Peerman's Power Rankings: 10 best things in New Mexico sports this week (April 14)

Apr. 14—Welcome to Peerman's Power Rankings (PPR), the 10 athletes, teams and story lines that have Journal sports editor Lucas Peerman's attention. Look for a new power rankings list every Sunday.

Have a suggestion, complaint or compliment? Email lpeerman@abqjournal.com or contact me on X @LucasPeerman.

10. Isotopes fans

The Albuquerque Isotopes are 3-12 and in last place in the Pacific Coast League. The team tried alternate identities this week — the Malmö Oat Milkers on Friday and the Mariachis de Nuevo Mexico on Saturday — but those unis didn't fool the Sugar Land Space Cowboys, who won both of those games on their way to a 5-1 record in Albuquerque. The Isotopes' aversion to winning doesn't keep fans from showing up, however. The ballclub averaged 5,424 fans in its first eight home games. The PCL teams with the best records are the Space Cowboys and Tacoma Rainiers. Those squads averaged 4,483 and 3,651 fans, respectively. The 5,300-plus Isotopes fans who showed up Sunday (after the team had lost eight straight) were rewarded with a 9-8 walk-off win over first-place Sugar Land.

9. Bronco Mendenhall's fastball

As is the case most years, the Isotopes' pitching is its weakest link. Maybe team executives can look across Avenida Cesar Chavez for some inspiration. The UNM football coach — also a former college centerfielder — took the mound for the ceremonial first pitch Thursday at Isotopes Park and delivered a bullet down the middle. Good stuff, coach.

8. UNM hitters

Speaking of UNM sports and baseball, the Lobo batsmen hit it out of the park, consistently. The problem is so do their opponents. The team is hitting .308 and leading the Mountain West in that category, but its team ERA of 8.50 is last in the league. The result is a 17-17 record and fourth place in the Mountain West. As of Saturday, Lobo slugger Jake Holland led the Mountain West in home runs (10) and was second in RBIs (38) in league games.

7. New Mexico Ice Wolves

The No. 4 seed in the South Division of the Robertson Cup playoffs, the Ice Wolves took care of business this past weekend, sweeping the fifth-seeded Amarillo Wranglers 2-0 at home. New Mexico's North American Hockey League squad advances to play the South's top team, the Lone Star Brahmas, who took three of four games from the Ice Wolves in the regular season and earned a bye into the second round of the playoffs. Game times have not yet been announced but will likely take place this coming weekend at the Brahmas' home arena in North Richland Hills, Texas, a Fort Worth suburb.

6. UNM tennis

The men's and women's teams continue to impress. The women defeated Wyoming 4-3 on Sunday to improve to 18-2 overall, 7-1 in the Mountain West. The men played two matches on Saturday — downing Air Force 7-0 in the afternoon and then overpowering in-state rival New Mexico State 4-0 in the evening — and now sit at 13-8 overall and 3-1 in conference play. Both teams have one more regular-season match before heading to Las Vegas for the Mountain West Tournament April 24-27.

5. Thursday Heroes

Each week, the UNM football program invests time into honoring a community member (usually a child with some sort of debilitating medical condition). These heroes attend practice and hang out with the team every Thursday. What can players learn from these meet-ups? How to battle, for one thing. Often, these little guys are in fights for their lives every single day. Also, it's a reminder that being able-bodied enough to play collegiate football should not be taken for granted. UNM should consider inviting all of its Thursday Heroes back to the stadium to be honored on the field during a game — no doubt worthy of an ovation louder than for any touchdown scored during the season.

4. Lovington powerlifting

The Wildcats are wild about their weight lifting. Powerlifting, a recently sanctioned high school sport in New Mexico, had its first state championships this weekend and Lovington boys and girls each won blue trophies. In the boys meet, only one Wildcat powerlifter won his weight class, but six had second-place finishes. In the girls meet, five Lovington athletes won championships. Wildcats senior Delaney Pack, the 4A winner in the girls 97-pound division, the previous week helped Lovington to the Class 4A co-ed cheerleading title, the Wildcats' sixth in a row. Not to worry, Delaney has proven she has the chops to carry around all those trophies.

3. Kevin Cuomo

Hailed as "the strongest kid in the state" by his coach, Weylin Proctor, this Eldorado powerlifter stole the show at this weekend's championships. Cuomo competes in the 198-pound division, the sixth heaviest in the state. Yet, his combined weight lifted in the squat, bench press and deadlift — 1,435 pounds — was more than any other competitor in any weight class. In fact, no one else even surpassed 1,400 total pounds. Cuomo said his goal was 1,500 pounds. He's only a junior, so that goal is quite attainable before he graduates.

2. Kathy Rodolph

New Mexico State's softball team improved to 24-17 overall and 10-5 in Conference USA (tied with Liberty for second place) after a home sweep of Florida International this weekend. But the real story was coach Rodolph, who amassed her 600th victory with the Aggies (600-522 at NMSU, 793-617 overall) on Friday in what may have been the most dramatic win of her career. FIU, down to its last strike, scored twice in the top of the seventh to take a 6-5 lead. In the bottom of the seventh. Aggies' freshman sensation Desirae Spearman came to the plate with two outs and no one on and earned a walk. Dezianna Patmon did the same. Devin Elam tied the game with a single to right field. Then, Riley Carley blasted a three-run homer to left center. 9-6 Aggies, ballgame.

1. Habtom Samuel

UNM's freshman phenom continues to generate intrigue. This weekend, he was in an "epic battle," according to The Stride Report, with Oklahoma State's Brian Musau as they raced neck-and-neck to the finish line in the 5,000 meters at the Bryan Clay Invitational in Azusa, California. Samuel crossed in 13:13.34 — the seventh fastest collegiate 5K ever. Musau won by a nose, crossing in 13:13.29 and posting the sixth fastest collegiate 5K. Two top 10 performances of all time? This has to be up for NCAA race of the year. Even though Samuel didn't win, his performance remains the top New Mexico sports accomplishment of the week.

Honorable mention

New Mexico United: A soccer stadium at Balloon Fiesta Park passed a hurdle this week when the city's Environmental Planning Commission approved the plans. There's still an appeals process and a full city council vote but the team is aiming to move into its new home in 2026.

Isaac Chew: Richard Pitino came to New Mexico three years ago and hired Chew on as an assistant coach. This week, Chew got a promotion (to associate head coach) and pay raise. "He will be a head coach very soon," Pitino said.

Tim Keller: Why does Albuquerque's mayor get a nod in PRR this week? For stating the obvious at a city-sponsored celebration of the Mountain West Tournament champion UNM men's basketball team: "I told these guys, they do more for city morale than almost anything we can do," he said.

End of the bench

NMSU football's spring game was April 6. Within a week, four top returning players — RBs Star Thomas and Jamoni Jones, QB/WR/TE Eli Stowers and LB Gabe Peterson — had entered the portal. Peterson, a defensive captain for last year's 10-win squad, said on social media, "With the recent changes at NMSU, I have decided I will be entering my name into the portal." It's extremely concerning that a player of Peterson's ability on the field, not to mention a person with his leadership qualities, went through spring practice and decided NMSU wasn't the place for him. Thomas, Jones and Stowers should have been among the team's leading rushers and receivers in 2024. Now, they're gone, too. Fans can hope these players were pushed out by newcomers with more talent but that's a faint hope. This is not good, Aggie fans. Not good at all.