No. 4 -- Tomball Cougars
Tomball came within a heartbeat of repeating in 2025, falling 5-4 to Kingwood in the 6A Division II State Championship to finish as the runner-up. Under 15th-year head coach Doug Rush—who has 388 wins at Tomball and 635 overall—the Cougars return four starters from a 34-7-1 squad, bringing considerable poise back to the diamond.
Leading the way is the team’s cornerstone battery: All-State pitcher CJ Sampson and catcher Hopkins, both signed with Texas A&M. Seniors Daniel O’Briant (Hill College) and Jackson Morrow (Trinity) add depth, while first-team all-district outfielder Brady Burrow and second-team third baseman Nolan Rush provide steady offensive firepower.
The roster is rounded out by versatile contributors including Jay Sralla (Jr. IF/RHP), Corbin Cook (Sr. 2B), Colton Igal (Jr. RHP), Blake Edling (Jr. LHP/IF), and Hunter Myers (Jr. IF).
For Rush, the blueprint for 2026 is simple: “Play as a team.”
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