Cavemen Host Wildcats in District Opener

By Don Eskins

The Carlsbad Cavemen will head into District 4/5A play against the Clovis Wildcats in the Cavern City on Tuesday, April 14. The first pitch is set to go out at 5 p.m. at the Tom Forni Cavemen Corral.

Carlsbad, which had an unusually rough start to the season at 2-4, has won eight of its last 12 outings and currently owns an overall record of 10-8.

The CHS hardballers’ most recent wins came via a 4-2, 4-2 sweep over the Goddard Rockets, in Roswell on Saturday, April 4.

As a result of their mid-season surge, CHS is currently ranked sixth in Class 5A baseball.

The Wildcats, ranked 12th, are 9-9 on the season as of Monday, April 5. During their last four-game stretch, they’ve gone 1-3, which includes a doubleheader loss to Mayfield, 10-9 and 3-2, and a split with the Goddard Rockets. Clovis downed the Rockets 7-3 in the twin-bill opener but lost the nightcap 13-4.

“Although Clovis is just 9-9 on the year, they’re a much better team than their record might indicate,” said Caveman head coach Mike McGaha. “They returned their top hurler from 2025, a left-hander who’s really tough, and like us, they’ve played a very tough schedule.

“For us, they’ll be a tough matchup. Besides returning their top pitcher, they’re very aggressive at the plate. So, if you make a mistake, they’ll hurt you,” he said. “We’re just happy that we’re opening up district play against them at home, and not on the road.”

The Road to District 4/5A

“This has been a really tough year for us so far,” said coach McGaha. “Overall, I’d have to say the first five weeks of our season have been the most difficult stretch I’ve ever had as a high school coach.

“Being on the road for so much of the season, we’ve spent a lot of time on the bus and spent 11 nights in a motel. We’ve also been attending to injuries, sore arms, bumps, bruises, and illnesses,” he said. “Lately, we’ve toned down our practice sessions a bit in an attempt to let our kids recuperate and get their legs back under them.”

Add to that, as the curtain is about to go up on the start of conference play, the Cavemen are still in somewhat of a search-and-see mode when it comes to personnel.

“We really haven’t been able to put all three phases of the game together yet. That’s been especially true with our pitching,” said the Cavemen coach. “In searching for our pitching rotation, we’ve put 13 kids—all with multiple opportunities—on the mound at some time or another this year.”

However, as district play nears, McGaha says he feels they’ve finally settled in on a starting rotation.

“We’ve been getting some quality work on the mound for at least four to five innings from Wade Cozart, our anchor, Evan Ortiz, and Collin Mathis. So, we’ll be relying on them during our push for this year’s district championship,” said the Cavemen skipper. “Coming out of the bull pen, our top two relievers look to be Eloy Lopez and Auggie Venegas.”

For the past two years, the Cavemen have dominated District 4/5A play. However, said McGaha, this isn’t 2024 or 2025.

“I don’t feel like there will be any dominant teams in this year’s district race. With Roswell and Clovis bringing back their top hurlers from last year and Hobbs swinging such big bats, there appears to be a lot of parity among us,” said McGaha. “So, I think it would be safe to say that this year’s district title is very much up for grabs.”

Cavemen vs. Artesia

The Cavemen will travel to the City of Champions for a doubleheader with the Artesia Bulldogs, 7-7, on Saturday, April 11. Game times are scheduled for 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

“This will be our final two regular-season tune-ups before our district opener. If we get a split with Artesia, who is always tough at home, we’ll have done our job. If we sweep, it will have been a bonus series for us,” said the Cavemen coach. “But the game that matters the most to us will take place on Tuesday, April 14, here in Carlsbad, against the Clovis Wildcats.

“We hope to see a lot of fans out in support of our kids,” added McGaha.