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Mar. 27—Jordy Oriach
Mountain West rankings
Batting average .413 1st
Slugging .837 1st
Hits 38 1st
Doubles 11 1st
Home runs 8 T-1st
Total bases 77 1st
Runs scored 27 2nd
RBIs 31 2nd
On-base percentage .500 2nd
At 6-feet, 5-inches and 225 pounds, Jordy Oriach knows he tends to stand out in a crowd.
He also knows the inevitable question is coming: Do you play basketball?
"Oh, all the time," Oriach said with a laugh. "People see my height and assume I'm on the basketball team. They raise their eyes when I say I'm on the baseball team."
In terms of sheer size, Oriach fits in reasonably well among his University of New Mexico baseball teammates. More than 20 Lobos (most of them pitchers) stand 6-feet or taller, with first baseman Gene Trujillo and pitcher Josh Barnhouse topping the list at 6-6.
But in terms of production, Oriach has separated himself. The sweet-swinging, left-handed junior from Haverhill, Massachusetts is enjoying a monster start to his UNM career.
Heading into this weekend's home series against Air Force, Oriach leads the Mountain West in hits, batting average, slugging percentage, doubles, home runs and total bases. In the outfielder/designated hitter ranks, he's second in on-base percentage, RBIs and runs scored.
All of this came as news to Oriach, who says he pays little or no attention to individual stats during the baseball season. He is aware that UNM (13-11, 4-2 MWC) goes into Friday night's series opener against Air Force tied for the lead in a tightly-bunched conference race.
"My goals are just to produce," Oriach said. "I just want to win, help this team win a Mountain West championship and play in a (NCAA) Regional. That's what I care about. I'll look at stats when the season's over."
Oriach came by his genuine love for baseball naturally, growing up 30 miles north of Boston as part of a family of Red Sox fans. He tried his hand at basketball during middle school, but found the sport didn't suit his talents or his passion.
"My dad got me into baseball when I was four years old," Oriach said. "We're Dominican, so of course baseball's a huge thing. I was always way better at baseball than I was at basketball anyway, so it was pretty easy to pick one sport."
Oddly, Oriach did not have many college opportunities coming out of high school, and he opted to take a gap year before getting back into the game. He ended up signing with Frank Phillips College in Borger, Texas, 50 miles northeast of Amarillo and — from Oriach's perspective — roughly a million miles from Boston.
"It was super culture shock," he said. "It's a small town, I'm used to a big city, and there's absolutely nothing out there. But I'm kind of a shy person and the whole thing really worked out. Baseball is what I focused on and it eventually led me here."
Oriach put together two outstanding seasons at Frank Phillips, earning a trip to the 2024 NJCAA Texas-New Mexico All-Star Game in Dallas. UNM assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Matt Risdon was in the stands and Oriach, as usual, stood out.
"Matt liked his swing right away," Lobos head coach Tod Brown said. "We started looking at video on him and one of the first things we noticed was that he hits the ball to all fields. He's not just a pull hitter, high-strikeout guy like a lot of big sluggers. This guy can really hit."
Risdon and Brown convinced Oriach to pack up his bat, move to Albuquerque — another place he'd never been — and become a Lobo. So far, New Mexico has been a good fit.
"I love it here," Oriach said. "I love the Hispanic culture, I love the food, I'm having a great time."
Oriach also has made himself at home at Santa Ana Star Field, where he enjoys the spacious outfield and high altitude from a hitter's perspective. Oriach made several appearances in the outfield early this season but has since settled in as the Lobos' primary designated hitter.
It's a new role for Oriach, but one he's beginning to enjoy. It allows him to focus on hitting and the one statistical race that Oriach admits matters to him.
Oriach goes into Friday's game in a three-way tie for the MWC lead in home runs. Oriach, UNLV's Dean Toigo and UNM's Josh McAlister have smacked eight homers apiece.
As it turns out, Oriach and McAlister are roommates, and they're engaging in friendly competition to lead the Lobos in home runs.
"We've been going back and forth all season. It's crazy," said Oriach, who belted his eighth homer Tuesday against Grand Canyon — one inning after McAlister blasted his eighth. "We push each other and we're both producing so it's really a lot of fun. But when Josh hits one, I feel like I have to hit one. I can't get beat in homers by someone on my own team."
Continue reading...
Mountain West rankings
Batting average .413 1st
Slugging .837 1st
Hits 38 1st
Doubles 11 1st
Home runs 8 T-1st
Total bases 77 1st
Runs scored 27 2nd
RBIs 31 2nd
On-base percentage .500 2nd
At 6-feet, 5-inches and 225 pounds, Jordy Oriach knows he tends to stand out in a crowd.
He also knows the inevitable question is coming: Do you play basketball?
"Oh, all the time," Oriach said with a laugh. "People see my height and assume I'm on the basketball team. They raise their eyes when I say I'm on the baseball team."
In terms of sheer size, Oriach fits in reasonably well among his University of New Mexico baseball teammates. More than 20 Lobos (most of them pitchers) stand 6-feet or taller, with first baseman Gene Trujillo and pitcher Josh Barnhouse topping the list at 6-6.
But in terms of production, Oriach has separated himself. The sweet-swinging, left-handed junior from Haverhill, Massachusetts is enjoying a monster start to his UNM career.
Heading into this weekend's home series against Air Force, Oriach leads the Mountain West in hits, batting average, slugging percentage, doubles, home runs and total bases. In the outfielder/designated hitter ranks, he's second in on-base percentage, RBIs and runs scored.
All of this came as news to Oriach, who says he pays little or no attention to individual stats during the baseball season. He is aware that UNM (13-11, 4-2 MWC) goes into Friday night's series opener against Air Force tied for the lead in a tightly-bunched conference race.
"My goals are just to produce," Oriach said. "I just want to win, help this team win a Mountain West championship and play in a (NCAA) Regional. That's what I care about. I'll look at stats when the season's over."
Oriach came by his genuine love for baseball naturally, growing up 30 miles north of Boston as part of a family of Red Sox fans. He tried his hand at basketball during middle school, but found the sport didn't suit his talents or his passion.
"My dad got me into baseball when I was four years old," Oriach said. "We're Dominican, so of course baseball's a huge thing. I was always way better at baseball than I was at basketball anyway, so it was pretty easy to pick one sport."
Oddly, Oriach did not have many college opportunities coming out of high school, and he opted to take a gap year before getting back into the game. He ended up signing with Frank Phillips College in Borger, Texas, 50 miles northeast of Amarillo and — from Oriach's perspective — roughly a million miles from Boston.
"It was super culture shock," he said. "It's a small town, I'm used to a big city, and there's absolutely nothing out there. But I'm kind of a shy person and the whole thing really worked out. Baseball is what I focused on and it eventually led me here."
Oriach put together two outstanding seasons at Frank Phillips, earning a trip to the 2024 NJCAA Texas-New Mexico All-Star Game in Dallas. UNM assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Matt Risdon was in the stands and Oriach, as usual, stood out.
"Matt liked his swing right away," Lobos head coach Tod Brown said. "We started looking at video on him and one of the first things we noticed was that he hits the ball to all fields. He's not just a pull hitter, high-strikeout guy like a lot of big sluggers. This guy can really hit."
Risdon and Brown convinced Oriach to pack up his bat, move to Albuquerque — another place he'd never been — and become a Lobo. So far, New Mexico has been a good fit.
"I love it here," Oriach said. "I love the Hispanic culture, I love the food, I'm having a great time."
Oriach also has made himself at home at Santa Ana Star Field, where he enjoys the spacious outfield and high altitude from a hitter's perspective. Oriach made several appearances in the outfield early this season but has since settled in as the Lobos' primary designated hitter.
It's a new role for Oriach, but one he's beginning to enjoy. It allows him to focus on hitting and the one statistical race that Oriach admits matters to him.
Oriach goes into Friday's game in a three-way tie for the MWC lead in home runs. Oriach, UNLV's Dean Toigo and UNM's Josh McAlister have smacked eight homers apiece.
As it turns out, Oriach and McAlister are roommates, and they're engaging in friendly competition to lead the Lobos in home runs.
"We've been going back and forth all season. It's crazy," said Oriach, who belted his eighth homer Tuesday against Grand Canyon — one inning after McAlister blasted his eighth. "We push each other and we're both producing so it's really a lot of fun. But when Josh hits one, I feel like I have to hit one. I can't get beat in homers by someone on my own team."
Continue reading...
