Baseball team finishes season sixth in conference

Hill College’s baseball team finished its 2024-25 season just a few games short of advancing to the Regional Tournament.

The Rebels (29-25 overall, 13-19 conference) finished strong – winning seven of its final 10 games of the season – in a conference that has two teams ranked in the Top 25 National Polls (No. 3 Weatherford College and No. 17 McLennan Community College) as well as Grayson College also receiving national bids.

“Although we finished the season strong, there was a two-week period where we didn’t play very well,” Head Coach Chris Rateike said. “That’s basically the difference in the season.”

Hill College finished the North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference (NTJCAC) in sixth place, but just three games behind fourth-place Cisco College and two games behind fifth-place Vernon College (the Rebels also split series’ between these two teams during the season).

“Our student-athletes never gave up,” Rateike added. “They showed a lot of resilience toward the end of the season and never quit fighting.”

Although Rateike credits his group of talented freshmen for “learning on the fly,” he is also losing seven sophomores who are moving on.

“We need to focus on consistency for next season,” he said, “and I think those freshmen who now have a year under their belt will be able to provide that leadership and experience.”

Statistically, Hill College scored 375 runs during the 2024-25 season (102 runs more than last year). The team also compiled a total of 428 hits, including 51 home runs.

Rateike said he plans on recruiting student-athletes to Hill College over the summer as well as continuing to maintain the baseball field.

“I really love our grass field,” he said. “Most teams have opted for turf, which makes our field unique now. Also, I really appreciate the facility improvements that have been completed over the past few years.”

For more information on the Hill College baseball program, please visit https://hillcollegeathletics.com.