Sign Up | Lost Password

FIND US ON

Knudson: Lobos Run Really Just Beginning

By Mark Knudson, The Mtn. Insider
June 6, 2011

The season has ended for Ray Birmingham’s New Mexico Lobos but things are just beginning.

It was two and out – as most expected – for the young Lobos in Tempe, Arizona in the first round of the NCAA Regionals. A crushing 4-2 loss on a walk off home run against the host Arizona State Sun Devils was followed by a 3-0 loss to the powerful Arkansas Razorbacks in game two. Then it was back on the bus for the ride back to Albuquerque.

They weren’t even supposed to be there in the first place. The 2011 season was a textbook example of a rebuilding year for New Mexico. Birmingham had only one returning starter and a lone senior from his squad that played in an NCAA Regional last year. The losses to graduation and the professional ranks were heavy. They were literally starting over.

They went out and won only 20 games, including four miraculous wins in the Mountain West tournament. They played one of the nation’s toughest schedules and were beaten down by it most of the time. But somehow, some way after losing four straight to Oklahoma and three straight to TCU to end the regular season, they found some magic in San Diego and won the Conference tourney, earning a second straight NCAA berth in the process.

New Mexico certainly wasn’t embarrassed in Tempe. They had ASU down to its final two outs in the first game, having faced the Sun Devils best pitcher Brady Rogers and all but beaten him. Meanwhile, Lobos lefty Rudy Jaramillo stifled ASU for eight innings, holding them hitless for 5 2/3 before leaving the game in the ninth with a 2-1 lead. Alas, closer Gera Sanchez couldn’t finish the job, and after Joey DeMichele scraped one off his shoe tops and launched it over the right field wall, the Lobos dream had died.

Arkansas made it official the next day.

You didn’t need to ask anyone in the ballpark how much New Mexico improved over the course of the season. It was obvious. They opened the season in the same yard and were soundly beaten by the Devils three times. Three months later, the difference was dramatic. But what does that mean for the future?

To start with, we know Birmingham will make this year – the start, middle and end – a series of teaching moments for his young squad, which returns every starting position player. As he put it, “There’s a method to my madness.” He’s trying to build a program like TCU and to do that he has to bring in more talent while continuing to develop what he already has. He’s got a budding young star in third baseman DJ Peterson, who set an NCAA record for doubles by a freshman this season. All the young Lobos display an excellent approach at the plate and as they continue to mature the offense we’ve come to know from UNM will return. They have Jaramillo, Bobby Mares, Austin House and Sanchez back to build the pitching staff around, too.

They have areas to improve on, of course. Shortstop Alex Albrittion is a good young player but he doesn’t have the foot speed to play this demanding defensive position at this level. His future is in the outfield with Pederson entrenched at third base. You need a big time defensive shortstop now with the new bats placing more of a premium on catching and throwing. And, the pitching staff needs to get better as well. You can’t expect to win big games with a set of ERA’s in the high 4.00s and 5.00s.   

Something tells me Birmingham was already at work on these and other issues even before the Lobos arrived back in Albuquerque.

A wise man once said it’s not what happens to you that matters, it’s how you handle it. How the young Lobos handle the disappointing end to their post season along with the hard lessons from the rugged regular season will go a long way toward determining if this late season run was a fluke of a sign of things to come.
See all of Mark Knudson's blog entries HERE.