Centennial entered the postseason as the prohibitive District 3/5A champion, having swept Las Cruces in a late-season three-game run, but postseason baseball has a way of rewriting narratives.
By Levi Gwaltney
Source: New Mexico Activities Association
The road to Albuquerque is set.
May 8-9 marked the completion of the opening round of the 2026 Nusenda Credit Union State Baseball Championships, with local programs battling through the “Best-of-Three” introductory series format for a chance to advance to the single-elimination quarterfinals.
When the dust settled, four teams from our broader community remained standing.
Bulldawgs Flip the Script in Rivalry Shock
The biggest surprise of the opening round may have come in District 3/5A, where the Las Cruces High School Bulldawgs completely reversed the script against rival Centennial High School.
Centennial entered the postseason as the prohibitive District 3/5A champion, having swept Las Cruces in a late-season three-game run. But postseason baseball has a way of rewriting narratives.
The Bulldawgs answered with back-to-back shutouts over the Hawks, claiming the series in two games, 1-0 and 2-0.
Game 1 belonged to Gunnar Guardiola, who threw a complete-game shutout on 84 pitches. Guardiola struck out six batters while allowing only five hits in the narrow 1-0 victory.
In Game 2, Las Cruces unveiled a new wrinkle.
Armando Gonzales — who had not appeared on the mound during the regular season meetings between the two teams — went the distance in the 2-0 clincher. Gonzales allowed just four hits over 87 pitches. Though he recorded only two strikeouts, the performance highlighted a sharply improved defensive effort behind him.
That defensive transformation proved decisive. Shutting out Centennial twice in consecutive games was something unseen during the regular season and signals a Las Cruces club peaking at the right moment.
The Bulldawgs now advance to Thursday’s 7 p.m. quarterfinal matchup against Piedra Vista High School. As of print, the game is scheduled for the Jennifer Riordan Spark Kindness Sports Complex in west Albuquerque.
Mayfield Advances, Could Meet Las Cruces Again
Meanwhile, Mayfield High School handled business against Los Lunas High School, winning the series in two games by scores of 6-4 and 10-0.
The Trojans now face top-seeded Rio Rancho High School Thursday at 4 p.m. at Lobo Field.
Should both Mayfield and Las Cruces win Thursday, the longtime rivals would meet again Friday in the 5A semifinals.
Not every local 5A club survived the opening weekend. Organ Mountain High School and Centennial were both eliminated before reaching Albuquerque.
Santa Teresa Brings Ganas to Tight 4A Series
Santa Teresa punched its ticket north with a pair of gritty wins over Valley, showing the kind of ganas — stubborn drive and competitive hunger — that tends to travel well in postseason baseball.
Santa Teresa edged Valley 2-1 in Game 1 before surviving a tighter 7-6 battle in Game 2 to close out the series.
The Desert Warriors now move on to face Hope Christian High School Thursday at 1 p.m. at the Jennifer Riordan Spark Kindness Sports Complex.
SonBlazers Enter the Tournament Fresh
Perhaps the quietest contender entering Albuquerque is Mesilla Valley Christian School.
The SonBlazers earned a first-round bye in Class 2A and begin their championship run Thursday morning against Rehoboth Christian School at 10 a.m. at the Jennifer Riordan Spark Kindness Sports Complex.
With rested arms and no opening-round wear, Mesilla Valley Christian enters the bracket in an enviable position as the state tournament begins in earnest.
State Tournament Schedule
- May 14 — Quarterfinals (2A-5A)
- May 15 — Semifinals (2A-5A)
- May 16 — Finals (2A-5A at Lobo Field)
Schedule subject to change.
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