The local vibes required many fans to stand along the third baseline if they had not arrived to any of the three New Mexico games during the Mountain West tournament.
Head coach Ray Birmingham has turned the UNM program into a site of familiarity with all of the native faces up and down the Lobo lineup.
“This weekend, it was packed here, it was electric,” the head coach said. “It’s electric in the ballpark, and we’re winning another championship and there’s La Cueva, Volcano Vista, Sandia, Sandia Prep, and El Dorado... Cleveland, you can just go down the line.”
Local high school baseball teams showed up to support the 12 players that hail from the Land of Enchantment and watch the team win the conference tournament behind junior Carson Schneider’s left arm, a former arm that pitched for Sandia High.
“This past weekend made me emotional,” Birmingham said. “I was looking up there and there were all of these people, from New Mexico fired up because New Mexico just kicked Nevada’s ass.”
Throughout the 14-4 rout over the Wolfpack, Birmingham said he heard mutters of prior encounters with current players on the roster.
“That kid used to sit next to mine in elementary school.”
“My kid played little league with him.”
“He went to my son’s high school.”
As Birmingham, a local product from Hobbs, saluted the crowd of over 1,000 fans, he said his dreams have started to come true. He is bringing a relatable feel to the ballpark, and he is getting a turnout like Santa Ana Star Field has never received.
“It’s been state kids playing on a state team, playing in the regionals, playing for a national championship,” Birmingham said. “Where is that happening? When has that happened?”
The head coach’s rhetorical questions were symbolic of what he has been able to accomplish in his ninth year leading the helm for the UNM baseball program.
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Birmingham recanted the time when his players would have to run to the gas station on University and Gibson, just to go to the bathroom.
While that is no longer the case, with the upgrades to the stadium and facilities, the head coach still says the program has a long way to go.
A state of the art locker room has been under construction since the beginning of the year, so players will be able to change in front of their lockers rather than changing in WisePies Arena, then scurrying back down to the baseball field.
Birmingham has said how thankful he is for the help and support he has received from local business owners and donations from individuals across the state.
I’ve always felt that New Mexico was fractured, I’ve always felt that,” Birmingham said. “So state pride, to me, is a big deal.”
Birmingham was referring to the segregated feel that occurs between rural towns and the few urban cities across the state with Albuquerque being his lead example.
The head coach said baseball is starting to patch those gaps because local fans are able to get behind players that grew up within state lines.
Successful programs generally draw out larger numbers and provide excitement for the possibility to garner a national championship. Birmingham has brought about a winning culture as he currently holds a 310-222-1 record as head coach.
Not only did Birmingham put his 300th win in a UNM uniform on his mantle, but the head coach was honored into the New Mexico Baseball Hall of Fame this past season, while leading the way to his fifth appearance in regionals during his tenure as the leader for the Lobos.
Birmingham said recruiting definitely plays a role into the makeup of his team, but added that he doesn’t want to ignore the homegrown talent before him.
Liam Cary-Eaves is the sports editor for the Daily Lobo. He primarily covers volleyball, women’s basketball and baseball. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @Liam_CE.
