In 2020, an Albany baseball team expected by some to make its second straight trip to the state tournament, sat idle. 

Like every other high school team across Texas, coach David Fairchild’s crew was grounded for the duration of the statewide lockdown for high school athletics due to the pandemic. 

A year later, bolstered a solid 1-2 pitching combo of seniors Cade Neve and Jackson Chapman, the Lions (20-3-1) have pushed to the 2A regional quarterfinal round where they will square off with Hawley (11-19) in a three-game series beginning at 1 p.m. on Friday at Abilene High.