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Baseball Takes on New Mexico State on the Road
6/21/1999 12:00 AM | Baseball
January 25, 1999
Ute Travel
The Utah men's baseball team travels to Las Cruces, N.M., to play the
New Mexico State Aggies. The four-game series starts Jan. 29 at 1:00
p.m. A double-header will be played Jan. 30 beginning at 12:00 p.m.,
and the final game will be played Jan. 31 at 11:00 a.m. It is the
season opener for New Mexico State. In their last four-game match-up
in 1996, the teams split 2-2. The Aggies finished the 1998 season
with a 23-29 record and placed fourth in the Big West Conference
Southern Division (8-2).
Ute News
A new phenomenon sweeping the collegiate baseball scene this season
is the re-emergence of the wooden bat. In 1974, the NCAA approved the
use aluminum bats which consequently led to the disappearance of
wooden bats on the college level. This season, the Pac 10 is leading
the way in a revival of wooden bat usage in an attempt to bridge the
gap between collegiate ball and the Major Leagues, which use wooden
bats. Utah and Arizona State opened the 1999 collegiate baseball
season in a three-game series. All schools competing against the Sun
Devils are also required to bat with wood. Ute first baseman Ryan
Johnerson made history when he hit a home run with a wooden bat, a
feat not done for 25 years in the NCAA. Johnerson also stole two
bases against ASU.
Recent Results
The University of Utah opened the 1999 NCAA baseball season with a
three-games series versus nationally ranked Arizona State. The Utes
were 0-3 in the series, being defeated 17-4, 3-0, and 9-2. On Friday,
the Utes had four runs on eight hits with four errors. In the Utes'
second game of the series, junior Brandon Page allowed only one hit
and delivered four strikeouts in relief. The Utes had no runs on four
hits and two errors.
In the final game, shortstop Rob Stuart doubled to left field and scored on a single hit by senior second baseman Ryan Hilts. In the sixth inning, Johnerson hit his record-breaking home run to score the Utes' second run. Utah had two runs on five hits with four errors.
Head Coach Tim Esmay
On Arizona State
"I felt that Friday's game was a typical Utah season opener. We
haven't practiced a lot and we played with nervousness and anxiety.
We made some mental mistakes, which are common in opening game
jitters, but will disappear as the season progresses. In the second
and third games, we came out to prove what a capable team we are.
Walking out of the stadium on Sunday, I was impressed with how our
players handled themselves. We were very competitive."
On New Mexico State
"If the New Mexico State series is like two years ago, this will be a
very offensive-minded weekend. NMSU as proven their ability to swing
bats and they will be a true test of our pitching staff. The team is
excited to get back into play after taking a week off. This series
will be a good base with which to evaluate where we are and what we
need to do as the season progresses."
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