Getting some key regulars onto the field after their contributions toward state basketball, second-year Ignacio High School baseball coach Bert Miller, his staff and his Bobcats will get the 2016 season underway this weekend with the Ignacio Invitational.
Hungry to improve upon the lessons learned eagerly last spring, the 'Cats are slated to welcome Class 3A squads Buena Vista (10-10 in '15) and Salida (11-8), as well as 2A's Hotchkiss, Cedaredge (9-11) and 2A/1A San Juan Basin League nemesis Dolores (8-9, 5-4 SJBL), with pool-play action to begin at 11 a.m. at SunUte Field and the revamped IHS Field.
Ignacio (6-13, 3-6 SJBL in '15) will open Pool A at IHS Field against SHS, with the Spartans then facing Hotchkiss about 1 p.m. before the 'Cats and Bulldogs square off around 3 p.m.. Ranked No. 3 in the preseason CHSAANow.com poll on March 7, Hotchkiss went 21-3 last year, advancing all the way to the Class 2A state tournament's "Final Four" before losing by a run to eventual state champions Rye in Pueblo.
The 'Dogs ended IHS' season with a 14-0 win at the District 2 Tournament in Delta.
Pool B at SunUte will start with DHS battling BVHS, followed by CHS-BVHS and Dolores-Cedaredge.
The Day 2 itinerary will begin with the third-place teams in each pool going head-to-head at 11 a.m., followed by the second-placers' engagement at 1 p.m. and the first-placers' clash for the title at 3.
