News
Homestands on tap for Riders
Luna baseball to host Trinidad State; road swing continues for Luna softball
By Dave Kavanaugh/Luna Community College
For the Luna Community College baseball team, it’s time for a little home cooking.
The Luna softball team will have to wait just a little longer for that.
The Rough Riders and head coach T.C. Nusser are scheduled to host Trinidad State Junior College this weekend, beginning a seven-game homestand in the Meadow City. It starts with a doubleheader at noon Saturday, March 12, at Brandt Park on the New Mexico Highlands University campus. The TSJC series wraps up with a single nine-inning contest at 1 p.m. Sunday, March 13.
The following weekend, Luna (3-23) hosts Western Nebraska Community College; twinbills begin at noon both Saturday and Sunday, March 19-20.
Milo Behrens (.358 batting average, 19 total hits), Kobe Carpio (14 runs batted in), Ashton Whiteaker (three home runs), Keokoa Ogawa (12 walks) have been among the Rough Riders’ offensive leaders. Ryan Clark’s 35 strikeouts and Diego Quinonez’s 0.60 earned run average have highlighted the Riders’ pitching staff. The team dropped four (9-0, 2-1, 4-1, 10-2) at Southeast (Neb.) Community College over the weekend.
Trinidad State is 16-6 overall, having won a four-game series finale vs. McCook after having lost the first three of the series. Erick Ordonez (.463 batting average, 28 RBI, 31 total hits) and Cesar Saavedra (32 hits, seven steals) are among the Trojans’ leaders. Isaac Gallegos (4-1) has been exemplary with a 1.24 ERA and 51 strikeouts.
Luna softball (2-16) continues a lengthy segment of road games with a weekend trip to Colorado. The Rough Riders and first-year head coach Randall Krutsch are scheduled to visit Otero Junior College on Saturday and Sunday, March 12-13. Doubleheaders begin at noon each day.
After the Otero series, Luna is due to play at Midland Junior College for a twinbill beginning at 1 p.m. Wednesday, March 16, in Midland, Texas. The team makes a much-anticipated return to Las Vegas for a homestand beginning March 19.
Luna has been led statistically by Shelby Cordova (19 total hits), Jenai Santa (.500 batting average), Victoria Gonzales (two home runs, eight runs batted in), Lexi Johnson (eight RBI), Mya Ortega (three steals), Valaree Manzanares (six strikeouts) and Madelyn Johnson (3.94 earned run average). The Riders lost to Otero 5-0, Western Nebraska 26-4, McCook 7-4 and Northeastern 12-6 this past weekend at the Region IX Showcase, a round-robin event in McCook, Neb. The scheduled third day of the event, Saturday, March 5, was cancelled due to inclement weather.
Otero is 10-12 and has won back-to-back games. The Rattlers are hitting .429 as a team and have won four of their last six.
Midland (15-3) is riding an eight-game win streak. Zoey DeBaca (37 hits, 13 doubles, four home runs; 4-1 record as a pitcher with a 2.92 ERA) has been a dual threat.