KRISTIN ELVES/Arizona Daily Wildcat UA sophomore Marc Kaiser rounds third base earlier this month against Southern Utah at Sancet Field. Arizona welcomes New Mexico State for a game today at 3 p.m.

Wildcats try for second consecutive series sweep

New Mexico State comes to Tucson today for a one-game set at Sancet Field boasting the best offense Arizona has had to contend with this season.

NMSU (10-4) enters with an overall team average of .332 compared to the Wildcats who are hitting .272.

With three Aggies batting over .370, it has been outfielder and first baseman Ryan Kenning who has received all the accolades. He shared the Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week Award last week after going 10-for-19 and hitting five home runs in four games.

On the season, the senior is batting .393 with 10 home runs, 34 RBIs and a 1.036 slugging percentage.

However, the slugger does not boast the team's best batting average.

That statistic belongs to second baseman Gabe Veloz, who leads the Aggie offense with a .529 average and a .961 slugging percentage.

But Arizona head coach Andy Lopez's staff has had time to prepare for the Aggie bats.

The Wildcats enjoyed an off day yesterday after a three-game sweep last weekend against the University of California Irvine.

Sophomore left fielder Marc Kaiser went five-for-five with a home run en route to a 13-9 series-closing win on Sunday. Kaiser finished the series with a .629 average and three home runs.

Kaiser credited his big series at the plate to a simplified batting approach.

"I'm trying to stay short and quick and down through the ball and take my hands right back through the pitcher," he said.

Kaiser missed his scheduled start on the mound Sunday due to tightness in his shoulder.

"It's nothing (the coaching staff) is overly concerned about. We just want to make sure it's 100 percent before he gets out there, especially with the Pac-10 (schedule) coming up," Lopez said.

Kaiser threw in the bullpen for about 10 minutes after Sunday's game and will most likely pitch today in a tune-up.

"(The shoulder) is good, and I'm going try to get a little work (today) to stay fresh," he said.

Lopez said the Wildcat lineup may undergo a change to reflect freshman first baseman Pat Reilly's improved play. Reilly hit an RBI triple and scored a run while playing solid defense after replacing starter Will Thompson late in Sunday's game.

"A big hit like that (on Sunday) and if he plays good defense for us he could be a factor," Lopez said. "It's always good to have some depth and have some competition."

Today's game starts at 3 p.m. at Sancet Field.