After a wild opening round that included a No. 14 seed upsetting a title favorite and dominant performances by several top seeds, the 2025 Class 5A state tournament now shifts to quarterfinals play on Thursday. Below is a full breakdown of all four matchups, including players to watch and score predictions.
Thursday, May 15 | Jennifer Riordan Spark Kindness Sports Complex – Albuquerque, NM
No. 1 La Cueva Bears (25-3) vs No. 9 Los Lunas Tigers (18-10), 7:00 p.m.
La Cueva continues to roll with dominant back-to-back performances in the first round, defeating Las Cruces 10-0 and 7-3. The Bears have outscored opponents 297-78 this season and feature a loaded roster that includes Braiden Reynolds (2025, Grand Canyon commit), Jake Travis (2025), and Luke Feist (2026, UNM commit). They’ve already beaten Los Lunas twice this year, 8-4 and 9-4.
Talent runs deep for the Bears, with Brayden Likar (2025, Paradise Valley CC), Reid Jacobson (2025, UNM commit), Dylan Blomker (2026, LSU commit), and Everett Burdett (2025, Oregon State commit) rounding out an all-star-level lineup.
Los Lunas enters red-hot after dismantling Volcano Vista 15-1 and 14-0 in the opening round. The Tigers are powered by Jasiah Byers (2026), JJ Utash (2027), and Matthew Castillo (2025), with a lineup capable of surprising anyone when locked in.
NMPreps Prediction: La Cueva 9, Los Lunas 5. Los Lunas will put up a fight, but La Cueva’s depth and firepower should be too much late.Vote Who Wins Here
No. 2 Rio Rancho Rams (22-6) vs No. 7 Centennial Hawks (22-6), 10:00 a.m.
Rio Rancho showed off its championship potential in the first round, eliminating Farmington 9-2 and 13-5. The Rams are paced by top arms Adan Bustos (2025), Richard Reiffenberger (2028), and Brandon Segal (2025), with Wyatt Tinker (2026) anchoring the infield.
Centennial swept Rio Grande 16-6 and 8-5 and enters the quarterfinals with balanced production across the lineup. Key contributors include Israel Molina (2026), Cole Alons (2026), and Gabriel Torres (2026), who have helped lead the Hawks to over 210 runs this season.
NMPreps Prediction: Rio Rancho 6, Centennial 3. This one could stay tight through the middle innings, but Rio Rancho's arms and big-game experience give them the edge. Vote Who Wins Here
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