This winter the VYPE Media team visited the campus of Second Baptist School for our annual winter media day! We had the pleasure of sitting down with the talented athletes and coaches at Second Baptist to take you inside the program.
Get ready for the season as VYPE goes Inside the Program with the Second Baptist School Girl's Basketball Team!
This is the softball dynasty in Houston. In 2024, Episcopal captured the SPC 4A Championship after going 22-10 overall. This marked the Knights’ seventh-straight SPC crown and the eighth in 10 years. Episcopal has won 22 SPC crowns in program history. Caitlin Cain enters her seventh year of leading this program and notched coaching win No. 100 last year. Episcopal is set to return eight starters including All-SPC selection Gianna Lewis, who is committed to Stephen F. Austin. Last year, Lewis hit .406 with six homers for the Knights. Other key returners include all-district pitcher Jordan Bey, and all-staters Hayleigh Hubbard (.359, 3 HR, 13 stolen bases) and Alexis Johnson (.340, 3 HR, 25 stolen bases). Keys to success for Cain’s squad this year include having strong pitching, aggressive base-running and clean defense. Their motto for 2025 is very numerical as “8-23” represents their quest for an eighth-straight SPC title and 23rd overall.
Joshua Culp enters year two of leading The Woodlands Christian Academy on the diamond. Last year, the Warriors went 17-4 overall and reached the Regionals Round of the TAPPS Division II playoffs. Seven starters return for Culp including Clemson-commit Keira Crosby (.725, 11 HR, 32 RBIs; 13-1, 85.2 IP, 194 Ks, 1.39 ERA). Crosby was named first-team, all-state. Texas A&M-commit Reagan Rohrlich (.690, 1 HR, 49 runs scored) is also back after being named second-team, all-state in 2024. Another player to watch is Army-commit Alexis Osterhaus, who was honorable mention, all-state after hitting .500 with five homers and swiping 10 bases. Other players to watch include second-team, alldistrict pick Ashlyn Culp (.364, 17 RBIs), honorable mention, all-district selection Marissa Clarke (.286, 17 RBIs; 4-2, 33 IP, 45K, 4.50 ERA), Kate Rouswell and Alison Chandler. Keys to success for Culp’s crew include staying healthy, having quality at-bats and “limiting physical errors while eliminating mental errors”.
Fort Bend Christian Academy went 14-6 a year ago and look to build off that with a relatively young squad. FBCA reached the Regionals Round of the Division II TAPPS playoffs. The Eagles return an impressive 10 starters, including second-team, all-state selection Reese Heflin (.390 batting average; 2.80 ERA, 108 Ks). Also returning for the Eagles are first-team, all-district pick Ariel Yee (.462) and second teamers Fallon Gerke (.370) and Jaleigh Bullard (.385). Other players to watch include Allie Guillot and Ella Romo. Kelli Jacoby enters her fourth year of leading the FBCA program but it is her 18th year on campus. Keys to success for her squad this year include having dedication, outworking everyone and “playing for something greater than yourself”. This FBCA team is loaded with talent and ready for another run at a state crown.
The Pioneers are coming off a 20-win campaign in 2024 that saw them reach the Regional Round of the TAPPS Division II Playoffs. Eighth-year coach Nicole Andrade, who got her 100th career coaching victory in 2024, returns six starters as the Pioneers seek a 10th-straight year of making the playoffs. Wichita State-commit Addi Smith will lead the way after batting .448 with 12 homers and 45 RBIs last season. Smith was named second-team, all-state. Fellow second-team, all-state pick Bri Collazo returns after hitting .402 with nine homers and 39 RBIs. Other key returners include second-team, all-district picks Emily Bankson (.317, 28 RBIs) and Jill Whitehead (.386) and honorable mention, alldistrict selections Jadyn Maldonado (.333, 16 RBIs) and Ava Zamora (.366). Keys to success for the Pioneers this year include having great team chemistry, a strong team bond, winning mentality as a team culture and a strong offense, according to Andrade.
As expected, ‘Sader Nation dominated their way to the State FinalFour last spring, marking their ninth consecutive appearance at this prestigious stage (excluding the COVID year). They reached the TAPPS title game for the fourth time during that stretch but were narrowly defeated 3-2 by Central Catholic. Though the Crusaders are still chasing their first championship since 2015, it’s always a strong possibility that they could capture their second. Mizzou-commit and second-team, all-state selection Connor Jones (Sr. RHP/1B) steps in as the ace of the pitching staff, with Jeremiah McCranie (Jr. RHP/IF), Luke Douglas (Jr. LHP/1B), and Ethan Rivers (Jr. RHP/OF) adding depth to the rotation. Fellow second-team, all-state player Ronin McCraw (Jr. SS) and honorable mention Cole Lanclos (Sr. CF/Baylor) are reliable contributors on both sides of the ball, providing leadership and consistency. Senior catcher Jax Fisher (LeTourneau-commit), junior third baseman Hugh Wilhelm, and sophomore infielder Landon Martinez are also expected to make significant contributions throughout the season.
LSA turned in another strong performance last season, advancing to the Regional stage of the TAPPS-II playoffs before being eliminated by former district rival Kelly Catholic. With the restructuring of divisions, the Pioneers will face a new set of opponents in District 4, including Second Baptist, Bay Area Christian, FBCA, and Logos Prep. Given their talent, LSA should be more than up to the challenge, boasting one of the most stacked rosters in Houston. The reigning District MVP and first-team all-state selection, Omar Serna (LSU-commit), returns for his senior year behind the plate and looks poised to continue building his reputation as a potential professional prospect. Senior SS/3B Victor Coronado, a Texas State-commit, is back to anchor the infield and provide offensive firepower. Juniors such as infielder Marcus Cantu (Texas-commit) and outfielder Jaylen Walker, also a first-team all-state honoree, will be key contributors as well. Meanwhile, senior right-hander Grant Burns (Wharton County JC), who posted a perfect 7-0 record with a 2.05 ERA last season, should be the leader of the Lutheran South bullpen in 2025. Seniors Brody Smith (St. Thomas), James Stoeckel (Coastal Bend), Easton Bettcher (Centenary), and Ryan Reed (Coastal Bend) are also ones to watch.
Despite facing a mix of highs and lows, along with injuries throughout the season, Second Baptist School rallied when the stakes were highest. By the end of the 2024 campaign, the Eagles triumphed over Southwest Christian (10-7) to claim the TAPPS-II State Title, marking the program’s seventh championship overall. While some key players from last year have since graduated, there are still plenty of weapons for coach Rayner Noble to rely on. Sam Houston State-commit Wes Baker (Sr. C) is primed to set the tone on both sides of the ball, following a strong 2024 season in which he posted a .348 average, 28 RBIs, and six homers to earn second-team all-state honors. Senior right-hander Carson Bratcher (Wharton County JC-commit), a district second-team selection, is expected to step up as the team’s ace this spring. He’ll be joined by Christian McCleary (Jr. LHP/1B), Sam Garcia (Sr. RHP/IF), and Jackson Clark (Jr. RHP/IF) in a deep pitching rotation. In the outfield, senior Jace Trozzo (Rhodes College) returns after earning second-team all-district honors a year ago, bringing his experience and leadership to the squad.
Under the direction of head coach Matt Fox, now in his 16th year, the Knights upheld their tradition of excellence last season, reaching the SPC-4A championship for the fourth consecutive year. However, the defending champs fell short in their quest for a repeat, as St. John’s defeated Episcopal 6-4 in the title game. That narrow loss should provide plenty of motivation for the Knights as they aim for redemption in 2025. Once again, the pitching staff will be anchored by senior RHP Preston Sullivan (Houston-commit), who posted a 5-2 record in 2024 with a remarkable 1.01 ERA and 65 strikeouts, earning All-SPC honors. Fellow All-SPC selection Aidan Eshelman (Sr. IF/UTSA-commit) will be a major force at the plate after hitting .430 with 29 RBIs last season. Further bolstering the lineup is junior shortstop Miles Young (Georgia-commit), who batted .353 with 18 RBIs and 22 stolen bases in 2024, emerging as a rising star in the national recruiting scene. Junior outfielder Reid Sasser is also expected to step into a larger role this season. If everything falls into place, Episcopal could be on track to secure its fifth championship in a decade
Bay Area Christian experienced a series of ups and downs during the regular season, but they truly flourished in the playoffs. Advancing all the way to the TAPPS-III title game, their momentum was halted only by The Brook Hill School (9-2), which denied the Broncos their first championship since their back-to-back titles in 2021-2022. Now, under second-year head coach Kyle Crowell, Bay Area Christian moves up to the TAPPS-II division, facing an even tougher slate of opponents. However, with the experience they have returning, the Broncos should remain a formidable threat. Senior SS/RHP Jacob Newsom (Tyler JCcommit) earned first-team all-state honors and was named to the state all-tournament team after a stellar 2024 campaign. Owen Townsend (Sr. IF), also an all-tournament team selection, will play a leading role in the lineup after posting impressive numbers (.323 BA, 24 RBIs, 19 runs) last season. Senior outfielder/pitcher Jason Darling (Panola JC) and senior third baseman Jackson Lowry (Texas Lutheran) will also be key contributors. Additionally, the bullpen will feature two starting-caliber arms in senior Peyton Ardoin (all-tournament team) and junior Nolan Tharp, further solidifying the team’s depth.
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