vs. (1-0) Willie Schwanke
Sunday, February 28th at 1 PM: (1-0) Colton Thomson vs. (0-0) Chase Williams
Radio: ESPN Radio 101.7 The Team
Video: LoboTV