2006 Baseball

Spring 2006 Season Photo Galleries

2006 Season Preview

After coming off the greatest season in any team’s history at New Mexico Junior College, a national championship, Thunderbird baseball has only one option . . . REPEAT! However, a graduation class of 23 has left the Birds with only four returning sophomores. But, they are important sophomores. All-American pitcher Brian Flores returns after being drafted for the second time and winning 15 games in 16 starts last year. Flores also led the country in strikeouts with 147 in 101 innings. He signed early with Arizona State, but hopes his performance this year raises his stock in draft. Also returning are all-American designated hitter Mike Gosse who hit .468 last year with 7 homers, 24 doubles and 78 rbi. Mike will play third base and outfield this year. He has signed early with Oklahoma. The Birds, who finished 55-10 last year, would not have won if it were not for defensive legends Eaton Rincon (shortstop) and Chris French (CF). Rincon and French both made what fans said were the two most impressive defensive plays in World Series memory. Rincon’s play came on a swinging bunt to third that spun hard to his right as he charged it. Rincon made the play and the next day saw it splattered all over the countries’ newspapers. French’s diving catch came in the opening of the national title came against St. Petersburg when, with one out, he took a sure run-scoring double away in the leftfield gap. French left his feet and dove airborne to the gap to save a run and establish how the Birds were going to play.

“If you are only getting four guys back, then at least I got the ones I would have picked,” said Birmingham.

With the freshmen come good arms, great athletes, good gloves, speed and INEXPERIENCE!

Denver Wynn at 92 mph and a major league curveball will help missing Cody Harkcom and Josh Giles. The drastic improvement of Adam Kramer, who red-shirted last year with an 85 mph tops fastball, has really helped. After coach Matthews made adjustments in Kramer’s throwing motion and slot, Adam now is potential NMJC’s best at 92 mph with an 81 mph curve. The re-emergence of Matt Averitt, drafted twice by the Washington Nationals will really help. Averitt comes off an arm surgery last fall, after throwing 94 mph the previous spring. Freshman Matt Speake is a bulldog pitcher that will start after throwing 93 mph this past fall with an 81 mph slider. Speake could be another All-American candidate. Also on the pitching staff are nasty lefthanders Chris Leman (a Dodgers draft pick); Matt Jones (a Marlins draft pick) and Nolan Whisenhunt (a Nationals draft pick). Add closer Joey Evans who has transferred in from Southeastern Missouri University after losing velocity there. Now Evans is throwing 92 mph again, but has the nastiest slider since Orioles signee Doug Brubaker. Set-up man Chris Bennett, curveball specialist and 90 mph arm Alex Behmanesh, and 93 mph project Brian Cavazos-Galvez are also on the staff and provide much needed depth to probably the best group of arms in school history. Flores, Speake, Wynn and Kramer will be the early season starters with Jones, Lemay and Whisenhunt (95 mph) as mid-week game starters. Evans with his maturity and great slider will be the closer as the season begins, but injuries, fatigue, failure often change things. And, NMJC has good options.

Position-wise, NMJC is young but talented: Rincon moves to shortstop; left-handed hitting Nick Sanders moves to third base; Pirate draft pick Elias Otero plays second and all-world potential Fernando Lebron backs them up. Otero and Lebron switch-hit well and Sanders has much power and great hands. At first is freshman All-Canandian player Kevin Atkinson: sure hands and a good hitter with some power. In the outfield, NMJC has the fastest outfielder in JUCO in Hobbs native Chris French. French ran a 6.4 60-yd. dash this fall and is a sure draft pick this year. The Birds will rotate outfielders according to defense and hitting options.

Christmas transfer from Central Arizona Jake Pulliam is a big plus. A big strong power hitter with 6.6 seconds in the 60-yd dash, he will be in the lineup a lot. Cole Standridge, a professional looking athlete with a plus glove and plus arm will play as much as his bat lets him. Jeremy Johnson and Pedro Gomez will be NMJC’s left-handed hitting outfield options and Travis Wilson will provide speed and good defense at both left and right. Centerfield will never change as long as French stays healthy. Five outfielders will battle for the DH role and two outfield spots.

The talent is there. Is the chemistry? And when will the experience be enough to make a run for the title?

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