Preview: Amarillo College heads to New Mexico JC for 6th WJCAC series
A pair of top four teams in the Western Junior College Athletic Conference will square off this Friday and Saturday in Hobbs when Amarillo College matches up with New Mexico Junior College.
Amarillo College (22-13, 11-9) has maintained control of its postseason destiny through five conference series this season via an 11-9 WJCAC record. The mark has the Badgers tied for fourth place in the conference standings entering this week.
New Mexico Junior College, the defending WJCAC regular season champion, is tied for first place in the conference with Midland College.
The Thunderbirds (28-10, 16-4) have won four consecutive conference series after beginning the WJCAC slate with a series split against New Mexico Military Institute, which is third in the conference standings.
NMJC has claimed wins in 14 of its past 16 outings, including sweeps versus Clarendon College and Frank Phillips College. Their past two series have resulted in 3-1 victories over El Paso Community College and Western Texas College.
The Badgers and Thunderbirds have three common conference opponents through April 5. AC has a 6-6 record against those opponents (El Paso CC, Frank Phillips College, Western Texas College) while NMJC has a 10-2 record.
Matchup insight
Two of the nation’s top sluggers at the NJCAA D-I level and the WJCAC home run leaders will square off when AC and NMJC cross paths.
Returning WJCAC MVP and NMJC sophomore Brent Iredale has 19 home runs this season after hitting 17 a season ago. The Arkansas University baseball signee’s home run total in 2024 ranks second in NJCAA D-I.
Amarillo College first baseman Grant Watkins enters this weekend’s series with 15 home runs – tied for the 10th highest mark in the country.
The home run totals rank first and second in the conference. Also, the sluggers rank first and second in the WJCAC for slugging percentage – Iredale (1.008), Watkins (.785).
New Mexico Junior College leads the conference in home runs (62) and is second in slugging percentage (.614). Amarillo College is tied for second in the HR department (59) and has the fourth-highest slugging percentage (.594).
The Badgers batting average (.350) is tied for the third-highest mark in the WJCAC.
Eight AC batters have a .350 average or higher through 38 games this spring. The group includes Chris Benavidez (.402), Sydney Ward (.400), Cam Saleh (.400), Gerardo Prado (.394), David De Hoyos (.393), Payton Bush (.374), Luis Gonzalez (.368), and Watkins (.361).
On the mound, the Thunderbirds have the lowest ERA (4.11) and WHIP (1.22) in the conference.
Freshman right-handed pitchers Brayan Orrantia and Cade Smith have started nine games apiece – a team-high mark. Orrantia has a team-best 3.38 ERA out of the T-Bird starters.
Smith sports a 1.28 WHIP – the second-best mark for T-Bird starters.
In the conference, AC ranks third in ERA (6.05), fourth in WHIP (1.81), and third in strikeouts per nine innings (10.24).
Bret Deegan and Duncan Bowles have started nine games each for the Badgers. Deegan has a 7-2 record while Bowles has a 6-1 record.
The duo have the most combined wins in the conference this season.
History
New Mexico Junior College swept Amarillo College in Hobbs during the Badgers inaugural season in 2023. The Thunderbirds shutout AC twice in the four-game series and outscored the Badgers 33-3 over four games.
How to watch
The four-game series can be watched on New Mexico Junior College’s YouTube Channel for free.
Friday’s doubleheader and Saturday’s doubleheader will begin 1 p.m. CST, noon local time.