Back to the Diamond: Former Rams, Storm hit collegiate fields for '26 season

If you found yourself driving back to Rio Rancho on I-25 this past weekend, you may have been greeted by the sound of metal bats, floodlights illuminating the distance, and the roar of a crowd as you passed University Drive.

This is not a figment of imagination, but rather the sounds and visuals of the return of college baseball and softball season. 

Collegiate teams returned to the diamond in New Mexico and around the country, marking the opening weekend for a majority of teams from Division I to Division III and everyone in between. 

But throughout the national collegiate opening slate, how many of these ballplayers hail from Rio Rancho?

Down at Santa Ana Star Field, Rio Rancho High alumni Seth Lee and Garrett Rede started their years off with a bang as the Lobos swept Fordham University to open the year 4-0. Both former Rams are coming in from different college programs, now returning to the Metro area for the tail end of their collegiate careers.

Rede was a vocal point in UNM’s Sunday afternoon barrage, delivering a two-out grand slam in the 24-5 runaway victory for the Lobos. The hometown graduate student would finish the day 2-for-5 with four RBI.

Lee, a right-handed pitcher entering his junior season, will likely see the mound for the first time this upcoming series, as the Lobos prepare for a three-game set with Northern Colorado.

While the former Rams thrived on the baseball field, a Cleveland Storm alum was leading the charge for Lobos softball.

Redshirt freshman Mya Pacheco notched her first hit of the season with a double against Northwestern State, aiding UNM to a 6-4 victory for their lone win of the weekend.

Up north, Pacheco’s old teammate Ryen Herman is back behind the plate for Colorado School of the Mines, catching four games so far this season.

Transitioning from mountain time to island time, another Cleveland grad would find their first hit of the year via a double as well. Chris Hoffman, who transferred to the University of Hawaii from the University of Oklahoma this past offseason, posted an RBI double along with coming around to score in the Rainbow Warriors’ 5-3 victory over Gonzaga.

Back in the lower 48, many other local alums began their seasons before Valentine’s Day weekend. Schools like Eastern New Mexico, Antelope Valley and Southeastern University, which are all rostering City of Vision natives, began their schedules in late January or at the beginning of February.

This includes Hoffman’s former Storm teammate, Antonio Avila, now playing for Fort Hays State University after transferring in from the University of Nevada. While many players were still preparing for the season, Avila wasted no time in delivering an eye-catching performance.

Avila posted a five-hit night against UC-Colorado Springs on Jan. 30, the beginning of a .409 average start of the season for the outfielder.

But while Rams and Storm are scattered throughout programs, divisions and states across the country, there are not many names who have had a better start to 2026 than Rio Rancho’s Casen Savage.

Currently playing for New Mexico Junior College, Savage signed to play for Western Kentucky University after his time with the Thunderbirds in late 2025. Despite inking his name to the Hilltoppers, the former Ram lefty bat has not dropped the ball.

Savage is batting .414 with two home runs and 13 RBI, recording at least one hit in six of his nine appearances. His sophomore campaign comes fresh off a freshman year where he sported a .337 average, 48 RBI season for NMJC.

From Honolulu to Western Kentucky, or Northern Colorado to Central Florida, or even right here in New Mexico, one thing is for certain: The City of Rio Rancho has its fingerprints all over the college baseball and softball world. 

So when watching SportsCenter on television, reading box scores online or checking out a game yourself, keep an eye out; you’ll never know whose name will pop up next.