Utah Advances With A 2-0 Upset Win Over New Mexico

The Utes will return to the diamond Thursday afternoon to face the top-seeded UNLV Rebels at 3 p.m.

Utah's Josh Cooper (Photos by Jaren Wilkey/MWC)
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May 25, 2005

Box Score

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah - The No. 5-seeded University of Utah baseball team rallied behind Josh Cooper's three-hit pitching performance as they upset the No.4-seeded New Mexico Lobos, 2-0, in the opening round of the MWC Baseball Championship Thursday at Franklin Covey Field in Salt Lake City.

The Utes up their record to 19-34 for the year and will return to the diamond Thursday afternoon to face the top-seeded UNLV Rebels at 3 p.m. The Lobos (25-31) face Air Force tonight at 7 p.m., after a 21-6 loss to San Diego State in the opening game of the tournament.

Utah had six hits on the day as Cooper (4-1) held the Lobos to three hits for the game. The Utes hung runs on the board in each the fourth and sixth innings to advance in the tournament.

The 2-0 victory marked the first shut out for the Utes this season and their first in almost a year. The two-hour affair was also the shortest game in MWC tourney history.

Joe Mozeleski got the Utes rolling in the fourth. He legged out a slow-roller to second for an RBI single. Jay Brossman scored from third. The insurance run came from Clayne Garrett's sixth inning solo home run to right field.

Cooper fanned three batters and walked two in the win, holding UNM hitless until the leadoff hitter in the fourth. Karsten Gaarder (3-8) took the loss for the Lobos. Brossman and Mozeleski led the way for the Utes with a pair of hits. They went 2-for-3 and 2-for-4, respectively.

Game No. 2 Notes
Today's game between Utah and New Mexico is the shortest game in MWC Tournament history at two hours even. The prior record for shortest MWC Tournament game was a 2:10 affair in San Diego, Calif., on May 16, 2001 (BYU 7, Air Force 1).

After losing in the opening round of the MWC Tournament four straight years (2000-03), Utah has now won two straight opening round MWC Tournament games, including today's win and last year's opening round win over BYU (10-4).

The No. 5 seed is now 4-2 all-time in opening round MWC Tournament games.

Utah recorded just six hits in today's win over New Mexico, setting the new MWC Tournament record for fewest hits by a winning team. New Mexico's three hits ties for the all-time MWC Tournament low (Utah vs. SDSU, 2004 - Air Force vs. SDSU, 2001.

Today's Utah vs. New Mexico contest marked the first time in MWC Tournament history that both pitchers tossed complete games. Utah's Josh Cooper allowed no runs on three hits, while striking out three. New Mexico's Karsten Gaarder allowed two runs on six hits, while fanning six.