Sunday, October 6, 2024

Baseball Preview: Area schools primed for promising season

Baseball season is underway and 2024 has the potential of being an even bigger success for local schools that last season.

Southern Denton County produced some of the strongest baseball talent in the state in 2023, and a lot of that talent is back and ready to roll.

Flower Mound, for instance, brought home a state championship last season, finishing 37-10 overall and defeating Pearland in the state-championship by a score of 6-4.

The Jaguars return seven offensive starters from last year’s team, including Sam Erickson, Adrian Rodriguez, Zane Becker, Josh Glaser, Sam Distel, Garrett Wallace and Andrew Robinson, and coach Danny Wallace said he is optimistic about his team’s chances in 2024.

“We’re looking forward to the start and the new challenges that will be presented to us this season,” Wallace said. “We’ve had a good offseason and the scrimmages have gone well.”

Flower Mound also returns Zack James and Josh Glaser on the mound.

“Both are big-game performers with a lot of experience,” Wallace said.

The Jags went 11-3 in district and finished second place in 6-6A competition in 2023, and Wallace said the goals for this season are two-fold.

“Qualifying for the playoffs and being at our best when May hits so we can make a run in the playoffs,” Wallace said.

Across town at Marcus, the Marauders finished third in district 6-6A competition last season and reached the bi-district round of the playoffs.

Marcus went 24-9-1 overall, with a 10-4 mark in district competition, including a split in its season series with Flower Mound.

Marcus returns last year’s District Offensive Player of the Year in Caden Sorrell, and Defensive Player of the Year Van Klein.

Over at Guyer, the Wildcats went five rounds into the playoffs last season after going 33-13 on the year and finishing 14-0 in district to win an undefeated 5-6A district championship.

Coach Patrick Watson said his team took a hit from graduation, but added he is pleased with the progress he has seen from his team so far.

“After losing six starters from last year’s Class 6A regional finalist team, we are mixing young players with the returning players,” Watson said. “We are starting to figure out who we are and what we do and don’t do well. Through the scrimmages we have been getting better and better.”

Guyer returns a strong core of players including Jack Hickerson, Hawk Bowers, Hunter Gural and Jody Murillo, and Watson said the objective at this point is to build on the progress the team is making early on.

“We need to keep getting better game after game,” Watson said. “Our young players are going to have to grow up fast, but I do believe they can. Right now our goal is to get into the playoffs and from there anything can happen. We did learn a lot last year from playing deep into the playoffs and that experience is paying off already. Our returning players now know what to expect.”

It was eventual state champion Flower Mound that defeated Guyer in the regional championship in 2023, and Watson said to make another run like last season, it will take a couple of things.

“Our pitching and defense are going to have to carry us,” Watson said. “As long as our guys throw strikes, we’ll be okay. Our offense will not be as explosive as it was last year, but who knows as time goes by.”

Down the road in Argyle, the Eagles advanced all the way to the state championship game last season before coming up just short against Magnolia West by a score of 3-2.

Coach Ricky Griffin said the outlook for 2024 is the same as any other season.

“We are hoping for another playoff run,” Griffin said.

Argyle finished 35-11 last season and were runners up in district 7-5A.

Players to watch for the Eagles this year include Park Prater, Grady Emerson, Colton Roquemore, Micah Roberts and Alex D’Angelo.

Griffin said the objective this year is “to win a state championship,” and said the main thing the Eagles have going is “lots of playoff experience.”

“We just need players having as good of years as they did last year,” Griffin said.

Out west in Justin, Northwest is coming off a 13-17-2 season and a trip to the bi-district round of the playoffs.

Northwest tied for third with a 6-6 mark in district 5-5A competition in 2023, and assistant coach Colton Grant said he is happy with what he has seen from his team early on

“Things are shaping up well so far,” Grant said. “We had a competitive scrimmage season, and strive to continue to play hard-nosed, fundamental baseball throughout this season. We have a highly competitive tournament and non-district schedule in order to better ourselves and give it a good run in district play.”

Ricky Morgan, the 2023 District Newcomer of the year, returns for the Texans, along with Justin Bush, Jackson Merritt, and Casey Kennimer.

With only three seniors on this year’s squad, Northwest will have its work cut out, but Grant said he is confident in his young team’s talent.

“Our objectives are to play the game right, hard and fast in all facets,” Grant said. “We will have a young, but very talented group that will compete every pitch.”

Grant said to have another good season, his team will need to gel.

“Team chemistry has been a big part of our growth this year,” Grant said. “We have great kids who play the game hard and do it for their teammates more than themselves. We believe as long as our locker room stays together, healthy and continues playing the game hard and right, the sky can be the limit for this group.”

In TAPPS, the Liberty Christian baseball team returns seven starters to a team that finished 18-16 in 2023 and went 6-6 in district competition.

Coach Billy Jordan said so far, his team is looking pretty good.

“We are off to a 4-2 start as we head into the tournament season,” Jordan said.

Alex Caddell, Hogan Nelson, Brady Janusek and Nick Ellis should lead the way for the Warriors this season.

Jordan said the “objectives for the season are to be top three in a tough district and make a deep playoff run and state championship,” and to have that type of season in 2024, his team will need to step it up at the plate.

“We need to be aggressive offensively and produce runs,” Jordan said. “We will pitch and play defense well enough to win games.”

For the Flower Mound Coram Deo baseball team, after a winless 2023 campaign, the Lions are chomping at the bit to get things back on the right track.

And it appears to be working.

Coram Deo was 3-1 in its first four games of this season, and coach Jeff Luterek said he is trying to build a team that competes for a district championship in the right way.

“We are establishing and emphasizing a championship culture of respect, selflessness and sportsmanship while always giving the glory to God,” Luterek said.

The Lions return standouts Jimmy Hammond, Ephraim McNamer, Jack Hamm and Sebastian Young from last year’s team, and Luterek said he is pleased with how his players are producing to this point.

“Our young core of freshmen and sophomores continue to build excitement in the program, as has been evident in our early success so far this season,” Luterek said. “We start six freshmen and sophomores who are learning and getting better every single game and every at-bat.”

With the hot start to 2024, Luterek said he is confident his team will be competitive.

“Our early strength this season has been our pitching and defense, with timely hitting and aggressive base-running putting pressure on opposing defenses,” Luterek said. “Our execution of this formula and the development of our young talent will ultimately determine our ability to compete in a playoff run.”

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