Bandits Flashback: 2000 USSSA Regional Champions
May 27-29, 2000
The Bandits traveled to Ruidoso New Mexico for Memorial Day. They opened with a 10-0 win over the Las Cruces Angels. Dillon Smith was the winning pitcher tossing a complete game 3-hitter. Jared Schrom was 2-2 at the plate and Robert Gallegos was also perfect at the dish going 1-1 with 3 runs. Anthony Martinez was 2-3. Willie Rueda, Jessie Bustamante, Justin Luna, Jason Luna, Miles Esparza and Smith each contributed going 1-2.
Next the Bandits defeated the Midland Wildcats 10-6. The Bandits trailed 6-3 going into the bottom of the third when John Norris hit a fence clearing 3 run bomb to tie the game. Gallegos picked up the win in relief. Bustamante was 3-3; Rueda was 2-2; Martinez and Vince Ocegueda each went 1-1 at the plate. Norris was 2-3 with 4 RBI’s.
In their third game the Bandits defeated the Greenwood Rangers 22-1. Rueda was the winning pitcher tossing a complete game 2-hitter. Adam Lopez, Esparza and Schrom each went 3-3 at the plate. Smith and Bustamante each went 2-2. Tommy Heck, Gallegos and Ocegueda each went 1-2. Rueda was 2-4.
The Bandits met the Lubbock Blue Jays in the final. Bustamante and Gallegos combined to toss a 7 inning shutout to lead the Bandits to a 7-0 win. Norris was 2-2 with a home run. Schrom was 1-1. Rueda and Jason Luna each went 2-3. The win qualified the Bandits for the USSSA World Series to be played in Broken Arrow Oklahoma in July.
