Category: Baseball

by Brandon McAuliffe

FEATURE: Former Early coach Sandford eager to return to high school dugout with Brownwood

Blake Sandford has been out of the high school coaching game for a few years since resigning from Early High School in 2019.

Earlier this week, though, he was named the new head baseball coach at Brownwood, replacing Brian Harris, who has taken an administration role within Brownwood ISD.

Sandford, who has spent the past two seasons working with Howard Payne’s baseball team, is eager to hit the ground running with a Lions squad that will feature stars Gavin Brandstetter and Logan Posey next year.

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by Evan Ren

Evan Ren’s 2023 Big Country Preps All-Hustle Team

Our All-Big Country Preps softball and baseball teams, released this week, are in place to honor those who achieved the most on-field success in 2023. It is off the field, however, where character, grit, and work ethic are often measured. And it is with our Big Country Preps All-Hustle Team that we wish to honor those players, male and female, who were (simply put) the hardest-working, best teammates in the area this spring. 

This team isn’t about who the best baseball and softball players were.

The All-Hustle team honors effort, discipline, toughness, coachability and selflessness — traits that coaches wish they had in every player and upon which championships are built.

It is for that reason that this team is largely selected by area coaches and described in their own words.

Big Country Preps is now honored to present these individuals to you — the best team players (boys and girls) that the Big Country had to offer during the 2023 season.

The players below are listed in no particular order. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

2023 All Big Country Preps Baseball Team: Superlative Award Winners

Here are our superlative award winners for the 2023 All-Big Country Preps baseball team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.

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by Daniel Youngblood

2023 All-Big Country Preps Baseball Team: First-Team Roster

Here are our first-team selections for the 2023 All-Big Country Preps baseball team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.

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by Daniel Youngblood

2023 All-Big Country Preps Baseball Team: Second-Team Roster (w/ honorable mention)

Here are our second-team selections for the 2023 All-Big Country Preps baseball team. For the rest of this year’s selections, click the links below.

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by Daniel Youngblood

2023 Big Country Preps Rising Stars Baseball Team: The top freshmen and sophomores in the Big Country!

Ladies and gentlemen, we are proud to release our 2023 All-Big Country Preps baseball teams. 

Here, you will find our Rising Stars Team honoring the top freshmen and sophomores in the Big Country.

For the rest of this year’s baseball selections, please click the links below.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Wall rally comes up short in 6-4 loss to Boyd in Class 3A state title game

ROUND ROCK — It wasn’t the storybook ending Wall was hoping for Saturday at Dell Diamond, but that wasn’t for lack of effort or fight.

After going the first 4.2 innings without a baserunner in their Class 3A state championship matchup with Boyd, the Hawks rallied from a 6-0 sixth-inning deficit to send the tying man to the plate in the top of the seventh. But Wall’s rally — and coach Jason Schniers’ 15-year coaching tenure — ended there as a fielder’s choice grounder and comebacker to the pitcher quelled their comeback hopes in a 6-4 loss to the Yellowjackets.

The defeat ended what was otherwise a dream season for the Hawks — and for Schniers, who announced in March he’d be stepping down to spend more time with family. But despite closing the campaign on a difficult note, the longtime WHS coach had nothing but positive things to say about his team and the year it had.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Wall Hawks come up clutch on mound, at plate in gutsy 5-1 win over Corpus Christi London

ROUND ROCK — It wasn’t the pitching matchup or the pitcher’s duel that many expected when the Wall and Corpus Christi London baseball teams met for their Class 3A state semifinal Friday at Dell Diamond.

Due to apparent injury on one side and uncharacteristic wildness on the other, the teams’ aces combined to last just 2.2 innings, and two squads walked 17 batters between them.

But the Hawks did the better job of pitching out of trouble and capitalizing on their scoring chances offensively, white-knuckling their way to 5-1 win and a state championship date with Boyd, which rallied past Maypearl 8-7 in Friday’s early semifinal.

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by Daniel Youngblood

PREVIEW: Wall assuming confident underdog role heading into state semifinal matchup with London

Heading into Friday’s Class 3A state semifinal matchup with Corpus Christi London, Wall baseball coach Jason Schniers is taking a similar approach to the one he took into last week’s Region I-3A championship series against Brock.

As was the case when the Hawks took on the two-time defending region champion Eagles last week in Abilene, Schniers views his team as the underdog against defending Class 3A state champion London.

But as was also the case before Wall systematically picked apart Brock in a surprisingly dominant series sweep, the longtime WHS coach has the utmost confidence in his young team’s ability to compete with whoever is put up against it.

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by Evan Ren

FEATURE: Wall baseball coach Schniers sacrifices one love for another

WALL — Outgoing Wall baseball coach Jason Schniers has reached a difficult crossroads. Only in this instance, his choice of direction has been predetermined. 

Wanting to spend more time with his family, Schniers announced in March that he would step away from coaching following the season. But his team hasn’t allowed him to slip away quietly. Heading into this week, Wall (34-6) has qualified for its third state tournament (all achieved during Schniers’ tenure) and will face defending 3A state champion Corpus Christi London in a state semifinal at noon Friday at Round Rock’s Dell Diamond. 

The winner will advance to face either Boyd (38-5) or Maypearl (30-9) for the 3A state title at 9 a.m. on Saturday, and as one may suspect, Schniers is now at a bittersweet moment. While his Hawks have reached the state’s biggest stage, the fact that his career will span no more than two additional games is a reality he knew would be difficult to face. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Fast start, Kemp’s gem fuel Wall past Brock, back to state tournament

On Thursday night, the Wall baseball team rode a fast start and an excellent pitching performance to a 6-2 win over Brock in Game 1 of a best-of-three Region I-3A championship series.

One day later, the Hawks used those same things — in even greater measure — to earn their third state tournament berth since 2017.

WHS followed its three-run first in Thursday’s opener with six first-inning runs Friday, and sophomore ace Luke Kemp backed Kellan Oliver’s complete-game gem with a five-hit shutout as the Hawks cruised to an 11-0 win and an impressive sweep at Abilene Christian University’s Crutcher Scott Field.

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by Evan Ren

GAME REPORT: Yellow Jackets fall in Games 2 and 3 as Randall takes regional title

MIDLAND — The Stephenville baseball team had reeled off 17 straight wins to come within one victory of reaching the Class 4A state tournament in Austin. 

But on Friday in Midland, the Yellow Jackets saw their memorable run come to an end with consecutive defeats (2-0, 6-0) at the hands of third-ranked Canyon Randall in the Region I-4A title series at Christiansen Stadium. 

Having already taken a 1-0 series lead with a 3-2 win over the Raiders in Game 1 on Thursday, the Yellow Jackets were poised to lock up the best-of-three regional title series and had two chances to do it. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Freshman Oliver helps Wall strike first blow in Region I-3A championship series against Brock

Pitching arguably the biggest game of his life to date, Wall freshman Kellan Oliver needed one batter to calm his nerves Thursday in Game 1 of the Region I-3A championship series against Brock.

But after opening his weather-delayed start with a four-pitch walk, the talented left-hander proceeded to stymie a tremendous Eagle lineup in a 6-2 victory for the Hawks.

Oliver, who saw his scheduled 7 p.m. first pitch pushed past 9:30 due to thunderstorms in the Abilene area, limited Brock to six hits and just the one walk over seven outstanding innings to help Wall strike first blood at Abilene Christian University’s Crutcher Scott Field and pull the Hawks within one win of the Class 3A state tournament.

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by Evan Ren

GAME REPORT: Stephenville takes Game 1 in regional title series with Canyon Randall

MIDLAND — Luke Heller and Wacey Dill combined on a three-hitter while Nate Berry and Hayden Rudloff both provided RBI base hits to lift Stephenville to a 3-2 win over Canyon Randall in Game 1 of the Region I-4A championship series at Christiansen Stadium. 

The Yellow Jackets took a 2-0 lead in the third inning when Berry singled home KB Bowman and Mason Weyers scored on a throwing error. They later expanded their advantage to 3-0 when Rudloff drove in Berry with a single.

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by Evan Ren

GAME STORY: Hawley falls to New Home as Jags qualify for state tournament

ABILENE — Regardless of outcome, Region I-2A was going to send a solid team to the state baseball tournament. It was only a matter of waiting for the results. 

In the end, New Home swept Hawley 5-1 and 12-2 on Thursday at Drigger’s Field at McMurry University, clinching its fourth trip to Rock Rock’s Dell Diamond since 2018.

“I knew from the get-go that this would be a good series because we knew Hawley was a good team,” New Home coach Brady Webb said. “All the teams in Hawley’s district with Albany, Anson and Stamford, can all play. 

“The ones that make it into the playoffs all have a shot.” 

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by Daniel Youngblood

FEATURE: Region I-3A powerhouses Brock, Wall set to renew baseball rivalry this week

When it comes to baseball in Region I-3A, the path to the state tournament in recent seasons has gone through one of two programs — the Brock Eagles or the Wall Hawks.

Since BHS was moved into the region in the 2017-18 alignment, those are the only two teams out of I-3A to earn trips to Round Rock, with the Eagles making state appearances in 2018, 2021 and 2022 and the Hawks doing so in 2017 and 2019. 

With the two set for a best-of-three region championship series Thursday through Saturday at Abilene Christian University’s Crutcher Scott Field, that trend is already guaranteed to continue in 2023. So, too, is a hyper-competitive rivalry that has now seen the teams meet in five of the past six postseasons — there were no playoffs in 2020 due to COVID — with two series victories on each team’s ledger coming into this year’s games.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Elms’ gem, fast start carry Stephenville baseball back to Region I-4A finals

Sophomore left-hander Gabe Elms delivered a complete-game gem and his lineup gave him eight runs in the first three innings as the Stephenville baseball team cruised to a 9-2 win over Midland Greenwood in the second game of a best-of-three Region I-4A semifinal series.

That win, combined with a gritty 6-3 victory in Wednesday’s opener, completed a sweep of the Rangers, advancing the Yellow Jackets to the Region I-4A finals for the third consecutive year.

Saturday’s game, which was delayed by thunderstorms in the Abilene area, marked the 16th consecutive victory for SHS, which will take a 27-12-1 record into next week’s series against Canyon Randall (35-3).

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Argyle rides big second inning to 11-3 win over Wylie, clinches series sweep

The Argyle baseball team used a big inning to pull away from Wylie for the second time in as many days Friday at Abilene Christian University’s Crutcher Scott Field. Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, this time it was season-ending.

After riding a five-run sixth to a 7-1 win in the opener of the best-of-three Region I-5A semifinal series Thursday in Southlake, the Eagles did their biggest damage early in Friday’s Game 2, plating five runs in the second inning to set the tone for an 11-3 victory in the series clincher.

The loss ended the Bulldogs’ campaign at 23-13-1 — in the region semifinals for the third consecutive year. Coincidentally, each of those previous runs ended — like this year’s — with a Game 2 loss at ACU.

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by Yale Youngblood, Special to Big Country Preps

GAME STORY: Argyle pulls away in sixth for 7-1 win over Wylie in Game 1

SOUTHLAKE — It seems counterintuitive to classify a 7-1 defeat as “one that got away,” but what transpired as Argyle took down Wylie on Thursday night in the first game of a best-of-three Region 1-5A semifinal baseball series was just that.

And that. And that. And that some more.

While the exclamation point on the Eagles’ victory was supplied by Argyle’s best-struck ball of the evening — a bases-clearing double in the sixth inning by second baseman Colton Roquemore — balls that weren’t struck at all did just as much to put the Bulldogs in an 0-1 hole in the series and needing a victory at 1 p.m. Friday at Abilene Christian University to keep their season alive.

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by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Big third inning lifts Brock past Shallowater and into regional finals

Wednesday night, Brock baseball coach Kobe Page lamented the fact that his squad only put up two runs in the final six innings after starting fast in a 7-1 series-opening win over Shallowater.

Thursday was a polar opposite.

After rough at-bats by Tyler Moody, Ian Fuchs and Sawyer Strosnider in the first inning, the rest of the lineup picked them up. And from there, the Eagles went on to eliminate the Mustangs with an 11-1 win in Game 2 of the Region I-3A semifinal series at Abilene Christian University’s Crutcher Scott Field.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Waggoner’s blast, Chapman’s relief effort fuel Albany past New Home in Game 1

The Albany baseball team struck the first blow in its Region I-2A semifinal series against New Home, using a Zane Waggoner home run to kick start a four-run fourth inning and rally past the Leopards for a 5-2 win in Game 1 on Thursday at Abilene Christian High School.

Prior to Waggoner’s big fly, the Lions had tallied just one hit against New Home starter Ashton Lucio, taking a 1-0 deficit into the bottom of the fourth. But that hit opened the flood gates for coach David Fairchild’s squad, which went on to outhit the Leopards 9-3 in the victory.

Five of those hits came during the fourth-inning outburst, which made a winner out of ace Cole Chapman, who relieved starter Tyler Chapman in the second inning and delivered 5.2 innings of two-run baseball to get the Lions off to a winning start.

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by Zach Duncan, Special to Big Country Preps

FEATURE: Hawley left-hander Balch a tone-setter in strong Bearcats rotation

When Westyn Balch takes the mound for Thursday’s regional semifinal series opener against Ropes, he’ll feel right at home. 

The Hawley junior is no stranger to setting the tone in a Game 1. Balch has victories over Coleman, Christoval and Stamford this postseason, compiling a 1.87 ERA with 22 strikeouts in 15 innings. 

Hawley coach Jamie Seago knows he has three quality starters he can rely on. It’s one of the reasons the Bearcats (23-9) are still playing. 

And he also knows what to expect from his left-hander every time out. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Heller, Stephenville gut out win over Midland Greenwood in series opener

Stephenville ace Luke Heller struggled to find a groove, and his lineup never really got comfortable at the plate against Midland Greenwood pitchers Jaxon Ramos and Ty Presley on Wednesday in Game 1 of a best-of-three Region I-4A semifinal series at Abilene Christian University’s Crutcher Scott Field.

But that didn’t keep the Yellow Jackets from grinding out a 6-3 victory over the Rangers to extend their win streak to 15 games.

Despite an uncharacteristically laborious start by Heller and a four-hit effort at the plate, SHS (26-12-1) scraped across four runs in the fifth inning to a spur a come-from-behind win and put itself in position to go for the sweep when the series resumes Saturday afternoon back at ACU.

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by Evan Ren

GAME STORY: Brock tops Shallowater 7-1 in Game 1 of Region I-3A semifinal

ABILENE — A big first inning, a major scare and six innings of smooth sailing summed up Brock’s 7-1 rout of Shallowater in Game 1 of a Region I-3A semifinal on Wednesday. 

Cam Harris was 3 for 4 with a double and two RBIs and Ian Fuchs tossed six innings of four-hit baseball to lead Brock, which coasted after a five-run first inning at Abilene Christian University.  The Eagles did, however, have to hold their breath in the second inning after Fuchs’ foot slipped off the first base bag while trying to beat out a throw to first. 

The incident saw Fuchs fall to the ground in agony, after which his heavy limp to the Brock dugout immediately spawned activity in the Eagle bullpen.  Fuchs, however, wasn’t finished. He managed to limp to the bullpen where he threw well enough to return to the game. He worked through the sixth, held Shallowater to one run and collected the win with one inning of relief help from Harris. 

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by Evan Ren

GAME STORY: Hawley bats erupt again to close regional quarterfinal series with Stamford

ABILENE — For the second time in as many games, the Hawley Bearcats used an overwhelming offensive effort to defeat Stamford and sweep their Region I-2A quarterfinal series. 

Pounding out 13 hits at McMurry University on Saturday, the Bearcats eliminated Stamford with a 11-7 win in Game 2. Kason O’Shields was 3 for 5 with three RBIs and Will Scott was 3 for 4 with a double to lead Hawley (22-8) which had opened the series with a 14-4 win on Thursday.

With the win, the Bearcats advance to their fourth regional semifinal under 12th-year coach Jamie Seago. There, they will face Ropesville Ropes at a site and time to be determined.

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by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Lubbock Cooper rallies to take pair from Abilene High, eliminate Eagles

MIDLAND — Abilene High’s bid for its first trip to the state tournament since winning the Class 4A championship in 1956-57 came to an end Saturday afternoon at Christensen Stadium.

After getting a brilliant start from Brady Bennett in Friday’s 1-0 nine-inning thriller to open their Region I-5A quarterfinal series, the Eagles saw Lubbock Cooper take an 11-0 Game 2 win before claiming the winner-take-all finale 8-0.

Abilene High had just one hit in Game 2 before being held to four hits in the series finale.

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by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Wylie finishes off sweep of Monterey behind Walker’s gem

MIDLAND — The Wylie baseball team entered Saturday’s Region I-5A quarterfinal Game 2 against Lubbock Monterey having won seven of its last eight contests with timely hitting and masterful pitching.

A seventh-inning rally for a 4-2 win in Friday’s series opener meant that Wylie could give the ball to staff ace Sam Walker in Game 2 with a chance to close out the series and advance to the Region I-5A semifinals.

Walker cut through the Plainsmen lineup with ease as the Bulldogs beat Monterey 4-3 at Ernie Johnson Field on Saturday afternoon.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Stephenville uses nine-run sixth to rally past Graham, clinch series sweep

For 5½ innings Friday at Abilene Christian University’s Crutcher Scott Field, it looked as though the Stephenville baseball team was headed toward its first loss since early April. 

Trailing District 6-4A rival Graham 5-1 in Game 2 of their Region I-4A quarterfinal series and struggling to get anything going against Steers ace Noah Jilek, the Yellow Jackets  and their 13-game winning streak were in serious peril.

But after recording just three hits through the first five innings against Jilek, coach Justin Swenson’s team exploded for 10 hits during a nine-run sixth to flip the script in what would eventually be a dramatic 10-7 win. The victory, the Jackets’ 14th in a row, clinched a series sweep and earned SHS a spot in next week’s region semifinals against the winner of Canyon and Midland Greenwood.

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by Zach Duncan, Special to Big Country Preps

GAME STORY: Strosnider’s two home runs fuel hit parade as Brock sweeps Holliday

IOWA PARK — Sawyer Strosnider admitted he didn’t get all of the ball during his first home run in Friday night’s Game 2 against Holliday. 

But the Brock junior left no such doubts in his next at-bat, smashing a two-run homer that broke a tie game in the fourth inning. 

Strosnider’s knocks were two of the 10 extra-base hits Brock collected in a windy 20-7 victory that advances the Eagles to the Region I-3A semifinals. 

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by Brandon McAuliffe

LOCAL BASEBALL ROUNDUP: Abilene High, Wylie score thrilling wins over district foes to open I-5A quarterfinal series

Photos by Khloe Scott, HubCityPreps.com 

MIDLAND — Abilene High right-hander Brady Bennett had his first no-decision of the season while turning in his best start of the year Friday as the Eagles outlasted Lubbock Cooper 1-0 in nine innings at Midland College to open their best-of-three Region I-5A quarterfinal series.

Hours later, across town in Midland, the Wylie baseball team completed a 4-2 win over Lubbock Monterey in Game 1 to take an early lead in its region quarterfinal series as well.

That put both the Eagles and Bulldogs in position to advance to next week’s Region I-5 semifinals with one win Saturday, when their respective series resume back at the same sites. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Heller, Stephenville dominant in 10-0 win over District 6-4A rival Graham

Junior left-hander Luke Heller was on his game, and the Stephenville lineup supported their ace with plenty of offense, scoring in every inning to top District 6-4A rival Graham 10-0 in Game 1 of a best-of-three Region I-4A quarterfinal series Thursday at Abilene Christian University’s Crutcher Scott Field. 

Heller limited the Steers to just two hits in a five-inning shutout, and the Yellow Jackets bats took care of the rest, following one-run innings in each of the first three frames with bigger numbers in the final two to end the game early by run rule.

With a steady rain falling for most of the evening, Stephenville put constant pressure on Graham, closing an 11-hit offensive effort with a four-run top of the fifth that saw Kyler Bowman triple home a pair of runs before scoring himself on an error and Nate Barry blast a two-out homer to left for the game’s 10th run. 

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