Five reasons the Artesia boys’ baseball team reclaimed the District 4-4A crown

JT Keith

Artesia Daily Press

jtkeith@elritomedia.com

As the Artesia Bulldogs started the 2025 high school baseball season, they had a new coach and a new approach to the game.

Jackson Bickel said the first challenge he undertook as first-year head coach was changing how his team thought about baseball. He wanted to open the game up to the team at a higher and more complex level while keeping it simple enough to execute the fundamentals.

“We practice adversity constantly so that when those moments hit, they stay calm in the chaos,” Bickel said. “It’s a daily process of mental and physical growth.”

The process paid off as Artesia finished 20-6 with a doubleheader sweep (3-2, 2-0) of the Goddard Rockets on Friday and ended district play at 9-0.

Here are five reasons the Bulldogs won the District 4-4A title.

High expectations

The Bulldogs returned most of the players from a team that went 17-14 overall and 7-2 in the district. That Artesia team played in the state championship last year.

From the start of the 2025 season, Bickel made it known the goal from day one was to be better than last year’s team and to win a state championship.

“Honestly, we never set our sights on a district championship,” Bickel said. “The only thing we’ve discussed since day one is chasing that Blue Trophy.”

Tough schedule

To help establish a championship mindset, the Bulldogs played a challenging 5A pre-district schedule against teams such as Mayfield, Carlsbad and Hobbs at the Las Cruces tournament. The Bulldogs battled the Cleveland Storm, Albuquerque Academy and Rio Rancho.

“Those games forced us to compete at a high level early,” Bickel said. “Those games exposed things we needed to clean up before district. It was exactly what we needed.”

The team came together as one

This is a special group of kids because they’re a team year-round, Bickel said. They play multiple sports together, lift weights together every morning and compete in everything they do. That kind of shared experience builds bonds you can’t coach, he said. “They’ve learned how to navigate the ups and downs of relationships, staying close through it all, and it’s shown on the field.”

Good pitching

Bickel said pitchers Diego Morales, Charlie Campbell and Jack Byers have been outstanding. Pitchers Daleon Pacheco, Jett Whitmire and Brant Usherwood have all logged quality innings, and Artesia has a deep and competitive staff, Bickel said.

Winning the Blue Trophy

Going undefeated in the district was never the goal, Bickel said. The goal has always been to win state. Winning the district, however, is a considerable advantage in seeding.

And the Bulldogs played so well this season they earned the No.1 seed in District 4-4A. Artesia will host a best 2-of-3 series against Bernalillo at 7 p.m. Friday at Brainard Park.

“We have worked extremely hard to put ourselves in this position to have the No. 1 seed,” Bickel said. “It reflects the work these kids have put together all season.”

jtkeith can be reached at 575-420-0061, or an X@JTKEITH1