Memorial Day Weekend 2022 Part 1

 

The tradition continues.  I’m going to start off talking about a story I didn’t anticipate talking about at all, Aggie Baseball.  I pretty much we were done with them this season.  I was delighted to be wrong. 

 

5-10-22

I need to begin with a little aside here.  Aggie alum and current Baltimore Oriole, Kyle Bradish, impressed with an 11-strikeout performance against the Cardinals for his first big league win.  I wasn’t watching that game, but was watching the next game and listening the Cardinal announcers raving about him. 

 

5-25-22 WAC Baseball Tournament

The Aggies made it into the tournament.  They were in last place going into their final series against Utah Valley, a game behind them in the standings.  The first game left the Aggies down by 6 going into the ninth.  I didn’t watch the game, so don’t know whether to credit Aggie hitting or Wolverine pitching, but seven runs later, NM State won 15-14.  I’m shaking my head even writing that.  I can’t imagine what it would have been like there at Utah Valley watching.  The Aggies ended the drama early the next day with a run-rule win.  Sammy Natera started that game off the IL.

 

To begin the tournament, NM State would face the #1 seed in the Southwest Division, Sam Houston.  They would be without shortstop and leadoff batter, Brandon Dieter, who was out for undisclosed reasons.  He’d started every game this season.  Pablo Cortes was tabbed as the Aggies’ starter and did not disappoint going 7 2/3 innings yielding only 1 run.  Edwin Martinez-Pagani was the offensive star with a 2-run scoring triple.  Tommy Tabak somehow muscled a home run out of a ballpark with outfield walls beyond unaided human sight as an insurance run.  Alex Bustamonte shut the door with a 4-out save and a 3-1 upset win.       

 

The game finished right before El Paso Sportstalk started.  Hearing nothing about the game in the opening segment, I sent them a message about the win.  Steve Kaplowitz wasn’t able to get to it until the end of the show, but was delighted to talk about it, as Cortes is from Juarez.  As vain as it is, I enjoyed him giving me credit for the tip over the air. 

 

The Chihuahuas were playing a surprise day game in El Paso a bit earlier.  (It was a surprise to me.)  They were down 6 runs to the newly rebranded Sugarland Space Cowboys.  I tuned in just as the pups began a 9-run seventh inning and took the lead.  They’d win 16-8.  Strangely in last night’s game, the Chihuahuas had been down 6 runs in the seventh.  (A weird pattern seems to be forming here.)  They tied it at 8 in the ninth and would finally win it in a walk off in the twelfth, 11-10. 

 

5-26-22

A run-rule win for the Aggies!  Are you kidding me?  That’s what happened Thursday night at the WAC Tournament over UTRGV, 10-0 in 7 innings.  Ian Mejia pitched all 7 innings in just over 80 pitches.  The Aggies jacked 3 home runs at the cavernous confines of Hohokam Stadium.  Logan Galina hit his conference-leading 21-st homer and drove in 3 runs in the game.  Tommy Tabak continued his hot streak going 3 for 4 with 2 RBI’s.  They’re in semi’s now and will play on Saturday.  The only question now is who’s going to pitch?     

 

Later that night, the Rangers played the A’s on the MLB free game.  It was audio-only, but I was happy to get to hear Eric Nadel and Matt Hicks again.  They chuckled over the “crowd” at the Oakland County Coliseum of 3,000.  “More of a gathering,” they called it.  I checked tonight’s Chihuahuas game.  They had 7,000 in attendance with no special promotions or fireworks.  Strangely, I’ve watched a couple of fan-made videos of trips to the Oakland stadium recently.  It’s a dump.  The fans are great.  There’s a drum section.  There’s a famous wandering concessions guy there.  Other than that, it’s got to be the worst facility in the MLB.  Before you object, at least at Tropicana Field you’re sitting comfortably indoors.

 

5-27-22

Who are these “Aggies” that are playing the WAC Tournament and where have they been all year?  Yep, they won again.  This time it was a defeat of Sacramento State, 7-3.  Aggie pitching featured a group of bullpen arms that was mostly best-known for explosive decompression.  These guys all suddenly looked very competent.  Cade Swenson led the way with four strong innings only allowing a single run.  There was no big breakdown after he left, as has often been the case this season.

 

Offensively, Cal Villareal slid into the leadoff spot and went 4 for 4 with 3 doubles.  Edwin Martinez-Pagani and Tommy Tabak drove in 5 of the Aggies’ runs.  NM State started the game hot with 3 runs and never looked back.  They kept adding runs early, even without having another big inning. 

 

The Aggies did have a bit of problem with playing a pretty big lead later in the game.  There were two errors by Kevin Jimenez, playing out-of-position at short, and one by Logan Galina.  Both of these guys are normally sure-handed.  (Logan was the only Aggie given regular season honors, being on the offensive and defensive first teams.)  The team also didn’t score for the last three innings.  I felt like they were playing tight as the moment was catching up to them.  Thankfully, the pitchers didn’t succumb to the pressure.             

 

Well, the Aggies are on to the Championship game.  A month ago, I would not have believed that sentence was possible this season.  They’re going to face a good team, but it will be team that had to play earlier in the day and has played at least one more game than they have.  (The Aggies have played the minimum.)  Only using one reliever in those first two tournament games was a huge advantage on Friday.  The Aggie bullpen is probably at its best in limited doses.  With a good pitching start (whoever that will be) and continued good hitting, the Aggies have a shot.

Part 2