Cowboys host key series with 10th-ranked Colorado Mesa starting Friday

LAS VEGAS, N.M. --- The New Mexico Highlands baseball team hosts a key RMAC series starting Friday against 10th-ranked Colorado Mesa at Brandt Field.

The Cowboys at 10-14 in RMAC play sit a game back of UCCS and Colorado School of Mines for the final two RMAC spots (both teams are 9-11) as the top six teams qualify for the RMAC Tournament. NMHU has no games next weekend before capping the season on the road with a four-game set at last-place Adams State.

It's a series where five of the top eight home run hitters in the conference will be participating in: Colorado Mesa's Caleb Farmer (19 - 1st), Haydn McGeary (17 - 3rd) and Spencer Bramwell (12 - T-7th) and NMHU's Jared Brown (15 - 5th) and Joe Kuhn (12 - T-7th).

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THE COWBOYS HEADING INTO THE SERIES | 2022 STATISTICS
NMHU split a mid-week, non-conference series against University of the Southwest on Tuesday - winning the first game 6-3 before dropping the second game 5-2. Last weekend, the Cowboys split a four-game series at home with Colorado School of Mines.

NMHU lead-off hitter Estevan De La O continues to lead the NCAA (regardless of Division) in triples with 10 to go along with an RMAC-best 65 hits (15th in NCAA), a .365 average, two homers, 25 RBI, 43 runs and eight stolen bases. Jared Brown hit his team-leading 15th homer Tuesday and leads the team in RBI (50 - fourth in the RMAC). Brandon Baier leads NMHU with a .370 average with eight homers, a team-best 14 doubles, 42 RBI and 38 runs while Aidan McNichol (.340, 5 HR, 12 2B, 38 RBI), Joe Kuhn (.322, 12 HR, 37 RBI, 41 R) and Lubby Marrujo (.302, HR, 10 RBI, 34 R, 6 SB) are also hitting above .300.

Dominick Castillo leads the Cowboys in ERA at 6.75 with 18 strikeouts in 24 innings (15 appearances) while starter Hunter Waugh is third on the team in ERA at 7.53 with 34 strikeouts in 55 innings (11 starts).

COLORADO MESA HEADING INTO THE SERIES | 2022 STATISTICS
The Mavericks are coming off of taking three of four at home against Regis last weekend - winning the first two games 11-5 and 13-5, dropping the third game 18-11 and winning the fourth contest 10-5.

CMU ranks as one of the top hitting teams in the nation, ranking first in slugging percentage (0.628), fourth in batting average (.356), fifth in home runs (76) and sixth in runs per game (10.1).

Haydn McGeary ranks in the national top 10 in slugging percentage (.952 - first), batting average (.448 - ninth) and home runs (17 - ninth) Caleb Farmer is also batting above .400 while ranking third in the country in homers (19), 19th in RBI (53) fourth in runs (60), fifth in total bases (128) and third in slugging percentage (.914).

On the mound, Kannon Handy has been the team's top starter with a 4.32 ERA and 60 strikeouts in 50 innings pitched, though Blake Rohm has entered the starting rotation as beginning as a reliever and has a 2.43 ERA with 40 strikeouts in 33.1 innings. Gage Edwards has been the team's top reliever with a 2.79 ERA, 33 strikeouts and two saves in 29 innings (12 appearances).