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Oak Ridge Baseball
RISE OF THE RIDGE: No. 18 War Eagles has solid arms, stingy defense
18. Oak Ridge War Eagles (6A)
Oak Ridge reached the Area Round of the playoffs in 2025 after going 21-11-2 overall. The War Eagles are led by JJ Pierce, who got his 200th career coaching victory last season.
Starters returning for Oak Ridge include LSU-Eunice-commit Jacob Howard. The senior ace will lead the pitching staff after going 3-3 with a 2.88 ERA and registering 30 strikeouts a year ago. District 13-6A Newcomer of the Year Jonell Rodriguez returns for his junior season and plugs in all over the field for Oak Ridge. He hit .364 last year as a sophomore.
Other key returners include McMurry-commit Carson Holamon (SS/P), who hit .344 last season and was a second-teamer, while St. Thomas-commit Dereck Hernandez (2B) is also back after hitting .272 for Oak Ridge. Other players to watch include Luis Olmeda (.302, first-team, all-district OF) and Drayton Urbay (.386, first-team, all-district OF).
The stars of 2025-26 Summer Creek Baseball
PUNCH THE CLOCK: No. 19 Summer Creek in dog-fight for District 22-6A title
19. Summer Creek Bulldogs (6A)
Summer Creek heads into 2026 looking to build on a 21-10 campaign that saw the Bulldogs finish third in District 23-6A and sweep Deer Park to open the playoffs before falling in the Area Round. Head coach DJ Wilson now turns his attention towards optimizing a group that has been seasoned by postseason experience.
Senior RHP Trevyn Turner (Texas State commit) helps lead the charge, bringing a diverse assortment of pitches and ready to take on a larger role this spring. Junior Caleb Alexander, a first-team all-district selection, went 6-3 with a 2.62 ERA while hitting over .250.
Second-team outfielder Bryce Hudson (.364 BA, 13 RBIs) and honorable mention catcher Aiden Salinas (.300 BA, 16 RBIs) provide additional firepower, while Myles Lewis (Sr. 1B) and David Doran (Jr. OF) further bolster a veteran-laden SCHS lineup.