Coyotes enter postseason at home with new format

The past two seasons have been the best two-year stretch in Weatherford College baseball history. However, fans had to travel quite a distance to see the team accumulate its great postseason success - which includes a third-place finish in the NJCAA Division I World Series in 2023.

And while they would still have to travel to Grand Junction, Colorado should the Coyotes return, they will get to see their favorite team open the postseason at home this week. The Coyotes (44-11) will host El Paso Community College (39-17) in a best-of-three series, all games being scheduled for nine innings with 1 p.m. starts Thursday, Friday and Saturday if necessary (May 8-10).

It's part of the new postseason format for Region V in which the top two seeds in the Northern Texas Junior College Athletic Conference (NTJCAC) and the Western Junior College Athletic Conference (WJCAC) play host to the Nos. 3 and 4 seeds. The winners of each of these best-of-three series advance to a super-regional May 15-17 at the site of the highest remaining seed from the WJCAC. If there are no WJCAC teams remaining, the super-regional will be at the site of the highest remaining seed from the NTJCAC.

But first things first.

"We have been looking to move away from the eight-team regional for some time now," Coyotes coach Jeff Lightfoot said. "The eight-team bracket was tough and was not in the best interest of the players. 

"The new format does two things. First, it gets the tournament on our campuses. If you finish in the top two seeds you deserve an opportunity to host playoff baseball. Second, it shortens the layout of the tournament and gets us away from five or six games in three days."

The Coyotes tied with Grayson (33-20) for first place in the NTJCAC, each with 24-8 league records and they split their four conference contests. However, WC earned the top seed by virtue of a power ranking system.

It's the third straight year in which the Coyotes enter the postseason as the top team from the NTJCAC. El Paso comes in as the No. 4 seed from the WJCAC.

Grayson will host New Mexico Junior College (37-18), the No. 3 WJCAC seed, in the first round. 

Elsewhere, Midland (46-9, No. 2 WJCAC) hosts McLennan (40-16, No. 3 NTJCAC) and Odessa (38-14, No. 1 WJCAC) hosts Cisco (34-21, No. 4 NTJCAC).

Not only does the tournament feature three teams with 40 or more wins, it also has three teams ranked in the nation's top 25. The Coyotes are No. 3 in the most recent poll heading into this week, Midland is No. 12 and McLennan is No. 17. Odessa is just outside the top 25 at No. 26.

The Coyotes are 7-3 against nationally ranked foes this season, including 2-2 against McLennan. They are 10-5 against the tournament field, including 2-0 against New Mexico, 3-1 versus Cisco and 1-0 vs. Odessa.

In those games they were 6-2 at home against nationally ranked opponents. In home games against tournament opponents, they were 4-2 at home and defeated Odessa at a neutral site at McMurry University in Abilene.

"One of our goals at the start of the season was to earn the right to play at home. We believe our place is special," Lightfoot said. "The Coyote fans bring a special energy to Williams Ballpark that gives us an advantage.

"I want to encourage Parker County baseball fans to show up and get rowdy for the regional. We want our opponents to feel the heat in the Coyote Den!"

 

2025 Coyote baseball highlights:

 

Record: 44-11.

Home: 21-6.

Road: 19-4.

Neutral: 4-1.

Conference: 24-8, first.

Vs. nationally ranked opponents: 7-3.

In one-run games: 8-5.

Scored 10-plus runs: 22 times.

Won by 10 or more runs: 10 times.

Biggest win: 23-7 vs. New Mexico Junior College.

Longest win streak: 10 games.

Longest loss streak: 2 (twice).

Shutout wins: 9.

Held opponent to 1 run: 8 times.

Team batting average: .319.

Home runs: 59.

On-base percentage: .441.

Slugging percentage: .509.

Team earned run average: 2.99.

 

Individual leaders

Hitting

Batting average: JC Davis, sophomore, .394; Manuel Salas, sophomore, .393; Trace Mazon, sophomore, .375.

Extra base hits: Mazon, 31; Salas, 23; Uriah Walters, sophomore, 18.

Home runs: Mazon, 15; Walters, 8; Mason Ashlock, sophomore, 7; Cayden Byrd, freshman, 7.

RBI: Mazon, 58; Salas, 53; Walters, 37.

Walks: Mazon, 34; Davis, 34; Salas, 31.

Pitching

Wins: Evan Brandt, sophomore, 13-1 (leads nation); AJ Miera, freshman, 7-4; Dylan Russo, sophomore, 5-0; Cooper Strawn, freshman, 5-0; Trent Collier, freshman, 5-1.

ERA: Brandt, 1.60 (leads nation); Collier, 2.05 (fourth in nation); Strawn, 2.63.

Strikeouts: Collier, 73; Strawn, 62; Noah Bentley, freshman, 60.

NTJCAC Players of the Week: Mazon (twice), Davis, Ashlock.

NTJCAC Pitchers of the Week: Brandt, Collier, Bentley, Strawn, Miera, Russo.

Region 5 Player of the Week: Davis.