# New Mexico State Aggies baseball

The New Mexico State Aggies baseball team represents New Mexico State University, which is located in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The Aggies are an NCAA Division I college baseball program that competes in the Conference USA. They began competing in Division I in 1962 and joined C-USA before the 2024 season.
The New Mexico State Aggies play all home games on campus at Presley Askew Field. The Aggies have played in four NCAA tournaments. Over their 15 seasons in the Western Athletic Conference, they have won two WAC regular season titles and one WAC Tournament.
Since the program's inception, 5 Aggies have gone on to play in Major League Baseball. A total of 64 Aggies have been drafted, including Joey Ortiz who was selected in the fourth round of the 2019 Major League Baseball draft.

## Conference Membership History

* 1962–1970: Independent
* 1971–1983: Missouri Valley Conference
* 1984–1991: Independent
* 1992–2000: Big West Conference
* 2001–2005: Sun Belt Conference
* 2006–present: Western Athletic Conference

## Presley Askew Field

Presley Askew Field is a baseball stadium on the New Mexico State campus in Las Cruces, New Mexico that seats 1,000 people. It opened in 1981. A record attendance of 1,615 was set on February 27, 2015, during the home opener against Incarnate Word.

## Head coaches

Records taken from the 2020 NMSU baseball media guide.
| Season | Coach | Years | Record | Pct. |
| 1962–1965 | Presley Askew | 4 | 42–69–3 | .378 |
| 1966–1968 | Pat Ryan | 3 | 23–59 | .280 |
| 1969–1982 | Jim Kwasny | 14 | 300–380 | .441 |
| 1983–1986 | Curt Cook | 4 | 78–104 | .429 |
| 1987 | Sal Gonzalez | 1 | 20–34 | .370 |
| 1988 | Mike Ryan | 1 | 38–18 | .679 |
| 1989–1996 | Elliott Avent | 8 | 225–213 | .514 |
| 1997–2000 | Rocky Ward | 4 | 81–136 | .373 |
| 2001–2002 | Gary Ward | 2 | 69–48 | .590 |
| 2003–2014 | Rocky Ward | 12 | 374–322–2 | .537 |
| 2015–2019 | Brian Green | 5 | 158–122–1 | .564 |
| 2020–2023 | Mike Kirby | 2 | 32–38 | .457 |
| Totals | 11 coaches | 60 seasons | 1,440–1,543–6 | .483 |

## Year-By-Year Results

Records taken from the 2020 NMSU baseball media guide.
Statistics overview :
| Season | Coach | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason |
| Independent (1962–1970) ||||||
| 1962 | Presley Askew | 10–14–1 | | | |
| 1963 | Presley Askew | 13–13–1 | | | |
| 1964 | Presley Askew | 11–27 | | | |
| 1965 | Presley Askew | 8–15–1 | | | |
| 1966 | Pat Ryan | 11–17 | | | |
| 1967 | Pat Ryan | 5–22 | | | |
| 1968 | Pat Ryan | 7–20 | | | |
| 1969 | Jim Kwasny | 9–27 | | | |
| 1970 | Jim Kwasny | 18–26 | | | |
| Missouri Valley Conference (1971–1983) ||||||
| 1971 | Jim Kwasny | 23–24 | | 3rd | |
| 1972 | Jim Kwasny | 32–18 | | 3rd | |
| 1973 | Jim Kwasny | 14–41 | | 7th | |
| 1974 | Jim Kwasny | 18–35 | | 5th | |
| 1975 | Jim Kwasny | 23–18 | | 4th | |
| 1976 | Jim Kwasny | 19–24 | | 4th | |
| 1977 | Jim Kwasny | 19–30 | | 5th | |
| 1978 | Jim Kwasny | 28–23 | | 4th | |
| 1979 | Jim Kwasny | 26–27 | | 5th | |
| 1980 | Jim Kwasny | 30–27 | | 6th | |
| 1981 | Jim Kwasny | 18–33 | 3–13 | 6th | |
| 1982 | Jim Kwasny | 23–27 | 0–12 | 7th | |
| 1983 | Curt Cook | 17–20 | 0–8 | 7th | |
| Independent (1984–1991) ||||||
| 1984 | Curt Cook | 23–33 | | | |
| 1985 | Curt Cook | 18–25 | | | |
| 1986 | Curt Cook | 20–26 | | | |
| 1986 | Sal Gonzalez | 20–34 | | | |
| 1988 | Mike Ryan | 38–18 | | | |
| 1989 | Elliott Avent | 34–22 | | | |
| 1990 | Elliott Avent | 40–19 | | | |
| 1991 | Elliott Avent | 22–36 | | | |
| Big West Conference (1992–2000) ||||||
| 1992 | Elliott Avent | 20–33 | 6–18 | T-8th | |
| 1993 | Elliott Avent | 31–23 | 9–12 | T-4th | |
| 1994 | Elliott Avent | 21–31 | 4–17 | 8th | |
| 1995 | Elliott Avent | 32–22 | 9–12 | 5th | |
| 1996 | Elliott Avent | 25–27 | 8–13 | T-5th | |
| 1997 | Rocky Ward | 21–33 | 8–22 | T-7th | |
| 1998 | Rocky Ward | 23–29 | 8–21 | 7th | |
| 1999 | Rocky Ward | 18–38 | 7–23 | 8th | |
| 2000 | Rocky Ward | 19–36 | 4–26 | 8th | |
| Sun Belt Conference (2001–2005) ||||||
| 2001 | Gary Ward | 32–23 | 9–17 | 10th | |
| 2002 | Gary Ward | 37–25 | 10–14 | 6th | Sun Belt Tournament Tempe Regional |
| 2003 | Rocky Ward | 43–18 | 15–9 | T-2nd | Sun Belt Tournament Tempe Regional |
| 2004 | Rocky Ward | 33–25–1 | 12–12 | T-5th | Sun Belt Tournament |
| 2005 | Rocky Ward | 28–29 | 13–11 | 5th | Sun Belt Tournament |
| Western Athletic Conference (2006–present) ||||||
| 2006 | Rocky Ward | 19–36 | 6–18 | 7th | |
| 2007 | Rocky Ward | 22–34 | 6–18 | 7th | |
| 2008 | Rocky Ward | 28–33 | 15–17 | 5th | WAC Tournament |
| 2009 | Rocky Ward | 44–17 | 12–12 | T-3rd | WAC Tournament |
| 2010 | Rocky Ward | 36–23–1 | 14–9–1 | T-2nd | WAC Tournament |
| 2011 | Rocky Ward | 34–24 | 9–15 | 6th | WAC Tournament |
| 2012 | Rocky Ward | 35–24 | 11–7 | T-1st | WAC tournament Tucson Regional |
| 2013 | Rocky Ward | 29–28 | 13–14 | T-6th | WAC tournament |
| 2014 | Rocky Ward | 23–31 | 11–13 | 7th | WAC tournament |
| 2015 | Brian Green | 11–38–1 | 7–19–1 | 8th | |
| 2016 | Brian Green | 34–23 | 20–7 | 2nd | WAC tournament |
| 2017 | Brian Green | 35–22 | 19–5 | 2nd | WAC tournament |
| 2018 | Brian Green | 40–22 | 17–7 | T-2nd | WAC tournament Lubbock Regional |
| 2019 | Brian Green | 38–17 | 19–8 | T-1st | WAC tournament |
| 2020 | Mike Kirby | 12–4 | | | Season cancelled on March 18 due to Coronavirus pandemic |
| Total: | Total: | 1,420–1,509–6 | | | |
| National champion   Postseason invitational champion   Conference regular season champion   Conference regular season and conference tournament champion  Division regular season champion  Division regular season and conference tournament champion  Conference tournament champion ||||||

## NCAA tournament History

* The NCAA Division I baseball tournament started in 1947.
* The format of the tournament has changed through the years.
| Year | Record | Pct | Notes |
| 2002 | 0–2 | .000 | Eliminated by San Diego in Tempe Regional |
| 2003 | 1–2 | .333 | Eliminated by UNLV in Tempe Regional |
| 2012 | 0–2 | .000 | Eliminated by Missouri in Tucson Regional |
| 2018 | 0–2 | .000 | Eliminated by Kent State in Lubbock Regional |
| 2022 | 0–2 | .000 | Eliminated by Vanderbilt in Corvallis Regional |
| Totals | 1–10 | .091 | |

## Awards and honors

* 12 Patriots have been named to an NCAA-recognized All-America team.
* Over their 15 seasons in the Western Athletic Conference, 26 different Patriots have been named to the all-conference first-team.

### All-Americans

| Year | Position | Name | Team | Selector |
| 1980 | OF | Kevin Wilner | 3rd | NCAA |
| 2002 | OF | Ryan Kenning | 1st | NCBWA |
| 2002 | DH | Gabe Veloz | 1st | CB |
| 2003 | 1B | Billy Becher | 1st | NCBWA |
| 2003 | 1B | Billy Becher | 3rd | BA |
| 2004 | 1B | Billy Becher | 1st | NCBWA |
| 2004 | 1B | Billy Becher | 3rd | BA |
| 2009 | SS | Bryan Marquez | 1st | ABCA |
| 2009 | SS | Bryan Marquez | 2nd | NCBWA |
| 2016 | OF | Daniel Johnson | 3rd | ABCA |
| 2017 | C | Mason Fishback | 2nd | CB |
| 2018 | P | Jonathan Groff | 2nd | CB |
| 2019 | 2B | Nick Gonzales | 1st | ABCA |
| 2019 | 2B | Nick Gonzales | 1st | CB |
| 2019 | 2B | Nick Gonzales | 2nd | BA |
| 2019 | 2B | Nick Gonzales | 2nd | NCBWA |
| 2019 | SS | Joey Ortiz | 1st | CB |
| 2019 | SS | Joey Ortiz | 2nd | ABCA |
| 2019 | SS | Joey Ortiz | 2nd | NCBWA |
| 2019 | 1B | Tristan Peterson | 1st | CB |
| 2019 | 1B | Tristan Peterson | 3rd | NCBWA |
| 2019 | OF | Tristen Carranza | 2nd | NCBWA |
| 2019 | OF | Tristen Carranza | 3rd | ABCA |

### Freshman First-Team All-Americans

| Year | Position | Name | Selector |
| 2016 | P | Kyle Bradish | CB |

### Western Athletic Conference Player of the Year

| Year | Position | Name |
| 2016 | OF | Daniel Johnson |
| 2019 | SS | Joey Ortiz |

### Western Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year

| Year | Handedness | Name |
| 2018 | Left | Jonathan Groff |

### Western Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year

| Year | Position | Name |
| 2018 | 2B | Nick Gonzales |

### Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year

| Year | Position | Name |
| 2003 | 1B | Billy Becher |

### Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year

| Year | Position | Name |
| 2005 | 1B | Luke Hopkins |

### Sun Belt Conference Newcomer of the Year

| Year | Position | Name |
| 2003 | 1B | Billy Becher |
| 2004 | 2B | Xardiel Cotto |
Taken from the 2020 NMSU baseball media guide. Updated February 28, 2020.

## Aggies in the Major Leagues

| = All-Star | = Baseball Hall of Famer |
| Athlete | Years in MLB | MLB Teams |
| Jerry Hinsley | 1964, 1967 | New York Mets |
| Fernando Ramsey | 1992 | Chicago Cubs |
| Mark Acre | 1994–1997 | Oakland Athletics |
| Jason Rakers | 1998–2000 | Cleveland Indians, Kansas City Royals |
| Tyler Sturdevant | 2016 | Tampa Bay Rays |
| Joey Ortiz | 2023-present | Baltimore Orioles, Milwaukee Brewers |
Taken from the 2020 NMSU baseball media guide. Updated February 28, 2020.