The humidity and rain chances are increasing, which means one thing: playoff baseball has arrived.
Harker Heights and Chaparral earned their way into the postseason and take the diamond this week with eyes on advancing past the first round.
The Knights (21-7-1), who finished second in District 12-6A, open a 6A Division II best-of-three bi-district series against Cedar Hill (20-5-1) at 7 p.m. Thursday at Harker Heights. Game 2 is 7 p.m. Friday with Game 3, if necessary, Saturday at Waco ISD’s athletic complex. The time is TBD.
The Bobcats (14-13-2), who were third in District 16-5A, start their 5A Division I best-of-three first-round series at 7 p.m. Thursday at Midlothian (16-10-1). Game 2 is 7 p.m. Friday at CHS with Game 3, if necessary, at noon Saturday back in Midlothian.
Schedules are subject to change because of weather. Check back here and on social media for updates.
“Our guys worked hard this past summer and fall playing together, and it has really showed this season,” said HHHS head coach Randy Culp, who led the Knights into the playoffs for the fifth straight year and ninth time in 11 seasons. “The keys to winning at the high school level are limit walks on the mound, make the routine plays in the field and put the ball in play at the plate. In the games we have won this year, we have done all those things well.”
The Knights have a fielding percentage of 95 percent and are hitting .305 as a team with an on-base percentage of .446. Corey McMillan owns team-highs with a .420 batting average and 34 hits. Cannon Culp (28), Seth Martin (25), Gian Martinez (23), Jonathan Mercado (21), Cooper Reaves (21) and Jordan Wood (21) have at least 20 hits. Wood leads the team in RBIs with 22.
Reaves and Martin both are 7-2 on the mound this season.
“We embrace the idea of quality at-bats at the plate. Quality at-bats are the selfless part of the game that you never get credit for, but we celebrate,” said Randy Culp, noting examples of quality at-bats as advancing a runner with less than two outs, scoring a runner with a ground ball out, or having an at-bat with six or more pitches.”
Cedar Hill shared the 11-6A title with Mesquite. The Longhorns have similar offensive numbers to the Knights, scoring 195 runs and hitting .306 as a squad.
Culp, who reached 200 career wins with the Knights in March, pointed to the quality of Cedar Hill’s starting pitchers Monte Dismuke and Julian Gonzalez. Dismuke is 7-0 with a 1.89 ERA while Gonzalez is 5-1 with a 1.09 ERA.
The winner between HHHS and Cedar Hill plays Wylie East or Royce City.
The Bobcats made it back-to-back playoff appearances this season after qualifying for the first time in program history a year ago. Their 14 wins are a program best for the third-year school.
Head coach Nathan Williams said an emphasis on strong player leadership, accountability and support set the tone for success this season.
“A lot of guys have stepped up and led by example, holding themselves and their teammates to a high standard every day, while others are more vocal leaders. We also challenged ourselves early with a tough non-district schedule, which forced us to grow, compete harder, and trust each other,” said Williams, who also thanked parents, fans, coaches and the school’s administration.
One of four Bobcats with a batting average of .370 or higher, Rene Pagan leads the way at .392, including 31 hits, and has a team-high 24 RBIs. Caden Morrow is batting .386 with a team-high 34 hits and 17 RBIs, and Pablo Chu (.375, 24 hits) and Geno Ybarra (.373, 28 hits) round out the .370-and-up club.
Aiden Hurst has been the workhorse on the mound for Chaparral. The big right-hander is 8-3 this season, with 68 strikeouts and a 2.076 ERA. The lefty Ybarra is 3-3 on the bump.
Midlothian finished second in 15-5A behind Midlothian Heritage.
“Our opponent is very talented. We need to just focus on what we can control,” Williams said. “I believe in our guys and all the work that they have put in to earn this opportunity. This group has been tested throughout the year and knows how to win close ballgames Now, we just need to go out there and prove it.”
The winner between CHS and Midlothian gets Dallas Adams or Dallas White.
