Baseball | 2/6/2026 10:08:00 PM

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 The Cloud County Community College baseball team opened its 2026 season with a round-robin sweep of Arkansas State University-Mountain Home and Tyler Junior College. The T-Birds began the day with a 9-5 win in seven innings over the Trailblazers and capped it off with a 4-2 victory in seven innings over the Apaches.

In game two of the afternoon, head coach Eric Gilliland claimed his 300th career win at Cloud County. Gilliland has compiled a 300-188 overall record since 2017. Last year, he guided the T-Birds to their first NJCAA Region 6 Plains District Baseball Tournament title game appearance in program history. Gilliland is the only head coach in Cloud County baseball program history to reach the 300-win mark.

The T-Birds strung together eleven hits, including five extra-base hits, in the team's win over Arkansas State University-Mountain Home. Freshman catcher Kellan Burke led the way at the plate with three hits, including a double. Sophomore third baseman Kaden Budke had a pair of doubles with two RBI and one run scored. Budke scored on a defensive error in the first inning, recorded a ground-rule double to left field in the second, and added a double to left field in the third, driving in two runs during a four-run inning for the T-Birds. Sophomore short stop Lucas Laukkanen clubbed the first home run of the season for Cloud County with a two-run blast to left field in the top of the second inning. Sophomore second baseman Joey Marino led off the fourth inning with a solo shot to left field. Sophomore first baseman Luke Clayton finished with two hits, one run scored and one RBI, while freshman outfielder Broxton Barrientos added an RBI single and scored a run.

Sophomore pitcher Cole Linton earned the win in game one. The right-hander limited the Trailblazers to two runs, one earned, on three hits while striking out two through the first four innings. Redshirt freshman Cooper Tannahill struck out two and walked one while permitting three runs, zero earned, on three hits over 2.1 innings of work. Freshman Nolan Green secured his first career save with a strikeout in the seventh.

Sophomore Evan Bogart garnered the win on the bump in game two against Tyler Junior College, throwing 3.2 innings where he allowed one run on one hit while striking out three Apaches. Sophomore Sam Brummund claimed his first save of the season and fifth of his career, recording the final out. Sophomore Stocton Timbrook earned a no-decision after throwing three innings, finishing with three strikeouts and four walks, including walking in a run in the first.

Sophomore outfielder Carter Cathers collected the team's third home run of the day with a go-ahead three-run blast to left field in the top of the fourth inning. Cathers added a double in the sixth and later scored his second run of the game on a RBI double by Barrientos. Budke, Burke, Clayton and Marino each contributed hits in the win.

The round-robin sweep allows Cloud County to start a season 2-0 for the second consecutive year.

On deck for the T-Birds is another set of games against both Tyler Junior College and Arkansas State University-Mountain Home. Game times are slated for 11 am and 1:30 pm on Saturday, February 7 at Mike Carter Baseball Field in Tyler, Texas.