NM State Aggies vs GCU Lopes Baseball 4-30-17

For some reason, Ron was insistent that we go the ballpark 45 minutes early.  Either he really wanted to see the teams take infield, or really wanted out of the house.  Ron was also eager to see an Aggie defeat.  He was actively predicting a Grand Canyon sweep this weekend.  He seems to get equally happy celebrating victories and anticipating setbacks. 

Today’s giveaway card was pitcher Dalton Shalberg.  I actually saw him talking to the attendant who was handing out the cards before the game.  Perhaps he wanted a couple for friends and family.  Another good crowd was in attendance.  The weather was much better than Saturday’s, though there was still a light cold breeze going.  The sun was out and the skies were clear.  Though cool, I did get a trifle red.  (Yes, I did have sun block on.  It didn’t work.)

Today, we had radio for the game.  Even better, we got to chat with broadcaster Adam Young before the game.  He was coming back from the bathroom and stopped to talk.  I finally got to tell him I enjoyed his call of the Women’s Basketball post season.  I also told him that he sounded depressed calling the Aggie baseball game versus Arizona in Tucson last week.  Adam admitted he was frustrated with the team there.  I was kind of hoping he’d tell me that he’d just been having personal problems.  You don’t want your broadcasters taking losses that hard.

I apologize here for doing some name-dropping in the conversation.  I don’t want to come off sounding like I actually really know sports and media people.  I had written Tim Hagerty, voice of the El Paso Chihuahuas, last week and told him he should come up Las Cruces to see a ball game sometime (next year, he’s busy right now).  Tim wrote back and said he knew Coach Brian Green well.  Adam had nice things to say about Tim and confirmed that he’d called a couple of basketball games here.  I had no idea.  I also mentioned Women’s Basketball player, Brandee Walton, who I’d talked to at the ballpark last week.  Adam smiled and his face lit up talking about her.  She just has that effect on people. 

Somewhat ruining this post, I’ll tell you that all of the Aggie highlights occurred before the game started.  After warm ups, I saw a couple of guys on field that I identified as probably being basketball players.  They were practicing pitching.  Presumably, they would be throwing out the first pitches.  Catcher Jason Bush was getting a workout, having to walk to backstop to recover their efforts.  Need I even remark on their throwing motions?  This was going to be interesting. 

Meanwhile, the umps were coming out on to the field.  Ruger quickly assumed a way-too-friendly home plate umpire pose behind Jason, essentially squat spooning him.  One of the umps came over and corrected them and showed Ruger the right posture. 

Shortly thereafter, the moment of truth came and the PA introduced Aggie Men’s Basketball stars, Ian Baker and Matt Taylor.  Undaunted by their practice session, they actually went to the bump to throw.  Ian’s throw went clear to the backstop.  He was lucky he hit the ground.  Matt’s throw bounced a couple of times and eventually rolled into the catcher’s mitt.  So much for being two-sport athletes.  Ian and Matt are seniors and hopefully graduating.  Good luck and thanks for the great season of Aggie basketball this year.  I did see them talking to a couple of people in the stands later.        

Okay, the actual game wasn’t quite as fun.  The Lopes scored 9 runs.  The Aggies got nothing.  There was no drama to spoil in this game by telling you that up front.  I’m not going to bother recounting all the scoring in a totally lopsided game.  I took about a paragraph’s worth of random notes. 

Joey Ortiz made a couple more great defensive plays in the top of the first.  He had a pick on a liner at his shoe tops and then a jump catch with the bases loaded that probably saved two or three runs (delaying the inevitable).  Joey got moved down in the order for this game, but unfortunately it didn’t help his hitting.  He’s still really good with the mitt.  In the top of the second, 6’11” Kody Jones made an on field appearance.  He was delivering balls to the ump for game.  I’m still fascinated and want to see him play. 

The softball team also arrived at the game, fashionably late and casually fashionable.  I might not have recognized them if they hadn’t come in as a group.  They clean up nice.  Unfortunately like the other young women at the stadium, they spent most of their time playing with their phones.  I was surprised and disappointed that the PA didn’t say something to recognize them, as they had just won a share of the conference regular season championship.  I wonder if the girls were as well, since the team got introduced at the ballpark a couple of years ago for winning the conference.  Maybe I should have gone over and said something.  (I’m pretty sure if they’d seen Ian and Matt’s first pitches, they would have told them that they throw like girls.)

I noticed the ballhawk kid was sporting a new (old) Aggie baseball jersey.  He must have been at the yard sale too.  He may grow into his, unlike me.  Even the team ballhawk was depressed this day, as he walked after fouls without any enthusiasm.  I was wearing my new jersey too.  This time it was tucked in.  I had my hat on backwards for a while, but that was just an ineffectual attempt at keeping the sun off my neck. 

In the sixth, a couple of young women behind us got excited about the Aggie trivia question and wanted to win it.  Unfortunately, they came up with the wrong answer as one of them set off to the pressbox.  I quickly told her that Brent Sakurai had the team lead in triples (which I knew without looking at the program).  I watched her give the answer to the attendant, and she did indeed win.  I didn’t get a “Thank you” when she got back.  Sheesh.  I wasn’t sure if they were pleased with the free What-a-Burger coupon or not.  They spent the rest of the game trying to figure out how to get more Twitter followers.  (I’m not kidding.)

There was an adorable little girl wandering around the aisles around us.  She was wearing a big bonnet and a big smile.  She waved around her two new Dalton Shalberg cards, obviously very happy.  Dalton would have been pleased if he’d seen her. 

By the seventh, I was actually rooting for the Lopes to get to 10 and run rule the game.  The radio never mentioned it, so it might not have been in effect.  I wish the PA would say something before the game about things like that.  In the eighth, Austin Botello made a great running catch in the outfield and into the wall.  It saved a run at least.  In the ninth, the Aggies got two on and the crowd actually cheered.  It didn’t even seem sarcastic.  Unfortunately, it came to nothing.  0-9 Lopes was our final.  The game took two hours and 59 minutes, but seemed longer.  Attendance was around 600, most of whom were highly disappointed.      

My player of the game is Jack Schneider of the Lopes for his seven innings of shutout starting pitching.  It was pretty much a team effort on the hitting.  The Aggies just didn’t show up for this game.  These are the series where you wonder if your team is ever going to win again.  The close loss Friday night may have set the stage for the team’s confidence steadily deteriorating until today’s pitching and hitting collapse.  Hopefully, they’re hitting bottom as a prelude to a rebound and another hot streak. 

“I hope you’re happy,” I said to Ron in the parking lot.  “I told you they weren’t going to win, dude.”  I asked to listen to the Chihuahuas game in progress when we got back into his car.  Tim Hagerty announced that the dogs just won, before going off the air for a break between double header games.  Well, that was good news and bad news.  (I’d listen to Game 2 when I got home.)

Inspired by our players’ walkup music (and since I need to pad this out to make it worth posting), I’ve composed my own rap.  I dedicate this to Aggie baseball.

Welcome to the Skew

At the N-M-S-U

In the LC

We make opposin’ teams pee

Pistol Pete is packin’

On your girlfriends we are mackin’

Your hits find our mitts

Your best pitcher

Is easier than our BP mista’

You got nuthin’ son

Just enjoy the view

Cause you in Las Cruces

And about to get Skewed

Okay, guys.  You promise to never to never get shutout at home while I’m watching, and I’ll promise to never compose anything else for you.  Oh, I’ve got more.  Don’t tempt me.