With 24 games remaining on the regular season docket, Gerardo Prado made history on the basepaths last weekend in Canyon.
The University of Oklahoma baseball signee set the Badgers’ single season stolen bases record against El Paso Community College at Wilder Park. Prado moved his season total to 17 on Sunday with three stolen bases during the series.
“He’s an extraordinary athlete and baseball player, whether that’s in the field, on the basepaths or at the plate,” AC head coach Brandon Rains said. “He’s had a great all-around season this spring and his numbers on the stat sheet show that.”
Prado’s record-setting performance over the weekend was one of many noteworthy performances during the Badgers 3-1 series defeat to the Tejanos.
Logan Tibbett recorded a career-high strikeout total (12) in game one, Payton Bush finished the series with a team-high .462 batting average, and Roy Moon kept his pitching record spotless on Sunday.
“Tibbett was outstanding and to have 12 strikeouts against a top-10 offense like El Paso, it speaks to his ability as a pitcher and his work ethic,” Rains noted. “He consistently puts in the time and effort to improve his craft.”
Amarillo College opened the series with a pair of losses on Saturday.
The Badgers were tied with the Tejanos (3-3) heading into the final inning of game one. El Paso hit two homers in the final frame to secure a 6-3 series-opening win.
The Tejanos took the momentum into game two and gave AC its fifth run-rule loss of the 2025 campaign, defeating the Badgers 16-4.
On Sunday, a windy afternoon with gusts over 20 miles per hour was a precursor for the pitcher’s duel ahead.
Moon was inserted on the mound to start the second inning and the freshman from Weatherford displayed the potential the Badger coaching staff saw when recruiting him.
Moon gave up no earned runs, struck out two batters, and escaped two bases-loaded jams in the final six innings.
“Roy Moon stepped up when we needed him to. That was a critical game for us to get. He executed his pitches in a high-pressure spot and trusted our defense by throwing strikes,” Rains said.
AC won game three 4-1, propelled by Jacob Sullens’ 3-RBI inside the park home run in the sixth inning.
The homer broke a 1-1 tie.
The Badgers went on to lose game four 9-3.
Six AC batters hit at least a .333 average in the four-game series versus the Tejanos.
Bush’s .462 average led the way, followed by Dylan Steele (.400), Brooks Carter (.364), Zyon Hamilton (.364), Gerardo Prado (.357), and Christian McGuire (.333).
Hamilton added his seventh home run of the season in game two to take the team lead in the long ball column.
Following the 1-3 showing last weekend, AC moved into fifth place in the conference standings with an 8-4 WJCAC record.
Up next is an away series at Howard College in Big Spring on Friday and Saturday.
Doubleheaders each day are scheduled to begin at noon.
The following is the WJCAC standings through three weeks of the conference slate.
New Mexico Junior College – 11-1
Midland College – 10-2
Odessa College – 10-2
Howard College – 10-2
Amarillo College – 8-4
El Paso Community College – 7-5
Frank Phillips – 2-10
Western Texas College – 2-10
New Mexico Military Institute – 0-12
Clarendon College – 0-12
