Pintos will Face Deming in Opening Round

The No. 13 Moriarty Pintos are headed south with championship aspirations and a powerhouse offense as they prepare to face the No. 4 Deming Wildcats in the opening round of the New Mexico Class 4A state baseball tournament.

Moriarty (15-10) enters the postseason as one of the state’s most dangerous lower seeds, and the statistical profile of the roster explains why. The Pintos own a blistering .391 team batting average, led by sophomore standout Cash Klein. Klein has been nearly impossible to retire this season, carrying a .584 average with 45 hits and seven home runs into the postseason.

The offensive depth continues with senior Raiden Scribner, who is hitting .523, and sophomore Micah Kamplain, who leads the team with 36 RBIs and 12 doubles. The Denomme brothers, Tyler and Trey, have also been vital contributors, combining for 41 RBIs and 52 runs scored to keep the pressure on opposing pitchers.

Moriarty displayed its explosive potential in the regular-season finale against district powerhouse Los Alamos on May 1. After a narrow 12-7 loss, the Pintos rebounded to crush the Hilltoppers 15-4 in the nightcap, signaling they are peaking at the right moment.

On the mound, the Pintos will likely lean on Micah Kamplain and Scott Batie. Micah Kamplain has been the rotation’s anchor, recording 61 strikeouts over 42 innings with a team-best 2.33 ERA. Batie has proven to be a reliable winner, leading the staff with five victories and 36 strikeouts.

They will face a Deming (14-9) squad that saw its own 10-game winning streak snapped last week. The Wildcats are led by Alan Bueno, who enters the series hitting .500. Keeping Bueno and speedster Santiago Soto (17 stolen bases) off the basepaths will be the primary objective for the Moriarty staff, which also includes veteran arms like senior Nick Kamplain and sophomore Cooper Schnerch.

The matchup features a clash of styles: Moriarty’s high-octane hitting against a Deming team that relies on defensive stability. However, with the Pintos averaging more than 13 runs per contest over their last 10 games, the Wildcats’ pitching will be under constant duress.

The series is part of the NMAA Class 4A first-round playoffs. Under the best-of-three format, the teams will open the series on Friday, with the remaining games of the set scheduled for Saturday. The winner will advance to the state quarterfinals in Albuquerque next week.