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Cleveland Indians’ Daniel Johnson, a former New Mexico State Aggie, points to the crowd after hitting a solo home run against the Oakland Athletics during the seventh inning of a baseball game Sunday, July 18, 2021, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
OAKLAND, Calif. – Daniel Johnson made some personal history on Sunday, hitting his first major league homer and helping the Cleveland Indians beat the Oakland 4-2.
It looks like Johnson also made some history for his old school.
The New Mexico State alumnus is thought to be the first former Aggie to have homered in a big league game. Baseball-reference.com lists him as one seven former New Mexico State players to have reached the big leagues, none of whom has been credited with a home run. Until Sunday.
He hit 3-pointers. Lots of them.
Mathis was one of two players on Thursday night to advance in the Wichita Regional’s 3-point contest that is part of the 64-team, $1 million winner-take-all The Basketball Tournament (TBT).
He competes Aug. 1 as part of the TBT final four on ESPN with seven other players for a chance to win $33,333.
And Mathis hoping he won’t be alone.
He and a roster of fellow former Lobos – The Enchantment – begin their journey toward that same Final Four and beyond in the single-elimination TBT on Saturday night against the Stillwater Stars – a team comprised primarily of Oklahoma State alumni.
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Kenny Thomas, right, embraces Anthony Mathis Thursday at Bosque School as the two UNM alumni are preparing for Sunday’s Lobos-on-Lobos exhibition basketball game at the Pit. (Roberto E. Rosales/Albuquerque Journal)
Brandon Mason’s text message on Friday afternoon read like a cry for help.
“I can’t walk. Played 2 games. I’m hurting bad.”
Mason, the 39-year-old former New Mexico State Aggie player and UNM Lobos assistant coach, among numerous other playing and coaching stops through the years, is setting up for the third time a mid-summer Lobo hoops alumni all-star event, which will be played Sunday in the Pit.
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PHOENIX – Leadoff hitter Cameryn O’Grady tripled and belted a home run for New Mexico in its first game Saturday.
And that’s about all the good that can be said for Lobo softball.
UNM fell 33-4 in five innings to No. 2 Oklahoma, then absorbed a 10-0, six-inning loss to host Grand Canyon to fall to 1-9 on the season.
The 33-4 score in the loss to Oklahoma is correct. The Sooners stroked 28 hits in just four innings against a quartet of New Mexico pitchers, who also walked 10 Sooner batters. Oklahoma scored seven runs in the first, third and fourth innings and 12 in the third.