Trojan Shield Weekly Update: March 18, 2019

Greetings from Trojan Country!

We have reached spring break and many of the students headed out for a week of rest and relaxation before the final stretch run of the semester. With many of the students gone, parts of the campus shut down as well, and this includes the food services. That means for the coaches of the teams still on campus, they are looking for ways to feed the athletes. For baseball coach Justin Wichert that meant getting the grill out before the games this weekend and doing the cooking. The coaches served up some breakfast burritos that apparently gave the team just the right amount of energy as they had no trouble defeating CSU that afternoon. I want to say thank you to our coaches for all of the extra things they do, and also thank everyone who pitches in to help this week as well.

The men’s soccer team saw their first action of the spring this past weekend. They traveled to Golden to take on Otero and Colorado Mines in a pair of scrimmages. The team fared well in both contests and Coach Peter Freeman was pleased with the results. Both soccer squads will have more matches to come yet this spring.

Last Week's Results

Baseball –

• Defeated CSU-Fort Collins 11-0
• Defeated CSU-Fort Collins 17-1

Softball –

• Fell to Colby CC 1-0
• Defeated Colby CC 7-3

Track and Field – competed at the CSU-Pueblo Early Bird in Pueblo, Colorado

Trojan results –
Women’s 800m – Benadine Chelimo 7th, Kathryn Sauerwein 21st, Camille Ruggles 23rd
Women’s 1500m – Chelimo 6th, Toni Moore 15th, Ruggles 25th, Sauerwein 29th
Men’s 800m – Alejandro Salazar 4th, Cody Danley 11th, Riley Allen 13th, Joseph Enright 17th
Men’s 1500m – Allen 14th, Enright 17th, Richard Sais 20th
Men’s 5000m – John McMahon 10th, Bailey Smith 12th
Men’s 400m Hurdles – Salazar 3rd

This Week

Tuesday -

• Softball travels to La Junta, Colorado to face Otero JC for a doubleheader
• Baseball travels to Las Vegas, New Mexico for a single game with Luna CC

Friday -

• Baseball hosts McCook CC at Central Park for a doubleheader starting at 1pm

Saturday -

• Softball hosts McCook CC at Southside Park for a doubleheader starting at noon
• Baseball hosts McCook CC at Central Park for a single 9-inning game starting at 1pm

Sunday -

• Softball hosts McCook CC at Southside Park for a doubleheader starting at 11am

Essein and Kelly named All-Region

TSJC Basketball standouts Issac Essein and Ian Kelly were both awarded a prestigious honor this past week. The Trojan sophomores were each named to the 2019 Region IX All-Region team, Essein to the second team and Kelly to the honorable mention squad. Very few players from the region, which consists of 15 teams, are honored each year, so for two Trojans to make the list it was a great honor.

Essein averaged over ten points a game to go along with almost five rebounds and three assists. Kelly averaged almost 12 points a game to go with over four rebounds per contest. They are both tremendously hard-working athletes both in the classroom, in the weight room and on the court. Congratulations to Issac and Ian! #TrojanProud

Duran signs with Benedictine College

TSJC Volleyball player Maria Duran recently signed to play next season with the Ravens of Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas. Maria came to TSJC from Albuquerque, New Mexico. She played in 34 matches at Trinidad State, racking up 168 career kills and 305 career digs. She averaged almost two kills a set her sophomore year and was a team captain.

Maria will join a Ravens team that plays in the Heart of America Athletic Conference of the NAIA. They were 17-14 last season.

Maria will also be missed at the start of many of our games as it was her voice you would hear singing the National Anthem. Congratulations Maria and good luck! #TrojanProud

Allen joins Grizzlies

TSJC Cross Country/Track athlete Riley Allen recently signed to run next season with the Grizzlies of Adams State University in Alamosa. Riley came to TSJC from Craig, Colorado. He is an All-American in Indoor Track, and was a member of the national runner-up distance medley team his freshman year. His best time in Cross Country was 26:21.70, his top 1500m was 4:04.40 and his top 800m was 2:02.67.

Riley will join one of the top running programs in the nation at any level when he becomes a Grizzly next season. Congratulations Riley and good luck! #TrojanProud

Baseball batters CSU Club Squad

The Trojan baseball team took a week away from region play and hosted the CSU-Fort Collins Club team at Central Park. The teams played a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon and it was the Trojans who came away with a pair of big wins.

Anthony Durbano took the hill in game one and dominated the Rams. With some nice plays in the field, including a catch on the warning track and a pretty double play, he found himself with a no-hitter through six innings. After recording the first out of the seventh, the Rams managed a soft single to center that was just out of reach of the diving Trojan outfielders. Durbano shrugged off the loss of the no-hit bid and finishing the complete game for his fourth win of the season. Reid Baty supplied all of the offence the Trojans would need in the first inning with a grand slam, his seventh home run of the season, as they cruised to an 11-0 win.

Game two was similar as starter Sebastion Olivo, and relievers Jess Pratt and Bryan Meissner controlled the Ram hitters. TSJC got solid hitting from the entire lineup and again found themselves with an easy 17-1 victory.

TSJC (13-11, 7-2) will travel to Luna CC early in the week for a single game, and will then host McCook CC over the weekend in Region IX play. TSJC is currently in first in the region standings, half a game up on Lamar. The games at Central Park this weekend are set as a doubleheader on Friday starting at 1pm and a single 9-inning game on Saturday, also with a 1pm first pitch.

Softball splits with Colby

The Trojan softball team put an end to a nine-game losing streak in Kansas on Sunday afternoon as they defeated the Colby Trojans 7-3 in the second game of the doubleheader. TSJC dropped game one 1-0.

In the first contest the Trojans got a great pitching performance from Teddi Garcia, but were one-hit by one of the top pitchers in the country, Mahealani Haegele. In the second game sophomore Avery Bohn took the circle and only allowed three runs to cross. The Trojans got a two-run home run from Sheyanne Sandoval and a three-run bomb from Tori Litwin as they went on for the 7-3 win.

TSJC (11-14, 2-4) will travel to face Otero Junior College on Tuesday for a doubleheader, and will then host McCook CC over the weekend. The games at Southside this weekend are set for a first pitch at noon on Saturday and 11am on Sunday.

Some photos from the week

Quote of the Week -

"To build a strong team you must see someone else’s strength as a complement to your weakness not a threat to your position or authority." - Christine Caine

GO TROJANS!

#DMGB - Doesn’t Matter Get Better

Mike Salbato

Athletic Director
Trinidad State Junior College