Cavemen On Road to Battle Clovis Wildcats

By Don Eskins

The Carlsbad High School Cavemen, fresh off a 3-1 victory over the Clovis Wildcats, will take on the Cats once again on Friday, April 17.

This time, however, the two teams will square off in Clovis. Game time has been set for 5 p.m.

With the win, a District 4/5A inaugural victory, the Cavemen sit atop the conference standings at 1-0 alongside the Hobbs Eagles, who bounced the Roswell Coyotes earlier this week, 8-5.

On the year, Carlsbad sits at 11-10. Clovis, 0-1 in conference play, is also 11-10 on the year.

“It would be nice if we didn’t have to feel like we had to win ball games from the mound and with good defense,” said Caveman head coach Mike McGaha. “But right now, that’s who we are. We haven’t swung the bat really well this year, so winning with pitching and defense has become our identity.”

Just how important pitching and defense have become for the Cavemen couldn’t have been more evident than in their 3-1 victory over Clovis on Tuesday.

Picking up the win for CHS was Wade Cozart, CHS’s number one hurler.

“We got a great performance from Wade, something we’ve been getting from him all season long. On the mound, he’s beyond his years,” said McGaha. “Evan Ortiz, our number two pitcher, has also been performing well.”

“Although we haven’t been swinging the bat well this year, we did have some kids step up to generate three runs for us,” said the CHS skipper. “The bulk of our offense came from Connor Roberson, who had two doubles, two RBIs, and a run scored. Jaden Carter also had a big day at the plate. He had two hits with an RBI.”

Although the Cavemen have already secured a victory in the first of two conference games with Clovis, McGaha says they’re not looking past the Wildcats on Friday.

“It’s tough winning in Clovis. Having to pack up and leave in the morning, travel on a bus for three and a half hours, eat some lunch, get off the bus, and try to shake the rust off to get ready to play a ballgame is tough,” he said. “Besides that, they play on an all-natural surface, something we’re not used to.

“As a rule, we struggle to win in Clovis. But Friday’s game is going to be a big one for us,” said the CHS skipper. “If we pitch well, play some good defense, and collect a few timely hits, as we did the first time we played Clovis, we’ll be okay.”

On Tuesday, April 21, the Cavemen will travel to the Alien City to take on the Roswell Coyotes as district play continues to heat up. As of Tuesday, April 14, the Coyotes owned an overall record of 9-11. Game time for the clash is set for 5 p.m.