The 2025 New Mexico high school baseball state tournament starts on Friday, May 9, and Saturday, May 10, with best-of-three first-round series hosted by the top eight seeds in Class 4A. Each matchup opens with Game 1 on Friday, followed by Game 2 on Saturday morning and, if needed, Game 3 approximately two hours after Game 2.
No. 1 Artesia Bulldogs (20-6) vs. No. 16 Bernalillo Spartans (11-14)
Game 1: Friday, May 9 @ 7 p.m. | Game 2: Saturday, May 10 @ 11 a.m.
Artesia enters as the top overall seed after a dominant 20-6 regular season and an undefeated 9-0 run through District 4-4A. The Bulldogs boast one of the most complete teams in the bracket, surrendering just 94 runs across the season behind a deep pitching staff led by junior arms Jack Byers, Daelon Pacheco, Brant Usherwood, and Diego Morales.
Bernalillo, the fourth-place finisher in District 6-4A, snuck into the field as the 16-seed and will look to lean on senior Uriel Castro (.487 AVG, 11 doubles) and sophomore slugger Ulisses Castro (.522 AVG, 5 HR) to stay competitive. However, the Spartans have given up nearly as many runs as they’ve scored (186-192) and will need near-perfect outings to pull the upset.
Prediction: Artesia wins series 2-0 – The Bulldogs’ pitching depth and playoff experience should carry them through with relative ease.
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