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STATE PREVIEW: Three DFW area baseball teams have a chance to win it all
Fans have seen preseason games and tournaments, district play, and the beginning of playoffs all come and go. After grueling matchups against tough competitors, the moment has arrived: the 2022-23 UIL Baseball State Championship. VYPE DFW dives into the three Dallas-Fort Worth area teams that have a shot at bringing home the title this season!
Frisco Reedy Lions (28-15, 10-4)
5A Semifinal, 4 p.m., Thursday, June 8 against Magnolia West
After bouncing through preseason play and learning incredible lessons to take with them into the season, the Frisco Reedy Lions are entering the program's first appearance in the state championship tournament this week. Playing hard against tough non-district opponents this season-- like Plano East (4-3), McKinney Boyd (2-0), Frisco Liberty (4-0)-- the Lions took every moment on the field as an opportunity to grow and better their approach to the game. Starting district play with a bang, the Lions took control of their destiny with back-to-back huge victories over Carrollton Newman Smith (12-1, 12-0) in order to set the tone for the rest of their season.
Dropping only four games in district play, the Lions have been led by Cole Fujita, Kurtis Margraves, Ryan Alexander, and Jalen Stringfellow, juniors Braden Hernandez and Topher McDaniel, sophomores Gavin Barker, Ethan Downum, Grand Dovidas, and more this season. The team finished third in their district-- just behind Frisco ISD rivals Frisco High (second) and Frisco Lone Star (first).
Showing true resiliency, the Reedy Lions have ended the seasons of Frisco Independence, Dallas Wilson, Frisco Liberty, Longview, and Frisco Wakeland en route to the championship tournament where they will face off against Magnolia West (34-5, 12-2) for the opportunity to play in the championship game. Focused, poised, and ready for anything, fans can expect the Reedy Lions to bring everything they have to the game on Thursday.
Argyle Eagles (34-10, 11-3)
5A Semifinal, 7 p.m., Thursday, June 8 against Boerne Champion mc
Making their sixth appearance in the state tournament (2014, '15, '18, '19, '22, '23), the Argyle Eagles are looking to bring home their fourth state title (previous titles won in 2015, '18, and '19). Finishing second in their district standings, the Eagles have outscored their opponents this season by a combined 186 runs. Starting preseason play on the right foot, Argyle posted bigtime victories over Wylie East (10-0), Lake Worth (22-0), Saginaw (10-3), Aubrey (8-0), and more before entering their district schedule.
Dropping three games in district play, the Eagles never faltered or swayed from their ultimate goal: making another state appearance. Working hard through every inning, the team was led by athletes like seniors JC Davis, Conor Lillis, and Hunter Sandifer, juniors Alex D'Angelo, Brayden Rosckes, Colton Roquemore, Park Prater, and Micah Roberts, sophomores Isaac Dunning and Brodey McConnico, freshman Grady Emerson, and more, the Eagles have made it a point to leave everything on the field en route to playoffs.
So far in playoffs, the Eagles have had an incredible amount of grit as they have ended the seasons of Midlothian, Arlington Heights, Burleson, Abilene Wylie, and Lubbock Cooper. As they prepare to take on a tough Boerne Champion squad (33-11, 10-5), the team can be expected to show up prepared to give the fight of their lives in order to make a state title appearance. If Argyle wins this matchup, the team will face off against the winner of Frisco Reedy and Magnolia West in the UIL Class 5A Baseball State Championship game.
Flower Mound Jaguars (35-10-2, 11-3)
6A Semifinal, 4 p.m., Friday, June 9 against Cypress Woods
In their fourth state tournament appearance (2004, '04, '14, '23), the Flower Mound Jaguars are looking to bring home their second state title-- the first being in 2014; nearly a decade ago. With the intention to take every game moment by moment, the Jaguars have found themselves playing some of the best baseball the program has ever seen. Starting the season off with tough preseason victories over the likes of Cypress Bridgeland (4-3), Klein Oak (3-1), Houston Memorial (13-9), Cypress' Cy Faith (4-0), Houston's Cypress Ranch (4-3), and more, the Jaguars are no stranger to the tough teams that come out of the Houston area.
Entering district play on a high, the team showed great skill against the likes of Flower Mound Marcus, Plano, Plano West, Lewisville, Coppell, Plano East, and more. Led by the likes of seniors Evan Rolison, Lucio Lagreca, Cole Ridenour, and Creed Thomas, juniors Bronco Helmuth, Sam Erickson, Andrew Robinson, Josh Glaser, Ryder McDaniel, Adrian Rodriguez, and more, the Jaguars finished second in their district standings after posting over five shutout victories against district opponents.
So far in playoffs, Flower Mound has ended the seasons of Prosper, South Grand Prairie, Allen, Weatherford, and Denton Guyer as they advanced to the state tournament where they will face off against Cypress Woods (38-4, 14-0) in the UIL Class 6A Baseball State Semifinals. Learning so much through this season and bringing high-quality hitters to this match will prove to be key for Flower Mound as they look to punch their ticket to the state title game against the winner of Austin Westlake and Pearland in the later 6A semifinals game.
STATE CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW: Argyle ready for Sinton
Battle tested with the heart of champions- if there is a way to describe Argyle baseball, that's it. The team put their minds to it, but more than that, they put in the hard work and dedication that it takes to get to the highest level of baseball in the state. After a hard-fought season, Argyle is gearing up to play in the UIL Class 4A Baseball State Championship game against Sinton. VYPE DFW takes a look at what you can expect from the Eagles.
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State Semifinals Recap
In a battle to the finish, Argyle took down China Spring 2-1 during the UIL Class 4A State Semifinals. Senior pitcher Evan Brandt recorded five strikeouts while allowing only one run and four walks through the entire game. Although the game was a tough battle, Brandt was able to end his high school career on the mound with a 15-0 record this season. "I knew I needed to find a groove and stick with it," Brandt told VYPE. "The rest of the team really showed up."
After giving up a home run, Brandt got back into the swing and pulled his team together. From there, the offense took off. Beginning with a lead-off triple from Ean Sellers, it wasn't long before the Eagles were crossing home plate with runs of their own. After Brayden Rosckes was hit by pitch, Sellers scored on a wild pitch to JC Davis. Davis hit a beautiful single that sent Rosckes to third before Rosckes scored on a sac fly from Alex D'Angelo.
What To Expect:
Sinton (34-1) has a strong team. The pitching is spot on every time the defense enters the field, the communication is nearly unmatchable, and their ability to round the bases with ease has helped guide them to the State Title game with only one loss to their name this season. This is going to be no cake walk for Argyle. However, Argyle has been known to be able to stay focused and make big, timely plays when it matters most.
Expect Sinton to set the tone, coming in strong and ready for a battle, but expect Argyle to play up to Sinton's level of speed. If Argyle can focus at the plate, read through Sinton's defense, and keep up when their defense is on the field, they stand a chance of shutting down Sinton and walking away with their fourth state title.
The game is set to begin at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 9th at UFCU Disch Falk Field in Austin, Texas.