Apaches Open 2026 Season with Doubleheader Sweep of Ottawa JV
The Cochise College Apaches opened the 2026 baseball season in impressive fashion on Saturday, sweeping a doubleheader against Ottawa University JV to begin the year 2–0.
Game One: Cochise 9, Ottawa JV 1
Cochise set the tone early in the opener, breaking through with a three-run third inning and never looking back in a 9–1 victory. The Apaches collected nine hits and capitalized on timely power and run production, as shown in the official box score.
Sophomore shortstop TJ Shaw Jr. led the offense with a 3-for-4 performance, scoring three runs and driving in one, while catcher Jorge Cardenas delivered the big blow with a grand slam to finish with four RBIs. Gavin Mesa and Shiryu Sato also contributed RBIs as Cochise built a steady lead throughout the afternoon.
On the mound, Noah Miller earned the season-opening win after tossing four scoreless innings and striking out seven. The bullpen trio of Shane Hooper, Austin Cushman, Landen Nigg closed out the contest, combining for eight more strikeouts as the Apaches limited Ottawa to just two hits.
Game Two: Cochise 15, Ottawa JV 3
The second game saw Cochise's offense reach another level, exploding for 15 runs on 13 hits in a 15–3 win. The Apaches scored in five different innings, including five runs in the second and five more in the sixth to put the game out of reach.
Gavin Mesa stayed hot at the plate, going 3-for-3 with a double and triple. Anthony Montez, Sawyer Fech, and Andrugh Yee each homered, combining for eight RBIs. Fech finished with two hits and two RBIs, while Montez added two runs scored and two RBIs. Cesar Chavira reached base four times and drove in a run, helping spark the middle of the lineup.
On the mound, Dylan Torres earned the win in his season debut, striking out seven over three scoreless innings. He was followed by Ben Couvreur, Daniel Gomez, and Collin Smith, who combined to hold Ottawa to five hits and 14 strikeouts on the day.
Strong Start for the Apaches
Across both games, Cochise outscored Ottawa JV 24–4, showing balance at the plate and depth on the pitching staff. The Apaches totaled 22 hits, four home runs, and 26 strikeouts from their pitching staff in the season-opening sweep.
With the doubleheader sweep, Cochise begins the 2026 campaign at 2–0 and will look to carry that momentum into its first road trip of the season.
Up Next
Cochise returns to action on Tuesday, February 3, with a road doubleheader at Pima College in Tucson, Arizona. First pitch is scheduled for 12:00 pm as the Apaches continue their early-season schedule.