The New Mexico State baseball team kept their regular season championship hopes alive with a 3-1 victory over San Jose State in the opening game of the final regular season conference series. Junior catcher Zac Fisher finished the day 2-for-4 driving in all three Aggie runs the night finishing with an RBI single in the top of the first inning and a two-run home run in the top of the third. The three runs were all starting ace Ryan Beck needed as he pitched seven and two-thirds innings allowing just three hits including a solo home run. Senior closer Scott Coffman pitched an inning and a third picking up his seventh save of the season.

The Aggies got on the board early as Bryan Karraker continued his hot hitting with a one-out double and came in to score on a Fisher single. Parker Hipp doubled in the third inning and Fisher picked up two more RBIs when he belted a home run over the right field fence against the prevailing winds.

The Aggie defense was sterling as they turned a double play in the fourth inning to get out of a first and third jam and Aggie shortstop Bryce Griffin delivered a heads up play in the sixth to squelch a San Jose State scoring threat as he fielded a ground ball and threw out the lead runner who had attempted to advance to third on the play.

With the victory the Aggies improve to 33-20 overall and 9-7 in league play and move to within a game of first place behind Nevada.

The Aggies continue their series with the Spartans on Saturday afternoon as the two teams will take the field for a 2:00 p.m. (MDT) first pitch.