The University of New Mexico baseball team will finish third in the Mountain West Conference, according to league coaches.
Baseball America, on the other hand, tabs the Lobos to finish second.
TCU was the pick by both the coaches and BA to win the Mountain West for the seventh consecutive season.
However things play out, the Lobos are a much more confident team entering this season than last year, when a young lineup and inexperienced pitching staff went just 16-39 during the regular season before winning the Mountain West Conference tournament.
“Last year was planned to have the hardest schedule in the country," coach Ray Birmingham said. "The kids responded. It’s about how you play late, not how you play early. So this year I’m looking for some big things."
The Lobos were edged out in the coaches poll, 16 points to 15, by UNLV for second place.
The coaches also named an 11-man all-conference team, with UNM sophomore first baseman D.J. Peterson and junior shortstop Alex Allbritton earning two of those selections.
Baseball America does not have a preseason team, but instead ranks the top 10 draft prospects in the conference for 2012 and 2013. Lobos sophomore right-hander Jake McCasland, who will be eligible in 2013, ranks fourth, while junior right-handers Austin House and Sam Wolff rank sixth and ninth, respectively.
“Our pitching staff is better than it’s ever been," Birmingham said. "If everything falls into place, McCasland does like I think he should do this year, with Wolff and House more mature and pitching like he pitches now, I think we can match up with anybody in the country."
Those three pitchers will make up the UNM rotation, while Peterson and Allbritton will help anchor the everyday lineup along with senior outfielder Luke Campbell, senior second baseman Kyle Stiner and junior catcher Mitchell Garver.
“D.J. Peterson is going to be an impact player," Birmingham said. "That kid’s going to play on TV some day. I think Mitchell Garver will become that impact player, too. Several guys in this lineup, the middle of our order is going to be as good as anybody in the country."
The Lobos are gearing up for a season-opening, three-game series with Nevada that will start next Friday at 3 p.m. at Isotopes Park. The series will be a preview of a future conference matchup, as the Wolf Pack are moving to the Mountain West in 2012-13.
Look for a full preview of the UNM season next week.
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