Runnin’ Lopes Region 9 Champions

On Sunday, May 12, the 2019 Runnin' Lopes baseball team accomplished something that had not been done in seven years. Facing elimination after a loss to Western Nebraska on Saturday the Lopes won three straight games to capture the 2019 Region 9 Baseball Championship. The Lopes defeated Northeastern Junior College in game one in eleven innings by the score of 3-2. The first game Saturday saw the first loss in the tournament at the hands of Western Nebraska Community College by the score of 6-5. Coming back that night, the Lopes handily defeated Trinidad State Junior College 16-6. Now came the must win two games on Sunday championship round. The Lopes defeated Western Nebraska Community College 6-5 in eleven innings and then 19-7 in game two. A long and challenging tournament that had site changes, weather delays and forty-eight innings in three days. 

Now the Lopes do something that has not been done since 2010 when Bryce Harper came to Lamar with Southern Nevada College. Hosting the 2019 Western District Tournament for the right to go to the Junior College World Series in Grand Junction, CO. The four teams in this year's Western District Tournament are Lamar Community College (32-25) and Trinidad State Junior College (29-26) from Region 9. Central Arizona College (42-19) from Region 1 and College of Southern Nevada (44-10) finish out the four-team bracket. Each year the host district gets two representatives. Trinidad State Junior College won the Regular 9 Season Conference title so they go into the tournament as Region 9 number two seed. Since the Lopes won the Region 9 Tournament, they host the District Tournament and are the Region 9 number one seed. 

Follow the tournament actions on www.golopes.com and twitter @LamarCCBaseball. The games will also be webcast at YouTube LCC Athletics.