Photo by Breanna Denney/Nevada Sagebrush
Above .500 since mid-March, Nevada will face the mighty Aztecs at Peccole Park in effort to draw even
By Chris Boline
As the old saying goes, “April showers bring May flowers,” but the foliage might have come early for the Wolf Pack.
Nevada’s baseball team has been successful since the turn of the new month with a 3-1 record in four games played away from Peccole Park. In those four games, one Wolf Pack player has started to come alive for Nevada. Hard-hitting first baseman Austin Byler was perfect in the final game of the series against San Jose State (3-3, 2 RBI’s) and was also named Mountain West player of the week for his production. Byler’s production is crucial for the Pack as he led the team last year in home runs (eight) and batting average (.346), especially in the coming week.
There will be a stark difference in the next Mountain West series for Nevada, as it will go from playing the plodding Spartans (9-23) to athletic San Diego State (24-8).
WOLF PACK SEEKING EDGE ON BRONCOS
Before the Wolf Pack takes on the Aztecs, it will face Santa Clara at home. Nevada has already played the Broncos twice on the season and has split the prior two match-ups. While the Broncos have sputtered to a 13-18 record, they still feature some dangerous personnel.
At the top of the list for Santa Clara is senior Greg Harisis. The six-foot infielder is leading the team in runs (27) and hits (31) and is second in RBI’s (12). However, Harisis has been unable to play in the month of April, which is a good thing for the Wolf Pack. Even though the senior was inefficient in two prior meetings with the Wolf Pack earlier this season, not having Harisis in the line-up will boost the Pack’s chances in extending its current two-game winning streak.
On the mound, Peter Hendron has been the work horse of the Broncos’ staff by leading the starters in ERA (3.99), wins (three) and strikeouts (30).
AZTECS ARE SUSCEPTIBLE ON ROAD
Since last year’s Mountain West tournament, San Diego State has been on a tear. The Aztecs tore through the competition last year in Fresno, Calif., and the 2014 regular season has been much of the same. Already, SDSU has eclipsed 20 wins overall on the season and has reached double-digits for its conference record.
Much of the credit for the Aztecs’ run has been thanks to their success at the plate. SDSU outmatches the Wolf Pack in every major batting category by a significant margin. Ty France is the leader for the Aztecs at the plate by leading the team in three major batting categories (runs, RBI’s and batting average). Junior Greg Allen has been a phenomenal lead-off batter for San Diego State by registering the most runs scored on the team (30) and leads the team in steals (18).
On the mound, Mark Seyler and TJ Kendzora have formed a potent tandem by registering a combined mark of 8-3 in 13 starts together.
Nevada’s efforts in this series will be pivotal as the Pack has already passed the midway point of the baseball season.
Chris Boline can be reached at cboline@sagebrush.unr.edu.