Metro teams have Carlsbad in cross hairs
Rio Rancho among top squads aiming for 6A baseball title
Carlsbad is generally defined as the standard in Class 6A baseball this season, and if that proves true, the logical next step is to figure which team from the metro area could stop them from repeating as state champion.
La Cueva, Rio Rancho, Volcano Vista and Cleveland are on that list of prominent contenders as the 2017 season begins in earnest Tuesday.
The Rams as usual will face some sturdy challenges inside District 1-6A, which
was already’s New Mexico’s best district, even before Piedra Vista, a formidable program, joined the group.
“The best by far,” Rio Rancho coach Ron Murphy said. It isn’t just his opinion. The district had three of the final four in the state tournament last year.
The Rams, who lost a 2-1, nine-inning thriller to Carlsbad in the final, are fielding their youngest team since the school’s championship season of 2009.
“I don’t think there will be a lot of growing pains with the freshmen we have,” Murphy said. On Thursday, he earned his 500th career victory, vs. El Paso Coronado. He will be honored Tuesday at the Rams’ home opener against Eldorado.
“We may start out a little slow,” Murphy said, “but I think we have the capabilities to be better than we were last year.”
Rio Rancho is going to face all sorts of pushback, perhaps most prominently from Volcano Vista, which has 13 seniors returning. The Hawks lost to Carlsbad in the semifinals, a game Volcano led at one
point by five runs.
“I’m really excited about this team,” Hawks coach Kevin Andersh said. “These guys have a chance to be special.”
Cleveland, which also reached the semifinals, continues to churn out one solid season after another under coach Shane Shallenberger. Big righty Jack Murano and the coach’s son, Treston Shallenberger, are two key players.
“I like this team,” the coach said. “If we can put the ball in play, we’ll have a chance.”
Shallenberger is one of several outstanding shortstops at the 6A level in the metro area this year. Garrett Gouldsmith of Rio Rancho (who has signed with New Mexico) might be the best of the group, and La Cueva’s Jack Pineda is another to watch.
La Cueva also will be very much in the hunt for a blue trophy.
“We’re like a lot of people,” coach Gerard Pineda said. “If our pitching develops, we should have a chance.”
La Cueva has the arms and bats — and infield defense — to threaten to win a state title, and the versatile Bears surely open the year as the favorites in District 2-6A.
At Eldorado, former Volcano Vista assistant coach Reid Figiel, a La Cueva graduate, has taken over from the retired Jim Johns.
“We’re gonna go out and compete with everyone for state. We’ve set high, realistic expectations,” Figiel said.
Manzano and new coach Tim Campos probably are not yet ready to topple La Cueva and Eldorado in 2-6A, but the Monarchs’ Mitchell Parker, a live-arm junior left-hander, is already shaping up to be a major player in the amateur draft of 2018.
Sandia lost most of its lineup to graduation, so the Matadors — who do feature some promising left-handed pitching — may have some work to do to catch the rest of the pack in 2-6A.
With Johns retired, Orlando Griego at Rio Grande is the metro coach with the most consecutive seasons at one school. He starts his 22nd season with the Ravens, who have had to retool their pitching staff but are usually the team to beat in District 4-6A.
“We’ll compete for a district championship,” Griego said. “That’s what we expect. I think we’ll look like the team we want to be.”
Valley’s two pitching studs, Isaiah Chavez and especially lefty Daniel Romero-Martinez, who’s got a 90-mph fastball, could help the Vikings reverse a terrible 2016 season.
Albuquerque High felt it should have been a playoff team last year. The Bulldogs believe a strong offense can help them get there this spring. Atrisco Heritage also is trying to get back to the postseason, but it lost a handful of impact athletes.
CLASS 5A: St. Pius and veteran coach Marc Hilton are coming off an excellent 2016 campaign (losing to Centennial in the state semis), and the Sartans have one of 5A’s most electric 1-2 pitching combos in righty Mitch Buffett and lefty Ryan McGaha.
“Our mentality is to take care of unfinished business,” Hilton said.
Del Norte is coming off a rare playoff berth, but the Knights likely have to go through 2-5A favorite Albuquerque Academy this spring.
The Chargers boast a tremendous leadoff man in veteran middle infielder Jon Saiz — possibly the most dangerous base runner at any metro school — and they hope they have enough pitching to challenge St. Pius and others by May.
“The goal is for us to get back to where we were two years ago,” Academy coach Andy Williams said. His Chargers were state champs two years ago.
The trio of schools from Valencia County are in a new district, and all chasing St. Pius. Valencia and Belen both fell in the first round at state last season.
“It’s going to be a very competitive district,” Belen coach Steve Contreras said.
CLASS 4A: Sandia Prep is the defending state champion, but the Sundevils were ravaged by graduation, leaving longtime coach Paul Huitt with a largely young and untested lineup.
Senior Joe Martinez, who plays outfield and is a top-notch lefty pitcher, is a notable exception. Martinez has been integral in Sandia Prep capturing state in each of the past two seasons. “It’s gonna be a matter of how those young guys develop,” Huitt said. “We probably have more question marks than usual.”
Moriarty and Bernalillo are down from 5A and hoping this move suits their needs, and Hope Christian has another play off caliber roster.