UNM pitcher Cody Dye missed the 2019 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery but he’s ready to contribute again in 2020. (Adolphe Pierre-Louis/Journal)
A couple of days of gloomy skies and spitting rain have done nothing to dampen the University of New Mexico baseball team’s opening week of practice.
Well, almost nothing.
The Lobos did have to practice indoors on last week’s official opening day, limiting them to infield drills, batting-cage work and the like. No one seemed to mind.
“It’s like a fresh start, a change in mentality,” senior pitcher Nathaniel Garley said. “I’m really excited to play baseball again.”
The Lobos are hoping to erase memories of a dismal 2019 season. Shorthanded because of injuries and transfers, UNM struggled to a 23-28-1 finish and failed to qualify for the four-team Mountain West tournament.
Worse by far, the Lobos were staggered by the May 3 death of teammate Jackson Weller, who was fatally shot in Albuquerque’s Nob Hill area.
“Last year had a terrible feel overall,” said junior pitcher Cody Dye, who sat out the 2019 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. “There’s a totally new feel now. Things are really positive.”
At the very least, things are different for coach Ray Birmingham’s squad. UNM’s 35-player roster includes just 13 returnees from 2019. The team has since been fortified with a highly touted recruiting class that includes seven freshmen, 13 junior college transfers and two Division I transfers.
“We’ve got a lot of talent and a lot of questions,” Birmingham said. “That’s a good thing because we have quality guys fighting for positions. We have more new faces than we’ve ever had, but we feel good about it because there’s talent and depth everywhere. Now we have to start figuring out where the pieces fit.”
UNM opens the season Feb. 14 at the College Baseball Classic in Surprise, Arizona, where it will face Oregon State, BYU and Gonzaga. Birmingham and his staff have a lot of decisions to make before then.
To say positions are open would be a significant understatement considering just three position players return from 2019 (IF Justin Watari, IF/OF Connor Mang and IF/C Ediberto Reyes). Even Mang, who played corner infield spots last season, could be in a new position as he’s working in the outfield now.
“I have no problem moving guys around if it makes us better,” Birmingham said. “Last year we were stuck. Now we have options.”
Newcomers to watch include Kyler Castillo, a Junior College All-American who hit .460 at Texas’ Odessa Junior College last season. Castillo was an outfielder at Odessa but he’s taking ground balls at third base, Birmingham said.
His Odessa JC teammate, Harry Fullerton, also moved to UNM after hitting .357 with 64 RBIs.
New Mexico also has holes to fill on its pitching staff after losing ace Justin Slaten and closer Malachi Emond to last year’s major league draft. Ten of the Lobos’ returning players are pitchers, including experienced starters Garley, Dye and Drew Gillespie.
Still, with numerous new arms available, nothing is guaranteed. Dye, who recently pitched his first intrasquad innings during a volunteer workout, doesn’t know what type of role he’ll ultimately fill.
“It kind of depends on how my arm responds,” he said, “but I don’t really care if I start or come out of the bullpen. After missing all of last year, I just want to help the team.”
Garley has been primarily a starter since joining the Lobos out of Eldorado High School. He hopes to return to that role but, like Dye, says contributing to a turn-around season is more important in 2020.
“Whenever things are not going well, it’s a grind,” Garley said, “and last season was rough. At the same time, I’m glad I went through that. I think our returning guys have a different perspective now and we want to come together and have a great season. We’re glad to get things started.”
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January 28, 2020 at 01:46PM
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UNM baseball seeking fresh start with overhauled roster - Albuquerque Journal
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