Region 5 is set up the exact same as Region 14 is. With 2 “Regionals” hosted by each side’s top seeds. The NTJCAC side will have the #1 and #3 From the North and the #2 and #4 from the West. The WJCAC side will have the #1 and #3 from the West and the #2 and #4 from the North
NTJCAC Final Standings
#1 McLennan 37-16 (24-7)
#2 Weatherford 36-18 (22-10)
#3 Temple 37-14 (20-11)
#4 Cisco 40-14 (19-13)
#5 Grayson 30-17 (18-14)
#6 Hill 30-20 (17-15)
#7 Ranger 15-39 (9-23)
#8 Vernon 19-33 (7-25)
#9 North Central Texas 17-32 (7-25)
WCJAC Final Standings
#1 Howard 37-11 (20-4)
#2 Midland 28-14 (18-6)
#3 Clarendon 30-20 (14-10) WCJAC Tournament Runner-Up
#4 Odessa 21-24 (11-13) WCJAC Tournament Champion
#5 Frank Phillips 28-26 (9-15)
#6 New Mexico Military 24-19 (8-16)
#7 Western Texas 14-31 (4-20)
NTCJAC Side
Game 1 – 1-Seed McLennan vs 4-Seed Clarendon
McLennan has had an interesting season but figured it out when they needed to. After starting the season hot they hit a slump after the Freeze that affected most of the midwest this season before winning 13 straight to finishing the season to claim the #1 seed. McLennan has been a team that has been able to win it both on the mound and at the plate. None of their numbers as a team jump off the table but they are ranked in the top 25 in many categories.
Projected Game 1 Starter –Logan Henderson – 6-2, 69.1 IP, 1.56 ERA, 116 K
Projected Game 3 or 4 Starter – Will Carsten (RHP) – 8-1, 56.1 IP, 3.51 ERA, 66 K
Top Bats
Dominic Tamez – C – .373/.433/.661, 11 HR, 54 RBI
Mason Greer – INF – .325/.383/.631, 15 HR, 52 RBI
Garrett Martin – SS – .348/.458/.723, 16 HR, 59 RBI
Clarendon has been an interesting team this year. Splitting Series with Howard, Weatherford, and Midland this season. Then going into the WCJAC Tournament and finishing runner-up to ODessa to take the 4-seed on this side. Clarendon is a team that if you are not on your toes has the potential to surprise some people. Much like McLennan they have had success on both sides of the team games. Nothing to crazy or jumping out on the page but can swing it and can pitch it when needed.
Projected Game 1 Starter – Alexis Saldano (RHP) – 5-3, 53.0 IP, 5.94 ERA, 47 K
Projected Game 3 or 4 Starter – Lilian Amoros (RHP) – 2-3, 47.1 IP, 5.51 ERA, 42 K
Top Bats
Kevin Bermudez – SS – .379/.485/.758, 13 HR, 67 RBI
JC Reed – OF – .415/.496/.596, 4 HR, 45 RBI
Leo Jiminian – OF – .416/.469/.665, 7 HR, 49 RBI
This will be the first matchup of these two teams this season.
Game 2 – 2-Seed Midland vs 3-Seed Temple
Midland has bounced back into a Region 5 Contener after they run back from 2012-2014. Finishing a few games back of 1st in the WCJAC. Midland has had wins over McLennan (1-1 on the season), Temple (1-2 on the Season), and Howard (2-4 on the season). The only series they last all season was to Howard which they lost 1-3. They split with Clarendon to wrap up the regular season.
Projected Game 2 Starter – Bo Blessie – 6-2, 44.2 IP, 5.04 ERA, 63 K
Projected Game 3 or 4 Starter – Jan Cabrra – 3-2, 48 IP, 5.81 ERA, 55 K
Top Bats
Tyler Wulfret – Utility – .383/.441/.617, 5 HR, 36 RBI
Garrett Williams – INF – .342/..445/.438, 1 HR, 34 RBI
Luke Bumpus – OF – .390/.447/.553, 3 HR, 38 RBI
Temple for anyone covering Junior College baseball this season has been one of the funnest ,yes I know that’s not a word, surprises in the state of Texas. When many people think of the NJCAC they think of McLennan and Grayson being the top dogs, Followed by Cisco and Weatherford and then there are the other guys. Temple was a very quiet but quick riser up the rankings this year. They finished the season on a sour note getting swept by McLennan which dropped them from the #1 Seed to the #3 Seed. But other than that they had two Back-to-Back losses all season, one to Weatherford in March and one to Grayson in April. Temple is a team that has averaged just over 8 runs a game and use speed to get things done. They sit at 5th in the country in triples with 28.
Projected Game 2 Starter – Nathan Medrano – 8-4, 71.0 IP, 2.54 ERA, 81 K
Projected Game 3 or 4 Starter – Ulises Quiroga – 9-1, 53 IP, 2.72 ERA, 74 K
Top Bats
Seth Stephenson – SS – .404/.460/.719, 9 HR, 45 RBI, 28 SB
Clark Henry – 3B – .384/.473/.609, 5 HR, 37 RBI,
Joseph Redfield – OF – .339/.410/.452, 32 RBI
They have played 3 times this season and Temple won the Season Series 2-1.
NTJCAC Side Prediction
I really think this is a 1-2 team Side. McLennan comes into the Weekend Hot. Temple Comes into the Weekend with a chip on their Shoulder. When it comes to who wins this side of the region i feel like it will be McLennan, however i feel like this will go all 7 games, With Mclennan winning the 1st Matchup in the 2nd round, Temple going through the Losers Bracket side, Winning the 1st Finals game but losing in the Second.
WCJAC Side
Game 1 – 1-Seed Howard vs 4-Seed Cisco
Howard has won the WCJAC for the first time under Current Head Coach Michael Lopez who took over the program in 2019. This season Howard started ranked in our top 50 and started to rise up the rankings each week. After a rough Tournament of Champions Start they turned things around and have put together a pretty impressive Resume. Only losing back to back games twice, Once at the Tournament of Champions to Navarro and McLennan, and once in March to Midland and Clarendon. Howard has been one of the highest Scoring teams in the country this year with 594 in total which has them ranked 4th. They also arguably have been arguably been one of the top hitting teams in the country with a team slash line of .392 (3rd in the country)/.510 (2nd in the country)/.633 (6th in the country). Not to be out done is their staff who has had one of the top strikeout pitchers in the country this year.
Projected Game 1 Starter – Kristopher Anglin (LHP) – 7-0, 60.2 IP, 4.01 ERA, 95 K
Projected Game 3 or 4 Starter – Ethan Coombes (RHP) – 8-1, 48.2 IP, 5.73 ERA, 76 K
Top Bats
Hunter Simmons – INF – .477 (5th in the country)/.586 (4th in the Country)/.671, 3 HR, 61 RBI
Calogero Paxia – INF – .460/.621/.701, 5 HR, 31 RBI
Wilson Galvan – OF – .410/.533/.720, 11 HR, 50 RBI
Once Cisco got to conference play is when they started to struggle. Outside of conference they wer 21-1. They have played great all season against lesser opponents but when it has been time to play the top dogs they have just fallen short. They, like Howard, are a very offensive heavy team with a team slash line of .384 (4th in the country)/.475 (8th in the country)/.627 (7th in the country).
Projected Game 1 Starter – Samuel Mendez – 6-1, 57.2 IP, 3.90 ERA, 98 K
Projected Game 2 Starter – Jon Barrera – 7-1, 48.2 IP, 6.84 ERA, 58 K
Top Bats
Carlos Contreras – .421/.462/.695, 10 HR, 52 RBI
Alec Carr – .409/.470/.727, 13 HR, 48 RBI
Roberto Gonzalez – .379/.460/.556, 2 HR, 41 RBI
This will be these two teams first matchup of the season.
Game 2 – 2-Seed Weatherford vs 3-Seed Odessa
When looking at this region Weatherford was the team you did not want on your side as a #1 Seed. Whether it was as a 2 or a 3 seed you knew you were in for a tough go. Weatherford has been on the fringe of our top 25 all season. With a huge series win over McLennan in April. They also did not lose a single conference Series which is impressive in its own right coming out of the NTJCAC. Nothing jumps off the paper from them which is probably the most scary thing about them. They have beaten teams with their bats and they have beaten teams with their arms. Coming into the tournament they swept the last two series in a very dominant way.
Projected Game 2 Starter – Adrian Siravo (RHP) – 8-2, 71.1 IP, 2.78 ERA, 98 K
Projected Game 3 or 4 Starter – Kade Bragg (LHP) – 4-3, 63.2 IP, 3.39 ERA, 84 K
Top Bats
Brenden Dixon – MIF – .338/.493/.637, 10 HR, 39 RBI
Brett Brown – Utility – .328/.415/.567, 9 HR, 56 RBI
Jaco Buerrero – OF – .301/.356/.497, 8 HR, 46 RBI
Odessa started the season with a lot of hype behind them but just came out of the gates slow, getting swept in the tournament of champions and then never getting back on their feet the rest of the season. They got in by winning the WCJAC Tournament. They have solid hittin core and arms that when good have been lights out.
Projected Game 2 Starter – Chandler David (RHP) – 2-1, 55 IP, 4.42 ERA, 80 K
Projected Game 3 or 4 Starter – Marshall Wales (LHP) – 2-1, 54.1 IP, 5.13 ERA, 52 K
Top Bats
Lennin Ashby – OF – .372/.473/.647, 10 HR, 40 RBI
Trevor Hatton – OF – .370/.405/.705, 9 HR, 48 RBI
Sean Stephens – INF – .360/.449/.529, 4 HR, 30 RBI
WCJAC Side Prediction
This side is much harder to try and predict who will come out of it. But i feel like it is going to be a 2 man race again on this side. Howard and Cisco will score about 30 combined runs but howard will come out on top in game 1. Weatherford will shut down Odessa in game 2. Howard and Weatherford will play a tight one in game 3 but Howard will edge them out. Cisco comes into Odessa and scores a boatload of runs. Weatherford then beats cisco in the final of the losers bracket. And Howard will take home this side in a game 6 over weatherford due to playing at home and being rested.