Baseball | 05.04.2025
Eagles Soar to Second Place, Clinch #2 Seed in Region XIV South Tournament
Corsicana, TX — May 3, 2025
The Northeast Texas Community College Eagles closed out the regular season with a dominant doubleheader sweep over Navarro College, claiming 3–2 and 9–4 victories on Saturday. The pair of road wins locked NTCC into second place in the conference standings and secured the #2 seed in the upcoming Region XIV South Regional Tournament, hosted by Blinn College from May 7–11.
Game 1: Clutch Late Rally Lifts Eagles to Tight 3–2 Win
In a pitcher's duel that went down to the final out, the Eagles found timely offense and lockdown relief to edge Navarro in Game 1.
Travis Starkey came up with the go-ahead RBI single in the top of the seventh, plating Camden Breaux to break a 2–2 tie. Starkey finished with two RBIs on the day, including one in the third inning, while Boston Seahorn added a sacrifice fly to give NTCC an early 2–0 lead.
Ayden Terry started and went three innings, striking out five. He was followed by Cooper Schwank, who tossed two scoreless innings with three punchouts. Ian Bamburg and JJ Rickert closed it out, with Rickert earning the win after holding Navarro off the board in the final 1.1 innings.
Game 2: Gonzales and Bullpen Dominate in 9–4 Victory
The Eagles' offense came alive in the nightcap, with Johnathon Gonzales powering a 3-for-4 effort that included three RBIs and three doubles. Boston Seahorn and Braden Duff each chipped in two RBIs, and Ayden Terry launched a solo home run in the ninth to put the finishing touch on a complete team win.
NTCC jumped out to a 4–0 lead in the first inning and never relinquished control.
On the mound, Kaleb Kuhn earned the win with four solid innings, striking out six and allowing just two runs. The Eagles then used six relievers to navigate the final five frames, showcasing depth and composure on the hill.
Aiden Leonard followed Kuhn with a scoreless inning despite working around three walks. Trevor Berquist battled through the sixth, and Bryson May, Rhett Knox, Cameron Leslie, and Gonzales — who closed it out with a clean ninth — combined to limit Navarro to just one hit the rest of the way. The bullpen struck out four over five innings, holding Navarro to two late runs and protecting the lead with poise.
Tournament-Bound and Peaking at the Right Time
With the sweep, the Eagles improve to 28–23 overall and 17–13 in conference play — locking in the #2 seed for the Region XIV South Regional Tournament. NTCC enters postseason play on a four-game win streak and with momentum on both sides of the ball.
The Eagles will travel to Blinn College in Brenham, Texas, for the tournament from May 8 –11. Stay tuned for game times, matchups, and live coverage as Northeast Texas looks to make a deep postseason run.
