At the all-star game, everyone has to get used to new teammates and a new coach in just a day of practice before playing a series.
“It was a little awkward at first,” said McCurdy senior Adrian Maestas. “But conversations start to carry, and just led.”
McCurdy senior stars second-baseman Maestas, shortstop Markus Martinez and pitcher Damian Quezada were named to the baseball high school all-star game, and played on June 2-3 in Rio Rancho with and against other 1A-3A all stars.
“The competition was crazy,” Quezada said.
“A lot of kids don’t get to experience this,” Martinez said. “So it’s just pretty cool to be here this weekend.”
The three-game series features three different jersey combinations. For the Friday evening game, players wear their red or green all-star jerseys (all three McCurdy players were on the green team). For the first game on Saturday, the players wear their own high school uniforms, which Maestas said got a bit confusing.
“I went to make a play, and I was looking for the usual blue,” Maestas said. “And I didn’t see it, so I was like, ‘What the hell?’ So I just kind of threw it, and it was a completely different player wearing a different jersey.”
And for the later game on Saturday, many players trade jerseys with a fellow all-star (while keeping their home school’s cap). So, Martinez was wearing a Robertson jersey, and Maestas a Texico one.
“I got to wear a jersey I would never wear before,” Masetas said.
Martinez, in the first Saturday game, ripped a triple into left field. And he hustled so hard on his way there, he threw up in the next inning when taking his place at shortstop. Martinez also reached on an error in the next inning, and in the third game he singled and scored on an inside-the-park home run by a Tularosa all star.
Quezada drew the start on the mound in the third game, and pitched 1.2 innings in a 12-8 loss. He also brought in a run on a ground ball error in his lone at bat. In the earlier game, he walked and scored.
Maestas walked and struck out in two plate appearances in the first Saturday game while playing second base, and walked twice and scored once in the second game.
“Definitely a culture shock,” Maestas said. While northern New Mexico baseball can be competitive, it pales in comparison to the best players from 3A.
All three were selected as all stars after remarkable seasons. Markus Martinez’s .631 batting average was seventh-best in the state, and his 1.185 slugging was fourth (and best in all of 2A). He finished his career with 99 hits, and also had a strong season as a pitcher.
Quezada’s 70 strikeouts as a pitcher were best in 2A, and he had a 4.27 ERA in 39 innings. As a hitter, he batted .492 with four home runs and 26 RBIs, and led the team with 37 steals.
Maestas pitched occasionally throughout the season, but had most of his contributions at second base. He had a .418 batting average and reached base in more than half of his plate appearances.
“Everybody brings their own unique talents and their own specialties,” said Chris Galbraith, the coach of Ruidoso high school who coached the green team for the All-Star weekend.