Can slumping Aggies heat back up again?

There's no need to sugarcoat it — the Aggie baseball team isn't playing well.

Any time a team loses nine of 10 games — and the Aggies have done that going into Wednesday night's game against Cal-State Bakersfield — it doesn't look good.

Yes, their hopes at an NCAA Tournament at-large berth look dim.

Could the Aggies have a chance if they finish tied atop the regular-season standings going into WAC Tournament play next week? Perhaps. But, more realistically, the Aggies are going to have the win the WAC Tournament to get into postseason play. Simply put, you just can't lose nine of 10 down the stretch — including two of three at home to last-place Fresno State — and expect to hold that standing.

Can the Aggies win the WAC Tournament? It's not out of the question.

For one, their bats have been slumping ever since playing No. 1-ranked Baylor in late April, although broke out in their 12-10 extra-inning loss at UNM on Tuesday.

And that will be the key with NMSU — yes, their pitching has been better and their fielding hasn't been a strength — although this team's success is still largely predicated on their ability to hit, particularly with runners in scoring position. They do not use the running game to their advantage and they do not play small-ball — they have to swing the bats well to generate their big offensive numbers.

NMSU has slumped in past years down the stretch of the season although there is one difference — this year's team is not a bad one. They proved that earlier in the season when they were ranked in the Top-25. I do think it will be important that they break out this weekend at San Jose State, and going into the WAC tourney next week in Mesa, Ariz.

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