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Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Postseason Wind-Up
Fort Worth, TX
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The baseball postseason didn’t quite play out the way HSSTM thought it would, which made it all the more interesting and exciting.
Will Watson snared the throw and touched first base, setting off a celebration. He tossed his glove high into the air and rushed toward his Southlake Carroll teammates, who had formed an elated dogpile on the infield grass.
At the same time in the visitor’s dugout, members of the Flower Mound baseball team quietly packed their gear and offered fellow teammates embraces and words of reassurance. The outpouring of emotion by both teams typified the win-or-go-home intensity of playoff baseball.
“There were 249 5A teams and we’re in the final four still standing,” Carroll coach Larry Hughes said after the series sweep of Flower Mound, which sent the Dragons to the Class 5A state tournament for the first time since 2002. “That’s a great accomplishment.”
Carroll, which lost to Plano West 10-8 in the state title game, wasn’t the only local team to mount a serious championship push. North Richland Hills Birdville advanced to the Class 4A state semifinals. Other teams also tasted postseason success. Mansfield Summit, for example, earned that program’s first-ever playoff berth. And although some teams, such as Fort Worth Paschal, which lost in the regional quarterfinals, might have fallen a bit short of their own lofty expectations, the 2008 high school baseball season in the Fort Worth/Denton area was anything but a disappointment.
A season of destiny
For every team that makes a deep playoff push and turns a promising campaign into a dream season, there is usually a defining moment when it becomes clear that something special is in the works.
Carroll experienced that moment in early May, in the team’s second series of the playoffs. Down seven runs in the first game of an area round series against nationally ranked Arlington Martin, the Dragons rallied for a 9-8 victory.
“When we came from seven back to win the ballgame … I think that was a big turning point for our confidence,” Hughes said. “I think we’re a very strong mental team. … The mental part is the difference in the playoffs.”
On the way to state, the Dragons, who forfeited their first 11 games of the season for using an ineligible player, played in eight one-run playoff games. With the outcome constantly hanging in the balance, Carroll relied time and again on players in their first season on varsity.
No experience, no problem. The Dragons, who had only three returning starters in 2008, received standout performances all season from leading hitter Will Watson (.417 batting average) and ace pitcher Ross Stripling (1.75 earned-run average and 147 strikeouts in 100 innings), both of whom were on the junior varsity in 2007.
The Dragons also received a boost from key contributors such as Ronnie Mitchell. The junior centerfielder struggled at the plate for most of the postseason, but in Game 2 against Flower Mound, Mitchell smacked a home run to give the Dragons an early advantage in what turned out to be a one-run victory.
“I was struggling a little bit from the plate,” Mitchell said. “Good timing. I was just fortunate to hit it.”
No Carroll player, though, made more clutch plays in the playoffs than Shaun McPeters. In addition to serving as the team’s most steady relief pitcher, Peters supplied important hit after important hit. His RBI single in the bottom of the sixth inning in Game 2 against Flower Mound broke a 3-3 tie and proved to be the series clincher.
“You’ve got to have those kind of hitting and pitching performances if you want to advance in the playoffs,” Hughes said. “You’ve got to give the kids the credit. … That’s winning baseball.”
A winning combination
Birdville High baseball coach David Hatcher tried to fit in a round of golf, but his cell phone wouldn’t stop ringing.
“I bet I’ve answered 50 calls today,” Hatcher said.
Hatcher, who was participating in the Birdville school district’s end-of-year faculty-staff tournament, didn’t seem to mind the steady stream of interruptions. After all, most of the calls were from well-wishers congratulating him on what his team had accomplished just a few days earlier.
The District 6-4A champion Hawks defeated Canyon Randall 3-2 in 11 innings in Game 3 of the regional finals to earn the program’s first-ever berth in the Class 4A state tournament in Round Rock. Birdville ultimately fell to Waxahachie 6-0 in the state semifinals, but the season-ending loss doesn’t diminish what the team accomplished in 2008.
“That was big for this school,” Hatcher said of reaching the state tournament. “I think what’s gotten us here is I’ve got the best human beings I’ve had in 25 years as a coach.”
Hatcher, who has taken Birdville to the playoffs in each of his four seasons at the school, credits just about everyone involved in the program for the team’s 32-victory campaign. The list starts with great players, such as Robert Perrin and Duncan McAlpine.
Perrin, who scored the series-winning run against Randall, batted .414. His 59 runs batted in led all Fort Worth-area 4A players.
McAlpine, the team’s ace pitcher and – on days when he’s not on the mound – starting catcher, rolled up a 12-2 record with a 0.59 earned-run average and 136 strikeouts in 83 1/3 innings. McAlpine, whose pitching mastery included throwing a complete game shutout in Game 1 against Randall, also supplied plenty of power at the plate. The junior hit .339 with nine home runs and 47 RBIs.
“When we put somebody out there on the mound, we expect them to throw strikes,” Hatcher said. “And we expect all our kids to play good defense.”
During a rocky 2-6 start to the season, the Hawks committed an average of nearly five errors a game. The coach, who makes his team focus on defensive fundamentals for all but 40 minutes of his team’s regular two-and-a-half-hour practices, told his players he expected better of them, and they responded.
For example, against Randall, the Hawks committed two errors but made at least seven outstanding plays to turn the series in Birdville’s favor, Hatcher said. One of those plays was a diving catch by third baseman Jarrett Casanova in the ninth inning of Game 3.
Throughout the season, key defensive contributors included centerfielder Russ Delmas, shortstop Paul Hendrix and Hayden Loyd, who served as starting catcher when McAlpine pitched, Hatcher said.
“We’re very basic,” Hatcher said. “They play fundamental baseball focused on solid defense, solid pitching and taking what they get offensively.”
In addition to his players, Hatcher also raved about the contributions of assistant coaches Dan Chaney and Vance Bonner. He also thanked other support staffers and volunteers, such as the team’s statistician.
Judging by the number of calls he got, the head coach also has received some of the accolades. But Hatcher just directs the praise back at the rest of the squad.
“It became a total team effort,” Hatcher said. “To get here in the playoffs, it takes everybody, including our stat girl. Everybody’s important. … Everybody knows what’s expected – and when they get here, they work.”
No lose proposition
Art Senato freely admits to being a sore loser.
Still, Summit’s second-year coach couldn’t help beaming with pride following the Jaguars’ exit from the playoffs, a two-game sweep in the area round at the hands of El Paso Socorro, one of the state’s top teams.
“Normally, I’m not a graceful loser at all. After we were knocked out, I was very satisfied with the season,” Senato said. “I’ve never had a feeling like that.”
Senato had plenty of reasons to smile. The Jaguars racked up a 23-9 record and finished in a two-way tie with Fort Worth Paschal for the District 4-5A title. Making the playoffs at all was an impressive feat considering that, coming into the season, baseball was the only sport at the 6-year-old campus that had never reached the postseason.
“It was the best season in school history – by far,” Senato said.
Turning around struggling programs is Senato’s specialty. During stints at Nolan Catholic, Arlington Bowie and DeSoto, Senato’s teams made a drastic improvement in his second season at the helm. The coach said he believed a similar improvement was in the cards for Summit – even if most writers and pundits weren’t predicting it back in February.
One of the big reasons for the coach’s optimism was the team’s explosive potential at the plate. The Jaguars hitters didn’t disappoint. The team shattered virtually all of the school’s offensive records. In fact, Summit , which hit .361 as a team, set a season record in the first week of non-district by belting out 10 triples at a tournament. That’s not to say the Jaguars set every record.
“We broke every offensive record except for sacrifice bunts – and we didn’t need to get sacrifice bunts,” Senato said.
Quinn Sharp, who will attend Oklahoma State on a football scholarship, led the offensive outburst. The senior centerfielder set Summit single-season records for hits (54), batting average (.515), slugging percentage (.762) and on-base percentage (.615) and tied the record for walks (17).
“Quinn Sharp had just a monster year,” Senato said. “He totally surpassed all the expectations we had for him. He set a lot of records that won’t be broken anytime soon.”
Summit, however, couldn’t have survived in its ultra-competitive district without quality pitching. Top starter Ryan Behmanesh, a Dallas Baptist signee, missed six district games with an injury, but the Jaguars received a boost from Cody Dickson. The sophomore left-hander was expected to be a No. 3 starter but played a much more significant role, going 9-2 for the season and helping Summit to a 4-2 record in Behmanesh’s absence. The team also got a big boost from Greg Shaw, who was the team’s key relief pitcher down the stretch.
Senato, whose team pounded traditional power Midland in bi-district and actually outhit Socorro 11 hits to five in a 5-2 Game 1 loss in the area round, has even higher expectations for 2009. But it’s hard for the coach to imagine leading a more determined squad than he had this season.
“It’s going to be a tough group to replace, with their mental toughness and desire,” Senato said.
The one that got away
Paschal could practically taste the regional semifinals. The Panthers held an 8-5 lead heading into the sixth inning of the third game and deciding game of their regional quarterfinal series against Amarillo.
But smelling an apple pie on the windowsill and eating it are two different things. Paschal couldn’t make the pitches and defensive plays it needed and the Sandies rallied for a 9-8 victory. As a result, the Panthers ended a sweet season with a bitter taste in their mouths.
“We feel like we let it get away,” coach Stephen Smith said. “But that’s just the name of the game.”
Still, it was a banner year for the Fort Worth school district’s lone 5A high school. Paschal tied Summit for the District 4-5A title and in so doing secured the school’s first back-to-back district titles in 50 years.
The Panthers, who finished the regular season with a 20-7 record, featured an ensemble cast of key contributors that included Mike Goetz. In 2007, he hit just .265, but this year smacked the ball to the tune of a .405 batting average. “We always knew he could hit,” Smith said of the senior outfielder.
Just as pleasantly surprising to Smith was the play of Kirby Campbell. The sophomore began 2008 as backup catcher, but the coach switched him to outfield to get him off the bench and into the everyday starting lineup. Campbell repaid Smith’s confidence by batting .345. Campbell was particularly torrid in the postseason, going 16 for 21 at the plate with two home runs.
Jose Garcia, meanwhile, moved from shortstop to catcher, where he handled the talented arsenal of lefty hurlers. Garcia should be back in his natural position in the middle of the infield next season.
Even though the Panthers are losing Arkansas-bound lefty ace Geoffrey Davenport to graduation, the team should have a talented rotation again next season led by hard-throwing southpaws Hoby Milner and Tyler Nurdin. The program appears to have the makings of a perennial powerhouse.
“We want to be like [Fort Worth] Arlington Heights,” Smith said. “Our goal’s not to have any drought. We want to get into the dance and have a chance.”
Injury bug
Keller Fossil Ridge had two obstacles to overcome when it reached the regional semifinals: Canyon Randall and its players’ health.
Leading hitter and ace Brendan Alvey (1.14 ERA, 30 runs batted in) was unavailable after having an emergency appendectomy, and second baseman Jacob Bermejo was hampered by an injured shoulder.
Despite those limitations, the Panthers rallied from down 3-0 in Game 2 against Randall before being edged 4-3 in eight innings. The loss ended a 28-11 season that included narrowly finishing behind Birdville in the District 6-4A race.
“This is the best season we’ve ever had,” Fossil Ridge coach Doug Dulany told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram after the game. “In all honesty, if we’re healthy, I think we’re still playing.”
No third chance
In the playoffs, Flower Mound (22-15) was at its best with a series on the line. In the best-of-three format, the Jaguars thrived in the decisive third game. They defeated Grapevine in three in bi-district, Hurst L.D. Bell in three in the area round, and Keller in three in the regional quarterfinals.
They maintained that successful formula against state No. 4 El Paso Socorro in the regional semifinals, taking the series in three on the strength of Ty Wheeler’s seven RBIs, including two home runs.
However, Wheeler and company didn’t have a chance for third-time charms against Carroll in the regional finals. Flower Mound dropped Game 1 and rallied from down 3-1 in the second game to tie the score at 3-3. The Jaguars, though, ended up losing 4-3 – ending their season in a two-game sweep.
“This is the first time we hadn’t had the opportunity to play three,” Flower Mound coach Steve Stinson said after the Game 2 loss. “The expectations are always high, but I don’t think anybody expected this. In this series, the breaks didn’t go our way. That’s one of the things we’ve done for six weeks – find a way to get a hit. The kids just sort of believed we could do it.”
Satisfying season
Opponents who tried to pitch around any of Joshua’s sluggers learned a painful lesson: The next batter can crush the ball, too.
The Owls batted .386 as a team, slugging their way to the District 8-4A title, a school-record 26 wins and a playoff push that ended in a Game 3 loss to Fort Worth Western Hills in the area round.
The formidable lineup was led by district most valuable player Austyn Ross, who batted .510 with 19 extra-base hits (including four homers) and 35 RBIs. Jordan Allen chipped in with 17 extra-base hits, 43 runs and a .474 average, and Austin Neal batted .433 with 45 hits and 40 RBIs. And just for good measure, Neal was also the team’s leading pitcher, posting an 11-3 record with a 1.90 ERA, two saves and 99 strikeouts.
“What I’m most proud of are not the wins and the district title, it’s being able to coach these fine kids,” Joshua coach Jason Bourgeois said. “They played the game with integrity and class. Because they did that, everything fell into place.”
Although Bourgeois said his players felt they had the talent to make a deeper run in the postseason, he said they will be better players by having gone through an up-and-down series against Western Hills.
“I chalk up our loss to inexperience,” said Bourgeois, whose team narrowly missed the playoffs in 2007. “But we’re returning seven starters next year. Hopefully, we’ll take that and run with it.”
Here’s a look back at how area teams fared in the playoffs in 2008:
5A
Southlake Carroll – State finals
Flower Mound – Regional finals
Paschal – Regional quarterfinals
Keller – Regional quarterfinals
Weatherford – Area
Arlington Martin – Area
Mansfield Summit – Area
L.D. Bell – Area
Arlington Lamar – Area
Lewisville Hebron – Bidistrict
Colleyville Heritage – Bidistrict
Mansfield – Bidistrict
South Grand Prairie – Bidistrict
Arlington – Bidistrict
Lewisville – Bidistrict
Grapevine – Bidistrict
4A
Birdville – State semifinals
Keller Fossil Ridge – Regional semifinals
Western Hills – Regional quarterfinals
Denton Ryan – Regional quarterfinals
Joshua – Area
Southwest – Area
Arlington Heights – Area
Cleburne – Area
Denton – Bidistrict
Crowley – Bidistrict
South Hills – Bidistrict
3A
Kennedale – Regional semifinals
Decatur – Regional semifinals
Lake Worth – Regional quarterfinals
Sanger – Regional quarterfinals
Glen Rose – Area
Argyle – Area
Castleberry – Bidistrict
2A
Brock – Regional quarterfinals
Krum – Regional quarterfinals
Millsap – Bidistrict
A
Tolar – Bidistrict
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