Monday, April 10, 2017

NM State Aggies vs UTRGV Vaqueros Baseball 4-8-17

Ah, it was a beautiful day here in the desert southwest.  The temperature was in the mid 80’s with hardly a cloud in the sky.  There was a stiff breeze, but it actually helped cool things off.  However, Garth Brooks was in town to do five concerts this weekend.  Yes, five.  No, I don’t know why, but they all sold out.  At Friday night’s game (10-2 Aggies), it was Garth Brooks night, and they played his music between innings.  (I was only splitting time last night between that game, the Chihuahuas, Aggie softball, and the Astros and Royals.)  Given the influx of people for the concerts at the Pan-Am Center, University street was blocked, and along with it, our usual path to the ball field.  Ron had to take a circuitous route to get to the park, but we got there without any trouble.


Today’s promotion was by ASNMSU (the student association).  They handed out free pizza and souvenir cups.  To students.  So much for the fans and alumni.  However, the team handed out baseball cards of the players, unfortunately one at a time.  Today’s game card was Greg Popylisen.  He’d injured himself in the Texas Tech game earlier this week, but at least he wasn’t traded, like what happens to major league players on their bobblehead giveaway days.

I was in my new crimson shirt, which I hadn’t had a chance to wear for months, with my Aggie button.  Meanwhile, UT Rio Grande Valley was on the field wearing super bright orange tops.  I didn’t see any of their fans wearing similar shirts.  As their workout ended, they came off the field, one at a time, and lined up in front of the dugout.  They have a better record than the Aggies, but mostly because they had a softer pre-conference schedule.  I’m getting worried about this Grand Canyon University team mentioned during the radio pre-game.  They’re like 6-0 in conference, though not eligible for the WAC tournament.    

The crowd was small to start with.  Some hot girls, who were presumably the players’ girlfriends, were camped out next to the Aggie dugout.  The ASNMSU guys sat by the UTRGV dugout, but were pretty quiet.  One of them threw out the first pitch and got ragged on by his friends.  A Vaquero player was seated in the section next to us with a radar gun and a stopwatch.  I saw broadcaster Adam Young chatting with some fans in the stands.  The son of a co-worker came by and said “Hi” to me.  He was working the camera for Aggievision today, as part of his A/V degree.  I don’t know if likes the sports he’s broadcasting or not.  If not, this would be a terrible job.


The wind was gusting hard across the field to the right.  The pitchers would be trying to keep the ball down until it died down later in the game.  The Vaqueros got a couple runners on right away in the first.  The lead runner, though, got thrown out at third, trying to advance on a wild pitch.  That pitch bounced off the ump, instead of to the backstop.  Adam reported seeing Aggie catcher, Jason Bush, smiling after the play, having gotten lucky.  That probably killed that rally.  In the bottom, strangely, just about the same thing happened.  Joey Ortiz would be thrown out at third, trying to take the base on a wild pitch.

By the second, the late-arriving crowd filled in the place (603 attendance).  Maybe they got caught by surprise by University being shutdown.  Aggie starter, Marcel Renteria, was firing in the mid 90’s.  The Vaqueros loaded the bases, but Marcel wriggled out of it.  In the bottom, Dan Hetzel walked and Tristan Carranza was hit by a pitch, but called back for failing to try to get out of the way.  He ended up walking anyway.  LJ Hatch sacrificed the runners over and got a huge cheer from the dugout.  Mason Fishback was intentionally walked (more or less) to load the bases.  With Brent Sakurai at bat, Adam mentioned how hard it is to double up the speedy infielder, at which point he grounded into a double play to end the inning.  Why do broadcasters insist on tempting the baseball gods?

In the third, Aggie Athletic Director, Mario Moccia, came in and sat in front of us briefly with three little girls in tow.  The top of the third ended with Austin Botello going to the left field wall to catch a long fly ball.  Me and the UTRGV player next to us both thought that it was going out, but the wind knocked it down.   In the bottom, Botello drove in Ortiz for the game’s first run.  1-0 Aggies. 

For the fourth, I noticed the girl in front of me was watching a softball game on her phone.  I don’t think it was the Aggie girls.  Mario attempted to do an interview with Adam in the booth, but had to leave quickly as one of his little girls was wandering around the grandstands looking for him.  He returned for the bottom of the inning and would take credit for the Aggies’ offense coming to life.  With the bases loaded, Marcus Still sacrificed a run in.  Ortiz singled in a couple of runs.  Botello followed that with a drive to center field.  The fielder made a great dive at it, but didn’t come up with it and another run scored.  5-0 Aggies. 

In the fifth, a ball went through the net and right into the stands.  Scary.  Even scarier, Renteria loaded the bases again, but two strikeouts and a ground out ended the threat.  Nails.  Carranza and Sakurai both solo homered in the bottom.  An Aggie wind seemed to carry both balls over the fence.  Brent’s went about 400’.  7-0 Aggies 

The main news of the sixth was Mario wandering around the grandstands looking for his girls.  In the seventh, Marcel was touching 96 mph and triumphantly finished off his appearance.  This should have been end of the game, or it should have ended on a run-rule when the Aggies loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh.  Instead the Aggies didn’t score any more runs.  Unfortunately, their relievers started giving them up.  Keaton Graf was removed after coming in and giving up two walks.  Dalton Shalberg loaded the bases and walked in a run, but finished the inning without further damage.  7-1 Aggies.

The top of the ninth got downright hairy for a having a six-run lead going in.  Normally reliable Matt McHugh surrendered two runs without getting an out.  With three on and the tying run at the plate, closer, Ruger Rodriguez, was brought in.  He yielded a run on a sacrifice, but got the outs and ended game.  Aggies 7, Vaqueros 4 final.  Frankly, those last two innings took forever and shouldn’t have happened.  I was starting to bake in the sun too.  Oh well, a win’s a win. 

Going seven innings with no runs allowed, Marcel Renteria is the easy-to-pick star of the game.  Joey Ortiz gets the offensive nod for going 2 for 3, with 2 runs and 2 RBI’s.  For UTRGV, Anthony Gomez had a pretty good game, going 4 for 5, and Josh Witherspoon did pretty well in relief, giving up only two runs in over four innings. 

It was like a model convention in the “kiss and cry” area next to the Aggie dugout after the game.  Lucky bastard players.  Good thing they won after nearly blowing that seven-run lead, otherwise the girls might have deserted them.  Expired What-A-Burgers were handed out at the gate because of the win.  Mixed feelings there.  Ron and I had dinner at Arby’s.  It was swell, especially the salted caramel chocolate chip cookie I had afterward.  Looking forward to tomorrow’s Sunday game.             

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