Signing period opens with large number of D1 signees

If you were looking to identify the one high school sport in New Mexico in which the most inroads nationally are being made over the last decade, the argument is strong on baseball’s behalf.

Take, for example, the start of the latest national signing period, which is Wednesday.

The state’s elite talent from the Class of 2026 is being spread out across the country, to LSU, to Oklahoma, to Oregon State, to Arizona.

“I think we’re definitely growing in terms of the baseball world, if that makes sense,” said Cleveland High’s stellar multi-talented player, senior Anthony Del Angel. “I just think it’s really cool to see New Mexico starting to get some recognition. We’ve always had really good ball players, but now you’re starting to see some guys go big.”

Del Angel, the 2025 Gatorade Player of the Year for New Mexico, is signing with the University of Oklahoma.

Dylan Blomker, the hard-throwing right-hander from La Cueva, is signing with the most recent national champion, LSU. One of his Bear teammates, pitcher Everett Burdett, is headed to the Pacific Northwest and Oregon State, which has had plenty of recent success plucking top pitching talent from Albuquerque and turning them into professionals.

“Oregon State has a good reputation of getting guys drafted,” Burdett said. “That also played into (my decision).”

That list includes the Kmatz brothers, Jacob and Zach, and Aiden May, all of whom played at Sandia. May and Jacob Kmatz are current pros.

The 6-foot-3, 195-pound Burdett chose Oregon State over Oklahoma State and West Virginia.

The 6-4, 200-pound Del Angel, arguably the state’s most versatile talent and possibly the most dangerous hitter in New Mexico, laughed when he was asked what the Sooners have planned for him.

“I’m not gonna lie to you. I do not know,” he said. But he did know that Norman was where he wanted to be.

“It was the best choice for me because of the culture,” Del Angel said. Auburn and Tennessee were his other finalists. “I really enjoyed the culture there.”

Artesia’s Jack Byers was sold on Arizona’s coaching staff and that’s what has led him to sign with the Wildcats.

Specifically, Byers said, it is the work Arizona assistant coach John DeRouin has done with the program’s pitching staff that sold him most.

“It’s been nothing but greatness from the pitching staff,” said the 6-3, 195-pound Byers, who also plays football and basketball at Artesia, “and seeing those guys get transformed into something great.”

Among those staying in state are La Cueva’s Luke Feist, an infielder/pitcher who is signing with the New Mexico Lobos, and Las Cruces High’s Gunnar Guardiola, the Bulldawgs’ outstanding senior quarterback who is signing to play baseball with New Mexico State. Riley Erickson from La Cueva’s girls soccer team is also signing with NMSU, and Hailey Sanchez from Hope Christian’s state championship soccer squad is signing with Sam Houston State.

The exciting long jumper and sprinter from La Cueva, Tanner Montaño, signed on Wednesday with the University of Texas. Another of La Cueva's stars, Jordyn Dyer, signed with Pacific on Wednesday morning.

UTEP softball scored big inside the metro area. La Cueva pitcher Lainey Alcaraz and Rio Rancho shortstop/catcher LilyRose Larrabee both are going to sign with the Miners.

“I was really just looking for a nice area, something that was close to home but far enough where I could be independent,” said Larrabee. “Honestly, I just really love the coaches and I love the talent. It was a perfect fit for me. … It’s a really cool opportunity to be able to play Division I. It’s about finding the right fit, it doesn’t matter whether it’s D1 or D2.”

Cleveland’s Azlynn Tittmann is another of the local athletes signing with a D1 program; the Storm’s outside hitter is signing to play volleyball at Boise State.

Albuquerque Academy has at least three D1 signees: recent Class 4A state cross country champion Nicholas Ponte (Harvard), girls standout cross country runner Anna Hastings (Brown) and Nartey Brady, who is going to Stanford to compete in men’s gymnastics. Brady is one of the top junior gymnasts in the country who has spent time in the Team USA program.

The first of football’s signing periods — primarily for future Division I players — doesn’t happen until December.

Here is a partial list of New Mexico high school athletes who are expected to sign with a college (the first day of the new signing period is Wednesday; if you wish to alert the Journal to an athlete whose name does not appear on this list, send the information to jyodice@abqjournal.com).

BASEBALL

Dylan Blomker, La Cueva (LSU)

Jack Byers, Artesia (Arizona)

Anthony Del Angel, Cleveland (Oklahoma)

Everett Burdett, La Cueva (Oregon State)

Luke Feist, La Cueva (New Mexico)

Gunnar Guardiola, Las Cruces (New Mexico State)

Wyatt Tinker, Rio Rancho (NM Junior College)

Abram Pine, Eldorado (North Central University, Minn.)

Cameron Brown, Goddard (Pima Community College, Ariz.)

Dean Ellison, Rio Rancho (NM Junior College)

Kade Kiss, Alamogordo (NM Junior College)

Aiden Mobley, Sandia (NM Military Institute)

Kaiden Nerhood, La Cueva (Paradise Valley CC, Ariz.)'

Xavier Vasquez, Cleveland (Eastern Arizona JC)

WOMEN'S SOCCER

Riley Erickson, La Cueva (New Mexico State)

Hailey Sanchez, Hope Christian (Sam Houston State)

Emma Gurule, Eldorado (Fort Lewis College, Colo.)

Malina Salas, Eldorado (Warner University, Fla.)

Sophia Hasse, Albuquerque Academy (Flagler College, Fla.)

Makena Hix, La Cueva (Southwestern Oklahoma State)

Mary Valdez, La Cueva (West Texas A&M)

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Jordyn Dyer, La Cueva (Pacific)

WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL

Azlynn Tittmann, Cleveland (Boise State)

Aaliyah Simpson, Cleveland (Colorado Christian)

MEN'S TRACK AND FIELD

Tanner Montano, La Cueva (Texas)

MEN'S BASKETBALL

Remy Albrecht, Cleveland (Fort Lewis College, Colo.)

SOFTBALL

Lainey Alcaraz, La Cueva (UTEP)

LilyRose Larrabee, Rio Rancho (UTEP)

Brooklyn Eardley, La Cueva (Luna Community College, NM)

Alex Fox, La Cueva (Trinidad State, Colo.)

Hailey Silva, La Cueva (Northeast Community College, Neb.)

Bella Jarvis, Rio Rancho (Northeast Community College, Neb.)

Jordyn Tenorio, Rio Rancho (Eastern Florida State College)

Annika Stanley, Albuquerque High (Yavapai College, Ariz.)

Raquel Waldrop, Albuquerque High (University of Colorado-Colo. Springs)

Mya Peralta, Rio Grande (Luna Community College, NM)

Yvette Breneiser, Rio Grande (Luna Community College, NM)

WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY

Anna Hastings, Albuquerque Academy (Brown)

MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY

Nicholas Ponte, Albuquerque Academy (Harvard)

MEN'S GYMNASTICS

Hartey Brady, Albuquerque Academy (Stanford)

WOMEN'S WRESTLING

Kristina Means, Moriarty (Carl Albert State College, Okla.)