GAMES
RANKINGS
Some of the stars of 2022-23 Concordia Lutheran Baseball
WITHIN REACH: H-Town’s finest competing in TAPPS State Tourney
With the TAPPS State Tournament (Divisions I & II) on deck, fan-bases will be at the edge of their seats when their respective ball clubs face off in Arlington this upcoming week.
H-Town Private School Standouts: Luke Pettitte (Sr. 3B/P)--Second Baptist School
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
Concordia Lutheran Crusaders (Division I)
Among all the teams competing in the TAPPS final four, Concordia Lutheran is the most familiar with the territory.
Having reached the State Semis each of the last nine years (won it all in 2015), the experience the Crusaders carry at this stage speaks volumes.
‘Sader Nation currently touts a 33-2 record as they prepare to take on Trinity Christian, which is remarkable in and of itself. But, that won’t satisfy Coach Royce Kennedy and his group of next-level ball players.
Anything that should be said about this roster already has been.
The depth of the Crusaders lineup--from Auburn-signee Alex Petrovic (Sr. RHP/IF), Eoghan Collins (Jr. RHP), Ronin McCraw (Fr. SS), Nolan Traeger (Jr. C), Cole Lanclos (So. 2B), Michael Herndon (Sr. LHP/OF), to senior OF Zac Daigre--speaks for itself.
Concordia Lutheran's Cole Lanclos & Ronin McCrawBradley C. Collier (VYPE)
Second Baptist School Eagles (Division II)
After a series of injuries put them behind schedule to begin the season, the Eagles carried out a stunning comeback to remind everyone why they’re the defending TAPPS-II champs.
It was a testament to the team’s considerable talent and resilience that SBS resurged back to prominence in the TAPPS race.
But hey, when you have an all-star cast that Coach Rayner Noble does, which features the likes of DBU-signee Luke Pettitte (Sr. 3B/P), dual-sport star JD Crisp (Jr. OF), Texas A&M signee Ty Baker (Sr. RHP/OF), and more, there’s no limit to what Second Baptist School can accomplish on the diamond.
Having won eight of their last ten games, the Eagles prepare to match up against district opponent Kelly Catholic in order to punch their ticket to the state championship.
2022-23 Second Baptist School BaseballBradley C. Collier (VYPE)
St. Thomas Catholic Eagles (Division I)
This Spring has seen a tremendous turnaround for the St. Thomas program.
After finishing in their district’s No. 4 spot and being eliminated in the Area Round a year ago, Coach Adam Massiatte’s team has returned to the State Tournament, marking the eleventh time since 2010.
The Eagles have been one of the top teams in the Houston area throughout the year, concluding the regular season with a 20-13-1 record (2nd in district) before recently defeating John Paul II in a 4-3 thriller to advance to the final four.
With their stars--Caleb Davis (Sr. OF/P), Anthony Equale (Sr. SS), and Jaden Deshautelle (Jr. OF/MIF), just to name a few--leading the charge, St. Thomas Catholic is set to face off against Antonian College Prep in hopes of returning to the State Final for the first time since 2018.
2022-23 St. Thomas Catholic BaseballBradley C. Collier (VYPE)
2022-23 Second Baptist School Baseball
RESILIENCY: SBS Baseball returns to State Tourney despite slow start
Due to some of their key returning players--namely juniors JD Crisp (OF) and Turner Murdock (P/UTL)--suffering various injuries to start the year, the Eagles were 3-12 prior to district play.
Second Baptist's JD Crisp (2022)Lily Cox (VYPE)
However, the leaders on the SBS roster weren’t going down without a fight.
“It was a real experience,” said Head Coach Rayner Noble. “We played extremely good competition early on, and the losses were piling up. However, I believe this created a certain mental toughness and unity. Knowing that we had to develop depth and confidence at the same time has been our focus this season.”
The Eagles would proceed to resurge as a unit, climbing up the division rankings with rapid progression to conclude the regular season in the No. 3 spot in their district (9-5 record).
Seconf Baptist's Ty BakerBradley C. Collier (VYPE)
Subsequently, Second Baptist would trounce San Antonio Christin 7-0 in the Area Round before defeating their district rival Lutheran South Academy by a score of 8-2 in the D-II regional round.
Texas A&M signee Ty Baker racked up three RBIs, which included a two-run shot over the fence. Dallas Baptist University signee Luke Pettitte dominated on the mound. The Eagles return to the state final four.
Second Baptist's Luke Pettitte Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
And to think, some thought their season was over at the midway point.
“Our guys have been resilient all year long,” Noble said. “We have gotten outstanding pitching and hitting as of late. We’re looking forward to going to Arlington for the next step.”
Some of the stars of SBS BaseballBradley C. Collier (VYPE)
2023 has been a statement year for the Second Baptist program. But, as Coach Noble implied, the job isn’t done yet. Stay tuned for the finale, as the Eagles aim to repeat.