Talent-rich Sandia baseball out for redemption

It was like getting punched in the gut.

That's how Sandia (Albuquerque) senior right fielder and leadoff hitter Danny Collier described the aftermath of last year's 9-3 loss to Carlsbad in the New Mexico 5A baseball state championship game.

"All we could do was just sit there and watch them celebrate," Collier said. "It's right in your face, and there's nothing you can do about it. But it drove us through our offseason workouts, and it motivates us everyday to make sure we don't go out the same way like we did last year."

Sandia, which returned the majority of its core nucleus from last year's state runner-up team, certainly has what it takes to win its first state championship since 1980. The Matadors (14-1), who open up District 2-5A action against La Cueva (Albuquerque) on Wednesday, are playing so well that coach John Gunther wished the state tournament could've started weeks ago instead of May 10.
 
"Everything is in sync," Gunther said. "We're pretty happy with where we stand."

It's easy to see why the Matadors are on a roll. Simply put, Sandia is loaded in every phase of the game. Deep pitching corps? Check. Balanced lineup? Check. Strong defense? Check. Ability to hit in the clutch? You bet.

Look no further than the Matadors' 4-3 win over West Mesa (Albuquerque) on March 28, which was capped by Ryan Reinhart's bases-clearing triple with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning.

"That seems to have been the triggering point for our team from a hitting standpoint," Gunther said. "All of a sudden we turned it on from there."

Sandia has eight players who have verbally committed to play college baseball next season, led by University of New Mexico-signee Carson Schneider, who is a perfect 6-0 with a 2.28 ERA, having struck out 38 over 28 innings. The left-hander is complemented in the starting rotation by right-handers Warren McKenney (2-1, 3.13 ERA) and Reinhart (3-0, 1.31 ERA).

However, Gunther has additional quality arms at his disposal, including his son, David, who has allowed just one earned run in nine innings of relief while hitting third in the lineup.

Another pitcher the Matadors have been able to rely on is Rick Griffin, who is 2-0 with a 2.80 ERA. John Gunther has already visualized some scenarios in which he aligns his pitching just right to maximize his team's chances of winning the state tournament.

"All three of our starters can also close, so there are a lot of options," Gunther said.

Even though Sandia has arguably the most talent of any team in the state, talent alone can't explain why the Matadors are off to one of the best starts in school history. Coaches and players talk about the belief they have in one another, the unselfishness that permeates the team and the chemistry displayed on and off the field.

"We know if there's two outs late in the game, one of us is going to get it done," Collier said. "We believe in each other and there's nothing better than knowing you can count on the guy next to you."

Perhaps no one epitomizes Sandia's workmanlike attitude more than Collier, who roams the outfield like a gazelle and is a demon on the basepaths. Collier leads the team in several offensive categories, including batting average (.528), runs scored (23), hits (28), RBIs (16) and stolen bases (seven). More importantly, Collier has struck out just once in 53 at-bats. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound Collier is coming off a recent torrid four-game stretch in which he went a perfect 10-for-10.

"You can't get Danny out," John Gunther said. "I am amazed with how tough he makes things on opposing pitchers. I'm glad we have him on our team, that's for sure. He's as fast as hell and just a force."

David Gunther loves the camaraderie on the team, and he more than anyone knows the value of bonding for a greater cause.

"My dad has been coaching me since Little League, and he's exactly the same at home as he is on the field, and that's disciplined," he said. "But he also makes the game fun, and it's a great thing."

In any given game, Sandia often has a different player shine. The Matadors have a vast array of offensive standouts, including outfielder Terrance Barela (three home runs, 16 RBIs), Jaime Moya (.375, 14 RBIs), Garrett McKenney (.379), Craig Coffman (12 RBIs) and Brandon Lamphier-Shaffer (.433).

Sandia has already been involved in some white-knuckle affairs that will no doubt serve it well in its quest for a state title. In particular, the Matadors' two wins over Volcano Vista (Albuquerque) — by scores of 10-9 and 3-2, respectively — involved the team having to dig deep to pull out the victories.

"Volcano Vista is a team we're concerned about, and the two games we played them are going to help us in the close games we'll face in state," John Gunther said. "Losing last year in the finals stuck with us for a very long time. Hopefully we learned from that loss and learned what it takes to get over the hump, knowing we have to grind out inning by inning and pitch by pitch. If we can do that, I like our chances."