Lobo baseball powers past Texas Tech 15-5

UNM’s Will Asby connects on a two-run home run during Tuesday’s game against Texas Tech at Santa Ana Star Field.

UNM’s Tye Wood motions to his teammates after reaching second base during Tuesday’s game against Texas Tech at Santa Ana Star Field.

UNM’s Jordy Oriach celebrates a solo home run with teammates during an April 8 game.

Ken Sickenger Ken Sickenger Ken Sickenger Journal Staff Writer

Published April 8, 2025 - 6:19 p.m. Modified April 8, 2025 - 10:26 p.m.

Friday

Washington State at New Mexico, 6 p.m., themw.com (streaming)

The University of New Mexico baseball team woke up Tuesday looking at a rather lengthy to-do list.

All the boxes were checked in UNM’s 15-5 win over visiting Texas Tech.

Leadoff hitter Tye Wood reached base six times, Karsen Waslesky went 4-for-4, and Will Asby drove in four runs with a double and a homer as the Lobos (17-15) walked off the Red Raiders via 10-run mercy rule in the eighth inning. UNM scored seven runs in the first inning and never looked back, out-hitting Texas Tech 16-8.

It was much-needed tonic for the Lobos, who were swept in a three-game series at Fresno State over the weekend. UNM improved to 13-4 at Santa Ana Star Field this season and hosts Washington State for a three-game Mountain West series starting Friday.

“It feels so good, especially doing it at home,” said Asby, who ended the contest with a three-run double in the bottom of the eighth. “Historically, Texas Tech is a really good program and it was really important for us to have a game like this. We had a team meeting (Monday) and talked about playing confident and getting back on the right foot. I feel like we did that.”

Lobos coach Tod Brown was particularly happy with his team’s pitching performance. UNM used five pitchers on a “staff day,” including two who are coming off Tommy John surgery — Cristian Mogen and Ben Baker-Livingston.

Mogen (1-0) started and retired eight of nine batters in 2 2/3 innings, allowing one walk and striking out three. Baker-Livingston allowed a run on one hit in his first inning pitched this season.

“It was great to see guys coming off major injuries get in a game and pitch like that,” Brown said. “Things didn’t go our way in Fresno on multiple fronts, so playing well against a Big 12 opponent is huge for us.”

The day’s tone was effectively set in the first inning. Mogen came out firing, retiring the Red Raiders (9-20) on nine pitches, while his Texas Tech counterpart, Connor Mohan, threw just eight pitches before being relieved.

Wood started UNM’s seven-run, seven-hit rally with a single and coasted home on Asby’s sixth homer of the year. Jordy Oriach followed with his Mountain-West leading 11th home run — an opposite-field line drive to left — and Wood later capped the inning with a bloop two-run double to right.

“It obviously helps the pitchers relax a little when you score seven in the first inning,” Brown said.

UNM scored just one run on a Wood solo homer over the next five innings and led 8-3 going to the bottom of the seventh. Ethan Ott’s RBI double highlighted a four-run uprising that gave the hosts a 12-3 lead and dashed any hopes of a Texas Tech comeback.

The Lobos and Red Raiders will meet again May 7 in Lubbock to conclude their season series.

The game was initially scheduled for March 18 but pushed back because of inclement weather.