GAMES
RANKINGS
Perry, Collins Give Friendswood Shot At State
Under the tutelage of coach Robert Benavides, the Mustangs are coming off another stellar season, finishing with a 30-7-1 record and advancing to the fourth round of the postseason, where they narrowly fell to Lake Creek.
With a skilled roster returning, there’s little reason to believe they won’t continue their dominance in 2025. Friendswood will once again rely on District 18-5A Offensive MVP Dane Perry (Blinn commit), who is expected to be a key contributor both at the plate and behind the dish as catcher.
The pitching staff also remains strong, with Landon Collins (Texas Tech), second-team selection Eric McGill (UT Dallas), and honorable mention Cooper Harris (Sam Houston State) all poised to lead the way on the mound.
Furthermore, junior 3B Dawson Hinson (Baylor), Lane Vegas (Sr. CF), and District Newcomer of the Year Caiden Wells (Jr. IF) round out what should be one of the most complete rosters in all of Class 5A this spring.
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THE RANKINGS: No. 14 - Friendswood Mustangs
Friendswood is coming off a Regional Quarterfinals appearance in 2024 after going 22-8 overall. With eight starters returning for second year coach Jarrod Hunter (13th year overall; 179 wins), he feels quality pitching, situational hitting, and being elite defensively are the keys for this team to make a run.
Baylor-commit Charleigh Esparza was named the District 18-5A Catcher of the Year and earned TGCA All-State honors a year ago. UNC-Charlotte-commit Chloe Aldrich (second-team, all-district) and Morgan Armstrong (Oklahoma Wesleyan University commit) are also returning to the dugout.
Others to watch include first team, all-district picks Maddie Green, Lola Widner and Nevaeh Cason, second-teamer Lenox Laviolette and honorable-mention selection Kira Sarabia.
This Friendswood team will play by two mottos this year – “Excuses does not get results” and “Be where your feet are”. It’s time to see if the Stangs can Stampede to State.