Baseball

Aztecs Travel to New Mexico in Pursuit of MW Title

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Aztecs Travel to New Mexico in Pursuit of MW TitleAztecs Travel to New Mexico in Pursuit of MW Title

Series Preview
San Diego State at New Mexico
May 28-29, 2021
Santa Ana Star Field
Albuquerque, N.M.

Probable Pitching Matchups

Friday, May 28 | 1 p.m. MT/Noon PT

SDSU: Michael Paredes, RHP (4-0, 5.10 ERA, 72.1 IP)
UNM: Nathaniel Garley, RHP (1-4, 5.88 ERA, 49.0 IP)
 
Friday, May 28 | 4:30 p.m. MT/3:30 p.m. PT
SDSU: Troy Melton, RHP (4-5, 6.06 ERA, 68.1 IP)
UNM: Justin Armbruester, RHP (5-2, 3.45 ERA, 73.0 IP)
 
Saturday, May 29 | Noon MT/11 a.m. PT
SDSU: Brian Leonhardt, LHP (1-2, 6.59 ERA, 27.1 IP)
UNM: TBA
 
WHAT'S ON TAP FOR AZTEC BASEBALL
> San Diego State wraps up its regular-season schedule this weekend when it travels to the Land of Enchantment to battle New Mexico in a three-game series, May 28-29, at Santa Ana Star Field.
> The Aztecs and Lobos will face off in a doubleheader on Friday, starting at 1 p.m. MT/noon PT, before locking horns in a single contest on Saturday, beginning at noon MT/11 a.m. PT.
> In addition to live stats, all three games of this weekend's series will be streamed live via the Mountain West Network, with links to both platforms available on GoAztecs.com.
> SDSU won all three games against New Mexico at Tony Gwynn Stadium the last time the team met, April 2-3, as the Scarlet and Black posted its first series sweep of the Lobos since 2007.
 
QUICK HITS
> San Diego State (28-15, 20-13 MW) is coming off an important three-game sweep at Air Force last weekend, May 22-23, combining for a whopping 50 runs on 58 hits and no errors while capitalizing on 20 walks. The Aztecs won the opener of a doubleheader last Saturday in convincing fashion, 17-3, in seven innings before outlasting the Falcons, 13-10, in game two, which was suspended in the eighth inning due to darkness and completed the following day. SDSU kept firing on all cylinders for the series finale, pulling away for a 20-13 triumph.
> With the sweep, the Aztecs find themselves in second place in the Mountain West standings behind Nevada (21-18, 18-9 MW), which plays host to San José State for a four-game series, May 28-30, after a scheduled bye week.
> SDSU can still capture the Mountain West regular-season championship with a sweep of New Mexico and three losses by the Wolf Pack vs. the Spartans. In addition, the Aztecs can secure the conference title with one victory over the Lobos and a sweep by SJSU at Nevada. This year's MW regular-season champion, which will receive the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, will be determined by winning percentage in conference games.
> The Aztecs have scored 10 or more runs in 19 of 43 games this season, posting a 17-2 mark in those contests. By contrast, SDSU surpassed the double-digit plateau in runs 12 times in 57 games during its last full schedule in 2019.
> With its offensive explosion at Air Force, San Diego State ranks second in the nation with a .335 team batting average and third with a scoring average of 9.2 runs per game. In addition, the Scarlet and Black finds itself in the seventh position with a .415 on-base percentage while occupying the 13th spot with 396 runs scored, which is third in the country for school that have played less than 50 games. Not to be outdone, SDSU is tied for 28th with 514 hits, which leads the nation for teams with less than 50 games played.
> Individually, Wyatt Hendrie garnered his third Mountain West Player of the Week accolade on May 25, giving the Aztecs nine conference weekly awards this year and joining Jaden Fein as the first set of teammates to receive MW weekly recognition on at least three occasions in the same season.
 
AZTEC WEEKEND ROTATION
> San Diego State is slated to start Michael Paredes and Troy Melton in Friday's doubleheader, respectively, while Brian Leonhardt is expected to get the call once again in Saturday's finale.
> Paredes (4-0, 5.10 ERA) earned the victory in game one at Air Force on May 22, which marked his first start in five weeks. The Aztec right-hander overcame five hits and four walks with six strikeouts, giving up just two runs (both solo homers) in six innings. Prior to his recent win vs. the Falcons, Paredes was last triumphant at San José State on March 27, when he allowed three runs on nine hits and a walk to go with five strikeouts in six innings. The SDSU redshirt sophomore was also victorious the previous week against Air Force on March 20, when he tied his career-high with nine strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings. In that game, he retired 15 of 16 batters between the second and seventh innings, yielding only an infield single during that stretch, as the Scarlet and Black rolled to a 9-2 win. With 10 starts in 13 appearances, Paredes occupies the second spot in the Mountain West with 72 1/3 innings pitched while ranking third in strikeouts (60), fifth in opposing batting average (.262) and sixth in ERA (5.10).
> Melton (4-5, 5.88 ERA) has endured a lengthy victory drought of sorts, winning once in last nine starts on May 8 vs. San José State, when he yielded three runs on five hits and three walks in five innings to go with eight strikeouts, as the Aztecs rolled to a big 17-3 run-rule victory in seven innings. Against Dixie State on April 24, the SDSU right-hander matched his career high with nine strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings but did not earn a decision after allowing four solo home runs, as the Aztecs rallied for an 8-7 triumph in the bottom of the ninth of game one. Last weekend at Air Force, Melton started game two for the Scarlet and Black and gave up four runs on six hits and three walks to go with a trio of strikeouts in four innings. Entering the New Mexico series, the Aztec redshirt sophomore is second in the conference with 75 strikeouts while ranking third in innings pitched (68.1) and seventh in opposing batting average (.279). Earlier this season, Melton earned MW Pitcher of the Week honors for the second time in his career on the strength of his complete-game shutout vs. Fresno State at home on Feb. 26. In that contest, the Anaheim, Calif., native equaled his collegiate best with nine strikeouts against four hits and one walk in SDSU's big 17-0 victory. Prior to the 2021 campaign, Melton landed a spot on the preseason Golden Spikes Award Watch List.
> Meanwhile, Leonhardt (1-2, 6.59 ERA) will be making his seventh start of the year after matching his season-long with four innings pitched in the series finale last weekend at Air Force when he allowed five runs on seven hits and two walks. For the season, Leonhardt has struck out 21 batters against 14 walks in 27 1/3 innings, posting a 1-2 record with a 6.59 ERA in 14 appearances. He earned his lone victory of the year in the second game of a twin bill at UC San Diego on Feb. 28, despite giving up three runs on two hits and a walk in 2 1/3 innings of relief, finishing with a season-high four strikeouts.
 
SERIES RECORD VS. NEW MEXICO
> San Diego State leads the all-time series vs. the Lobos, 121-83.
> New Mexico is one of four schools the Aztecs have recorded 100 victories against. The other three are Air Force (116), Fresno State (105) and Utah (102).
> The Aztecs boast a 73-38 record against the Lobos in San Diego, a 38-41 mark in Albuquerque and a 10-4 ledger on a neutral field.
> During Mark Martinez's seven-year tenure as head coach on The Mesa, SDSU boasts an 18-15 record vs. the Lobos, including a 9-9 mark at home, a 6-6 ledger on the road and a 3-0 record at a neutral park.
> In Martinez's first year at the helm of the Aztecs in 2015, the Scarlet and Black twice defeated UNM to capture the Mountain West tournament championship in Reno, Nevada.
> San Diego State recorded its seventh straight series victory to open the season with a three-game sweep of New Mexico, April 2-3, the last time the teams met at Tony Gwynn Stadium.
> The Aztecs posted a pair of dramatic walk-off victories in a doubleheader on April 2, overcoming a 9-4 deficit with a six-run rally in the bottom of the ninth to claim a thrilling 10-9 decision before recording a 5-4 triumph in 10 innings in the nightcap. SDSU put a huge exclamation point on the weekend the following day with a huge 15-0 run-rule victory in seven innings.
> As a result, the Aztecs posted their first three-game sweep of the Lobos since April 5-7, 2007 in San Diego.
> Not be outdone, SDSU doubleheader sweep on the first day of the series gave Coach Martinez 200 career victories as a head coach.
> The teams split their six games against one another in 2019, with each side claiming a series victory on the road. New Mexico took two of three games in San Diego, while SDSU accomplished the same feat in Albuquerque.
> In nine career games against the Lobos, Mike Jarvis is batting .528 (19-36) with one homer, two doubles, three triples, nine RBIs and 10 runs scored. In addition, Jaden Fein is hitting .424 (14-33) in eight career starts vs. UNM with five doubles, one triple, nine RBIs and seven runs scored.                
 
AZTECS AMONG NCAA STATISTICAL LEADERS
> With one weekend left in the regular season, the Aztecs find themselves among the NCAA statistical leaders in several categories. As of May 27, San Diego State ranks second in the nation with a .335 team batting average and third with a scoring average of 9.2 runs per game. In addition, the Scarlet and Black finds itself in the seventh position with a .415 on-base percentage while occupying the 13th spot with 396 runs scored, which is third in the country for school that have played less than 50 games. Entering the weekend, the Aztecs have  also climbed into 12th place with 2.19 doubles per game and rank 23rd with a .477 slugging percentage.  Not to be outdone, SDSU is tied for 28th with 514 hits, which leads the nation for teams with less than 50 games played.
> Individually, Matt Rudick is the toughest player to strikeout in the country, fanning just seven times in 166 at-bats and ranks second nationally with 1.46 runs per game. The Aztec center fielder also holds down the eighth position in both runs scored (60) and hits per game (1.68) while occupying the 10th spot in batting average (.416). In addition, Mike Jarvis shares the fifth position in runs per game (1.30) and ranks sixth in hits per game (1.72) while tying for 17th in runs scored (56) and 25th in hits (74). Meanwhile, Jaden Fein still finds himself among the NCAA leaders in hits per game (9th - 1.67), batting average (13th - .409), doubles per game (14th - 0.42), doubles (T-22nd - 18), RBIs per game (T-22nd - 1.23) and hits (T-33rd - 72). Elsewhere, Wyatt Hendrie has climbed into 14th in RBIs per game (1.29), 17th in runs per contest (1.21) and is tied for 31st in RBIs (54), while Brian Leonhardt leads the country with nine sacrifice flies.
 
SDSU IN MW RANKINGS
> Entering the weekend, Matt Rudick leads the Mountain West with 60 runs scored and 16 stolen bases while ranking third with a .416 batting average. The Aztec center fielder also shares the second spot with three triples and occupies the fourth spot in both hits (69) and on-base percentage (.487) while tying for third in sacrifice flies (5), fifth in walks (24) and sixth in RBIs (41).
> In addition, Wyatt Hendrie has taken over the top spot in the  league with 54 RBIs and has climbed into third with 51 runs scored.  The SDSU catcher has also landed in the seventh spot this week in slugging percentage (.624) and on-base percentage (.462) and ranks eighth  in batting average (.369). Hendrie is also tied for the eighth position this week in home runs (9), walks (22), total bases (98) and stolen bases (6).
> Meanwhile, Jaden Fein ranks second in RBIs (53), third in hits (72) and fourth in batting average (.409) Additionally, the Aztec right fielder still sits near the top of the conference perch in doubles (T-2nd - 18), runs scored (T-4th - 45), on-base percentage (5th - .478), stolen bases (T-5th - 8) and total bases (6th - 102).
 > Not to be outdone, Mike Jarvis has moved into a tie for the top spot in the MW with 74 hits and ranks second in both runs scored (56) and stolen bases (14). The SDSU shortstop also finds himself among the league leaders in triples (T-2nd - 3), doubles (5th - 16), total bases (4th - 108) and batting average (9th - .365).
> Elsewhere, second baseman Caden Miller shares the fifth position in both walks (24) and stolen bases (8) and ranks sixth in on-base percentage (.471). In addition, the Aztec second baseman is tied for second with three triples of his own and holds down the seventh spot in runs scored (41).
> In all, SDSU boasts five of the league's top 10 RBI producers, with Brian Leonhardt (3rd - 47) and Jacob Cruce (T-6th - 41) joining Hendrie, Fein and Rudick.
> Similarly, the Aztecs feature five players among the MW leaders in runs scored: Rudick, Jarvis, Hendrie, Fein and Miller.
> On the mound, reliever Tre Brown shares the conference lead with six wins and finds himself in the fourth position with four saves, while Troy Melton is tied for with four victories of his own.
> In addition, Melton occupies the second spot with 75 strikeouts while ranking third with 68.1 innings pitched and seventh with a .279 opposing batting average.    
> After making his first start in his last four appearances last weekend, Paredes is second in the conference with 72.1 innings pitched while ranking fourth in strikeouts (54), sixth in opposing batting average (.262) and seventh in ERA (5.10). Additionally, he shares the eighth spot with fewest walks allowed (16).
> Elsewhere, Ricky Tibbett is tied for the lead in the MW this week with fewest walks allowed (9) and ranks sixth with 53 strikeouts.
> With huge production throughout the lineup, unsurprisingly San Diego State leads the MW in numerous offensive categories as a team this week, including batting average (.335), hits (514), runs (396), RBIs (356), total bases (733), on-base percentage (.415), stolen bases (61) and fewest strikeouts (224). The Aztecs also occupy the second spot in the league in both walks (178) and doubles (94) while ranking third in slugging percentage (.477).
> On the hill, SDSU pitchers lead the league with 374 strikeouts and a .284 opponent batting average and while maintaining the fourth position with a 6.02 team ERA.
 
NEW MEXICO AT A GLANCE
> Following an eight-game losing streak, the Lobos (15-23, 9-15 MW) have won six straight after posting a pair of series sweeps over Utah Valley (home) and San José State (road).
> Against the Spartans, New Mexico took both ends of a doubleheader on May 22, emerging victorious by scores of 6-2 and 14-2 in seven innings before claiming an 8-4 decision in the finale.  Despite the sweep, the Lobos still find themselves in sixth place in the Mountain West standings.
> UNM is 8-4 at home this season and 1-3 at neutral sites but is just 6-16 in true road games.
> Junior outfielder Kyler Castillo ranks among the Mountain West leaders in several offensive categories, including batting average (5th - .408), slugging percentage (6th - .632), hits (6th -62), on-base percentage (9th - .455) and doubles (T-10th - 13).
> Mack Chambers (.361) and Willie Cano (.295) are the only two Lobo players to start all 38 games for New Mexico this season, while Castillo has missed just three starts.
> Chambers ranks 10th in the conference this week with a .606 slugging percentage and is tied for 10th with 13 doubles while sharing the
11th spot with seven home runs.
> In addition, Cano is second in the MW with five sacrifice bunts and is tied for eighth with six stolen bases.
> On the mound, the Lobos have rode the arm of senior Justin Armbruester (5-2, 3.45 ERA, 93 SO), a four-time MW Pitcher of the Week honoree this season who leads the league in innings pitched, strikeouts and opposing batting average (.222) while ranking second in ERA and fifth in starts (12).
> Nathaniel Garley (1-4, 5.88 ERA) is the only other UNM pitcher to log double-digit starts this season, receiving 11 nods in 12 games played.
> Elsewhere, Cody Dye (1-2, 2.65 ERA, 17.0 IP) and Bobby Meza (1-0, 4.85 ERA) lead the Lobos with 13 appearances each, with Meza sharing the fifth position in the Mountain West with a team-high three saves.
> Garley is expected to start game one of Friday's doubleheader, followed by Armbruester, while Saturday's starter was undetermined at press time.
> The Lobos occupy the fourth spot in the league this week with a .299 batting average, but rank sixth out of seven teams in RBIs (205), runs scored (229) and slugging percentage (.455).  In addition, UNM is fifth in hits (399), home runs (35) and on-base percentage (.377).
> As a staff, Lobo pitchers rank third in the league with a team ERA of 5.77 and 306 strikeouts while occupying the fifth position with  a .311 opposing batting average.
> Head coach Ray Birmingham is in his 14th season at the helm of the New Mexico program. His record with the Lobos stands at 413-339, while his career mark is 1,231-667. Prior to his hire at UNM, Birmingham served as head coach at the University of the Southwest (1988-89) and New Mexico Junior College (1990-2007). During his career as a head coach, a total of 167 of his pupils have gone on to play professionally, including 39 ex-Lobos.

STRIKEOUTS GALORE
> San Diego State recorded 27 games with 10 or more strikeouts during the 2019 campaign, marking the most double-digit strikeout performances for the Aztecs in the MW era (since 2000). SDSU surpassed the previous MW record of 23 set in a 10-6 win at Fresno State on May 11, 2009.
> This season, the Scarlet and Black has registered 10 or more strikeouts in 17 games already, notching a 14-3 record in those contests.
> The Aztecs have posted double-digit strikeouts in each of their last six home games, including a combined 33 Ks in their three-game sweep over San José State, May 8-9.
> In San Diego State's sweep of Dixie State, April 24-25, Trailblazer hitters were punched out 42 times during the series, including 15 in the doubleheader opener, which marked a season-high for the SDSU staff.
> After posting single digits in strikeouts during the opening series vs. USD, the Aztecs surpassed the double-digit plateau in that category in all four games against UC San Diego, including a season-high 13 in the first game of the doubleheader on Feb. 28.
> SDSU also fanned 12 batters in the first game of a twin-bill vs. Fresno State on March 6, before recording 11 strikeouts in both games of a doubleheader vs. Air Force on March 20.
> Additionally, the Aztecs whiffed 10 Spartan batters in the series finale on the road at San José State on March 28, before logging 11 strikeouts in each of the final two games at home vs. Nevada, April 10-11.
> Not to be outdone, San Diego big 21-14 victory at Fresno State when it fanned 11 Bulldog batters.
> During the shortened 2020 season, the SDSU pitching staff completed seven games with 10 strikeouts: vs. Virginia Tech, Cal State Fullerton, Iowa, Nebraska, at UC Irvine and twice against Oregon State. Not surprisingly, the Scarlet and Black went 6-1 in those contests.
> Dating back to 2019, the Aztecs are 36-15 in their last 51 games when striking out 10 or more batters.
 
GOING, GOING, GONE
> San Diego State has homered in 27 of 43 games this season, posting a 19-8 record in those contests.
> The Aztecs have emerged victorious in 41 of their last 56 games dating back to 2019 when launching one out of the park.
> The Aztecs went 17-5 during the 2019 campaign when going yard and 5-2 in 2020.
 
STREAKING AZTECS
> Matt Rudick has reached base in all 40 games he has made a plate appearance this season, but had his season-long 14-game hitting streak snapped in the series finale vs. San José State on May 9. Still, the SDSU center fielder has hit safely in 19 of his last 21 starts.
> Mike Jarvis owns the team's longest current hitting streak of 13 games, with multiple hits in five straight and 11 contests overall, followed by Wyatt Hendrie (9) and Carson Matthews (4).
> Jarvis leads the Aztecs with multiple hits in 27 games this season, while Rudick has recorded two or more hits in 22 outings, followed by Jaden Fein (21), Caden Miller (19), Hendrie (18), Jacob Cruce (16) and Brian Leonhardt (12).
> In addition, Fein tops the squad with two or more RBIs in 15 starts, while Hendrie and Cruce have compiled multiple RBIs in 13 games, followed by Leonhardt (12) and Rudick (11).
> Fein had a season-long 12-game hitting streak broken in the nightcap of a doubleheader vs. Dixie State on April 24.  Earlier, Fein crafted an 11-game hitting streak to open the season; Rudick had a 10-game string halted in the home series vs. Air Force, while Jarvis had a 10-game streak of his own snapped in the series finale against Nevada on April 11.

RECORD WATCH
>     Both Matt Rudick and Jaden Fein are in position to set a program record for batting average in a single season. Rudick is currently hitting at a .416 clip, followed by Fein's .409 pace. 
>    The Aztecs' single-season record holder for highest batting average with at least 150 at-bats is Quintin Berry, who hit .419 during the 2005 campaign, while Bob Parry finished with a .417 clip in 1987, followed by Tony Gwynn (.416 in 1981).
 
DELIVERING IN CRUNCH TIME
> The Aztecs are batting .344 with two outs this season (175-509), nine percentage points higher than their team average of .335 for the year.
> In addition, SDSU has compiled 42 percent of its RBI total (150/356) with two outs.
> The Aztecs are 5-1 in walk-off games this season and 4-0 in extra-inning contests.
 
OTHER TRENDS
> The Aztecs are 93-17 in their last 110 games when scoring five or more runs, including a stellar 27-5 record in 2021 after posting a 6-2 mark last year.
> San Diego State is 57-24 in its last 81 games following a loss, including a 10-5 mark this year.
> The Aztecs had their 29-game winning streak snapped when leading after six innings in the series finale against USD on Feb. 21.
> On the flip side, SDSU put the brakes a 41-game losing streak when trailing after seven innings the previous day vs. the Toreros on Feb. 20.
> After scoring six runs in the bottom of the ninth in their dramatic 10-9 victory over New Mexico on April 2, the Aztecs snapped a 46-game losing streak when trailing after eight innings dating back to March 20, 2018, when SDSU rallied to beat CSU Bakersfield at home, 5-4.
> Conversely, after UNLV registered an 11-10 comeback victory in the nightcap of a doubleheader in Las Vegas on May 15, the Aztecs had their 45-game winning streak halted when leading after eight innings. Prior to that game, SDSU's last loss when leading after the eighth occurred on March 10, 2019 in a 6-5 defeat to Nevada at home in 10 innings. 
 
STABILITY IN THE LINEUP
> Three players have started all 43 games for the Aztecs this season, including Jaden Fein (RF), Jacob Cruce (1B) and Mike Jarvis (SS - 41; LF -2, while Caden Miller (2B - 39, SS -2 ) has missed just two starts.
> In addition, Matt Rudick has recorded 40 starts in center field, while Wyatt Hendrie has made 36 starts at catcher and four in left field.
> Brian Leonhardt (DH - 38; LF - 1) and Cole Carrigg (3B - 20; LF - 4; CF - 3; 2B - 2; DH - 1) are the only other SDSU players who have logged at least 30 starts.
> Jarvis, Rudick and Hendrie have comprised the top three hitters in the Aztecs' batting order in 39 of 43 games this year.
 
MR. UTILITY
> Freshman Cole Carrigg has displayed his versatility in his first year on The Mesa, appearing in six different positions for the Aztecs.
> The Turlock, California, native has made 20 starts at third, four in left field, three in center, two at second base and one at designated hitter.
> Not to be outdone, Carrigg has made two appearances as a relief pitcher, allowing two unearned runs on three hits and a walk in 1 1/3 innings.
> Against Air Force last weekend, Carrigg hit .545 (6-11) with five RBIs and seven runs scored, raising his batting average from .247 to .280 for the season.

HEAD COACH MARK MARTINEZ
>    Mark Martinez is in his seventh season as head coach of the Aztecs and 16th overall as a member of the San Diego State staff after succeeding the late Tony Gwynn on August 20, 2014. He is just the fifth head coach in SDSU history since baseball was elevated to major sport status in 1936.
>    During his tenure as the Aztecs' head coach, Martinez has compiled a 213-149 record (.588), highlighted by three Mountain West tournament championships in 2015, 2017 and 2018. He has also posted a 109-79 ledger (.580) in conference regular-season games.
>     Since 2015, SDSU has garnered 30 all-Mountain West accolades under Martinez's tutelage, including back-to-back MW Pitchers of the Year Brett Seeburger (2017) and Garrett Hill (2018), as well as 2017 MW Player of the Year Danny Sheehan.
>    Additionally, Martinez has mentored three freshman All-Americans in Chase Calabuig (2015), Casey Schmitt (2018) and Jaden Fein (2019), with the latter also receiving Mountain West Co-Freshman of the Year distinction last year.   
>    On April 2, 2021, Martinez earned his 200th career coaching victory after the Aztecs defeated New Mexico, 5-4, in 10 innings in the second game of a doubleheader.
>    Not to be outdone, Martinez also became the fastest head coach in Mountain West history to win three conference championships when the Aztecs captured the league's tournament title in 2018.
>    Martinez was hired as an assistant coach for the Aztecs in July of 2005 and served for nine years under head coach Tony Gwynn. During that time, he was promoted to the position of associate head coach.
>    Since his arrival on The Mesa as an assistant coach, Martinez has witnessed 44 SDSU players get drafted into the professional ranks, with 10 of those selections reaching the major leagues (Stephen Strasburg, Addison Reed, Justin Masterson, Bruce Billings, Quintin Berry, Lance Zawadzki, Greg Allen, Ty France, Seby Zavala and Alan Trejo).
>    Prior to his arrival at San Diego State, Martinez was an assistant coach at New Mexico for 17 seasons from 1989-2005. During his time as a hitting and infield coach, he helped develop the Lobos into one of the most prominent offensive teams in the country, with UNM ranking among the top 11 nationally in hitting over his final four seasons.
>    Martinez served as an assistant at his alma mater, Mesa State College (now Colorado Mesa University) in Grand Junction, Colorado, from 1984-88. He played shortstop at the school from 1982-84, earning all-conference and all-district honors as a senior.
>    Martinez graduated from Mesa State with a bachelor's degree in physical education in 1984 and completed his master's in sports administration at New Mexico in 1990.