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LIVING BY D.I.R.T: Mag West's McFaddin Driven By More Than Just Winning
OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, THE REPUTATION OF MAGNOLIA WEST HAS SKYROCKETED DUE TO THE SHEER DOMINANCE THEY DISPLAYED WHILE STILL IN CLASS 5A.
The 2023 State Champs and 2024 State Semifinalists now make the jump to 6A, with the goal of maintaining their well-earned status.
Leading the charge for the Mustangs is returning senior and second-team all-district selection Caldwell McFaddin. He will be key at third base and could also contribute in the bullpen.
McFaddin was there to witness the beginning of the team’s rise to prominence, and now he aims to ensure that they stay at the top.
“It’s been an emotional ride, to say the least,” he said. “We’ve been in the
playoffs every year of my high school career and have been to State twice. I have a very tight-knit group of friends that I play with, and we all treat each other like brothers. We’re excited to keep that going and hopefully win another championship.”
Considering the team’s success, it begs the question: How did they achieve this from a player’s perspective?
“Coach Earles preaches a ‘no drama’ mentality,” said McFaddin. “Buying into that has been key to our success. No matter what, we treat each other with respect and lock in when we need to. We live by the D.I.R.T., which stands for ‘Discipline, Investment, Response, and Team over Self.’ That’s how we’ve been able to develop this culture and stay so close.”
That same focus on culture is what drew McFaddin to commit to Baylor in the fall of 2023, before officially signing in November.
“The fact that they put God first in everything they do there really resonated with me as a Christian,” he said.
“Also, I love Coach Mitch Thompson, and he’s a big reason I committed to Baylor. He’s not interested in just picking up 15 JuCo kids from the portal to win. He wants to build the program from the ground up with family values.”
“He explained that he wasn’t just going to be my coach for four years; he was going to be my friend and mentor for the rest of my life. That really changed my perspective, because I hadn’t heard that from any other coaches during the recruiting process. All of that made me gravitate toward that decision.”
Though free time is a rare luxury for most high school baseball players, McFaddin found an altruistic way to spend his when he went on a mission trip to Costa Rica with Houston’s First Baptist Church, leading to a profound revelation.
“It’s a completely different way of life there,” McFaddin said. “I got to see how kids there play baseball. They use sticks, bottle caps, and rocks. It made me so much more grateful for the opportunities I have, like playing with pearl white baseballs every day at practice. It’s a blessing to be able to play this game to its fullest.”
Entering his final season, the future Baylor Bear will surely appreciate every moment, as he and the Dirt Boys aim for their third consecutive trip to Dell Diamond.
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NO. 22 -- MAGNOLIA WEST MUSTANGS
Head Coach: Kristin Lemoine
2023: 17-19/Tied for 4th in District 21-5A
THE MUSTANGS WERE LEFT ON THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN AT THE PLAYOFFS IN 2023.
A play-in-game loss to Lake Creek ended their season at 17-19 overall. Now, the Mustangs make the move up to Class 6A, as they will play in District 15-6A. Magnolia West brings back plenty of firepower to get back into the playoff picture in 2024.
Sydnie Mullens led the team with 393 kills and chipped in 361 digs to go with it, leading to her being named first-team, all-district. The District 21-5A Setter of the Year Shannon Dworaczyk (Houston-commit) racked up 1,112 assists, which also set the Magnolia West single-season record.
Others to watch include second-team, all-district pick Lauren Brown (450 digs) and honorable-mention, all-district selection Hayden Stebbins (241 kills). Class 6A will be a new challenge for this group, but they have the pieces to compete.