BLINN TO HOST ALL-STAR BASEBALL WEEKEND
Five Buccaneers will compete for the Region XIV-South all-star team at home stadium
(Blinn Information)
The top junior college baseball talent from Texas and New Mexico will gather at Leroy Dreyer Field Friday and Saturday, Sept. 21-22, for the Texas-New Mexico Junior College Baseball Coaches Association All-Star Weekend.
Since the 1980s, the top players from Texas and New Mexico have participated in a fall showcase game. The All-Star Weekend has alternated locations between Blinn and Weatherford College each year since 2015.
“The all-star weekend is a great opportunity for fans to visit our stadium and campus to see the most talented kids in junior college baseball in one place,” said Harvey McIntyre, Blinn head coach. “It also provides an opportunity for the all-stars to be visible in front of coaches from four-year colleges and scouts from coast to coast that come out to watch.”
Four conferences from the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) will be represented. The coaches of each conference have selected the top players to face off in the All-Star Weekend.
On Friday, the Region V-North all-star team will face the Region XIV-East at 12:30 p.m. and Region V-West will face Region XIV-South at 6:20 p.m. On Saturday, Region XIV-East will play Region V-West at 11 a.m., followed by Region XIV-South against Region V-North at 3:20 p.m.
Tickets will be available at the gate. Tournament passes can be purchased for $15, day passes for $10, and individual game tickets for $5.
Buccaneers representing Blinn on the Region XIV-South all-star team include catcher Alec Sanchez, right-handed pitcher Jacob Millender, outfielder Sammy Blair, second baseman Gray Rodgers, and shortstop Cameron Gibbons.
“We are happy that these players are going to represent Blinn College and our program,” McIntyre said. “Those guys were a big part of what we did last year and it is nice to see them get this opportunity and get to watch them play on this kind of stage.”
Sanchez was named an all-region and all-conference player after leading Blinn with a .360 batting average and recording seven home runs. Millender earned all-conference honors after posting a 5-1 record, while striking out 65 in 61 innings pitched.
“It was very exciting to be selected as an all-star and get the opportunity to represent the Blinn Buccaneers,” Sanchez said. “I am looking forward to playing with guys from all over, and this weekend is going to be a blast.”
Blair maintained the third-highest batting average on the team (.339) while recording 38 hits and driving in 28 runs. Rodgers was third on the team with 50 hits and led the team with 45 walks. Gibbons was fourth on the team with 46 hits and drove in 19 runs.
“It was a goal of mine to be an all-star and it is going to be fun to play with this level of competition,” Gibbons said. “It will be nice to get to play in front of a lot of baseball coaches and scouts and show them what we can do.”
Blinn finished the 2018 season with a 37-17 record and placed second in the Region XIV South Zone Division with a 25-8 conference record.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 38 NJCAA national championships since 1987. For more information, visit www.buccaneersports.com
COURTESY: Tara Dreyer, Blinn Information
will the allstar game be streamed online?
Congratulations to these players. They played great baseball during the season. Exceptional talent , fun to watch & outstanding young men & they loved the game.
It’s great Blinn JC will be hosting. Go Bucs.
” Youth, when all things are possible” Congratulations!