The Nevada Wolf Pack is going to find out quickly if its pitching staff is ready for Western Athletic Conference action.
The Pack (15-11), which completed a three-game sweep of Seattle University on Saturday at Peccole Park, will open WAC play Friday at New Mexico State. The Aggies are 22-10 and have won 10 games in a row.
"They are the most experienced team in the conference," Pack coach Gary Powers said of the Aggies. "It's going to be a great challenge for us."
The biggest challenge will be for the Pack pitching staff. New Mexico State is one of the best offensive teams in the nation. The Aggies lead the NCAA in hits (448), home runs (72) and runs scored (376). They also lead the WAC in batting average (.368), slugging (.633), on base percentage (.474), doubles (89) and walks (235).
"It's going to be tough because we have to go to their park and that's a great offensive park," Powers said. "You don't have a lot of room for error there."
The Aggies, which lost in the WAC tournament title game last May to Fresno State, have fattened up their offensive statistics against weaker teams like Houston Baptist, Wofford, St. Joseph's and the University of the Southwest. But they've also beaten established programs like Santa Barbara and Texas Tech.
A quick look at the WAC statistical leaders shows the Aggies on top in just about every offensive category. Shortstop Ryan Aguayo leads the conference in hits (55) and runs scored (51), designated hitter Mike Sodders, catcher Ben Harty and outfielder Chace Perkins lead the WAC with 12 home runs each. Harty also leads in RBI (40).
The Aggies' Leo Aguirre is third in hits (48) and fourth in runs (34). Outfielder Nate Shaver is third in runs (35). Wade Reynoso is third in RBI (37), has seven homers and is hitting .316. Aguirre (.444) and Aguayo (.433) are first and second in WAC hitting with Harty (.422), Perkins (.393), Shaver (.368), Sodders (.358) and Wesley Starkes (.344) also in the top 15.
"They are feeling real good about themselves right now and they should," Powers said. "They have won 10 in a row. They are playing with a lot of confidence."
New Mexico State was picked by WAC coaches to finish second in the conference (the Pack was picked to finish sixth). The Aggies, which set a school record with 44 victories in 2009, opened the season with three losses to Washington, Gonzaga and Missouri in the Cactus Classic in Phoenix and have won 22-of-29 games since.
The Aggies have played a lot of wild games at Presley Askew Field this season beating Houston Baptist 20-12, Wofford 20-7 and St. Joseph's 33-1. They've also lost to Geiorgia State 30-24 and St. Joseph's 35-16. The 30-24 loss to Georgia State featured 12 homers (six by each team) and four grand slams (three by Georgia State). That game also featured 52 hits and 16 walks by Georgia State pitchers.
The four grand slams tied a NCAA record.
The Pack has also been involved in some high-scoring affairs in Las Cruces down through the years. They beat the Aggies 15-11 in 2007, 16-7 in 2006, 38-16 in 1999, 18-4 and 22-11 in 1998, 25-9 in 1997, 19-13 and 25-11 in 1996.
AGGIES HAVE LOCAL TIES: New Mexico State has three players with connections to the northern Nevada/California region.
Outfielder Chace Perkins is a North Valleys High graduate and catcher Chuck Howard played for Western Nevada in 2007 and 2008. Pitcher Daniel Simon, like Perkins, played for Lassen Community College in Susanville, Calif.
Perkins is enjoying an outstanding junior year, hitting .393 with 12 homers and 36 RBI. Perkins, a 6-foot, 185-pounder, is also slugging at a .888 clip. Simon has struggled this year with a 3-3 record and 9.77 earned run average and Howard is sitting out this season as an academic red-shirt.
Howard, the 2008 WNC Most Valuable Player, had a great junior year at New Mexico State in 2009, hitting .340 with five homers and 28 RBI. Howard graduated from Sierra Vista High in Las Vegas.
KORT FLASHING SOME LEATHER: Wolf Pack first baseman Shaun Kort has yet to committ an error in 26 games this year. The senior has gone 42 consecutive games without an error. His last error was April 25 of last year on a throwing miscue against Cal State Bakersfield at Peccole Park.
Kort, who has handled 251 chances without an error this year, committed six errors as a freshman. The lefthander, though, has made just six errors combined over the last two-plus seasons.
CATCHERS ALSO STANDING OUT ON DEFENSE: Wolf Pack catchers Michael Turay (.167) and Carlos Escobar (.136) have struggled at the plate this year but the two backstops have been solid behind the plate.
Turay and Escobar have combined this season to commit just one error (by Turay).
The record for fewest errors by Pack catchers in a season since the school entered the WAC in 2001 is three by Baker Krukow and Jordan Opdyke in 2006 and Tony Cappuccilli and Craig Markel in 2002.
PACK TO FACE ACES: The Wolf Pack meet meet the Triple-A Reno Aces Tuesday night (6:05 p.m.) in an exhibition game at Aces Ballpark in downtown Reno.
A portion of the proceeds will go to the Wolf Pack's Dugout Club.
Aces pitchers will pitch for both teams in the exhibition.
ANOTHER SCHEDULE CHANGE: The Wolf Pack's game against UC Davis on Monday (April 5) at Peccole Park has been moved to April 20 at 6 p.m.
The Pack's next home game will be April 13 against Saint Mary's at 2 p.m. That game was originally scheduled for March 10 at Peccole Park but was postponed due to cold weather.
The Pack has just 14 homes games remaining this season.