2022 Regional Semifinals Preview - 6A
May 24, 2022
TEXAS - Playoffs are in full swing in Texas and after the first three rounds of playoffs, we move into the Regional Semifinals. With 16 teams left in each class, the competition is getting fiercer, the crowds are getting bigger and the stakes are getting higher. At this point in the Postseason, the atmosphere is electric at every matchup across the state. Today, our scouting staff takes a look at their most anticipated matchups for this year's round of 16 in 6A. We will follow up tomorrow with a look at 4A & 5A.
FM Marcus vs. Keller
The 6A Region 1 Semifinals is the same 4 teams as last year, they just flipped who each other was playing. Keller and FM Marcus come into this series with a pretty stress free 1st 3 rounds of playoffs.Keller, who won this region last year, has quietly put together another dominant season. They are led by 4 guys on the mound that have been great all year for them. Keever Vincent and Nick Robb have been handling Tuesday Nights and the 1st game of each round so far, while Zach Erdman (Texas Tech) and Ty Zahradnik have been handling Fridays and Gm. 2. Offensively, they are led by Grant Simpson, Fisher Polydoroff and Zach Makarewich.
Marcus comes in after a dominant performance last week. They are led by Sr. RHP Tate Evans (Yale) on the mound. The Sr. has been dominant from the beginning of the season and hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down. Isaac Thorton has been getting the start in game 2 with Logan Boertje being the first guy out of the pen. Offensively they are led by Sr. OF Jake Duer (TCU) and Jr. OF Caden Sorrell (Texas A&M).
This series should be a great one. Both teams are well coached and play fundamental baseball. Wouldn’t be surprised to see this come down to the last couple innings of a game 3.
Southlake Carroll vs. Coppell
The other 6A region 1 semifinal is Carroll vs. Coppell. Carroll had a tough game 1 against a quality Wolfforth Frenship team last week and then won pretty easily in gm. 2. Coppell had their first Game 3 of the playoffs last week and finally knocked off Prosper in a crazy ending to the series.
Southlake is led by arguably the best 1,2 punch in the state on the mound. Sr. LHP Owen Proksch (Duke) got the Gm. 1 start last week and was great once again. Sr. LHP Griffin Herring (LSU) has been starting the 1 game series game and started gm. 2 last week. Herring has continued to get better as the season has gone on and has been down right dominant. They also have quality depth behind those two with Jr. RHP Tyler White (Texas A&M Football), Sr. RHP Nate Rusher (Fordham), Sr. RHP Zac Colletti (Cisco JC) and Sr. RHP Dominic Gill (Univ. of Dallas). Offensively, they are led by Proksch, and Jr. MIF Ethan Mendoza (Arizona State)
Coppell has continued to win at a high level and somehow have managed to stay under the radar. They aren’t flashy, but there isn’t a more fundamentally sound team in the state than the Cowboys. They don’t beat themselves and they play the game the right way. It isn’t often in HS the team’s ace is coming out of the bullpen, but Coppell has maximized team Ace Sr. RHP Will Boylan (Northwest Florida State) by using him in high leverage situations throughout the playoffs when needed. Sr. RHP Andrew Nester, Jr. SS/RHP T.J. Pompey (Texas Tech) and Sr. RHP Landry Fee will also play big roles on the mound. Offensively, Sr. C/CIF Walker Polk (Baylor) has been on fire down the stretch. And Nester has a knack for getting big hits in big situations.
The Woodlands vs Rockwall
The Woodlands showed their depth and talent on the mound last series, sweeping Grand Oaks without ‘23 LHP Brayden Sharp (Baylor commit) being needed on the bump. ‘23 RHP Ethan Coronel (HBU commit) went 6 IP in Game 1 allowing 2 runs (1 earned) on 6 hits, getting a lot of soft contact. ‘22 RHP/DH Conner Doucet (ULL commit) closed on the game while also having an RBI double. ‘23 INF Logan Ellefson (uncommitted) and ‘23 1B Sammy York (uncommitted) also had an RBI. Game 2 was dominated by ‘23 RHP Tyler Sunseri (uncommitted). Sunseri threw a CGSO with 6 K and 2 hits allowed. Sunseri had been up to 90, sitting 87-89 when we saw him twice during the Area Round matchup against Cy Ranch. Sharp had 2 of The Woodlands’ 4 hits in Game 2 and scored 2 of the 3 runs. Pitching and timely hitting has been the recipe for success so far for The Woodlands.
Rockwall is another familiar face deep in the playoffs. They had a 1 game series last week and Waxahachie took them to extras until Rockwall blew it open in the 8th. They are led on the mound by Jr. RHP/C Mac Rose and Sr. LHP Cade Crossland (Ouachita Baptist). Offensively the Yellowjackets are powered by Jr. MIF Brayden Randle (Univ. of Texas), Rose, Soph. OF Pearson Riebock, and Senior INF Andrew Tellia (Weatherford JC). Rockwall is battle tested so far in these playoffs, having gone to a 3rd game and last week’s thriller. They are a tough group that plays hard, if they fill the strike zone up on the mound they will be tough to beat.
Rockwall Heath vs. Oak Ridge
Oak Ridge has 3 shutouts so far in the playoffs, including an 8-0 shutout to advance to the Regional Semis. ‘23 RHP Hayden Morris (Texas commit) is 3-0 in 3 starts with a 1.12 ERA in 18.2 IP with 36 K and 3 ER allowed. Teaming up with Morris for a 1-2 combo on the mound has been ‘22 RHP/SS Aden Lucas (Tyler JC commit). Lucas has had two complete games in the playoffs with a 2.06 ERA. ‘22 1B/LHP Michael Lopez (Dodge City CC commit) and “23 C/RHP Conner Bennett (Vanderbilt commit) have come in for relief appearances. Bennett and Lucas along with ‘23 OF Dillon Staples (uncommitted) and ‘22 OF Azais Garza (Western Texas College commit) have been the leading contributors for Oak Ridge’s offense in the playoffs.
Rockwall Heath had a 1 game series last week, and behind a dominant effort by Sr. RHP Jonny Lowe (Mclennan) and some offensive support in the 1st, had a relatively stress free round. The defending state champs have a deep pitching staff led by Lowe and Sr. RHP Baylor Baumann (Houston Baptist). They also have Sr. RHP Cade Sharp (Texas Tech) who has looked good coming back from injury and Jr. RHP Trevor Tranberg who pitched a gem in game 3 against Lake Ridge a couple Rounds ago. Offensively, it starts with our #9 player in the country in Jett Williams (Mississippi St.). He has been an on-base machine all year, as some teams choose not to pitch to him, but when he has gotten pitches to hit he hasn’t missed. Soph. CIF Caleb Hoover has been swinging a hot bat for the Hawks and so has Lowe, who has delivered some big hits in the playoffs.
Pearland vs. Ridge Point
Ridge Point is coming off a big time sweep of the #1 ranked team in Texas, Katy Tompkins. Ridge Point walked off Tompkins in Game 1 2-1 with a single from ‘23 1B Travis Vlasek (uncommitted), game-tying double from ‘23 C JJ Kennett (DBU commit), and walkoff single from ‘23 OF Carter Groen (uncommitted). The starting pitching from Ridge Point was very good last series. ‘23 RHP Kellen Gradisar (uncommitted) went CG in Game 1 allowing 1 unearned run on 4 hits. ‘22 RHP Hunter Nichols (Frontier CC commit) went 6 IP allowing 2 runs in Game 2 with 8 K and 3 hits allowed. Groen had 3 RBI, Vlasek, ‘23 3B Parker Martin (uncommitted), and ‘22 SS Justin Vossos (Texas A&M commit) all had 2 RBI in Game 2. The pitching has been really good for Ridge Point all year and also has ‘25 LHP Jack McKernan (Texas commit) in relief and potential Game 3 starter if it gets there. The offense has been clicking each time we’ve seen them this year and will be key to them advancing past Pearland.
Pearland has a pitching staff that can go toe-to-toe with Ridge Point. Game 1 starter has been ‘22 LHP Mark Zapata (Texas State commit) and Game 2 ‘23 LHP/1B Caden Ferraro (Texas A&M commit). ‘24 RHP Jake Mader-Cooper (Rice commit) and ‘23 uncommitted LHP Cayden Schmidt have been the arms out of the bullpen. Those 4 have a combined 0.83 ERA in 6 games including 3 CG (2 from Zapata, 1 from Ferraro). Ferraro has been leading the charge offensively in the playoffs, hitting .600/.750/1.133 with 2 doubles, 2 home runs, and 9 RBI while leadoff hitter, ‘23 SS Anthony Avalos (Houston commit) is hitting .412/.545/.588 with 2 doubles.
Katy vs. Strake Jesuit
Katy’s starting pitching has been a big reason for them making it to the Regional Semifinals. ‘23 RHP Lucas Moore (uncommitted) and ‘23 RHP/QB Caleb Koger (uncommitted) each have 1 CGSO with a combined ERA of 0.73 in 38.1 IP, while Koger threw a no-hitter in Round 1. Katy’s offense has picked up contributions from numerous bats in the lineup. ‘23 1B Sutton Hull (uncommitted) has been on-base 5 out of the 6 playoff games including a walkoff single to advance last week, and ‘22 SS/RHP Parker Kidwell (Odessa JC commit) has been a key bat at the top of the lineup along with providing some crucial relief innings on the mound.
Strake Jesuit has had to go to Game 3 twice so far in Rounds 1 & 2 before they got a sweep last round of Summer Creek. Strake’s pitching staff is led by ‘22 RHP Garrett Stratton (Rice commit), who has gone into the 7th inning or deeper in his last 2 starts. Strake’s offense has had multiple games of 10+ runs in the playoffs including 14 against Summer Creek to advance with production coming from the entire order throughout playoffs. The top of the order has been led by ‘23 SS Clay Richardson (uncommitted), ‘22 OF Trey Duffield (Rice commit), and ‘22 3B Shane Pellegrino (Washington Univ. (St. Louis) commit).
SA Reagan vs. Eagle Pass
Reagan is coming off a tough series against Smithson Valley resulting in two hard fought one run games. Aidan Coleman (Pitt) was masterful in game one throwing a CG striking out 5 and giving up 3 hits and 1 R. Billy Baehr (St. Marys) and Teagan Peeples (Texas A&M Kingsville) followed that up and combined to throw 8 innings giving up just 1 run in game 2. Offensively Reagan ran into a couple of tough arms last week but have plenty of firepower to blow open a game and score double digit runs as they did in round 2. The lineup doesn’t necessarily have one guy they count on but they have a combination of speed and experience at the top, big boppers in the middle, and scrappy handle the bat guys at the bottom. Reagan has its work cut out for them in a hot Eagle Pass team but they are built to win postseason series’ and I think they make it through and create a mega Central Texas matchup against Lake Travis.
Lake Travis vs. La Joya
Lake Travis cruised through the second round with a 5-1, and 7-0 victory over a scrappy San Antonio Clark team. Ethan Calder (Baylor) was masterful on the mound once again for the Cavs throwing 6 innings, striking out 8 and giving up just 1 run. As mentioned many times before this year, Kaeden Kent (Texas A&M) is the heartbeat of this team and they go as he goes. Thankfully for Lake Travis he has been hot all year and the playoffs have been no different. The Cavalier’s offense wont just hit the ball all over the yard but will gladly take what you give them and always seem to come up with a timely hit to break their opponents back. Lake Travis has its work cut out for them this week and cant afford to just look ahead to a possible matchup with Reagan. However, I can look ahead and can hardly contain my excitement for a possible Regional final showdown against Lake Travis.
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