VYPE DFW Game of the Week: Southlake Carroll v. FM Marcus (UIL Baseball Region 1-6A-D2 Final)
A trip to the UIL State Tournament is on the line this week as two Dallas-Fort Worth baseball juggernauts — Southlake Carroll and Flower Mound Marcus — prepare to square off in the 6A-D2 Region I Final at Dallas Baptist University.
Southlake Carroll, under ninth-year head coach Larry Vucan, enters the series riding the momentum of a hard-fought sweep over Denton Guyer. Both games were decided by a single run (3-2), improving the Dragons to 30-7-1 on the season.
Currently ranked No. 3 in Texas by MaxPreps, Carroll is aiming for its 11th all-time trip to the UIL State Tournament and first since its 2022 state championship run — the program’s fifth overall.
Key contributors fueling Carroll’s latest postseason push include senior lefty/first baseman Jack Fuller (Weatherford-commit), senior infielders Tanner Carson and Davis Perkins (both McLennan JC-commits), freshman outfielder/pitcher Camden Dean, and senior right-hander Ethan Baiotto (Tennessee-commit).
On the other side, Marcus arrives with plenty of momentum after a gritty comeback in its Regional Semifinal series against Byron Nelson. After dropping Game 1, the Marauders rallied to take Games 2 and 3 by scores of 6-2 and 7-6.
Now 9th in the MaxPreps state rankings, Marcus is seeking its first-ever appearance at the State Tournament — a significant step forward from last season’s early exit in the Bi-District round.
Head coach Jeff Sherman’s squad features a balanced and veteran core, including senior outfielder Rock Duer, senior left-hander Emerison McKnight, senior third baseman Dane Parlin, junior shortstop Easton Mitchell, junior pitcher Luke Davis, and sophomore outfielder Michael Killian.
Also making an impact are senior leaders Jameson Taylor and Grady Fackler.
The best-of-three series will begin Thursday at 7:30 PM, followed by Game 2 on Friday at 5:00 PM. If necessary, a decisive Game 3 will be played Saturday at 2:30 PM — all hosted at Dallas Baptist University.
With state tournament dreams on the line, expect an intense battle between two of the Metroplex’s most talented and determined squads.
Photo provided by Canaan Factor (Twitter: @CanaanFactor26) 
Factor leaps over a defender to snag a passPhoto provided by Canaan Factor (Twitter: @CanaanFactor26) -- 
