Peerman's Power Rankings: 10 best things in New Mexico sports this week (March 31)

Welcome to Peerman's Power Rankings (PPR), the 10 athletes, teams and story lines that have Journal sports editor Lucas Peerman's attention. Look for a new power rankings list every Sunday.

Have a suggestion, complaint or compliment? Email lpeerman@abqjournal.com or contact me on X @LucasPeerman.

10. Jim Griego

It's unclear if Griego has ever swung a bat or fielded a grounder in his life, but no doubt he's one of the reasons going to an Albuquerque Isotopes game is a blast. Griego isn't on this list for the plays he makes on Rio Grande Credit Union Field; the executive chef at Isotopes Park is here for the culinary hits he creates in the ballpark kitchen. One of five new additions to the menu this year is the El Fuego burger, loaded with green chile mac 'n' cheese and other spicy goodness, turning it into the quintessential New Mexico food item. The only reason it's not higher on PPR? This burger will set you back $25. It's worth splurging for — once.

9. qTip

New Mexico United forward Mukwelle Akale, aka qTip, registered the assist of the season so far when he danced his way past a defender and then sent a cross through rush hour-level traffic in the box to an open Dayonn Harris, who kicked it in for the only goal in NMU's 1-0 win over rival Phoenix Rising FC. Hopefully, this is just the (q)Tip of the iceberg when it comes to nifty United goals we'll see this season.

8. Earned Not Given

UNM football coach Bronco Mendenhall has infused this mantra within the program. As mantras go, it gets the job done. Players are going hard in the practice — at least in the tiny window that media is able to observe — but hard enough to overcome what might be a large talent disparity with other Mountain West programs? PPR isn't giving these Lobos the benefit of the doubt, they'll have to earn it — and that's on brand, right Bronco?

7. Centennial softball

The No. 1 Hawks have yet to lose a game this season, amassing an 11-0 record while outscoring opponents 105-16. CHS junior infielder Stevie Jiménez has 20 runs alone on the season. But the Hawks get their first real test this week, playing at No. 3 Alamogordo — which won this weekend's Kristin Griego Tournament in Rio Rancho — on Tuesday and then host the Tigers for a doubleheader in Las Cruces on Thursday. Tigers' pitcher Sydney Lessentine is one of the state's best and PPR is eager to see if she can be the first to slow down the Hawks.

6. Donald Sanchez

Albuquerque’s Donald Sanchez is a combat sports renaissance man. He has a 30-20 record in mixed-martial arts, he's 5-3 in the boxing ring and on Friday improved to 3-1 in bare knuckle fighting after dismantling Dallas Davison by third-round TKO. “I have very, very high-level boxing,” Sanchez said after his win in the co-main event at Tingley Coliseum. “… But this sport is different, so you can’t just box in this sport … You’ve got to have everything, and I have it all.” Sanchez doesn't quite have it all, of course. David Mundell has the middleweight belt. Sanchez desperately wants it. BKFC, make this happen.

5. UNM women's tennis

The Lobos' special season continued as UNM went 2-0 on this week's road trip, downing Boise State 4-2 and Utah State 4-0. UNM is now 5-0 in the Mountain West, leading the conference, and 16-1 overall. The NCAA ranks the top 75 teams in the nation and for some reason, UNM isn't on that list. But San Diego State, 8-5 overall, comes in at No. 72. The Lobos host the Aztecs on Sunday, April 7.

4. Jarren Villa

Cleveland's pitcher struck out 19 batters in a 9-1 victory over Artesia in the consolation bracket of the Sal Puentes Invitational on Friday. The strikeouts tied a big-school record last set 46 years ago. Oh, Villa also hit two dingers in the game. Journal prep sports editor James Yodice said it best on X: "This, boys and girls, is one of the great all-time performances from any NM prep baseball player. Ever." The Sal Puentes final was nearly as notable a game, with Rio Rancho slipping by Sandia thanks to a wild pitch in extra innings.

3. Emma Bunch

New Mexico State's star golfer just won another tournament — her third in a row. Bunch tied with UCLA’s Zoe Campo atop the leaderboard to win the PING/ASU Invitational in Phoenix. (Campo is the 14th ranked women's collegiate golfer in the nation). Bunch previously won the UNF Collegiate and GCU Invitational. She's now posted 16 straight rounds of par or better — dating back to Sept. 27, 2023.

2. DeeRonn Booker

Booker, 33, is the pro shop manager at the Starlight Bowling Center inside the Santa Ana Star Casino. In his spare time, he competes on the Professional Bowlers Association Tour. He's in his second year bowling professionaly and until Sunday had never won a tournament. Booker qualified (barely) for this weekend's USBC Masters — one of bowling's most prestigious tournaments — and ended up winning it. PPR is guessing he's the only person to have won an elite bowling tournament AND the Showcase Showdown on The Price is Right (which he did in 2009).

1. No. 26

Rio Grande baseball player Isaac Venzor Prado, 17, died Tuesday, two days after collapsing while exercising at the high school. Ravens coach Orlando Griego said Venzor Prado's heart simply stopped. Rio Grande and Eldorado played Wednesday and honored Venzor Prado with a ceremonial intentional walk and Ravens players wore a “26” patch — Venzor Prado’s number. The No. 26 — on the jersey Venzor Prada's mom held, on a photo that hung in the Rio Grande dugout — was ever present, and so was, in a way, Venzor Prado. “One of our players, he’s crying. He said this is our first game without Isaac,” Griego said. “I said, no, he was here today. He’ll always be here.” Well said, coach.

Honorable mention

Jack Pitino: Congrats to Richard Pitino's soon-to-be 10-year-old son for filling out an NCAA Tournament bracket that bested Geoff Grammer's bracket. Grammer not only covers Richard's UNM men's basketball team, he also is one of only a few dozen writers across the country who vote on the weekly Associated Press Top 25. In other words, Geoff is focused on college hoops 24-7 for five months out of the year. Jack took UConn to win it (smart choice). Geoff, who picked Houston (tough break) to cut down the nets, also had Saint Mary's in his Final Four (the Gaels lost in the first round). No matter what happens this weekend, Jack's already clinched a victory in the bracket showdown.

JT Toppin: UNM's fantastic 6-foot-9 forward is on the short list for best freshman in the country. His .623 field goal percentage is one of the top 20 highest percentages by a freshman in NCAA history and he also led all freshmen nationally with 12 double-doubles. The winner of the CollegeInsider.com's Kyle Macy National Freshman of the Year will be announced during Final Four weekend.

Albuquerque Isotopes: Let's play ball! The Isotopes opened their 2024 season going 1-2 in a three-game homestand against the El Paso Chihuahuas. The Chihuahuas won the first game, 6-5. The Isotopes won the second game, 6-5. The Chihuahuas won the third game, 16-15. In the final game, Albuquerque took a 9-8 lead into the ninth, gave up eight runs and then nearly came back and won it. What a game, what a series!

End of the bench

LSU women's basketball coach Kim Mulkey is brash, charismatic and intense — all traits her teams — often contenders for a national title — tend to exude on the court. Mulkey, and her squads, are polarizing in the basketball community — love 'em or hate 'em, there's no middle ground.

This week, Mulkey rightfully blasted a Los Angeles Times column headlined "UCLA-LSU is America’s sweethearts vs. its basketball villains." Guess which team was the "villains"? Mulkey on Saturday called the commentary sexist and hurtful. The LA Times agreed, removing some references and republishing the column with a note that said the original version did not meet the newspaper's standards.

Earlier in the week, Mulkey went on a tirade against the Washington Post ahead of a yet-to-be-published profile that writer Kent Babb spent two years reporting, a story she refused to lend her voice and perspective to and one she suspected would be a "hit piece." She even threatened legal action. The story went online Saturday and was a well-reported, balanced story on a superior college basketball coach who's built, and burned, myriad bridges in her personal life and professional career.

Mulkey was right to criticize the LA Times, wrong to assume the WP profile would be slanted. When you're as fiery as Mulkey, mind which direction the flame blows. Scorched earth on all sides leaves you on an island.