Each week, we here at Mountain West Connection will briefly preview every series going on in the conference, detailing how each team is going into the series and a key item to note that we feel will dictate the winner. Afterwards, if there are any non-conference series going on, we will go through each series similarly.
New Mexico (9-5-1) vs Washington State (9-6)
Outside of the Silver State Series we will go over here soon, this series between the visiting Lobos and host Cougars is one of the highlights of the weekend, as either team can jump
into first place if they do good and Nevada tumbles.. New Mexico comes into this weekend with a 1-2 series loss to top-seeded Nevada, but with momentum in their sails with back-to-back wins against Nevada and a solid 11-3 performance against CSU Pueblo. Wazzu was not so fortunate to go into this weekend with some steam, as they were able to beat UNLV 2-1 last weekend, but were promptly humbled by future Pac-12 conference foe Gonzaga 16-8 on Tuesday.
In terms of stats, this series is one of the most balanced of the weekend. Both teams sit in the bottom three of the conference in team batting average in conference games (Lobos are seventh with a .288, Cougars are eighth with a .283), as well as in the top three in team ERA (New Mexico is third with a 6.35, while Washington State is second with a 6.23). New Mexico vs Wazzu should be a great watch for both fanbases, and will prove which program has what it takes to stay in the top three in conference standings. I’m just hoping for a good series in Pullman.
UNLV (6-9) vs Nevada (10-5)
Ah, the fated Silver State Series, this should be fun. UNLV is trying to rebound after being beaten by Washington State, including a 2-13, seven inning loss in the first game but a great 12-3 win right afterwards. But, a close 8-9 loss set them right back down to the bottom three in conference standings. Nevada is on a similar path, just not in conference play. After a great, 2-1 road series win against New Mexico, the Pack hosted Saint Mary’s falling to the Gaels 5-11 for their second loss to the program this year.
Similar to the New Mexico/Washington State series, the Wolf Pack and Rebels are neck and neck in the batting statistics, with Nevada holding the crown with a .348 team batting average and UNLV right below them with a .340. The kicker is with the pitching, as neither program has been fully consistent this year. Nevada has the edge, as they sit sixth in conference play with a 7.35 team ERA to UNLV’s 10.36, and they allowed less runs to a better batting squad last weekend. Regardless of whatever happens, this edition of the Silver State Series should be fun, a sentiment shared by Nevada baseball head coach Jordan Getzelman yesterday during a press conference.
“It’s a big series for us, both with where we’re at in the season and obviously it means a lot to play them,” Getzelman said. “They’re a talented team, probably in the middle of the pack right now. We’re going to have to play great baseball. And for us, [we’re] excited to have some support out here, I know people are excited to come out and watch us. So, looking forward to that.”
San Jose State (5-7) vs Air Force (9-6)
Both of these teams were at the bottom of the conference entering Mountain West play, and while they have had their own great moments, it has been Air Force that has been in better position for a conference tournament spot. But that all can change this weekend. San Jose State does have the edge in momentum, as they come into this series with a two-game sweep against Fresno State. Air Force, on the other hand, did not catch any wind in their sails, as they lost their conference series to GCU on the road last weekend 1-2, ending with a 12-16 loss.
Where the previous two series we have gone over have teams super close to one another in stats, Air Force and San Jose State are like water and oil. The Falcons used to boast one of the best team batting averages in the conference, but still sit in the upper side of things at fourth with a .316, where the Spartans are dead last with a .282. Meanwhile, San Jose State sits dead middle in team ERA stats with a 7.18, while Air Force is second to last with an even nine ERA, only in front of UNLV who has been in double digits in that category all season long thanks in part to the Falcons. This series is going to come down to who can exploit the other’s weakness first, and odds are it will be Air Force on top when the dust settles.
San Diego State (7-5) vs Fresno State (1-10-1)
Yeah…this one might be a bit tough for Fresno State. After having last weekend off from games in general, San Diego State got right back to their winning ways, winning back-to-back games against Seattle University (9-5) and CSUN (4-3). On the other side of the aisle, Fresno State had a rough weekend, losing both games to San Jose State by a combined score of 16-5, which continued with a 4-8 loss to UC Davis. However, the Diamond Dogs did bounce back on Tuesday with a 5-2 road win against Long Beach State.
Everything heading into this weekend screams that SDSU should walk into Fresno and at least win the series, from the stats to the trends and everything in between. When the Bulldogs’ pitching is doing good, their batting does not show up, and vice versa on different days. If Fresno State can put the pieces together, they will be able to at least compete with the Aztecs. But, if things stay somewhat similar to how they’ve been over the last month and a half, then expect San Diego State to climb up the conference standings once again.
Teams on a bye: GCU (6-9, currently tied for seventh with UNLV)
