HS BASEBALL: The Woodlands, Grand Oaks, And Willis All Head Into The Regional Semifinals Hungry For More

DISTRICT 13 – With the 2^nd round of the high school baseball playoffs over, we now look ahead to the 3^rd round, also known as the regional semifinals. Of the teams that made it, 3 teams from District 13 battled their way to this point, all going to game 3 in their respective series in the area round. The Woodlands, Grand Oaks, and Willis all enter this round looking for a chance to get to the regional finals and continue their postseason runs. Let’s dive into each matchup and see how these teams might fare in the upcoming matchups.

The Woodlands Highlanders Take On The Waxahachie Indians

In the first couple of rounds, The Woodlands has faced solid competition but hasn’t run into a real threat on its way to the regional semis. MacArthur wasn’t ranked by most sources, while Klein Oak hovered around the 160-200 range, effectively unranked by most. Waxahachie, however, might finally be a team that will test the Highlanders’ strength, coming in ranked by multiple sites in the 10-15 range across Texas. Now, rankings don’t always mean everything, upsets do happen even when gaps seem huge (see Willis over Magnolia West), and the Highlanders certainly have the makings of a team primed for a big win. This series is shaping up to be an interesting battle and could be electric from the jump.

Waxahachie, as mentioned before, is a very strong team. They have lost only 2 games all season and finished district play 14-0, easily claiming the District 11 crown. Winning the district is impressive; however, District 11 isn’t a powerhouse in baseball, as it is in football. Outside of Waxahachie, none of the other playoff teams in this district are ranked very highly, and only one even reached 20 wins this season. Duncanville, the 2nd-place finisher, went 12-2 in district play but 17-13 overall, while 3rd-place Horn went 8-6 in district play with a 21-10 record. The craziest team from this district is Cedar Hill, whose record doesn’t even look real. Cedar Hill finished with a 7-7 district record for 4th place but went 10-22 overall this season, and yes, you read that right. All this to say, Waxahachie is very good, but it comes from a district that isn't all too competitive and lacks any real tests for the Indians. The 2 losses on their record come from Southlake Carroll and Weatherford, 2 teams that were ok at best, with Weatherford not even making the playoffs and Southlake finishing 4th in their district.

Now, with all that said, Waxahachie is a strong team, and underestimating them based on the level of competition they’ve played isn’t always fair, as they play whoever is on the schedule. The Indians are still very solid and capable of scoring runs easily, just like the Highlanders. They have an incredible run differential, scoring 522 runs while allowing only 85 to opposing offenses. The offense is highlighted by hitters Jax Robinson, Chase Pearrow, Kayson Weyrauch, and Hayden Zandt, with Robinson and Pearrow being players to keep an eye on. Robinson has been a reliable bat all season and provides solid defense behind the plate as a catcher. He is committed to the University of Texas, meaning he’ll be facing off against future teammate Jack Smejkal during this series. The other hitter to watch out for is Pearrow, as the outfielder is currently committed to Navarro College in Corsicana and has elite speed and power. These two, alongside other strong players, form a lineup that scores runs with ease and terrifies opposing pitchers. On the mound, they have multiple talented arms, such as Colby Caldwell, who threw a 6-innings shutout against Sachse in the 2nd round. They’ve leaned on these arms in the playoffs and have made it this far on the backs of some solid outings on the mound. The first 2 rounds of the playoffs were marred by close games for the Indians. They defeated Bryan in 2 games in the 1st round, winning game 2 13-2, but played a close game 1, only winning 2-0 against a Bryan team that was way lower in the rankings. Round 2 was more close games, as they won game 1 5-1 and game 2 1-0, having to rely on the pitching staff to get them through some tough-hitting nights. They come into this series with cold bats, which could be just what The Woodlands needs to overcome them.

The Woodlands hasn’t been without its faults this season, with pitching sometimes questionable and hitting going cold for multiple innings in tight spots. They have all the ingredients for a state title contender, with hitters like Cruz Romo, Cash Clayton, Cash McWhorter, Bryson Bourn, and Jack Smejkal all having great postseasons. All are able to hit the ball with incredible power, with guys like Romo, Bourn, and McWhorter really turning it on as of late. Smejkal and Clayton highlight the pitching staff, with guys like Xavier Gregg, Luke Sheeren, and Luke Peterson all ready to take over when needed. Smejkal is usually their ace, but the University of Texas commit struggled in his last outing, recording multiple walks and allowing some early runs. They have solid depth behind him, but a good start from Smejkal could easily win a game for the Highlanders in the postseason. If everything is clicking for this Highlander team, they are a scary bunch and could be primed for an upset over Waxahachie this round.

Grand Oaks Faces Off Against Rockwall In An Evenly Matched Series

After a great 3-game series against Klein Collins, the Grand Oaks Grizzlies move on to their next challenge against the Rockwall Yellowjackets. Both teams rank similarly in most rankings, so this matchup could go either way. This series could easily go to 3 games, but both teams have already faced game 3 situations this tournament, so avoiding that will be the top priority.

Rockwall is a very similar team to Grand Oaks, with an overall record of 22-14-3. They hover around the same win total the Grizzlies racked up this season. The key difference is that Rockwall won their district, finishing 11-2 in district play within a relatively strong district pool. Statistically, Grand Oaks has the advantage, but Rockwall still has solid players on both sides of the diamond. On the pitching staff, Blake Phillips and Hudson Holt appear to be the top guys, as both had solid outings in their 2-game series against Midway in the 2nd round. Phillips sits at a 1.66 ERA with a 5-2 win-loss record, while Holt clocks in with a 1.49 ERA and a 4-2 record. Holt is probably the guy to get the start in game 1, so Grand Oaks will have to find a way to get around a pitcher who gave up only 1 run in his last start. On the offensive side, the Yellowjackets have a solid lineup, headlined by Jake Usrey (0.315 BA), Dylan Cheek (0.304 BA), Kace Cavin (0.281 BA), and a familiar face in Holt (0.364 BA). Holt seems to do it all for the Yellowjackets, leading the team in hits (28), runs (26), doubles (9), and home runs (3), and being a powerful two-way player throughout the season. There are some gaps in the lineup compared to Grand Oaks, but overall, Rockwall is a strong team with players who can make opposing teams pay if they catch fire.

Grand Oaks has been excellent this season, striking a solid balance between offense and defense that makes them a far better team than the average 3rd-place district finisher. We know they have guys who can hit, as players like Callum Wilson (0.360 BA), Colton Tally (0.400 BA), Sebastian Segura (0.346 BA), Andrew Clayton (0.364 BA), and Owen Eastwood (0.469 BA) have had moments throughout the season. Tally currently leads the team in hits (28) and runs (26), while Clayton leads in RBIs (22) and home runs (4). There are players all over the lineup who can make contact, and whichever lineup they go with can go on big runs when momentum is on their side. Pitching has been great too, with Noah Lopez (0.91 ERA) and Drew Johnson (2.10 ERA) headlining the staff. They’ve got plenty of depth behind them, with a team ERA of 2.07 compared to Rockwall’s 3.63. As a whole, Grand Oaks is a very good team, but it sometimes struggles to get into a rhythm, which often leads to offensive struggles despite solid pitching. If the bats can get going against Rockwall, expect the Grizzlies to have a solid shot at moving on.

The Willis Wildkats Look To Continue Their Run Against The Tyler Legacy Red Raiders

Heading into the season, we all knew Willis had the potential to compete in the district, as they returned multiple key players and looked primed for a title push. That didn’t quite go as they had hoped, as early-season struggles left them at 4th in the district at the end of the season. They still made the postseason, though, and showed what they could do at the end of the season, beating a good Grand Oaks team in their 2-game series and starting the playoffs hot with a 2-0 win over Dekaney. They played a thrilling 3-game series against Magnolia West last round, pulling off an amazing upset in the rankings to put down a team many had penciled into the quarterfinals or beyond. Now they face off against the Tyler Legacy Red Raiders, in a series that feels more favorable than last round. Willis will continue to try to extend their unlikely playoff run, but will have to be firing on all cylinders to get to the next round.

Tyler Legacy is a solid team, finishing with a 25-7-1 overall record and a 9-3 district record in District 10. Those 3 losses put them in 3rd place in the district, but don’t be fooled, as that was only 2 games back of 1st in a very tight district. They didn’t allow many runs in district play, averaging the fewest of any team in their district, and they didn’t allow many outside of it either. They have been solid in the postseason too, winning round 1 against Wylie East in a tough-fought series, before finishing off Harker Heights with back-to-back double-digit run scores after forcing a game 3. They have some solid hitters in the lineup, with notable players such as Owen Harrison, Jayden Davis, and Cale Zips all having multi-hit performances in the last round. Davis and Harrison are especially good hitters at the top of the lineup, with Davis going 3-4 with 3 RBIs in game 2 of the Harker Heights series and Harrison going 2-2 with 2 RBIs in game 3. On the pitching side, Davis and Zips have both had solid outings, with Davis recording an 8-strikeout game in game 1 of the Wylie East series. Other guys like Calvin Rippy and Brandon Sanders are also able to give the Red Raiders some solid innings, making for a pitching staff that doesn’t give up runs easily. As a whole, they have a couple of highlight players to watch out for, but if the offense is shut down, it could mean Willis could break through.

Now, Willis is a better team than the record might show. They have some incredible hitting talent that has really caught fire over the past month, and it shows in the results this postseason. Players like Gage Blinka (0.371 BA), Keaton Jeffcoat (0.381 BA), and Hunter Slott (0.360 BA) have been playing brilliantly, with some big-time performances over the last couple of games. Jeffcoat owned the series against Dekaney, recording 7 total hits, and had a solid performance in game 1 against Magnolia West, going 2-3 with 2 RBIs. Blinka and Slott have been reliable bats at the top of the lineup, and there are multiple guys throughout the lineup who can make solid contact. Pitching is solid as well, with Shey Holliday having a great performance in game 1 against Mag West, and other players like Brock Brown, Kash Abke, and Nathan Vallejo right behind him. They have been able to pitch pretty clean games, except for game 2 against the Mustangs, and if that continues, it should be a major contributor this series. The Wildkats have been hot this May, and hopefully that continues as they keep pushing to prove why they are better than what the stat sheet might say.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, having 3 teams in the regional semifinal round is awesome, and it really shows how competitive and top-heavy District 13 is. Out of the 3rd- and 4th-place teams are going places nobody outside their fanbases thought they could, and it's really cool to see. The Woodlands vs. Waxahachie game is shaping up to be a classic and will be one of the top series in the 3rd round. Grand Oaks vs. Rockwall should be very entertaining and evenly matched, and Willis vs. Tyler Legacy is shaping up to be an underrated story in this tournament. Whatever the results of this round bring us, it's sure to be interesting, so stay tuned and good luck to the teams still dancing.