It’s a very familiar opener for 3A top-seeded St. Michael’s

Isn’t it nice that the New Mexico Activities Association didn’t look to change the original seedings and brackets pieced together for the 3A baseball state tournament.

Just one quick glance shows top-seeded St. Michael’s initial test after a first round bye would be against familiar opponents Santa Fe Indian School, the 8th seed and West Las Vegas, the 9th seed, both in the same District 2 as the Horsemen. That’s correct, this May 6th opening game will be at the Braves, and the winner will advance to the quarterfinals on May 12 versus the winner.

The Horsemen are so familiar with these rivals it doesn’t figure that their head coach Augustin Ruiz will be scouting this contest. On the other hand, maybe he will.

It was only on April 28th, the final regular-season game, that Indian School’s visit to St. Michael’s brought a 7-3 loss, and a dozen days before that, the Horsemen dominated WLV in a 20-4, 13-1, doubleheader sweep at the Dons’ field.

Before that it was West Las Vegas traveling to the Christian Brothers Athletic Complex as March ended and bowed 11-1. Two days after that, the doubleheader sweep over the Braves at Indian School was 14-4, 12-3.

Maybe the two can hope this layoff will cool off a red-hot Horsemen team that has won 14 of their last 15 starts. It began following the initial win over WLV after a loss to 4A Albuquerque St. Pius X, and ended after a 8-5 setback to visiting second place Robertson after it won the opener of the home doubleheader 11-0.

From there, it began another streak, seven in a row, following a loss to 4A Los Alamos to make sure that district winner St. Michael’s would be the No. 1 seed, and upped its overall record to 19-6. But if the Horsemen continue to roll, it would be a quick exit for 5-16 West Las Vegas and 14-11 Indian School in the quarterfinals at Rio Rancho Cleveland.

And that would take St. Michael to the semifinals against 5th-seeded East Mountain (15-7) playing host to 12th-seeded Hatch Valley, which at 6-18 hoped over 12th-ranked Dexter for the final spot. Early in the campaign, East Mountain hung a 13-3 defeat on the Horsemen after they rolled past 4A Albuquerque Hope Christian, 17-7.

But that’s all history in a bracket overloaded by all five District 2 teams, No. 4 Robertson (16-7), No. 7 Raton (8-13), and Indian School and West Las Vegas. After the four first-round byes, it became an 8-team field.

The No. 2 seed is Albuquerque Sandia Prep (18-5) and No. 3 is New Mexico Military Institute (20-6). Meanwhile, Robertson gets the East Mountain-Hatch Valley survivor, NMMI the winner of the 11th-seeded Zuni (11-7) at No. 6 Cobre (15-9), and Sandia Prep awaits the survivor of 10th-seeded Navajo Prep (12-13) at Raton.

These will all be played at Cleveland, but the semifinals on May 13 will switch to Rio Rancho High, and the championship on May 14 at University of New Mexico’s Santa Ana ballpark.

In 4A, it’s a 16-team field, the top seed is Albuquerque Academy (22-4) and it will play a first round best of 3 against 16th Kirtland Central  (13-12). Then there’s No. 9 Belen (13-9) at No. 8 Albuquerque Valley (15-11) which will face the Academy-KC winner. No. 4 seed Grants (18-8) meets the 12th-seeded Hope Christian (15-11) at 5th seed Aztec (19-7) victor.

Second-seeded St. Pius X (18-4) in 4A a has a 2-of-3 series against visiting,15th seed Ruidoso (13-12) and that winner goes against No. 10 Goddard (13-12) at No. 7 Artesia (16-10), and the No. 3 seed Los Alamos (18-7) is home to No. 14 Valencia (9-14) in a best-of-3, and the winner takes on the No. 11 Miyamura (13-13) at No. 6 Santa Teresa (16-7).

In 5A, it’s also a best-of-3 as 16th seed Albuquerque Cibola (12-14) and No. 2 seed Albuquerque Sandia (18-6) welcomes No. 15 Mayfield (12-14), and that survivor meets No. 10 Albuquerque Volcano Vista (I1-13) at No. 7 Rio Rancho (22-4).

The 3rd seed in 5A is Albuquerque La Cueva (20-4) and it hosts No. 14 Piedra Vista (14-12),  with that winner going against the winner of 11th seed Centennial i16-10) at No. 6 Clevland (16-9).  and the No. 4 seed, Organ Mountain (23-3) plays the winner of No. 10 Albuquerque Volcano Vista (14-10) at No. 7 Rio Rancho (22-4).

In 2A, it’s a single elimination. The top seed is Eunice (21-2) and it takes on the No. 9 Menaul-Oak Grove (5-3) victor. No. 2 Rehoboth Christian (19-4) meets up with the No. 10 Texico (11-12) at No. 7 McCurdy (14-9( winner. No. 3 Capitan (18-6) will await the No. 11 Loving (7-8) at No. 9 Estancia (10-11) winner, and No. 4  seed Tularosa 16-6) will play the No. 12 Penasco (11-12) at No. 5 Santa Rosa (17-7) survivor.

Pecos did not qualify in 2A, the same with Santa Fe High and Capital in 5A, and Taos, Espanola Valley and Pojoaque Valley in 4A. But 3A’s District 2 couldn’t have done better.