The EPCC Tejanos stumbled out of the gate in Western Junior College Athletic Conference play.
The Tejanos dropped three out of the four games on the road against Clarendon College this past weekend and are looking to get back on track.
The Tejanos continue conference play this week in Snyder, Texas, to play the Western Texas College Westerners (2-2 WJCAC, 8-11 overall) on Friday and Saturday.
“They got some power, they got some speed” said coach Shannon Hunt, about Western Texas.
“They are really competitive and it is tough to beat those guys.”
They have tried out different line-ups to see what route to take for conference play. According to Hunt, they identified which route to go to give them the best opportunity to win.
It’s very simple, but hitting and pitching are the keys to success in this league.
“Your best pitchers are going to get hit,” said Hunt. “So you better be able to hit with them [opponent]. The key is to match up with them at the plate.”
One determining factor this weekend will be the elements. The strong winds can turn a routine fly ball into a double or even a home run.
If the Tejanos want to remain a contender for the league crown, it will depend on how well their pitchers perform.
Starting pitchers Kirby Wheeler and Erik Bjork will be relied on heavily by the team.
Defensively, the Tejanos are among the top in the conference, proving that they can hold a lead late in games.
But their hitting and pitching will be the deciding factor against the westerners.
The Tejanos are 1-3 in conference play
and 9-11 overall.
Both doubleheaders this weekend will get underway at noon.
Daniel Gonzalez leads the Tejanos with a .463 batting average, followed by Oscar Sigala at .447.
Luke Kroeplin comes in with a .435 average, Josh Choate is at .391 and Brendon Osborn is batting .375.
