UNM baseball: Akili Carris, Lobos expecting more in 2025

Opening day will arrive on Friday with an extra adrenaline shot for Akili Carris.

The University of New Mexico baseball team’s junior third baseman has done this before and he won’t be overwhelmed when the Lobos take on Austin Peay to open the 2025 MLB Desert Invitational in Mesa, Arizona. UNM also faces UC Irvine and Seton Hall on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

Still, this opening day is different for Carris, an Albuquerque native and La Cueva High School alum. Not only is he penciled in as a starter for the first time, Carris is serving as a co-captain, elected to the post by his teammates (along with pitchers Justin Still and Josh Barnhouse).

“It’s a little surreal,” Carris said during the Lobos’ media day on Tuesday, “considering I’m younger than a lot of these guys. It’s very humbling that they see me that way, so I want to make sure I lead by example — make sure everyone’s calm, focused and, most of all, having fun.”

Carris is not the most experienced Lobo. He played sparingly as a freshman in 2023 and an injury to teammate Josh McAlister forced Carris into the lineup in 2024. He ended up playing in 34 games, hitting .301 with nine doubles and 27 RBIs.

Still, the lifelong Lobos fan (for all sports) says he never seriously considered taking a turn in the transfer portal.

“Everyone wants to play right away,” he said, “but being from Albuquerque there’s more of a connection. Patience is a big thing. It’s about loyalty and waiting your turn. I think that’s something more guys ought to consider these days.”

Carris is understandably excited about his expanded role, but he’s also optimistic about the Lobos’ chances this season. UNM posted a 28-26 record and qualified for the Mountain West tournament in 2024 — its first appearance since 2017. Another year, another step forward, says Carris.

“Every year I’ve been here we’ve improved,” he said. “We really wanted to get to the conference tournament last year, but now the goal is to win a conference championship. We want to put another banner up for this program.”

MIXING IT UP: After three games in the Phoenix area, UNM will travel south to face Arizona in Tucson on Tuesday. Opening with four games in five days figures to get a lot of players into the lineup early.

“It actually forces us to use more guys than we really want to,” Lobos coach Tod Brown said. “At the same time, it’s a great opportunity to see how guys respond with the lights on and fans in the stands.”

Quite a few of UNM’s 17 newcomers figure to see action in Arizona. The group includes nine junior college transfers, three Division I transfers and five freshmen.

UNM does have seven position players back with starting experience, including Carris, McAlister and outfielders Khalil Walker, Tye Wood and Will Asby. Fans will see three new faces sharing time behind the plate, however, as newcomers Luke Bannister, Caleb Herd and Brodey Williams split catching duties early in the season.

“They’ll all catch this weekend,” Brown said. “They have different skill sets and we need to try some different combinations, see what our best options are going forward.”

PITCH PERFECT?: The Lobos’ pitching plan for opening weekend is not exactly carved in stone, Brown conceded. Senior right-handers Dayne Pengelly and David Lopez will start the first two games and likely throw around 60 pitches apiece. After that, circumstances will dictate which Lobos take the mound.

Lefty Daxton Purser and righty Brian McBroom, both seniors, will almost certainly see action in Arizona, but their roles remain uncertain. Purser could either start game three or serve as closer in either of the first two games. McBroom could work as a closer or a setup man.

“I don’t really prefer one or the other,” Purser said. “Whether you’re a starter or a closer, you have to think you’re the best out there — know you’re the best out there. As long as I’m helping my team win, I’m good with whatever role they give me.”