Melrose cruises to state baseball crown

The Melrose Buffaloes had a season so dominant, it’s a shocker that Friday was the first time the school played for a baseball championsihp.

The Buffs are 1-0 on the big stage now, as they capped a 14-1 season with a 12-0 win over fourth-seeded McCurdy in Friday’s Class 1-2A championship at the University of New Mexico’s Lobo Field.

Under Caleb King, who came on board as an assistant in 2014 before ascending to the top job this season, the Buffaloes started and ended the season on seven-game winning streaks, sandwiching an 11-6 loss to Magdalena, which was seeded No. 1 ahead of the Buffaloes.

With the Steers upset in the first round, there wasn’t much competition left for the Buffaloes, who outscored Jemez Valley, Logan and McCurdy by a 33-2 count.

In total, the Buffaloes outscored the opposition 178-58 over the season.