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Monday, April 3, 2006

Lobo Baseball Team Looks to Return to Even Record

By Glen Rosales
For the Journal
    The University of New Mexico baseball team tried to come home from the Mountain West Conference Preseason Tournament in San Diego with a .500 record when the Lobos played Utah in a late game Sunday.
    After beating San Diego State 3-2 on Wednesday, UNM (18-10, 1-2) lost to Air Force 6-4 on Thursday and BYU 3-2 on Friday.
    UNM sent freshman Chace Lankford (5-1) to the mound against the Utes. Results from the game were not available at press time.
    WOMEN'S GOLF: Although called the BYU Dixie Classic, the Lobos will be heading north for today's start in St. George, Utah.
    Ranked 26th, UNM will visit the site of this year's conference tournament for the 54-hole tournament at the Entrada at Snow Canyon Country Club. The Lobos will play the par-71, 6,300-yard course April 20-22 in the MWC tournament.
    In the Dixie Classic, New Mexico will be the second-highest ranked team in the 19-team field. Only No. 10 UNLV is ahead of the Lobos, and the only other ranked team is No. 30 BYU.
    Conference foes Colorado State, San Diego State, Wyoming and in-state rival New Mexico State are also in the field.
    The Lobos are led by freshman Mikaela Backstedt, who is on pace to shatter the school record for a freshman stroke average. She is hitting 72.09 strokes per round, about two strokes ahead of the mark set by Ashley Rollins in 2003-04.
    MEN'S TENNIS: New Mexico continued its domination over New Mexico State with a 6-1 victory Saturday in Las Cruces.
    The Lobos, normally strong in doubles competition, dropped two of the three matches, but they came back strong to take each of the singles matches.
    "I think we started flat at the No. 1 and No. 2 (doubles) positions," said UNM coach Alan Dils. "It wasn't so much that they (Aggies) were playing great, just more that we lacked intensity early and they were able to gather momentum."
    TRACK AND FIELD: Three Lobos qualified for next month's NCAA regional tournament with performances at the Cardinal and Gold Meet in Los Angeles.
    Freshman Anthony Fairbanks, a Highland graduate, threw the javelin it 206 feet, 4 inches in his final throw to earn a spot in the tournament on May 26-27 in Austin. Fellow freshman Katie Coronado finished third in the women's javelin but qualified with a throw of 148-8.
    And pole vaulter Derek Mackel won for the fourth time in 2006, clearing 173/4.