Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
link Staff photo: Kevin Wilson
Clovis High junior shortstop Kurt Kelley throws to first base to get a Canyon baserunner during the third inning of Tuesday’s season opener at Bell Park. Kelley delivered a two-run single as the Wildcats opened their season with a 6-5 victory over the Eagles. The Cats face Cleveland and former CHS coach Shane Shallenberger in an 11 a.m. doubleheader on Saturday at Rio Rancho.
Sports writer
If Clovis High’s baseball program is to put together a strong season and postseason run, this would figure to be a good time to do it.
The Wildcats have a nice balance of seniors (nine) and juniors (seven), most with significant varsity experience, as they look to improve on last year’s 8-18 mark.
They got off to a good start on Tuesday, edging Canyon 6-5 at Bell Park in a game which had been added to the schedule several days earlier.
“With nine seniors, we expect a lot,” said first-year CHS coach Richard Cruce, himself a 1997 Clovis High grad. “It’s been an adjustment (for the players) as far as getting to know me and my expectations, but they’ve adjusted really well.”
The Cats hope to build around two experienced senior pitchers in Matt Lanier and Landon Williams, both right-handers, but they expect to be relatively deep on the mound with senior Antonio Hicks, the lone lefty, and junior Austin Adams.
Williams, who will play center field when not on the mound, said the seniors will be expected to step up.
“I think part of it is being a leader,” he said. “The seniors are going to have to step up, offensively and defensively. We just have to do our jobs.”
The win hopefully gives the Cats some momentum heading into an 11 a.m. Saturday doubleheader at Rio Rancho Cleveland, coached by former CHS coach Shane Shallenberger.
“Shane’s going to have a good group, but I think we have a pretty good group ourselves,” said Cruce, who played college ball for four years at West Texas A&M and has since been an assistant coach on that side of the state line at Levelland, Dumas and Amarillo High.
“Cleveland will be a good test, but I’m not used to losing a whole lot.”
Among the regulars returning are senior catcher Derik Kuykendall, juniors Kurt Kelley at shortstop and Keaton Greenwalt at second base. Seniors Jordan Holguin and Brody Edwards will see time at third base, with Hicks, senior Payton Casey and junior Gabriel Montoya at first base.
Lanier is ticketed for left field when not pitching, with Adams likely to play right when he’s not on the mound. Junior Joseph Ramos will be the team’s fourth outfielder and a candidate for designated hitter duties, Cruce said.
Williams said he thinks the Cats are ready to make strides from last season, and he and Lanier can be an effective 1-2 combo on the mound.
“We put in a lot of work over the summer, trying to get our arms stronger,” he said. “Both me and Matt threw lots of ’pens (bullpen sessions).”
Cruce said the Cats probably won’t threaten any home run records this season, but added the players are chomping at the bit. Now that it looks like the area may have gotten through the worst of the winter weather, the team is ready to get to work.
“My philosophy is to play small-ball,” he said. “I think that puts pressure on a defense.
“I like what we bring to the table, for sure. I think our mindset’s a lot better than it was two weeks ago.”
CHS SCHEDULE
March
3 — Canyon (W 6-5); 7 — at Rio Rancho Cleveland (2), 11 a.m .; 12-14 — at Roswell Invitational; 17 — Portales, 5 p.m .; 21 — at Roswell (2), 1 p.m .; 24 — Lovington, 5 p.m .; 26-28 — at Rio Rancho Invitational.
April
4 — at Frenship, noon; 10 — at Carlsbad (2), 4 p.m.-x; 14 — Hobbs (2), 4 p.m.-x; 17 — Alamogordo (2), 4 p.m.-x; 24 — Carlsbad (2), 4 p.m.-x; 28 — at Hobbs (2), 4 p.m.-x.
May
1 — at Alamogordo (2), 4:30 p.m.-x.
x-Denotes District 4-6A games. Coach: Richard Cruce (1st year). Assistants: Corey Adams, Drooper Greenwalt, Omar Sosa.
