The Blinn College esports program earned a trio of victories on Tuesday and Wednesday to begin postseason play.
On Tuesday, the Buccaneer Overwatch team picked up a 3-1 victory over Boise State University to begin the National Association of College Esports (NACE) Overwatch Playoffs. The first-round win was made possible by Haluk Tanriseven, Matthew Hutchings, Dhruv Pandrangi, Donnivan Straight, and Jaden Cornett.
The victory in the best-of-five series can be considered a sizable upset for the Bucs, who are ranked 20th by the Overwatch Collegiate Ranking Association (OWCRA), while Boise State entered the matchup ranked ninth.
“This was a huge upset and win for our team,” Blinn assistant coach and Overwatch manager Kyle Murto said. “I am extremely proud of all the hard work my players have put into this semester and the past couple weeks. This win has given them a lot of confidence and we are going to look to continue this run as we prepare for the quarterfinals. I cannot single out any player from today’s match, as it truly was a team effort. Every single player had some of the best performances I have seen from each of them and it really just proves what I have been saying this whole year that we are one of the top teams in the nation.”
Next up for the Blinn Overwatch team in the NACE playoffs will be a quarterfinal matchup against St. Clair College at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 6.
The Bucs were back in Overwatch competition Wednesday and kicked off the NJCAA Esports (NJCAAe) East Super Regional tournament with a 3-0 series victory over Hudson Valley Community College in the quarterfinal round.
Tanriseven, Hutchings, Pandrangi, Straight, and Cornett were again in action for Blinn.
“This win marks a strong start to our playoff journey in the NJCAAe league, setting a positive tone for our aspirations to finally claim the championship after multiple national appearances without securing a win,”
Murto said. “From the beginning we demonstrated exceptional coordination, skill, and execution, leaving little room for our opponents to mount any meaningful resistance. As we progress further into the NJCAAe East Super Regional, we remain focused and determined to continue our winning momentum. Building upon the success of this victory, we are poised to face whatever challenges lie ahead.”
Blinn’s next opponent in the East Super Regional has yet to be decided.
The Buccaneer Call of Duty team also earned an impressive playoff win this week with a 3-1 triumph over Iowa Western Community College in the quarterfinal round of the NJCAAe Super Regional tournament.
The victory guaranteed Blinn a berth in the four-team NJCAAe Overwatch National Tournament. The Bucs are the defending national champions after capturing their first team title during the 2023 fall season.
Competing for the Bucs on Tuesday were Logan Rivera, Michael Allen, Isaias Nieto, and Tanner Gore.
“I’m beyond proud of our guys today,” assistant coach and Call of Duty manager Ryan Lucich said. “We had technical difficulties, which kind of ruined our warmup, so we started slow and dropped map one. Once my guys started shooting, the next three maps were some of the best we’ve played all semester. Each player stepped up and had clutch kills and plays. We’ve been working a lot on small talk over the last week so we can work better in pairs, trios, and as a team. It definitely showed in this match and I believe we can take this momentum all the way to defend our title.”
Next up for Blinn in the NJCAAe is a clash against Brookedale Community College set for 6 p.m. on Tuesday, April 9.
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 45 NJCAA national championships since 1987.
