The Blinn College baseball team found a way to simultaneously relax and flex its muscles at the same time, and it led to a three-game sweep of Coastal Bend College.
The Buccaneers topped off a 29-run weekend with an 11-1 Region XIV victory (six innings)over the Cougars on Sunday at Leroy Dreyer Field in Brenham, Texas.
Blinn jumped to 10-8 overall and 3-0 in the Region XIV South standings.
The offensive outburst was exactly what Blinn head coach Dusty Hart envisioned for his lineup, who said he believed his team had been forcing the issue too much during a 7-8 start to the season.
“We’ve played a very tough schedule, but we challenged these guys because we believed they were up to that challenge,” Hart said. “The guys finally settled in, relaxed, and went out and just played the game and had fun while not trying to do too much.”
What the Bucs did proved too much for Coastal Bend.
After sweeping a doubleheader against the Cougars 7-4 and 11-3 on Saturday, Blinn kept the momentum going in the series finale.
The Cougars took their only lead of the game on an error in the top of the first inning, but sophomore Cade Climie spearheaded a Blinn rally in the bottom of the frame.
After sophomore Connor McGinnis was hit by a pitch, Climie sent the first pitch he saw deep into the trees behind the right-field wall. Climie doubled twice and finished with five RBIs to lead the Bucs’ eight-hit, seven-walk day.
“The guys are just starting to come together and play for each other,” Climie said. “Earlier in the season, I think there were times where we were playing for ourselves a little bit, but we’ve figured out that playing together is going to make things go our way. Coach Hart has kept instilling in our minds that nobody is going to get the job done and that we have to play together to win.”
Climie smacked a three-run double in the second to make it 5-1, and a wild pitch and a two-run homer from McGinnis made it 8-1 in the third.
(Pictured: Blinn freshman Paxton Terveen delivers a pitch against Coastal Bend on March 3, 2024)
In the sixth, freshman Caden Ferraro hit an RBI double and sophomore Coy DeFury blasted a two-run homer to center field to initiate the run rule.
Blinn’s big offensive day made a winner out of freshman pitcher Paxton Terveen. In his first start of the season, the left-hander worked four innings of four-hit ball in which he allowed an earned run with five strikeouts and no walks.
“Everything felt good today,” Terveen said. “It was my plan to just go out and execute and do my job. With the offensive support today, it was just easy to throw strikes and not worry about whether or not Coastal Bend got a hit.”
Sophomore Jake Kolkhorst provided two innings of relief. He allowed a hit, two walks, and fanned one.
Blinn’s pitchers were also beneficiaries of strong defensive play, including a pair of stellar defensive stops by sophomore shortstop Brayden Sprencel.
(Pictured: Blinn sophomore shortstop Brayden Sprencel fires to first base for an out during a game against Coastal Bend on March 3, 2024)
“At the end of the day, it all starts on the mound and that’s followed by our defense,” Hart said. “The biggest difference between now and two weeks ago is that we’re playing good defense alongside our good pitching. We know we have quality arms on this team, and Paxton and Jake both proved that today.”
Blinn’s season resumes with a four-game set against region rival San Jacinto College-North. The series opens at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, March 5, in Houston and will continue with a 6 p.m. matchup on Thursday, March 7 in Brenham. The series concludes with a 2 p.m. doubleheader Saturday, March 9, in Houston.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 45 NJCAA national championships since 1987.
