Yuma High School’s baseball team is sitting a good spot early in the 2025 season.
The Outlaws were just 2-2 heading into this past Tuesday’s game at rival Wray but were No. 4 in the 2A CHSAA Selection & Seeding Index, which made its debut this week. Their losses have come against Merino and Akron, both in the top 3 in 1A.
“I am really excited about this years team,” coach Brady Nighswonger said. “We have a group of guys that are baseball minded and are competitive. I think the biggest upgrade this year is the amount of players we have that can not just pitch, but know how to pitch.”
Yuma is scheduled to play two against Sedgwick County in Ovid on Saturday. However, the weather might not cooperate. The Outlaws already had last Saturday’s home game against Highland postponed due to weather. Yuma also is at Haxtun for a double dip on Tuesday.
“I hope (the weather) holds off and we can get Saturday games in versus Sedgwick County,” Nighswonger said. “It makes it difficult when games start getting stacked together.”
The weather was perfect for last Thursday’s home opener against Akron. It was sunny with the temperature around 80 and very little wind.
The teams put together a fun and exciting game on the field, as well. It was Akron, though, that left town with the 4-3 win.
Yuma struck first in the bottom of the opening frame when Silas Baucke launched a solo homer down the left field line.
However, the Outlaws kicked the ball around defensively in the top of the second. Yuma committed four errors in the game, and three of them occurred in the second. Two errors left an Akron runner at third, but there were two outs. However, a ground ball single, a double and a hit by pitch resulted in three runs. Akron got one more run when a snap throw down to third sailed into left field, putting Akron ahead 4-1.
That was all the Rams would get. However, the Outlaws never could get all the way back, though they had plenty of opportunities.
They got one run in the bottom of third as Jesus Rodriguez drove in Lennox Huwa, who had reached on a double. Yuma had runners on the second and third when a strikeout ended the threat.
Akron returned the favor a bit defensively in the fourth when two errors helped lead to Alex Pensado scoring to cut it to 4-3. However, the Outlaws again left runners in scoring position. They left a runner stranded at third in the fifth.
Yuma had its chances in its last at-bat in the seventh. Rodriguez hit a two-out single. Akron intentionally walked Silas for the second time in the game, putting two runners on, including courtesy runner Stevie Seward at second.
However, the game ended on a strikeout.
“I really felt we were going to win that game there at the end,” Nighswonger said. “We gave up all four runs in the second due to a few walks and errors. We settled down and played pretty good baseball for the rest of the game. We definitely had our chances to put runs on the board. There were three innings that we ended up with runners on first and second with no outs and were not really able to capitalize. When you get in those situations those should be a minimum off two runs, and we did not accomplish that in any of them. That will come, its early and we are young so just getting in those situations will help us down the road.”
Rodriguez had three hits and one RBI — and also threw out two Akron baserunners at second from his catcher position. Baucke hit the one-run dinger, and Huwa hit the double and scored a run. Pensado scored one run.
Baucke went six innings on the hill, taking the tough-luck loss. He struck out six and walked two, allowing four hits. All four of Akron’s runs were unearned. Brodie Kallweit pitched the seventh, striking out two. Anderson Filla went the distance for Akron, allowing five hits and two earned runs while striking out eight and walking four.
Both teams committed four errors.
It was not any easier Tuesday afternoon at home against rival Wray. This time, though, the Outlaws escaped with a 7-6 win to improve to 3-2 overall.
They scored three runs in the bottom of the first, but had two more in scoring position with no outs only to leave both stranded. Yuma did not score again until plating a run on a passed ball in the fifth.
Wray got back into it with a two-run homer in the sixth by Kite, making it 4-2.
The Outlaws posted a three-run, two-out rally in the home half for a 7-2 lead.
However, Wray battled back again with three runs in the top of the seventh and had the tying run on second when the game ended on a groundout.
Rodriguez continued his torrid hitting early in the season as the freshman had two doubles among this three hits, driving in three runs. Christian Thomson hit a two-run double, Marvin Duarte a key one-run single in the sixth and scored one run, and Pensado one hit. Huwa had two runs, Chris Wario one, and Jose Mario Ross one.
Baucke hung on for the pitching win, sailing through the first five innings before running into trouble. Two of Wray’s six runs were earned. Baucke allowed seven hits, striking out nine and walking one. Wray’s Rockwell also gave a gritty effort on the hill.