The Colt baseball team won their final regular-season home game against Tucumcari on Tuesday, 15-1, to move to 20-3 overall and 11-2 in district.
They've got two more district games left, both at Ruidoso on Saturday, prior to the start of the 2023 NMAA Class 3A State Championships, which begins next week.
NMMI made short work of the Rattlers, plating 11 runs in the first two innings.
Senior Miguel Rivera got the start on the mound for the Colts giving up no runs, earned or otherwise, for two innings. Fellow seniors Bailey Mego and Gentry Caplan combined to close out the last three stanzas.
Despite the 15-run tally, the Colts managed just eight hits, led by Caplan’s 2-for-4 performance at the plate.
“Right now we’re tied [with Sandia Prep] for district,” said NMMI head coach Brad Blackwell. “But they’ve got the head-to-head against us in the three-game series. We need to definitely take two on Saturday vs. Ruidoso. Then, hopefully, we’ll be seeded as one of the top three teams in the state – and those seedings come out Sunday.”
If the Colts are selected as one of the top-four teams in Class AAA, they’ll receive a first-round bye and head up to Albuquerque for the quarterfinals on May 11.
If lower than the fourth-seed, which seems unlikely due to sitting atop the AAA standings, they would play a first-round best-of-three series on May 5th & 6th at the higher-seed’s home park.
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The four Colt seniors on the New Mexico Military Institute high school baseball team were honored prior to the Tucumcari game.
Senior Bailey Mego has played just about every position of the field this season for the Colts with an .810 fielding percentage. He’s also been solid at the plate with a .367 batting average and a .519 on-base percentage.
Senior Gentry Caplan has developed into NMMI’s starter at second base with just one error in 41 total chances this season, along with a .385 batting average and .590 slugging percentage.
Senior Sergio Gonzales has split time at both in the outfield and at first base this season. Gonzales typically hits in the ninth-spot on the lineup card, but is another above .300 hitter for the Colts (.368 to be exact) and has scored an impressive 29 runs.
Miguel Rivera boasts a 6-0 record on the mound for the Colts, along with two saves. When he’s not pitching, the 6’1” senior is a big target at first base. Rivera’s offense is among the team’s best: .409 avg, 34 RBIs, 36 runs scored, five HRs and an outstanding .879 slugging percentage.
“I’m glad that we got to recognize our seniors,” finished coach Blackwell. “Those guys put a lot of time and effort in, both on the field and off. There’re just a good group of hardworking players – we’ll definitely miss those guys in the future.”