By
Brian Penso
Arizona Daily Wildcats
The Arizona baseball team will attempt to snap its five game losing streak this weekend as they play host to New Mexico for a three-game series, beginning today at 3 p.m.
UNM comes into Tucson as the Mountain West Conference's defending champions.
The Lobos (0-3), like the Wildcats, have not been able to hold a lead - which has led to three straight one-run losses.
If history is any indication, the Wildcats should have success against New Mexico.
The Wildcats lead the all-time series against the Lobos, 119-28, and swept the three games the teams played last year.
UA's 81 percent winning record against New Mexico is second in school history only to its 83.1 percent winning record against Iowa.
The Wildcats will send freshman Marc Kaiser (1-1 6.14 ERA) to the mound.
While UA's pitching staff has been struggling of late, UA head coach Jerry Stitt begs to differ.
"They are doing good right now," Stitt said. "They need to change speeds better and hit their spots better. Sometimes a strike is too good of a strike, which allow the hitters to get to much of the (bat's) barrel on the ball."
Kaiser will need to stop UNM's Donny Sevieri if the Wildcats are to have any success today.
Sevieri finished last season with a .392 batting average and 10 home runs and was named to the Mountain West Conference's first team.
Arizona junior right fielder Shelley Duncan is concerned with the number of runs - 45 - that the Wildcats allowed last weekend against Long Beach State. While Arizona averaged eight runs per game last weekend, it wasn't enough to avoid a sweep.
"To score as much as we have lately and not win is always a concern," Duncan said. "Our young pitchers need to learn to go out and give 100 percent on each pitch they throw."
The Lobos will counter with senior lefthander Chris Cooper, who was named to the second team All-MWC squad last season.
Cooper will need to stop Duncan if the Lobos are to shut down UA's offense.
The junior has led the resurgence of the UA's offense by hitting four home runs and contributing 10 RBIs last weekend.
"Shelley and (senior first baseman) Ernie (Durazo) have done a good job producing," Stitt said. "They have done a good job picking each other up."
Even when Arizona's offense is clicking on all cylinders, third base coach Victor Solis said that the key to the team's overall success will be the play of its defense.
"We need to play tighter defense to be successful," Solis said. "We're not getting to balls that we should, and it is opening up a lot of innings for the other team."
