Cavemen Baseball Competes at Las Cruces Invitational

By Don Eskins

Carlsbad High’s Cavemen baseball team will compete at the Las Cruces Invitational on Friday and Saturday, March 14-15. The CHS hardballers opened up play in the tournament on Thursday, March 13, against the Rio Rancho Rams.

Carlsbad entered the matchup at 4-2 on the year. The Rams were 5-1.

As the tournament is bracketed, just who CHS will face off against on Friday, will depend on the outcome of their encounter with the Rams.

“Although we’re still catering to a few injuries and sore arms, our kids are ready to get after it at Las Cruces,” said Caveman head baseball coach Mike McGaha.

“After a slow start in our season opener at the Cleveland Invitational, our kids bounced back to play really well at the Hobbs Eagle Invitational last week (March 6-8),” he said. “So, feeling like we’re moving in the right direction, our kids are anxious to get on the field again.”

CHS lost two of the three games they competed in at the Cleveland Invite, dropping games to Piedra Vista, 6-5, and Cleveland, 2-1. Their lone victory came via a 9-5 win over Los Lunas.

At the Eagle Invitational, things went much better for the Cavemen. In Hobbs, they were a perfect 3-0.

“Our performances at the two invitationals were as different as night and day,” said McGaha. “At Cleveland, we dominated play in all three games; we just let two of them get away from us during the late innings of each one. We couldn’t close.

“At Hobbs, we were a much different team. Down 1-0, with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, our kids rallied to defeat the Belen Eagles 2-1,” continued the CHS coach. “The win over Belen gave our kids a big shot of confidence. They realized that, as long as they hung in a ball game, played tough, and grinded things out, they had a chance to win.”

The momentum the Cavemen gained following their victory over Belen carried on into their next two games. Games in which they run-ruled both the Farmington Scorpions, 19-5, and Cleveland Storm, 12-2—the same Cleveland Storm that had downed them 2-1 the week before.

“Although we went 3-0 at Hobbs, we still made some mistakes, especially defensively,” said the Caveman coach. “Cleaning up those mistakes, along with working on pitching counts, will be a priority for us in Las Cruces.

“Due to a few injuries, our starting hurlers have already thrown a lot of pitches,” said McGaha. “We need to make sure we keep their arms strong and healthy for the long run.”

CHS baseball fans who haven’t had an opportunity to watch the Cavemen play this year will soon get their first look at the 2025 Cavemen. CHS will host the Carlsbad Invitational on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, March 20-22.