It was the Blinn Buccaneers’ year until it wasn’t, and sometimes, that’s just the way baseball goes.

No. 17 McLennan Community College erupted for 13 runs in the first three innings and fifth-ranked Blinn was unable to find enough pitching and offense to complete its comeback in an 18-9, seven-inning, season-ending loss at the NJCAA Division I Baseball World Series on Tuesday in Grand Junction, Colo.

“We knew it was going to be a tough day for us,” Bucs head coach Dusty Hart said. “We felt like if we got through today, maybe we’d have a chance to win out, but coming into today it was tough; we honestly didn’t even know who we were going to start on the mound until two or three hours before the game. It’s tough to be in a bullpen situation from the start against a really good team like McLennan. It just wasn’t in the cards for us this year, but I’m proud of the way we fought.”

Blinn went 2-2 in the tournament and finished its season with an outstanding 48-15 record – its most wins in a campaign during Hart’s three-year run. Blinn was in the World Series for a third consecutive season after finishing fourth in 2023 and winning its first national championship last season.

It’s defense of its championship came to a close following a first-round loss to Lake Land College, back-to-back victories over Florida SouthWestern State College and Johnson County Community College, and Tuesday’s setback to the Highlanders.

Despite the early exit, Blinn had a memorable run highlighted by a record-setting performance from catcher/designated hitter Ethan Gonzalez. He went 14 for 20 in the Series (.700), setting the record for highest batting average in the competition’s 68-year history. The previous record of .688 was held by four players, most notably 2001 Major League Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Kirby Puckett.

Tuesday’s game opened with a pair of Blinn runs in the top of the first frame, driven in on sophomore Bennett Fryman’s sacrifice fly and an RBI single from Gonzalez.

McLennan answered with two runs in its half of the inning, and tacked on six more in the second.

The Bucs got one back in the top of the third when freshman Brady Sullivan drew a bases loaded walk.

The Highlanders then put up a five spot in the bottom of the frame.

Trailing 13-3, Blinn staged a middle-innings rally with two runs in the fourth inning, three in the fifth, and one in the sixth, but McLennan answered with five tallies in the home half of the sixth.

Sophomore Ryder McDaniel hit a two-run homer for Blinn in the fourth, Gonzalez led off the fifth with a solo shot, and freshman Trey Craig hit a pinch-hit, two-run blast later in the fifth to make it 13-8. Blinn got one more on a Sullivan RBI single in the sixth.

The Bucs matched the Highlanders with 16 hits.

Gonzalez and McDaniel each went 3 for 5 with two RBIs. Sullivan and sophomores Caden Ferraro and Matt Quintanar each had two hits.

On the mound, freshman Hudson Melaerts started the game for Blinn and took the loss following 1 1/3 innings of work.

Monday

Blinn 10, Johnson Co. 4

Bennett Fryman hadn’t pitched in 53 days.

On Monday, that didn’t matter.

The sophomore hitter-pitcher gave fifth-ranked Blinn College 4 1/3 gutsy innings and also contributed to a sturdy offensive effort as the Buccaneers rolled past fourth-ranked Johnson County 10-4 in an elimination game.

Fryman did his best to ensure the Bucs would live to play another day. The hard-throwing left-hander allowed two earned runs on three hits with three walks and a strikeout in his first start since April 3, and also went 3 for 6 at the plate with a pair of runs.

“I felt good; obviously a little tired after a late-night victory (Saturday), but (Blinn pitching) coach James Leverton and I have been working together and I’ve kept working during bullpen sessions to be ready for a situation like this,” Fryman said.

Fryman’s spot start was the result of a grueling World Series schedule that typically has several teams playing two to three consecutive days without an off day. That, coupled with hitter-friendly Sam Suplizio Field, tends to tax bullpens early.

Gonzalez continued his torrid start to the World Series with an RBI single in the top of the first.

Sullivan got his first start of the World Series and added an infield single in the first which led to a run-scoring error and a 2-0 Bucs lead.

Johnson County recorded single tallies in the second and third innings to tie the game, but Blinn stormed ahead starting in the fifth.

Freshmen Kason Atkins and Drew Britton were hit by a pitch and walked, respectively, to give the Bucs a 4-2 edge, and in the sixth, Ferraro and Quintanar hit back-to-back solo home runs to make it 6-2.

In the seventh, McDaniel added an RBI double and Ferraro made it 8-2 with a sacrifice fly.

After Johnson County pushed across a run in the bottom of the seventh, the Bucs answered in the eighth when Gonzalez trotted home on a wild pitch.

Quintanar capped Blinn’s offense with an RBI single in the ninth. The Bucs racked up 15 hits.

Ferraro and Quintanar each went 3 for 5 with a pair of RBI, and Sullivan added two hits. Britton drew three of Blinn’s seven walks.

On the mound, Fryman ended his day with the game tied 2-2 with one out in the fifth, and did not factor into the decision. His solid start paved the way for freshman and game-two hero Ben Polleschultz, who picked up his second win in relief in as many days.

Polleschultz tossed 4 2/3 innings of two-run ball. He allowed five hits, walked two, and punched out five.

“Polleschultz has nerves of steel,” Hart said. “You’re talking about a guy who threw a complete-game shutout with 16 strikeouts and two walks in the championship of the regional tournament; nothing bothers that guy. Knowing we have him at the back end really makes you feel comfortable.”

Sunday

Blinn 14, Florida

SouthWestern 13

Ethan Gonzalez believes chewing gum at the plate has led to a calmer, more focused offensive approach.

Nobody watching Sunday’s dramatic ninth inning will argue with the results.

Gonzalez completed Blinn College’s stunning four-run rally in the top of the ninth with a go-ahead, three-run home run to propel the Buccaneers to a 14-13 victory over Florida SouthWestern State College in elimination play.

“I sat in the dugout and watched their pitcher (Nicholas Lorenz) throw first-pitch slider after first-pitch slider to our right-handed hitters,” he explained, “so, I went up to the plate in that big moment looking for that slider, and that’s what he gave me on the first pitch. I didn’t know it was gone right off the bat, but when I saw SouthWestern’s left fielder race back a little further and a little further, my heart started racing a little bit and then emotions just got me when I saw it go over.”

Thursday’s rally began with back-to-back singles from Ferraro and Quintanar, and Fryman cut SouthWestern’s lead to 13-11 on an RBI single to right. Gonzalez then stepped to the plate and provided the exclamation point.

Blinn racked up 18 hits, including Gonzalez’s 3-for-5, four-RBI night. He also doubled twice.

Fryman finished 4 for 5, Ferraro had three hits and drove in a run, and Quintanar andmCraig and Britton had two hits apiece. Britton drove in three RBIs, and Craig along with McDaniel and Atkins each plated one run.

On the mound, starting pitcher Hayden Morris worked 3 1/3 innings before exiting in the fourth with his team trailing 8-7. Sophomore reliever Hunter Bond lasted 1 1/3 frames as SouthWestern’s lead grew to 13-7.

From there, freshman Cadyn Shaw made his return to the mound one day after tossing 28 pitches against Lake Land. He allowed three hits across 2 1/3 scoreless innings with two strikeouts and no walks. His effort was then complemented by a flawless effort from Polleschultz, who came on to begin the eighth.

Polleschultz (7-1) threw two perfect innings while striking out three to earn the win.

“I knew my team needed me and I knew none of us were ready to go home yet,” Polleschultz said. “I was prepared to do everything I could to extend our run to at least one more game. Once Gonzalez hit that homer in the ninth, I was ready to go back out and finish the job.”

The Bucs scored two runs in each of the first three frames and led 6-2 heading into the bottom of the third before SouthWestern rallied for four runs to tie the game. Blinn pushed one run across in the top of the fourth but SouthWestern answered with another four-run inning in its half of the frame to move ahead. SouthWestern then made it 13-7 with a three-spot in the fifth.

Saturday

Lake Land 17, Blinn 9

A late-game barrage from Lake Land College spoiled Blinn College’s return to the NJCAA Division I Baseball World Series on Saturday.

The ninth-seeded Lakers rallied out of a five-run deficit and tacked on 12 runs across the final three innings of play to earn a 17-9 win over the second-seeded Buccaneers in the opening round.

Blinn got out to a great start against Lake Land, rallying out of a 1-0 deficit in the third inning on an RBI double from Fryman and a run-scoring triple from sophomore Lane Allen. The Bucs tacked on two runs in the fourth when McDaniel recorded a sacrifice fly and freshman Reece Lunsford grounded an RBI single to center field.

Gonzalez then made it 5-1 in the fifth when he launched a solo home run to left field.

From there, however, the Lakers capitalized on some small ball, using 14 hits – all singles – through six innings to fight back to tie the game in the top of the sixth.

After a Gonzalez RBI single gave Blinn its final lead of the game in the home half of the sixth, Lake Land tied things up once more on a run-scoring wild pitch before using a grand slam to jump ahead for good.

Blinn was unable to regain its early-game offensive prowess, which Hart said was a result of too many called strikes and not enough big hits in big moments.

Blinn put together a three-run ninth inning before the Lakers closed out their upset win.

Lake Land out-hit the Bucs 21-15.

Gonzalez had a history-making performance as he finished 6 for 6 with three RBIs. His six hits tied a single-game World Series record set by Florida SouthWestern State’s Tary Scott in 1984.

Fryman and Quintanar each had two hits for the Bucs. Fryman and Allen had two RBI apiece.

Bucs sophomore pitcher Brok Eddy (10-4) started the game for Blinn and took the loss. He worked 5 1/3 innings and allowed five earned runs on nine hits with two walks and seven strikeouts.