Lobos Smash Wolf Pack 13-4 to Open Mountain West Tournament

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The New Mexico Lobos faced a lot of postseason pressure, but they answered with one of their strongest performances of the season on Thursday night in Mesa.

No. 4 seed New Mexico used big offense and solid pitching to beat No. 5 seed Nevada 13-4 at Sloan Park. This opening-round win in the Mountain West Baseball Championship kept the Lobos’ season going and put them into the double-elimination bracket.

For Head Coach Tod Brown, this was his first Mountain West Tournament win since coming to Albuquerque, and the Lobos made sure to earn it in a big way.

Lobos Strike Early and Never Let Up​

New Mexico took control of the game right away.

Leadoff hitter Julian Diaz singled to start the game. After Nick Mansy walked with two outs, Lenny Junior Ashby made a big impact. On the first pitch he saw, Ashby hit a towering three-run homer to left, his team-leading seventh, giving the Lobos a 3-0 lead.

Nevada responded quickly with four hits in the bottom of the first. Right-hander Ryan Castillo limited the damage. A key 4-6-3 double play and a strikeout helped the Lobos keep the lead, as the Wolf Pack scored only two runs.

Nevada tied the game in the second inning, but New Mexico’s offense quickly took over again.

The Lobos scored five runs in the third inning, breaking the game open. Akili Carris and Mansy hit back-to-back doubles, Brodey Williams added an RBI single, and Antonio Gianni hit a two-run homer to make it 8-3.

In the next inning, UNM put the game out of reach.

The Lobos added five more runs in the fourth inning on three hits, building their lead to 13-3 and stopping Nevada’s momentum. By halfway through the game, New Mexico had scored 13 runs in four innings and kept control from there.

WATCH IT GO

Ashby gets us going with a three-run pic.twitter.com/ZknadI5HpK

— UNM Baseball (@UNMLoboBaseball) May 22, 2026

Ashby Leads Offensive Explosion​

New Mexico ended the game with 12 hits and got contributions from the whole lineup. Still, Ashby stood out with a huge game.

Ashby went 3-for-4 with two runs, five RBIs, a home run, and a walk. It was one of his best games this season.

Carris had two hits, two runs, two RBIs, and a double. Williams went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a walk. Gianni also had two hits, three RBIs, and his two-run homer in the third was the highlight of his night.

This big offensive game was just what the Lobos needed as they started the postseason after a tough regular season.

Castillo Settles In, Corkrean Slams the Door​

While the offense got most of the attention, the Lobos’ pitchers also came through when it counted.

Castillo worked through some early trouble and kept Nevada from catching up. He pitched 5.2 innings, gave up four runs on 11 hits, and struck out four. This was his eighth win of the season.

This win was also special because Castillo became the Lobo pitcher with the most wins in a season since Carson Schneider had nine in 2016.

After Castillo left the game, Cooper Corkrean shut down the Wolf Pack offense.

The left-hander was strong out of the bullpen, pitching 3.1 innings of one-hit, scoreless baseball and striking out four. Corkrean’s effort ended any chance of a Nevada comeback and helped the Lobos move on with confidence.

SEEEEEEE YA BALL

T3 | Lobos 8, Nevada 3 pic.twitter.com/6YZu9i8dCx

— UNM Baseball (@UNMLoboBaseball) May 22, 2026

Lobos Advance to Face Top-Seeded Aztecs​

With this win, New Mexico will play Mountain West regular-season champion and No. 1 seed San Diego State on Friday afternoon in Mesa.

The Lobos showed on Thursday that they are tough to beat when their offense is clicking. Now, they hope to keep that momentum going against the conference’s top seed, with a chance to advance further.

New Mexico came into the tournament needing to win to keep playing, and they made a strong statement with this performance.

For at least one more day, the Lobos’ season is still alive.

️ #MWBSB Highlights from #5 @UNMLoboBaseball's 13-4 win over #4 Nevada in the night cap of day one at the 2026 CU1 MW Baseball Championship pic.twitter.com/NC0hpWVOB8

— Mountain West (@MountainWest) May 22, 2026

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