Esports 2/10/2026 10:23:00 AM

Blinn Overwatch drops NACE match to Lindenwood

The Buccaneers face Grand View University in an Overwatch tilt on Feb. 16

Esports 2/10/2026 10:23:00 AM

Blinn Overwatch drops NACE match to Lindenwood

The Buccaneers face Grand View University in an Overwatch tilt on Feb. 16

The Blinn College esports Overwatch team fell to Lindenwood University 3-0 in a best-of-five National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) match Monday.

The Buccaneers are now 2-1 overall in the NACE West-Central Conference.

Competing for Blinn were Joseph Mares, Donnivan Straight, Salvador Castaneda, Robert Vaughan, Jose Rios, and Charles Tomlinson.

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 Monday 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.
Flashpoint: Two teams fight to control capture zones that keep moving to new locations on the map once a point has been captured. The goal is to capture each point until one side has captured three zones.

Monday's match was contested in the Control (Nepal map), Push (Runasapi map), and Escort (Route 66 map) modes.

Murto said his team showed promise in the early stages of each map, but a lack of experience and team communication ultimately allowed Lindenwood to prevail. Murto added that the bright spots he saw in Monday's match suggest the team's arrow is firmly pointing upward.

"Despite the loss, there were clear positives to take away," Blinn head coach and Overwatch coach Kyle Murto said. "This match marked the first outing of the season for Salvador and Charles, as well as Jose in his DPS role after swapping positions this semester. While consistency remains the biggest area of focus moving forward, the team's early-map performance shows clear growth. Compared to our last match with Lindenwood last semester, we are miles ahead, and this match provided valuable insight as we continue building at the start of the season."

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Players Mentioned

Joseph Mares: Sophomore; Overwatch

Jose Rios: Sophomore; Overwatch

Donnivan Straight: Sophomore; Overwatch

Salvador Castaneda: Freshman; Overwatch

Charles Tomlinson: Freshman; Overwatch

Players Mentioned

Joseph Mares
: Sophomore; Overwatch

Jose Rios
: Sophomore; Overwatch

Donnivan Straight
: Sophomore; Overwatch

Salvador Castaneda
: Freshman; Overwatch

Charles Tomlinson
: Freshman; Overwatch