2006-2007 Season Archive
NMJC Names New Head Baseball Coach
6/28/2007 - Hobbs, NM. When New Mexico Junior College's legendary baseball coach Ray Birmingham was recently tapped by the University of New Mexico to head up the Lobo program, many people wondered where the junior college would find someone who could measure up. NMJC had it covered. In fact, they found someone who could not only hold his own but who had also defeated Birmingham's Thunderbirds -- not once, but five times in two seasons!
Birmingham Leaving NMJC, Headed for UNM
6/20/2007 - Hobbs, NM. "A legend is gone" are words that are never welcomed, but it is the phrase soon to be heard at New Mexico Junior College as head baseball coach Ray Birmingham has resigned his post at NMJC to become the head baseball coach for the University of New Mexico.
NMJC's Sandoval Wins National Championship at CNFR
6/18/2007 - Hobbs, NM. New Mexico Junior College's Alicia Sandoval won the barrel-racing event during Saturday evening's championship round at the 59th Annual College National Finals Rodeo in Casper, Wyoming. With an aggregate score of 55.98 after four rounds, she was crowned national champion.
NMJC's Sandoval in the Lead at CNFR
6/14/2007 - Hobbs, NM. New Mexico Junior College's Alicia Sandoval is leading the barrel-racing event at the College National Finals Rodeo after three rounds, with an aggregate score of 42.02.
NMJC Names Baseball Field in Honor of Coach
6/14/2007 - Hobbs, NM. In a unanimous vote by the New Mexico Junior College Board on Monday, June 11, the school's baseball field was officially renamed "the Ray Birmingham Thunderbird Field."
NMJC Rodeo Activities at the College National Finals Rodeo
6/11/2007 - Hobbs, NM. New Mexico Junior College will have three of its rodeo team members, Kyle French, Alicia Sandoval, and JW Townsend, participating at the College National Finals Rodeo this week in Casper, Wyoming.
Three NMJC Baseball Players Named as NJCAA All-Americans
6/11/2007 - Hobbs, NM. Three of NMJC's baseball players, Adalberto Santos, James Lilley, and Brian Cavazos-Galvez, were recently named to the National Junior College Athletic Association's All-American teams.
NMJC Leaves Crowd Thunderstruck at JUCO World Series
6/5/2007 - Hobbs, NM. In their second appearance in three years, the New Mexico Junior College Thunderbird baseball team battled at the 50th Annual JUCO World Series to finish as tournament runners-up.
NMJC Baseball Players Received Rawlings/NJCAA Specialty Awards
6/5/2007 - Hobbs, NM. Two of New Mexico Junior College's baseball players received National Junior College Athletic Association specialty awards. Adalberto Santos received a Rawlings/NJCAA Baseball Big Stick Award and Kevin Atkinson received a Rawlings/NJCAA Gold Glove Award.
NMJC Takes Twelfth in National Golf Championships
5/23/2007 - Hobbs, NM. The New Mexico Junior College men's golf team recently placed twelfth at the National Junior College Athletic Association National Championships held in Mesa, AZ.
NMJC Outdoor Track Places Sixth at Nationals
5/23/2007 - Hobbs, NM. The New Mexico Junior College women's outdoor track and field team finished in sixth place at the National Junior College Athletic Association National Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Coffeyville, KS, this past weekend.
NMJC Thunderbird Baseball @ NJCAA Baseball World Series
5/22/2007 2:39:14 AM - Hobbs, NM. The Thunderbirds are JUCO World Series Runners Up!!! They also placed four players on the JUCO World Series all-tournament team: 1B Kevin Atkinson, C Luis Cruz, LF Brian Cavazos-Galvez, and LHP J.R. Robinson.
Listen to What Ray Has to Say, a phone interview series from Coach Ray Birmingham at the 2007 NJCAA World Series in Grand Junction, Colorado: Last Episode (June 29, 2007): Part 1 | Part 2, June 2 Pre-Game/May 31 Post-Game, May 30 Post-Game/May 31 Pre-Game, May 29 Post-Game/May 30 Pre-Game, May 28 Post-Game/May 29 Pre-Game, May 28 Pre-Game, May 26 Post-Game, May 26 Pre-Game, May 25, May 24, May 21.
June 2 National Championship Final Game vs. Chipola College, Florida L 3-7: Game Video Highlights | The Daily Sentinnel Newspaper Game Recap Article | Game Photo Gallery | Box Score with Play-by-Play | Pre-Game Phone Interview with Coach Birmingham | The Daily Sentinnel Newspaper Pre-Game Article | Pre-Game Video Interview with 3B James Lilley | The Daily Sentinnel Newspaper Article about RHP Matt Speake | The Daily Sentinnel Newspaper Article about RHP Trevor Harden | The Daily Sentinnel Newspaper Article about Tournament Bracket and National TV Airing of Championship Game
May 31 Game vs. San Jacinto College, Texas W 10-9: Post-Game Phone Interview with Coach Birmigham | Game Video Highlights 1 Including a Feature with 3B James Lilley | Game Video Highlights 2 | Game Photo Gallery | The Daily Sentinnel Newspaper Game Recap Article | Houston Chronicle Game Recap Article | Box Score with Play-by-Play | The Daily Sentinnel Newspaper Thunderbird Foreign Players Article | Pre-Game Phone Interview with Coach Birmingham
May 30 Game vs. Western Nevada Community College W 11-1: Post-Game Phone Interview with Coach Birmigham | Game Video Highlights 1 Including an Interview with LHP J.R. Robinson | Game Video Highlights 2 Including an Interview with CF Everett Evans | Game Photo Gallery | The Daily Sentinnel Newspaper Game Recap Article | Box Score with Play-by-Play | The Daily Sentinnel Newspaper T-Birds, Wildcats Rivalry Article | Team Pre-Game Ritual Video | Pre-Game Phone Interview with Coach Birmingham
May 29 Game vs. Cowley County Community College, Kansas W 12-9: Post-Game Phone Interview with Coach Birmingham | Game Video Highlights 1 | Game Video Highlights 2 Including an Interview with Coach Birmingham | Game Photo Gallery | Box Score with Play-by-Play | The Daily Sentinnel Newspaper Game Recap Article | Pre-Game Phone Interview with Coach Birmingham
May 28 Game vs. Western Nevada Community College L 4-8: Post-Game Phone Interview with Coach Birmingham | Game Video Highlights 1 | Game Video Highlights 2 | The Daily Sentinnel Newspaper Game Recap Article | Game Photo Gallery | Box Score with Play-by-Play | Pre-Game Phone Interview with Coach Birmingham | The Daily Sentinnel Newspaper Article about NMJC 3B James Lilley
May 26 Game vs. Young Harris College, Georgia W 14-12: Post-Game Phone Interview with Coach Birmingham | Post-Game TV Interview with Coach Birmingham | Game Photo Gallery | Box Score with Play-by-Play | The Daily Sentinnel Newspaper Game Recap Article | Game Video Highlights 1 | Game Video Highlights 2 | Pre-Game Phone Interview with Coach Birmingham | The Daily Sentinnel Newspaper NMJC Tournament Preview Article
NMJC 2007 JUCO Baseball World Series Statistics | Overall 2007 JUCO Baseball World Series Statistics
NJCAA Baseball World Series Official Web Site | Final 2007 NJCAA Baseball World Series PDF Bracket
Photo Galleries: June 2: Championship Game vs. Chipola College, May 31: Game vs. San Jacinto College, May 30: Game vs. Western Nevada Community College, May 29: Game vs. Cowley County Community College, May 28: Game vs. Western Nevada Community College, May 27: Thunderbird Team Picnic, May 26: Game vs. Young Harris College, May 26: Thunderbird Team Photos, May 25: JUCO Banquet, May 24: Challenger Baseball Program JUCO Buddies Game, May 24: Thunderbird Batting Practice, May 23: Arrival Day Action, May 22: Leaving Hobbs and Batting Practice in Farmington
Follow the Thunderbirds at the NJCAA Women’s National Outdoor Track and Field Championships
5/17/2007 12:20:42 AM - Hobbs, NM.To follow the NMJC Lady's Track and Field team at the NJCAA Women's National Outdoor Track and Field Championships go to www.coffeyville.edu/athletics/outdoornat/index.htm.
Follow the Thunderbirds at the NJCAA National Golf Championship
5/17/2007 12:19:16 AM - Hobbs, NM.To follow the Thunderbirds at the NJCAA National Golf Championship go to www.golfstat.com and go to NJCAA Div. I Golf Championship and click on full leader board. You can also follow the individual Thunderbird players by clicking on New Mexico Junior College and the player's name.
NJCAA Region V Tournament Bracket and Scores
5/11/2007 1:04:56 PM - Hobbs, NM.
UPDATE: 5/15/07 6:00 p.m. MST - Lubbock, TX. The NMJC Baseball T-Birds defeated North Central Texas College 3-0 and won the NJCAA Region 5 Tournament! Box Score with Play-by-Play | Photo Gallery (367 Images)
Come to Grand Junction, Colorado, to support the T-Birds at the NJCAA World Series starting May 26 at 3:00 p.m. vs. Young Harris College, Georgia.
Right-click on bracket and select "Print" to print bracket. Right-click and select "Zoom In" to zoom in.
5/15/07 12:47 p.m. MST - Lubbock, TX. The T-Birds defeated North Central Texas College 12-7. Box Score with Play-by-Play | Game Photo of Kevin Atkinson Homerun Swing | Game Photo of Matt Speake Pitching | Photo Gallery (266 Images)
5/13/07 8:46 p.m. MST - Lubbock, TX. The T-Birds defeated Temple College 13-7.
Box Score with Play-by-Play | Game Photo of Luis Cruz Homerun Swing | Game Photo of J.R. Robinson Pitching | Photo Gallery (360 Images)
5/12/07 4:30 p.m. MST - Lubbock, TX. RHP Trevor Harden shut out Hill College and Brian Cavazos-Galvez went 3-for-4 with 2 RBI and a run scored as the Thunderbirds beat Hill College 3-0. Box Score with Play-by-Play | Photo Gallery (201 Images)
PREVIEW: The New Mexico Junior College baseball team wins its third consecutive WJCAC title and finishes the season ranked #1 in the country. NMJC has now finished #1 in the country for three straight years and WJCAC champs, a first time achievement in the WJCAC. Also, NMJC finished #1 in the country in team batting average with a .429 average. It marked the sixth time NMJC has led the country in hitting and the 14th time NMJC was one of the top three hitting teams in the country. The .429 average is also the second highest batting average in NJCAA history, just behind the Thunderbirds record-setting performance of .438 in 2001. NMJC holds four of the top five team batting titles in NJCAA history. The 2007 team was led by Adalberto Santos, who led the country in hitting with a .540 average. It marked the sixth time a T-Bird had led the country in hitting. Santos' mark is the fourth best batting average in school history behind Adam RIddle's .560 in 2001 (drafted by Pittsburgh Pirates) and Brian Bowes' (who went on to Texas A&M) .543 and .541 in 2001 and 2002.
The national ranking marked the 14th time NMJC has been nationally ranked and the fifth time it has finished in the top ten among NJCAA teams. It marks the 14th time since 1990 that NMJC has won over 40 games and the sixth time NMJC has won the conference. It also marked the 9th time Coach Birmingham was named Coach of the Year in the WJCAC.
NMJC Baseball Coach Ray Birmingham was named the head coach of the West All-Stars in the East vs. West NJCAA all-star game in Millington, TN, to be held June 12-16. Birmingham, who served as assistant coach on the 2004 all-star team that went to China and beat the Chinese all-star pro team, was named the head coach for the national all-star team in 2006 vs. China. Birmingham will select players from West Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, Kansas, Oklahoma, Iowa, Utah, Nevada, Arkansas and Illinois for the team. The teams will play a best of three series. The series is used to promote the talent in NJCAA baseball and will consist of the best freshman prospects in the country.
NMJC Baseball on Their Way to Regionals
4/27/2007 - Hobbs, NM. With the Western Junior College Athletic Conference title and being ranked No. 1 in the nation by the National Junior College Athletic Association for the third straight week, the New Mexico Junior College Thunderbird baseball team is on its way to the Region V tournament that will begin on May 12 in Lubbock, TX.
NMJC Rodeo Qualifies for College National Finals Rodeo
4/24/2007 - Hobbs, NM. Based on their performances at the Tarleton State University - Central Texas Rodeo, New Mexico Junior College rodeo team members Alicia Sandoval and Kyle French qualified for the College National Finals Rodeo this past weekend.
NMJC Names New Head Women's Basketball Coach
4/23/2007 - Hobbs, NM. Richard Morris, Athletic Director at New Mexico Junior College, announced today that Drew Ken Sanders has been selected as the new head women's basketball coach and professor of physical education.
NMJC’s Honorary Baseball Team Member
4/19/2007 - Hobbs, NM. The New Mexico Junior College Thunderbird baseball team has added another player, an honorary one, to its roster: Josh Puckett.
NMJC to Host Tailgate Party
4/17/2007 - Hobbs, NM. UPDATE: Tailgate Party and Baseball Game vs. El Paso CC Photo Gallery (492 Images)
Come one, come all! On Friday, April 20, 2007, New Mexico Junior College will host a Thunderbird Baseball Tailgate Party beginning at 11:30 am at the baseball field. A complimentary hamburger or hotdog, chips, and a drink will be served to all supporters as the T-Birds battle for the conference title.
Donnelly, Former NMJC Player, Moves to Boston Red Sox
4/17/2007 - Hobbs, NM. Former NMJC standout pitcher Brendan Donnelly moved from the Anaheim Angels to the Boston Red Sox this season.
NMJC Baseball Ranked First in Nation
4/11/2007 - Hobbs, NM. According to NJCAA Division I Baseball Polls, New Mexico Junior College baseball clutched the number one ranking with a total of 98 points and eight out of the ten first-place votes.
NMJC Host to Canadian Baseball Spring Training
3/23/2007 - Hobbs, NM. Two Canadian baseball teams, the Pirates and the Junior Pirates, traveled to Hobbs this past week from Vancouver Island to make the New Mexico Junior College Thunderbird Baseball Field the site of their spring training.
NMJC Baseball Ranked Fifth in Nation
3/20/2007 - Hobbs, NM. The New Mexico Junior College Thunderbird baseball team is and has been ranked fifth in the nation among junior college baseball for the majority of March.
NMJC Coach Ray Birmingham Gets 1,000th Career Win
3/16/2007 - Hobbs, NM. On Thursday, March 15, NMJC Thunderbird baseball team won two games at the Wooden Bat Tournament against Luna Community College and Cochise Junior College, giving NMJC's Head Baseball Coach Ray Birmingham his 1,000th and 1,001st career wins.
NMJC Basketball Players Named to All-Conference Teams
3/16/2007 - Hobbs, NM. The Western Junior College Athletic Conference named three of NMJC's basketball players to the 2007 All-Conference basketball teams. Sophomores Cindee Wright and Dominic Tilford were named as All-Conference players, with Brittany Imig receiving an honorable mention.
NMJC Rodeo Takes Second in Ranger
3/16/2007 - Hobbs, NM. The New Mexico Junior College women's rodeo team took second place at the Ranger Intercollegiate Rodeo held this past weekend in Ranger, Texas.
NMJC Golf Finishes Second in Home Tournament
3/9/2007 - Hobbs, NM. The New Mexico Junior College golf team finished second place in the Ronnie Black Collegiate Invitational held March 5 & 6, at the Lovington Country Club & Ocotillo Golf Courses.
NMJC Takes Fourth at NJCAA National Indoor Track Championships
3/5/2007 - Hobbs, NM. The New Mexico Junior College women's indoor track and field team walked away with an impressive fourth place finish at the National Junior College Athletic Association's National Indoor Track Championship held this past weekend in Lubbock, Texas.
NMJC Basketball Hosted Junior T-Bird Clinic
2/8/2007 - Hobbs, NM. New Mexico Junior College men's and women's basketball teams hosted the NMJC Junior T-Bird Basketball Clinic on Saturday, February 3, 2007 from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm at Caster Activity Center on the NMJC campus.
NMJC Baseball Rescheduled
2/2/2007 - Hobbs, NM. New Mexico Junior College baseball has rescheduled their season opener, originally scheduled for Friday, February 2, 2007, against Luna Community College, for Saturday and Sunday, February 3 & 4, beginning noon each day at T-Bird Field on the NMJC campus.
Former NMJC Player is Projected ACE for Devils
Devils have ace in junior college star
2/1/2007 - Hobbs, NM. Jeff MetcalfeThe Arizona Republic
Jan. 26, 2007 12:00 AM
Inmates Provide a Christmas Present for NMJC
12/22/2006 - Hobbs, NM. New Mexico Junior College's nationally renowned Thunderbird baseball program received an early Christmas present on Thursday, December 22, thanks to a number of talented inmates.
Brian Cavazos-Galvez Wins Batting Trophy
12/14/2006 6:43:33 PM - Hobbs, NM.Brian Cavazos-Galvez received the NJCAA Div. I Southwest District Batting Championship trophy today. The trophy represents the top batting average in a five-state area (Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma.) Cavazos hit .517 in NMJC's conference championship season of 2006. He was named all-American and all-Region 5. He added 10 homers, 65 RBI, 20 doubles, seven triples to his offensive totals that year. Cavazos was the sixth Thunderbird to receive that award.
NMJC Students Help Stuff-A-Truck
12/8/2006 - Hobbs, NM. Thirteen New Mexico Junior College students, representing five campus organizations, delivered approximately 1,100 cans of food to the annual Hobbs Stuff-A-Truck food drive.
NMJC Women's Rodeo Wins
11/14/2006 - Hobbs, NM. New Mexico Junior College Women's Rodeo team took first place at the New Mexico High School/College Challenge Rodeo Championship, held the first weekend of November.
Canned Food for Game Admission at NMJC
11/10/2006 - Hobbs, NM. In lieu of paying the regular $5 admission fee for a New Mexico Junior College Thunderbird basketball game, attendees will instead be able to donate two cans of food at the November 20 & 21 home basketball games.
NMJC Men Win T-Bird Classic
11/8/2006 - Hobbs, NM. In an exciting second-half comeback, the New Mexico Junior College men's basketball team won the 2006 Thunderbird Classic championship on Saturday, November 4, against New Mexico Military Institute with a score of 79-67.
Cross Country Team Places 17th out of 28 Teams at Women's National Cross Country Championships
11/5/2006 - Hobbs, NM. Individual NMJC Athlete Standings out of 199 Runners:
NMJC to Host Thunderbird Classic
10/24/2006 - Hobbs, NM. New Mexico Junior College will host its annual Thunderbird Classic Tournament November 2, 3, and 4.
Cross Country Team Places Third at Region V Meet
10/22/2006 - Hobbs, NM. NMJC Cross Country finished third at the Region V Meet. Jodian Richards was the fastest T-Bird with a time of 18:45 which was good enough for fifth place.
Affiliations
