Here are the recaps of the Big Country baseball playoff results in the opening round of the 2024 postseason:
Category: Baseball
LOCAL BASEBALL ROUNDUP: AHS rallies past Plainview in three, Wylie sweeps Caprock
The Abilene High and Wylie baseball teams both won their opening playoff series over the weekend, with the Eagles surviving a wild three-game set with Plainview and the Bulldogs comfortably sweeping Amarillo Caprock.
After cruising to an 11-3 win in Game 1 on Thursday, AHS found itself down to its final outs on Friday, thanks to a 5-3 loss in Game 2 and a 3-0 seventh-inning deficit in Game 3. But the Eagles rallied for four runs in their final at-bat to extend their season with a 4-3 walk-off win on a bases-clearing double by Beckham Paul.
Wylie had considerably less trouble with Caprock, following a 6-0 shutout in Game 1 on Friday with a 12-2 rout in Game 2 a day later to end the series without the need for a third game.
With the series victories, both teams advance to the Region I-5A area round this week, where Abilene High will take on El Paso Ysleta and Wylie will face off with Canutillo.
GAME STORY: Hornback, De Leon top Stamford in Game 2 to force Monday rubber match
ABILENE — Coming off a crisp 2-0 win over De Leon in the opener of their Region I-2A bi-district series, the Stamford Bulldogs were hoping to close out the Bearcats quickly Saturday at Abilene Christian High School’s Hudson Wade Memorial Field.
Both De Leon starter Justin Hornback and Mother Nature had different plans.
The former pitched six gutsy innings to fuel the Bearcats to a 4-2 series-evening win, and latter wreaked enough havoc through an extended lightning delay to ensure that neither team would be celebrating a series victory Saturday.
GAME STORY: Glen Rose downs Snyder in Game 3 on walk-off wild pitch
ABILENE — After coming from behind for a 3-2 win over Glen Rose on Friday to force a deciding third game in its Region I-4A bi-district series, the Snyder baseball team put itself in position to repeat the feat Saturday morning at Abilene Christian High School’s Hudson Wade Memorial Field.
Trailing 2-0 after an inning, SHS responded with three runs in the third to take a familiar 3-2 lead all the way to the sixth inning.
But unlike the day before, which saw coach Shane Stewart’s club rally for two runs in the seventh to claim a thrilling walk-off win, it was Glen Rose that was left celebrating Saturday, scoring single runs in the sixth and seventh innings — the last on a walk-off wild pitch — to escape with a dramatic 4-3 victory.
GAME STORY: Sixth-inning insurance runs help May fend off Abilene TLCA in playoff opener
CLYDE — The May and Abilene TLCA baseball teams had not played many close games this year as they headed into their Region I-1A bi-district matchup.
After getting started on Friday night and making it just a few pitches before being interrupted by lightning, the two teams returned to the Hanner Sports Complex for what turned into a thrilling 7-4 win by the Tigers on Saturday morning.
May coach Chad Dail was happy to see how his team dealt with the adversity of falling behind multiple times with a response — especially with a lineup missing numerous starters due to injuries.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Cisco hurler takes the top spot after remarkable turnaround
Coming off a subpar performance in Game 1 of last week’s 2A bi-district series with Hawley, Cisco pitcher Hannah Rogers did something few expected: a complete about-face.
Rogers, who had been beaten up in an 11-4 loss on Friday afternoon that saw her allow 14 hits, quickly regained her form for Game 2 that evening. Limiting Hawley to seven hits, she led Cisco to a series-tying 5-2 win.
PHOTO GALLERY: Jim Ned-Wall baseball (54 images)
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GAME STORY: Long balls launch Wall to undefeated district championship
WALL — There was a time this season where first-year Wall coach Jeremy Gordon used the designated hitter in his lineup to keep second baseman Matthew Steen on the bench.
After having worked his way back into the lineup, Thursday night Steen had a massive breakout game as the Hawks completed an undefeated run through District 6-3A with a 12-3 win over Jim Ned.
Steen, a senior, had two of the Hawks’ season-high five home runs as Wall claimed its first outright district championship since 2019.
FINAL Big Country Regular Season Baseball Statistical leaders for 2024 (through April 25)
Here are the area’s baseball statistical leaders through April 25.
Statistics are from throughout the Big Country Preps circulation area as submitted by coaches. These lists will be continually updated as we receive more submissions.
PHOTO GALLERY: Big Spring-Snyder baseball (33 images)
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GAME STORY: Snyder edges Big Spring, clinches District 5-4A title
SNYDER — It wasn’t a flawless performance, by any stretch, but at the end of the day, it didn’t have to be.
Snyder’s gutsy 5-4 win over Big Spring at Moffett Field on Tuesday night was more about battling through enough tough situations to earn its second straight District 5-4A championship.
Kyler Groves delivered six solid innings on the mound and Anthony Luna was 2-for-4 with an RBI to lead Snyder (13-12-1, 7-2), which grabbed an early 3-0 lead and held off a Big Spring rally to get the win.
Big Spring (14-13-1, 6-3) was led by RJ Gomez, who was 1 for 2 with a solo homer and two walks.
“Kyler is a story this year,” coach Shane Stewart said. “He has pitched so well for us. He ran through every team in our district and is 5-0 in district. He competed for us. It wasn’t always pretty, but he always gave us a chance.
“He’s thrown so many strikes and has been ahead of the hitters. They got to him a little bit and hit him (tonight) a couple of times, but we were able to weather the storm.”
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Eula’s Cauthen takes our weekly award through three sports
There is very little that Eula’s Halie Cauthen isn’t good at athletically. Already an Honorable Mention All-Big Country Preps basketball player, the EHS junior showed her full range of versatility last week with three big performances in three different sports.
To begin with, Cauthen opened the week by qualifying for the 1A state golf tournament as an individual at the regional tournament, closing with rounds of 103 and 105.
Then, after playing 54 holes of golf in three days, Cauthen rushed back to compete for the district championship in softball against Cross Plains.
With a game time of 7:30 p.m., she arrived from the golf tournament at 7:25 and went 4 for 4 with three triples, three RBIs and four runs scored to help Eula clinch the district title in a 10-1 victory.
But Cauthen wasn’t finished quite yet.
Big Country Baseball Statistical leaders (through April 18)
Here are the area’s baseball statistical leaders through April 18.
Statistics are from throughout the Big Country Preps circulation area as submitted by coaches. These lists will be continually updated as we receive more submissions.
FEATURE: Clyde’s Trip Ancheta fights through Tommy John surgery to reclaim effectiveness
CLYDE — By his junior year, Clyde right-hander Trip Ancheta was pegging the radar gun between 88-90 mph. His future in baseball looked bright, and it was only a matter of time before someone at the collegiate level snagged him.
Then it happened.
Three weeks into Clyde’s district schedule last spring, Ancheta injured the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, requiring a reconstructive procedure widely known as Tommy John Surgery.
It would mean the end of his junior season, followed by a long, mentally taxing rehabilitation process and finally, throwing a baseball with the hopes of regaining his former skill levels.
FEATURE: Johnson’s banner season helping fuel veteran Bluecats to another successful campaign
At 4 p.m. on Friday, District 7-2A fans will be treated to the biggest game of the 2024 baseball season: the rematch between 8-2 Coleman and 8-2 Bangs on the Bluecats’ home field that will likely decide the league title.
The Colemen faithful are hoping — and probably expecting — that senior shortstop/pitcher Kaden Johnson will play a significant role in the outcome. That’s because Johnson might be having the best overall season of anyone in the region.
In this week’s Big Country Preps statistical leaders update, Johnson’s name was among the top five in each of the following categories: batting average (.583), on-base percentage (.643), doubles (12), triples (7), home runs (2), RBIs (27) and steals (19).
GAME STORY: Big seventh inning lifts Wylie to win over red-hot Cooper
Facing off with a red-hot Cooper team that had won five straight games to work itself back into the District 4-5A playoff race, the Wylie baseball team weathered an early storm and put together one big inning late to pull away for a 6-2 win Tuesday at Cougar Field.
Trailing 2-0 after two innings, the Bulldogs scratched across single runs in the third and fifth innings to tie the game, before exploding for four runs in the top of the seventh to finally put the Cougars away.
The victory improved Wylie (21-4 overall) to 10-4 in district play, keeping the Bulldogs within a half-game of league-leader Lubbock Cooper (17-13, 11-4), while Cooper (12-14, 6-9) remains within a game of 4-5A’s final playoff spot thanks to Abilene High’s 7-1 win over Lubbock Monterey on Tuesday.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Clyde senior tosses no-no, takes the award
With plenty of competition for the top spot, our Big Country Preps Player of the Week goes to Clyde senior pitcher Trip Ancheta.
When in doubt, a dominating no-hitter is usually a solid choice.
Ancheta did exactly that in a 14-0 mercy rule win over Grape Creek that saw him work all five innings with 11 strikeouts — narrowly missing a perfect game by one walk.
PHOTO GALLERY: Brownwood-Stephenville baseball (44 images)
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GAME STORY: Lions lock up district title with win over archrival Stephenville
STEPHENVILLE — For the Brownwood Lions, it couldn’t have been a better scenario.
Not only did BHS clinch the District 6-4A championship on Friday, but the Lions did it by completing a season sweep of their archrival Stephenville with a 6-2 win on the Yellow Jackets’ home field.
Brownwood starter Yovani Figueroa delivered 4.1 solid innings to earn the win and Eli Hill was 1 for 3 with a three-RBI double to lead the Lions (20-5-1, 9-1), who blew the game open with a four-run third inning.
“I’ve been blessed to come back with a great bunch of kids,” said first-year Brownwood coach Blake Sandford, a former coach at Early High School. “They’ve worked really hard and bought into the process.”
FEATURE: Surprising turnaround has Cooper baseball back in District 4-5A playoff race
If at any point before last week you had discussed the Cooper baseball team’s playoff chances, the words “slim” and “none” might have been part of the conversation.
But following a 1-8 start to District 4-5A play, the Cougars have worked themselves back into the league’s postseason race with a four-game winning streak that few would have predicted after back-to-back losses to crosstown rivals Abilene High (4-0) and Wylie (3-2) saw their losing streak hit seven games on March 28.
In the aftermath of that loss to AHS, though, third-year coach Brandon Stover challenged his squad in a very direct way to do some self reflection and respond. And since that game, the Cougars have done exactly that, following a one-run loss at Wylie with wins over Lubbock Monterey (3-1), Lubbock High (5-4), Lubbock Coronado (6-5) and Lubbock Cooper (10-2) to pull within two games of their district’s fourth playoff spot with five games left to play.
Big Country Baseball Statistical Leaders (through April 11)
Here are the area’s baseball statistical leaders through April 11.
Statistics are from throughout the Big Country Preps circulation area as submitted by coaches. These lists will be continually updated as we receive more submissions.
GAME STORY: Clutch pitching, one big inning lift Abilene High to key 3-2 win at Wylie
Inheriting a bases-loaded, no-out situation in the bottom of the seventh inning with his team clinging to a narrow 3-2 lead, Abilene High ace Brady Bennett couldn’t have asked for a much more difficult relief assignment Tuesday in the Eagles’ last of three District 4-5A meetings with Wylie.
But after watching teammates Connel Colley and Joseph Flores pitch out of similar jams each of the previous two innings, the AHS right-hander rose to the occasion himself, delivering three strikeouts on just 10 pitches to preserve a dramatic one-run victory over the Bulldogs.
The win, combined with Abilene Cooper’s 10-2 upset of Lubbock Cooper on Tuesday, pulled the Eagles into a three-way tie for first place in the 4-5A standings with LCHS and Wylie, adding a new layer of craziness to an already wild district race.
PHOTO GALLERY: Lubbock Coronado-Cooper baseball (67 images)
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GAME STORY: Wylie Bulldogs bounce back from tough loss with big 4-2 win over Lubbock Cooper
The Wylie Bulldogs weren’t happy with how they played Friday in a 10-2 loss at Lubbock Coronado, but the 18-game District 4-5A schedule doesn’t give any team too long to dwell on any particular result.
That proved to be a good thing for coach Grant Martin’s team, which responded to Friday night’s loss with a 4-2 home win over Lubbock Cooper on Saturday afternoon, pulling into a first-place tie with the Pirates in the process.
Senior Brady Clark delivered a strong outing on the mound, limiting Cooper to two runs on six hits over 6.1 strong innings, and his teammates made that stand up with three runs in the second and another in the fourth.
GAME STORY: Cougars cap off perfect week with crucial win over Lubbock Coronado
Cooper baseball coach Brandon Stover was left paraphrasing iconic (and fictitious) Cleveland Indians manager Lou Brown on Saturday afternoon after his squad took down Lubbock Coronado 6-5 in District 4-5A play at Cougar Field.
“When you win three in a row, that’s called a winning streak. It has happened before.”
Only for the Cougars, this isn’t Hollywood.
Big Country Baseball Statistical Leaders (Through April 4)
Here are the area’s baseball statistical leaders through April 4.
Statistics are from throughout the Big Country Preps circulation area as submitted by coaches. These lists will be continually updated as we receive more submissions.
PHOTO GALLERY: Abilene High-Lubbock Coronado baseball (59 images)
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GAME STORY: Flores pitches Cooper to 3-1 win over Monterey to snap skid
Entering Tuesday’s matchup at Cooper, no team in District 4-5A was playing better baseball than Lubbock Monterey.
The Cougars, meanwhile, hadn’t won a district game since edging Lubbock High 2-0 on March 5.
But after coming up on the short end of number of close games since then, coach Brandon Stover’s squad finally pulled out a tight one, handing the Plainsmen a 3-1 loss on the strength of a complete game pitching gem by Jeron Flores.
GAME STORY: Six-run third inning propels Abilene High to district win over Coronado
While it was what Abilene High coach Brad Harman calls a “perfect play,” the turning point of Tuesday’s District 4-5A matchup at Blackburn Field between AHS and Lubbock Coronado went the Mustangs’ way.
With two outs in the second inning of a 1-1 game, Harman had freshman George Ferguson try to score from second base on a hit up the middle. Isaiah Trevino delivered a strike to Bodie Pope to cut down Ferguson to end the frame, but the message was sent — the Eagles were going to be aggressive on the basepaths.
AHS would capitalize on that aggression later, scoring six in the third inning to cruise to a 9-5 win in a game that leaves AHS a half-game behind district co-leaders Wylie and Lubbock Cooper in the 4-5A standings.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Jim Ned senior takes this week’s award
While no-hitters are fairly common in high school baseball and softball, they generally put you at the top of the list where our Big Country Preps Player of the Week is concerned.
Toss in a solid performance at the plate and you’re looking at a virtual shoe-in for the top spot.
That is the case this week with Jim Ned senior Jake Rushing, who shut out Coahoma last week with a dominating no-hitter that featured 12 strikeouts.
Big Country Baseball Standings (through March 31)
Here are the standings for all baseball districts involving Big Country schools through March 31:
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GAME STORY: Colley’s complete game shutout lifts Abilene High to 4-0 win over Cooper
Abilene High right-hander Connel Colley was dominant from start to finish Tuesday, limiting crosstown rival Cooper to just two hits and a pair of walks over seven stellar innings to pitch the Eagles to a tidy 4-0 win at Cougar Field.
The 6-foot-4 junior took a no-hitter into the fourth inning and never allowed a runner to advance past second base, needing just 90 pitches to secure the complete game shutout despite recording 10 of his 21 outs by strikeout.
The victory, AHS’ fifth in its last six games, improved the Eagles to 12-7-1 overall and 6-2 in District 4-5A play, pulling coach Brad Harman’s squad into a second-place tie with Lubbock Cooper (12-11-1, 6-2) — just a half-game back of Wylie (17-1, 6-1) for the league lead.
GAME STORY: Second-ranked Hawks edge Clyde 1-0 for District 6-3A lead
CLYDE — With the top spot in District 6-3A at stake between second-ranked Wall and Clyde on Tuesday, it was Wall’s Augden Hallmark who was the star of the show in a 1-0 nail-biter at the Hanner Sports Complex.
Given only one run to work with, Hallmark scattered six Clyde hits through seven innings of work and struck out 12 Bulldogs to lift Wall (19-3, 6-0) which now leads CHS by a game in the league standings.
Gunnar Dillard was 1-2 with the game’s only RBI to give Hallmark the slimmest of leads to protect, which he did by escaping two separate jams in the second and sixth innings.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Hermleigh senior takes this week’s accolade
Sometimes the mercy rule and cheat a player a bit, limiting their number of plate appearances or the number of innings they can pitch.
But in District 15-1A, there is an added mercy rule, beyond the standard 10-run lead after five innings. There, a 15-run lead after three frames is enough to end a game early, which left our Big Country Preps Player of the Week (Hermleigh’s Summer Smith) short of what may have been a staggering set of numbers.
PHOTO GALLERY: Wylie-Abilene High baseball (50 images)
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GAME STORY: Clutch triple by Briscoe propels Wylie to crosstown win over AHS
The Abilene High and Wylie baseball teams spent the first three innings of Friday night’s showdown for the District 4-5A lead at Blackburn Field searching for a critical hit that would create some momentum.
Wylie’s Tye Briscoe delivered it on a full count pitch leading off the fourth with a triple to right that kickstarted a run of three hits in four batters as the Bulldogs knocked off the Eagles 6-2 in front of a rowdy crowd.
Both Wylie coach Grant Martin and his AHS counterpart, Brad Harman, said it was the most important at-bat of the contest.
PHOTO GALLERY: Albany-Hawley baseball (56 images)
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GAME STORY: Sixth inning rally lifts Hawley past Albany in district opener
HAWLEY — Hawley baseball coach Jamie Seago said that he’s been preaching to catcher Keegan Ables all year that its okay to get hit by a pitch when batting.
Tuesday night, with the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the sixth, Ables took one right off the hip to bring home the tying run in what turned out to be a thrilling 4-3 win over Albany in the District 8-2A opener for both teams.
Creed Ernst followed with a walk that drove in Drew Siller for the winning run.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Wall junior has huge day in San Angelo to capture our award
Wall junior Briggs Jones may be on the verge of a major breakout season in area track and field.
Our Big Country Player of the Week not only won five medals at the coveted Angelo State Spring Break meet, but he broke two solo school records and helped break a third. It seldom gets much better than that.
Aside from setting school marks in the long jump at 23-9.5 (for gold) and the triple jump at 45-2 (for gold), Jones was part of the 800 relay team’s silver medal performance of 1:28.49 — another Wall school mark.
PHOTO GALLERY: Abilene High-Lubbock Cooper baseball (72 images)
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GAME STORY: Big innings, solid pitching from Bennett lift AHS into tie for District 4-5A lead
Saturday’s are quickly earning a new name around the Abilene High baseball program — Brady-day.
A week after Brady Bennett led the Eagles to a 2-1 win over crosstown rival Cooper, the senior took the mound against Lubbock Cooper and dominated again, leading AHS to a 13-5 win over the District 4-5A leader entering the day.
The win moved AHS into a tie for first place in the district standings with the Pirates at 4-1.
BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Jayton’s Gentry takes this week’s award
Big moments attract big-time players and our Big Country Preps Player of the Week, certainly made the most of his opportunity over the weekend.
After scoring nine points, grabbing 11 rebounds and dishing four assists in a state semifinal win over Fayetteville last Thursday, Jayton sophomore Colt Gentry, saved his best for last in a 60-53 win over Benjamin in the 1A boys state title game on Saturday.
Gentry charted a team-high 19 points to go with six boards, four assists, a steal and a block to help the Jaybirds to the state title and earn state tourney MVP honors in the process.
It was his second straight week of huge performances under pressure, the first of which helped the Jaybirds win the regional tournament.
PHOTO GALLERY: AISD Baseball Invitational (81 images)
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GAME STORY: Senior ace Bennett pitches, hits Abilene High to walk-off win over rival Cooper
A whirlwind of a week ended on a thrilling note for the Abilene High baseball team on Saturday, as the Eagles scored a 2-1 walk-off win over archrival Cooper in a District 4-5A matchup at Blackburn Field.
Closing out the rain-soaked Abilene ISD Invitational, AHS followed up a weather-suspended matchup with Wylie on Friday night with a gritty, emotional win over another crosstown opponent less than 20 hours later to improve to 8-5-1 overall and 2-0 in district play.
Senior ace Brady Bennett was the hero on the mound and at the plate, allowing one unearned run over a three-hit complete game while coming through with the game-winning sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh.