Here are the standings for all baseball districts involving Big Country schools through April 9:
Month: April 2021
FEATURE: Young Early baseball team making waves ahead of schedule
Last year’s COVID pause came at a tough time for the Early baseball program.
Off to a solid start with seven returning seniors on the squad, the Longhorns appeared poised to build on the co-district championship they achieved the year before.
Fast forward to this season, and things looked less certain for coach Todd Hatton and his bunch.
With just two seniors, four juniors a slew of sophomores, and a limited number of games last spring through which to gain experience, EHS entered the season as something of a wild card. But sitting at 14-6 overall and 6-1 in league play heading into the second half of District 8-3A action, the youthful Longhorns can’t help but be pleased with their current position — and the rapid progress they made to get here.
Area baseball statistical leaders (April 8)
Here are the area’s baseball statistical leaders through April 8:
Statistics are from throughout the Big Country Preps circulation area as submitted by coaches as of April 8. These lists will be continually updated as we receive more submissions.
Area softball statistical leaders (April 8)
Here are the area’s softball statistical leaders through April 8:
Statistics are from throughout the Big Country Preps circulation area as submitted by coaches as of April 8. These lists will be continually updated as we receive more submissions.
CAPITAL FARM CREDIT WEDNESDAY NIGHT PODCAST: Jim Ned’s Ryan Lewis joins the show
THIS WEEK: Jim Ned baseball coach Ryan Lewis visits with Evan Ren and Dan Youngblood
PHOTO GALLERY: Cooper-Wylie softball (56 images)
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LINK … GAME STORY: Fernandez’s walk-off homer fuels Wylie to big district win over rival Cooper
PHOTO GALLERY: Comanche-Early baseball (29 images)
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FEATURE: Eastland senior becoming a master of hitting technique that pitchers hate
EASTLAND — Senior outfielder Lexi Hicks of Eastland is unlikely to be getting very many Christmas cards from area pitchers this year. And she’s perfectly comfortable with that.
Hicks, for the uninitiated, is what is known in softball parlance as a “lefty slapper” — an individual who utilizes a half-bunt, half-swing hitting style while aggressively charging to the front of the batter’s box to get a running start down the baseline.
As it turns out, Hicks, who has already signed to play at Texas Lutheran University, is quite good at this technique. And while she may not win any popularity contests among area hurlers, her slapping style, when employed correctly, can result in fewer strikeouts, more infield singles and a higher on-base percentage for the practitioner.
GAME STORY: Yardley’s gem, clutch offense lead Jim Ned past Clyde
CLYDE — In what’s become a rather predictable outcome, the Jim Ned baseball team rode a masterful Tuesday night pitching performance for a 10-0 run-rule shortened win over Clyde at Bulldog Field in District 6-3A action.
Having already seen a perfect game and no-hitter thrown by the Indians on Tuesday nights this season, Jim Ned saw Tate Yardley spin a two-hitter with six strikeouts as they improved to 18-0-1 this year and 7-0 in district.
Yardley faced a three-ball count with just three batters as he turned those into a strikeout, walk and ground out.
GAME STORY: Fernandez’s walk-off homer fuels Wylie to big district win over rival Cooper
Stepping up to the plate in the seventh inning of a tie game against crosstown rival Cooper, Wylie third baseman Jadyn Fernandez wasn’t thinking about ending the game in one swing.
With one out in the inning and the winning run on first, the sophomore cleanup hitter was just hoping to do her part to extend a potential game-winning rally.
As it would turn out, Fernandez ended the rally in the best way possible, launching her first career home run over the fence in center to lift WHS to a 6-4 walk-off win over the Lady Cougars on Tuesday at Lady Bulldog Field.
FEATURE: TLU-bound Tomlinson and McIrvin give Stephenville a dangerous 1-2 punch
Kaida Tomlinson and Katie McIrvin are the first two batters in Stephenville’s softball lineup.
The seniors are also Nos. 1 and 2 on the Honeybees’ defense as Tomlinson has taken over pitching duties and McIrvin starts at catcher.
Stephenville’s top players will also be linked once they graduate this spring with both heading to play college softball at Texas Lutheran.
But Tomlinson and McIrvin aren’t quite done leaving an imprint on the Honeybees’ program as they push toward a playoff spot in Parker Smith’s first season as head coach.
SIGNING DAY: Five Wylie baseball players sign to play college ball
Five members of Wylie’s 11th-ranked baseball team made their college decisions official on Monday during a joint signing day celebration at the Wylie Performing Arts Center.
Pitcher Walker Piland (Abilene Christian University), infielder Jaxon Hansen (Angelina College), infielder Riley Hood (Lubbock Christian University), outfielder Cooper Cothran (Ranger College) and outfielder Reed Hughes (Hendrix College) all announced their college destinations at the ceremony before a crowd of family, friends, coaches and teammates.
The event came in the midst of an outstanding start for the Bulldogs, who enter this week’s home-and-home series with No. 12 Lubbock Coronado at 16-4 overall and 6-1 in District 4-5A play.
FEATURE: Experience, defense lead Anson’s state-ranked baseball team
Photos by Daril Gonzales of Anson Tiger Sports Pics on Facebook and Instagram
Instead of assuming a deep playoff run with a veteran team that dropped from Class 3A to 2A prior to this season, Anson Tigers’ head coach Scotty Nichols talks about the lessons his young players learned competing in the larger classification.
Anson advanced to the second round of Class 3A playoffs in 2019 with a young team. The Tigers were anticipating an even deeper playoff run in 3A last year, but the COVID-19 pandemic stopped Texas high school sports in mid-March.
“We enjoyed our time in 3A competing against teams like Jim Ned,” Nichols said. “We learned some things in 3A. We were put into some tough situations, and we learned how to compete. It taught us a lot about ourselves and staying the course and showing perseverance.”
Continue reading “FEATURE: Experience, defense lead Anson’s state-ranked baseball team”
CAPITAL FARM CREDIT/BCP PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Aspermont junior takes this week’s award
A strained hip may have slowed Aspermont junior Sadie Gentry, but you’d never know it by watching her compete.
A week ago, Gentry took gold in the high jump (4-8) and the 400 meters (63.8) at the District 15-1A meet. She then helped the 400- and 1,600-meter relay teams take district titles as in 52.9 and 4:33, respectively.
Her four district titles were more than sufficient to earn her our Capital Farm Credit Player of the Week/BCP Player of the Week award for the week ending April 3. But when you add the fact that she was nursing a sore hip and following orders to not overdo it, her performance becomes even more significant.
FEATURE: Albany’s Chapman on track despite loss of 2020 season
Photos courtesy of Albany High School student Elia Hebel
No 2020 track and field season. No problem in 2021 for Albany sophomore Cole Chapman.
Some athletes feel like they lost a year’s development after COVID-19 prematurely shut down the 2020 spring sports season. But Chapman appears to be on schedule. His top triple jump mark of 43 feet, 7 inches led the Big Country through last week’s track meets, and his best of 21-7 in the long jump ranked No. 2.
He contributes a lot of his success this spring to working on Saturdays with Albany assistant coach Ryder Peacock, a former state champion high jumper from Woodson who also competed collegiately.
FEATURE: Anson’s Gallentine crashes through the 40-foot barrier in shot put
Meadow Gallentine felt confident before last week’s District 10-2A Meet.
But even the Big Country’s top thrower was a little surprised when she surpassed the 40-feet mark, reaffirming her chances of making a trip to Austin next month.
“When I hit 40 feet, it was such a surreal feeling,” Gallentine said. “I couldn’t believe it. I remember telling my teammates that I had it in me to throw 40 at that meet.”
FEATURE: Uncommon pitching depth has Wylie baseball team built for long haul
For most high school baseball teams, the phrase “pitching staff” is something a misnomer.
A “staff,” for a fair majority of coaches, is comprised of a Tuesday starter, a Friday starter and one or two reliable relievers that can be leaned on to limit the number of innings needed by others.
In that regard, the 12th-ranked Wylie Bulldogs are a true anomaly. Blessed with an abundance of pitching depth — both in talent and meaningful experience — WHS coach Grant Martin has more quality pitchers than innings currently available for them.
The uncommon nature of his situation isn’t lost on the second-year Wylie head coach, who currently has his team at 16-4 overall and off to a 6-1 start to District 4-5A play. He knows well what an asset that depth is at present and how important it will be come playoff time, when best-of-three series can force teams deeper into their bullpen than they’re used to.
Continue reading “FEATURE: Uncommon pitching depth has Wylie baseball team built for long haul”
PHOTO GALLERY: Eastland-Comanche softball (65 images)
Photos may be purchased for $7 each by clicking on the small shopping cart emblem below the lower right corner of the gallery. The “BigCountryPreps.com” watermark will be removed from all purchased photos.
LINK … GAME STORY: Comanche holds on to beat Eastland, 8-6, avenging early season loss
GAME STORY: Maidens hang on to beat Eastland 8-6, avenging early season loss
COMANCHE — The old baseball adage of “hit’em where they ain’t” was applied to softball on Friday by the Comanche Maidens, who literally singled their way to an 8-6 win over area rival Eastland at CHS.
Mackenzie Foley was 4-for-4 with a double and freshman Riley Riordan went the distance in the circle to lead Comanche (14-6, 5-3 District 8-3A), which saw 12 of its 13 hits land as singles in an important league win.
Trailing 1-0 early on, the Maidens gained a permanent upper hand in the bottom of the second when they struck for five runs on four hits, two walks and a hit batsman. This included RBI singles by Madelyn Martin, Lynzie Day and Kaycee Schoen, along with an RBI fielder’s choice by Alize Lopez.
LOCAL SOFTBALL ROUNDUP: Cooper pulls away from Coronado, into first-place tie in district
LUBBOCK — The Cooper softball team picked up a big District 4-5A victory Thursday, going on the road to run-rule Lubbock Coronado, which was previously unbeaten in league play.
The Lady Cougars (15-6 overall, 3-1 in district) scored 10 runs in the fifth inning to secure a 14-4 victory over the Lady Mustangs and pull into a tie atop the 4-5A standings with one game remaining in the first round of league play.
LOCAL BASEBALL ROUNDUP: No. 12 Wylie routs Monterey to sweep season series
LUBBOCK — For the second time in three days, the 12th-ranked Wylie baseball team jumped out quickly on Lubbock Monterey and held on for a comfortable win, riding a six-run first inning to a 13-5 win over the Plainsmen on Thursday at Moegle Field.
The Bulldogs, who also sored six runs in the first inning of a 10-0 home win on Tuesday, swept the three-game season series with Monterey, outscoring the Plainsmen by a combined score of 29-5 in those victories.
Friday’s win, Wylie’s fourth in a row, improved coach Grant Martin’s team to 16-4 overall and 6-1 in District 4-5A play heading into the Easter weekend.
Area softball statistical leaders (April 1)
Here are the area’s softball statistical leaders through April 1:
Statistics are from throughout the Big Country Preps circulation area as submitted by coaches as of April 1. These lists will be continually updated as we receive more submissions.
Area baseball statistical leaders (April 1)
Here are the area’s baseball statistical leaders through April 1:
Statistics are from throughout the Big Country Preps circulation area as submitted by coaches as of April 1. These lists will be continually updated as we receive more submissions.