Love for racing and baseball tie binds for one Las Cruces family with playoffs near
More than a quarter century ago, motorsports kept former racer Cheryl Fox and her family together after the death of her husband.
Fast forward to 2024 and another sport keeps the family bonds strong as grandson Colton King and the rest of his Centennial Hawks teammates face the Carlsbad Cavemen Friday in the opening round of the 5A state baseball playoffs in Carlsbad.
Fox started racing on a "bet"
Fox said she her son Steven and daughter Coree King were avid race fans and spent most Saturday nights during the spring and summer cheering on local drivers at the former Southern New Mexico Speedway located west of Las Cruces.
She said her son Steven was a member of former super truck racer Rex Porter's pit crew when the child bet Porter his mother could outrun Porter in a racing pickup.
Supertrucks have a fiberglass body placed on a stock car-type chassis and are fitted with a racing engine, racing equipment and safety gear, according to Fox.
After taking a test drive at the late dirt track, Fox said she and her family were hooked.
“It was fun, it kept us all together,” she said.
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Fox said her son and daughter took up racing at the turn of the century and the family raced for 10 years.
Racing passion not passed down to next generation
Grandson Colton developed a liking for baseball instead of motorsports as his family had done before, Fox said.
“His dad and grandma were both avid sports fans. His dad (Jon King) played in recreation leagues here in town (Las Cruces), that was the thing that bonded Colton and his dad,” Fox said.
Before King entered elementary school, Fox said he would sit on her desk at the former family business Rio Grande Pump and Supply and would point to Major League Baseball cities on a map.
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“That was the direction his interest went. He didn’t come along until we quit racing,” she said.
King said he does not remember the time he and his family spent at race tracks but has heard the stories.
"I've always loved baseball for as long as I can remember. My mom tells me stories about how when I was two years old I would beg for someone to come outside and pitch balls for me to hit," he said.
"Baseball is my dad's favorite sport too and we've always watched and played baseball together and he helped coach my youth team since I was five all the way up until high school," King said.
Closer look at the Carlsbad-Centennial game
At 4:30 p.m. Friday at Carlsbad High School, the Cavemen host Centennial in the opening round of the playoffs.
The weekend series is best two-out-of-three as Carlsbad is the No. 7 seed and Centennial is the No. 10 seed.
At 11 a.m. Saturday at Carlsbad High School, both teams square off in the second game. The squads faced each other in March in Carlsbad as the Cavemen won the doubleheader.
"It's exciting to make the playoffs because it means we've had a winning season. The team has worked hard to get here and hopefully, we can carry that positive momentum into the postseason," King said.
The junior plays first base and has a fielding percentage of .688 this season and has 10 putouts.
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He has a batting average this season of .222 with an on-base percentage of .349 and has scored eight runs for the Hawks this season.
The Hawks finished behind District 3-5A champion Organ Mountain while Carlsbad finished first in District 5-4A.
Mike Smith can be reached at 575-628-5546 or by email at MSmith@currentargus.com.
This article originally appeared on Carlsbad Current-Argus: Las Cruces' Fox and King family share love of racing and baseball
