Esports 4/1/2026 9:35:00 AM

Blinn's Super Smash Bros. Ultimate team wins two NJCAAe matches

The Buccaneers wrap up their SSBU regular season on April 7

Esports 4/1/2026 9:35:00 AM

Blinn's Super Smash Bros. Ultimate team wins two NJCAAe matches

The Buccaneers wrap up their SSBU regular season on April 7

The Blinn College esports Super Smash Bros. Ultimate team competed in four NJCAA Esports (NJCAAe) matches Tuesday, earning two victories to go along with a pair of forfeit wins.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is a crossover fighting game in which players aim to knock opponents off the stage by increasing their damage percentage, making them more vulnerable to launch. In singles play, competitors battle with a set number of lives, or "stocks," and the match is won by reducing the opponent's stocks to zero. Series are commonly played in best-of-three or best-of-five formats.

"This set of matches brought a mix of close losses, strong wins, and continued growth across the roster," Blinn assistant coach and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate coach Patrick Daley said. "A big theme throughout the day was adaptation, especially when opponents switched characters or adjusted playstyles mid set. For some, this was the last regular season games before playoffs, keeping things exciting as we go into some of our last competitions of the year."

James Rinehart was awarded a forfeit victory against Hutchinson Community College before falling 3-2 to Donnelly College in a tightly contested match.

"His set was extremely close early on," Daley said. "However, once his opponent swapped to Zelda, the matchup became much more difficult. Despite the loss, the early games showed strong control and the ability to compete in tight situations."

Rinehart moved to 8-6 in NJCAAe Central Group 1.

Cade Noel dropped a 3-1 decision to Hutchinson Community College.

"This set highlighted both strong execution and areas to improve," Daley said. "He was able to take the first round by executing his combos cleanly, but struggled to find those same openings later. He identified spacing as the main issue, which is a key takeaway moving forward."

Noel is now 6-6 in Central Group 2.

Braeyelyn Mitchell earned a 3-1 victory over Eastern Arizona College.

"He controlled the pace of the set well and showed strong composure against the heavy K Rool," Daley said. "He adjusted to his opponent and maintained pressure to close out rounds effectively."
Mitchell improved to 11-2 in Central Group 3.

Gage Cole secured a forfeit win over Hutchinson Community College before adding a 3-0 sweep of Jefferson County Community College.

"Gage had one of the strongest performances of the day with a dominant win against Jefferson," Daley said. "His patient playstyle made the difference, as he spent most of the matches waiting for his opponent to act first and then punishing for combos or outright eliminations with rest confirms and reads. This allowed him to control the pace from start to finish."

Cole improved to 11-3 in Central Group 1.

"Overall, the team continues to improve matchup awareness and mid-set adaptation," Daley added. "The ability to reflect on performance and adjust will continue to be a major strength as the season progresses. We're excited to have two more games next week as some of us transition into playoffs for NJCAAe."

The Buccaneers will wrap up their NJCAAe Super Smash Bros. Ultimate regular season with two matches beginning at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, April 7.

Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 53 national championships since 1987.

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Players Mentioned

Braeyelyn Mitchell: Freshman; Overwatch/Super Smash Bros Ultimate

Gage Cole: Sophomore; Super Smash Bros Ultimate

James Rinehart: Freshman; Super Smash Bros Ultimate

Cade Noel: Freshman; Super Smash Bros Ultimate

Players Mentioned

Braeyelyn Mitchell
: Freshman; Overwatch/Super Smash Bros Ultimate

Gage Cole
: Sophomore; Super Smash Bros Ultimate

James Rinehart
: Freshman; Super Smash Bros Ultimate

Cade Noel
: Freshman; Super Smash Bros Ultimate