Baseball | 4/25/2015 7:39:00 AM
LAS VEGAS, N.M. – It will be a very busy weekend for the New Mexico Highlands baseball team (17-22, 11-18 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) as it battles nationally-ranked CSU-Pueblo (34-9, 24-7 RMAC). The Thunderwolves are ranked 11th by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and 13th by collegiate baseball newspaper.
Live statistics for all games can be found by clicking
here while live video will be available by clicking
here. Let the Good Times Roll It will be a very busy weekend as both softball and baseball will be home. The baseball team will play a single, nine-inning game Friday (April 24) at 3 p.m. On Saturday (April 25), Highlands will play two, seven-inning contests beginning at 1 p.m. However, make sure you come out early as the baseball program will honor the 11 seniors shortly before the contest.
Finally on Sunday (April 26) before the nine-inning game beginning at noon, the New Mexico Highlands Athletic Department will honor the Subway-Highlands Athlete of the Year before the game. A winner was chosen among the many athletes who received Subway Athlete of the Week honors throughout the season. The student-athlete recipient and the son of manager of the Las Vegas Subways will throw out the first pitch.
New Mexico Highlands athletics would like to thank Regina DeNardo of Subway for her continued support of Cowboys and Cowgirls athletics during the 2014-2015 school year.
Celebrating the Seniors On Saturday before the doubleheader, the baseball team and the athletic department will recognize 11 seniors for all of their contributions:
Matthew Chavez, Omar Garcia, Nick Gonzales, Morgan McCasland, EJ Stanton, Joe Cervantes, Mike Sordia, Andrew Ratterman, Colby Wilmer, Jordan Hicks and
Zach Settles.
"It is a pretty good group. I enjoy being around those guys as there a lot of fun," Head Coach
Shannon Hunt said. "They have a pretty good nature about them as they have handled a pretty tough year. Last year, they were a bunch of hungry juniors and they got cut short. They were on the verge of doing something special. I think the character of the seniors have made this a good year as they are fun guys to be around.
"I think they will be successful people after college. Just take a look at the GPAs these guys have. Academically, they are very strong and they seem to enjoy being around each other. I think it will carry over to whatever career field they choose," Hunt added.
Chavez, who was named to the Capital One Academic All-America as selected by CoSIDA First Team last season, currently leads the conference and is 38th in the nation in doubles (16). Chavez is also second in the RMAC in slugging percentage (.652), fifth in home runs (six), seventh in on-base percentage (.473) and eighth in hits (52). He was named Second Team All-District by both Daktronics and by the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) while also being unanimously selected to the All-Conference First Team in 2014 after leading the team in batting average.
In his only season with the Cowboys, Garcia has made his mark offensively for the Cowboys. He is currently second on the team with a .362 batting average and doubles (15). He also leads the team with 38 RBI's and home runs (eight, third in the RMAC).
A 2014 Second Team All-Conference selection, Gonzales is third on the team in 2015 with a .338 average. Against nationally-ranked West Texas A&M on Feb. 21, he hit the game-winning double in the bottom of the 10th.
Morgan McCasland has caught, pitched and been a designated hitter for the Cowboys in 2015. He co-leads the team and is third in the conference with eight home runs this season. A First Team All-Conference and an Honorable Mention All-District Catcher by the NCBWA in 2014, he led the RMAC in runners caught stealing (23) that season.
Stanton has seen increased playing time this season, mostly behind the plate and is on a seven-game hitting streak (and has a hit in 10-of-11 games). He co-leads the team in triples and has thrown out 60 percent of his base runners this season.
Cervantes is one of only three Cowboys who has started every game for the Cowboys in 2015. He is third on the team in both doubles (12) and home runs (6).
Sordia has appeared in 26 games for the Cowboys and has seven hits and six RBI's. His lone home run came last season against Lubbock Christian.
A First Team All-Conference performer in 2014, Ratterman earned Second Team All-District honors from the ABCA while leading the team in hits and RBI's while finishing second in batting average. He also had a 23-game hitting streak in 2014. This season, he co-leads the team with three triples and is fourth on the team with seven doubles, having started all 39 games this season.
Wilmer, who finished third on the team last season in batting average but led the team with seven triples, made a splash in 2015 in game one. In his first game of the season, he went 3-for-4 with a career-best six RBI's.
In his career, Hicks has appeared in 12 games the last two seasons and has no decisions. In his most recent outing, he held the opposition scoreless in an inning pitched in a 9-6 Highlands victory.
Finally, Settles has appeared in 23 games on the mound with two starts. He holds a 3-3 record in his career with a pair of saves. In his first appearance in a Highlands uniform, he got a three-inning save in a big win against Lubbock Christian.
Next Up After the series, the Cowboys conclude the regular season at Regis in Denver, Colorado, next Friday and Saturday (May 1-2).
