FARMINGTON – A total of 10 teams with amateur players from across the state and around the southwest will attempt to earn a berth in next month’s Connie Mack World Series when the New Mexico Qualifier opens Wednesday at both Ricketts Park and Worley Field.
Five games will open the action, with the Albuquerque Baseball Academy looking to win the tournament for the second consecutive year. The winning team earns a berth in the CMWS and will represent the state of New Mexico in what is considered by many to be the most prestigious amateur baseball tournament in the country.
The New Mexico qualifier, now in its second year, is restricted to teams within the state and was created as a means of opening up competition for teams to compete for the right to play in the CMWS, which opens on July 24.
As it was last year, the The New Mexico qualifier tournament will be presented by Five Tool, which has played host to several Connie Mack World Series qualifiers this summer and is one of the leading amateur baseball organizations across the country, hosting regional and national events for athletes of all ages.
The winner of the New Mexico qualifier will serve as the host team for the CMWS, and will feature several players from across San Juan County. Teams registered for this event must be based out of New Mexico, and have at least 75% of their roster living in the state.
Last year, the Albuquerque Baseball Academy topped the Midland NM squad by a 4-1 margin to advance to the national championship event. The ABA suffered a pair of losses in bracket play and were eliminated by Dallas-based DBat United by a score of 5-1.
Coached by Tim Campos, the ABA 2026 squad has a record of 11-2 this summer and have won four straight games heading into the NM qualifier. Wyatt Tinker, Uriel Castro and Kaiden Nerhood each lead the team with 7 RBI.
Tinker graduated from Rio Rancho High School, where he played varsity baseball. During his senior season, Tinker put up massive offensive numbers, hitting .449 with an outstanding 1.010 slugging percentage, 11 home runs, and 39 RBIs. Castro, formerly with Bernalillo High and now attending Eastern New Mexico University, has a .389 batting average this season. Nerhood graduated last month from La Cueva High School and signed his letter of intent to play at Paradise Valley Community College in Arizona.
Meantime, 4 Corners Blue, coached by Mike McGaha, has fared well in a pair of regional qualifiers, competing in of two qualifying events in Texas before a strong effort earlier this month in the Northwest Qualifier in Spokane, Washington.
A pair of starters from Piedra Vista High School, winners of the Class 5A state title, headline the roster for 4 Corners Blue. Alejandro and Alexis Hernandez-Castillo have combined for 15 RBI this season. Elijah Vasquez, from West Plains High in Amarillo, Texas, is batting .388 this summer with 16 runs and 16 RBI.