General 2/3/2025 12:14:00 AM

Blinn Overwatch sweeps CECC South Regional Qualifier to punch ticket to Invitational

Joseph Mares, Haluk Tanriseven, Matthew Hutchings, Dylan Payne, and Dhruv Pandrangi earned three wins for the Buccaneers

General 2/3/2025 12:14:00 AM

Blinn Overwatch sweeps CECC South Regional Qualifier to punch ticket to Invitational

Joseph Mares, Haluk Tanriseven, Matthew Hutchings, Dylan Payne, and Dhruv Pandrangi earned three wins for the Buccaneers

The Blinn College esports team earned a clean sweep at the Overwatch Collegiate Esports Commissioners Cup (CECC) South Regional Qualifier on Saturday and Sunday and punched its ticket to the CECC South Regional Invitational in March.

The date of the Invitational is TBD.

The Buccaneers' team of Joseph Mares, Haluk Tanriseven, Matthew Hutchings, Dylan Payne, and Dhruv Pandrangi defeated Daytona State College and Texas A&M University in the group stage round before topping the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in the knockout stage Sunday.

Each of the matches were contested in a best-of-five format.

Overwatch is a team-based, first-person-shooter in which players select heroes with unique abilities and work together to complete objectives across multiple map modes. Each team can strategically choose its maps based on team strengths and opponent weaknesses.

Each round on Saturday and Sunday included a different win condition based on the following modes:

Control: Teams fight to capture and hold a single point. The first team to reach 100% control wins two rounds in a best-of-three format, where the loser of each round picks the next map.
Escort: The attacking team moves a payload to its destination while defenders try to stop them. The payload moves when attackers are near it, and the attackers aim to complete the route before time runs out.
Hybrid: Teams capture a point and then escort a payload. The match is typically one round for attackers, who must secure the point first before moving the payload.
Push: Teams battle to control a robot and push it toward the opponent's side. The first team to push it farther than their opponents wins, with the loser picking the next map.
Clash: Teams capture consecutive points, with the first team to a set number of points winning.

The Bucs swept Daytona State 3-0, outlasted Texas A&M 3-1, and completed its tournament run with a sweep of UNC Charlotte.

Blinn's decisive match against the 49ers saw the Bucs pick up wins in the Control, Hybrid, and Escort modes. Blinn was seeded third in the tournament, while UNC Charlotte was 14th.

"We delivered in dominant fashion," Bucs coach and Overwatch manager Kyle Murto said. "From the start, our team played with confidence and control, setting the tempo in every fight. Our coordination was on point, and our defensive setups proved nearly unbreakable, not allowing a single objective capture throughout the series. The players executed their roles flawlessly, shutting down UNC Charlotte's win conditions at every turn."

Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 49 NJCAA national championships since 1987.

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

Haluk Tanriseven: Sophomore; Overwatch

Dhruv Pandrangi: Sophomore; Overwatch

Matthew Hutchings: Sophomore; Overwatch

Players Mentioned

Haluk Tanriseven
: Sophomore; Overwatch

Dhruv Pandrangi
: Sophomore; Overwatch

Matthew Hutchings
: Sophomore; Overwatch