T-Birds open season tomorrow

NEWS-SUN PHOTO Anthony Montoya pitches for the T-Birds during a road game last year. Montoya is expected to start one game while in Las Vegas, Nev., and to be one of NMJC's regular starting pitchers this season.

It might still be winter, but for the New Mexico Junior College baseball team, spring is in the air. This weekend, the Thunderbirds will open their 2018 season with four games in Las Vegas, Nev.

"The No. 1 reason we are going out there is so our Four Corners scouts can see our guys," NMJC skipper Jimmy Durham said. "Going to the Houston Tournament is a good tournament and good competition, but it doesn't benefit what guys come to junior college for and that is to be seen by their scouts and be evaluated. So, it is best that our scouts see the guys. (Las Vegas) is a good tournament too and good competition. There are teams there that have been to the World Series."

New Mexico Junior College will play one game on Friday, two games on Saturday, and one more game on Sunday. NMJC will go up against GateWay Community College on Friday, play both Yavapai College and Central Arizona College on Saturday. On Sunday, the T-Birds will battle College of Southern Nevada.

"This is the (very) first tournament of the year," Durham said. "We have a pretty good gap between this tournament and our next game."

The T-Birds bring back just two position players who started last year, Ryan Rijo and Jake Dickerson. Rijo hit .374 last season with 14 home runs and team-highs in doubles (26) and RBI (79). As for Dickerson, he hit .330 with seven homers, 17 doubles, seven triples, 41 RBI, and 12 stolen bases.

"I don't expect them to lead, I just expect them to perform," Durham said. "If they perform, they will be the leaders. They are both good guys and they do what they are supposed to do in the community and the dorms and on the field. They have work ethic and so, just by example being leaders, but more by their performance as much as anything. I really don't want a sophomore to feel he has to lead, I just want him to play."

Durham said he expects Rijo to start at first base again while Dickerson is in line to start in centerfield.

"The entire infield is new except for Rijo and the entire outfield is new except for Dickerson," Durham said. "We have some redshirts. Joaquin Ballesteros is back. He redshirted last year and Justice Jackson. They should do some things. They should get some time this year.

The T-Birds had 28 freshmen on the roster coming into the 2018 season.

Even with only four returning regulars, two of whom are pitchers, Durham isn't worried about losing so many players from last season.

"We were actively recruiting," Durham said. "Jake (McCarter) did a good job of it and Larry (Felix) helped too. We went after a lot of people and knew we were going to have to. We spent a lot of time on the recruit trail last year."

Heading into the team's games this weekend, Durham said he plans to use several different variations of lineups to see what works. As for the starting pitching, that will be a see who can do what during the first four games.

"I think you can safely say that "(Anthony) Montoya and (Chris) Jefferson will definitely get starts early in Las Vegas," Durham said. "They won't throw complete games by any stretch, because we are not up to that level of pitch count level."

On the mound, Durham said he has plenty of pitchers who can start. The two who are likely to start the season in the rotation are Anthony Montoya and Chris Jefferson. Montoya was 4-4 over 45 innings pitched last year. He had nine starts and struck out 54 while finishing with a 6.60 ERA. Jefferson pitched in nine games, but did not start. He was 2-2 over 19 innings of work with 18 strikeouts and a 3.32 ERA.

"There could be any number of six or seven guys," Durham said. "Montoya will be given a look early and Chris Jefferson. We will probably use (Tuck) Tucker, especially early to see what he can do. I don't know after that. Mark Barillas is from New York. He is a right-hander who I like and he could start for us as well. There are about six to seven guys I feel comfortable starting, but you can't start seven guys. I am going to have to come down to four and it may rotate and it may change over the course of the year."

The T-Birds will hold their home opener on Friday, February 16 when Trinidad State Junior College comes to Ray Birmingham Field for a 2 p.m. first pitch. The T-Birds and the Trojans will play a four game set over that weekend.

As for the Western Junior College Athletic Conference play, Durham believes the 10-team conference will be just as strong as in year's past. The T-Birds won't open their WJCAC schedule up March 9 and 10 when NMJC plays a home and home series with Western Texas College.

"I think the conference is going to be extremely strong," Durham said. "Howard has got a lot of arms and they are good. Odessa is going to be good again and Midland. … It is going to be a very competitive conference again."