Seguin River Monsters Win TCL Championship as Monkerud Silences Bombers

Chris Austin

(Bryan) -- The Segun River Monsters are your 2023 Texas Collegiate League Champions.

Seguin beat the Brazos Valley Bombers 3-1 Saturday night in Bryan in the TCL Championship Game. Navarro High School grad Jaxen Monkerud started the game, picking up the win by tossing five shutout innings before giving way to three relievers who kept the Bombers at bay as the Monsters earned their first TCL championship in their second season.

Seguin got all of their runs in the top of the fifth. Xavier Arias started the inning with a single. Groundouts by Damian Rodriguez and Connor Kaiser advanced Arias to third base. After a Nyan Hayes walk, Garret Felix would double to drive in Arias with the first run of the game. Alex Gonzalez would follow with a double to drive in Hayes and Felix to make the score 3-0.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Bombers got two runners on with one out but Monkerud was able to get a strikeout and a flyout to escape damage and end his night on the hill. River Monster coach Tony Perez would go to his bullpen to preserve the lead. Monkerud finished the game with three strikeouts while surrendering only three hits in five scoreless innings.

Relievers Daelen Caraway, Zach Boyer and Dalton Buckingham combined to go the final four innings in the championship victory. Buckingham, a Texas State junior, threw 2.1 scoreless innings to earn the save for Seguin.

The River Monsters got to the championship game by beating the Victoria Generals in the TCL semifinals, two games to one.

Montague

Rodney “Mark” Montague, age 71 of Seguin passed away on July 22, 2023. Mark was born in New Braunfels, Texas on November 8, 1951, to Helen Marie (Schnautz) and C. E. Montague. He worked for Southwestern Bell Telephone Company (now ATT), beginning in 1972, for 33 years. After he retired from ATT, he worked for Texas Prison System as a telephone tech, where he helped inmates enroll in the phone systems.

He was actively involved in the Guadalupe County Wildlife Management, acting as a director, then serving as President from 2003 to 2005. Mark enjoyed hunting, shooting guns, and riding his Harley.

Mark is preceded in death by his parents, older brother Harry and his mother-in-law and father-in-law, Pat and Jim Kersey. Mark and Jim were best friends.

Survivors include his loving wife of 49 years, Brenda Montague; son, Adam Montague; daughter, Leslie Carver; grandchildren, Hailey, Willow, Dean, and L’Nel; sister Sharon Ferrell and husband Bill; brother, John Montague; sister-inlaw, Janie Sedlak, and husband Matt; numerous nieces, nephews, other loving family members and friends.

In Lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in his name to the Seguin Art League, P. O. Box 445, Seguin, Texas, 78156, or the Guadalupe County Wildlife Management Association, 210 E. Liveoak, Seguin, Texas, 78155.

A memorial service celebrating Mark’s life is being planned for later in the fall at Tres Hewell Mortuary Chapel. Please visit www.treshewell.com for updated times.

You are invited to sign the guestbook at www.treshewell.com. Arrangements are under the direction of Tres Hewell Mortuary, 165 Tor Dr., Seguin, Texas, 78155, 830-549-5912.