Scoop27
05-30-2018, 11:12 AM
From the Brazosport Facts
Just two wins away from getting to the UIL Class 4A State Baseball Championships, the Sweeny Bulldogs must first go through Fredericksburg to make that to happen.
Sweeny (32-4) and the Billies (28-6) will play at 7 p.m. today in Game 1 at Wolff Stadium in San Antonio in the 4A Region IV final. The best-of-three series will switch over to Victoria’s Riverside Stadium for Game 2, 5 p.m. Thursday. If a third game is required, it will follow 30 minutes after the second game.
Sweeny is coming off a tough three-game series against Cuero in which it had to come from behind to get to the fifth round of the Class 4A playoffs.
“We played some games early in the year that were one-run games, games that we had to come from behind to win, and against bigger schools,” Sweeny coach Mark Durham said. “At that time, we told them that these games would be important down the road, with this past weekend being a prime example. We got behind in Game 2 and 3, and found a way to win. I know they don’t remember that conversation we had months ago, but when you play tight games like that sometimes, it will help you down the road.”
The Bulldogs enter the region final at 7-1, while Fredericksburg is 6-1.
Both teams bring hot offenses to go along with superb pitching.
In the final Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association poll, the Bulldogs were ranked No. 5 in 4A, with Fredericksburg ranked No. 10.
“All season we tried not to talk about getting to state all year, because we didn’t want to jinx ourselves,” Durham said. “But here we are, and yesterday I told them that if I would have told them at the beginning of the season that all you had to do was win two games to get to Austin, would they take that? And most said yes. Well then I said, all you have to do is win two ball games to get to Austin.
“These will be the toughest games they have played all year, but it is still the case where they have to win two out of three to get to state,” he said. “It is a lot easier said than done, but they are excited, the community is excited and we are looking forward to going to go put on a good showing this week.”
The Bulldogs will go with Caden Homniok on the mound in Game 1 today. Because they pitched Saturday, Ty Ringo and Jackson Kiddy will be unavailable to the Bulldogs today.
“Those two will be available on Thursday, but we also have Nathan Nance, Quinton Martin and Joe Effenberger, along with some other guys that can get it done,” Durham said.
If the Sweeny Bulldog bats can stay hot like they did in the come-from-behind Game 3 victory against Cuero, they could be in position to get to the state tourney for the first time since 2012.
“We always know what we are getting from our guys, like our pitchers, whether it is Caden (Homniok), Jackson (Kiddy), Ty (Ringo) or Nathan (Nance). But hitting-wise, when you are struggling, it is just a matter of who is going to step up,” Durham said. “That is the uncertainty when it comes down to the bats, but we expect someone to step up and get it started. It happened last weekend when Jaden (Bohlar) got it started for us. It just has to be one.”
Fredericksburg is coming off a two-game sweep of Beeville Jones during which the Billies offense got 32 hits to go with 24 runs.
The District 28 champs were led at the plate by TJ Tomlinson (eight hits, three RBIs); Dax Dietrich (three hits, two RBIs); Hobbs Price (five RBIs); Willy Sebera (4four RBIs); Don Flannery and Jack Metzger (three hits each) and Riggs Threadgill (two hits).
Threadgill (five innings, five strikeouts) won the first game and Ryan Segner (five innings, six strikeouts) get the second-game victory against Jones.
Just two wins away from getting to the UIL Class 4A State Baseball Championships, the Sweeny Bulldogs must first go through Fredericksburg to make that to happen.
Sweeny (32-4) and the Billies (28-6) will play at 7 p.m. today in Game 1 at Wolff Stadium in San Antonio in the 4A Region IV final. The best-of-three series will switch over to Victoria’s Riverside Stadium for Game 2, 5 p.m. Thursday. If a third game is required, it will follow 30 minutes after the second game.
Sweeny is coming off a tough three-game series against Cuero in which it had to come from behind to get to the fifth round of the Class 4A playoffs.
“We played some games early in the year that were one-run games, games that we had to come from behind to win, and against bigger schools,” Sweeny coach Mark Durham said. “At that time, we told them that these games would be important down the road, with this past weekend being a prime example. We got behind in Game 2 and 3, and found a way to win. I know they don’t remember that conversation we had months ago, but when you play tight games like that sometimes, it will help you down the road.”
The Bulldogs enter the region final at 7-1, while Fredericksburg is 6-1.
Both teams bring hot offenses to go along with superb pitching.
In the final Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association poll, the Bulldogs were ranked No. 5 in 4A, with Fredericksburg ranked No. 10.
“All season we tried not to talk about getting to state all year, because we didn’t want to jinx ourselves,” Durham said. “But here we are, and yesterday I told them that if I would have told them at the beginning of the season that all you had to do was win two games to get to Austin, would they take that? And most said yes. Well then I said, all you have to do is win two ball games to get to Austin.
“These will be the toughest games they have played all year, but it is still the case where they have to win two out of three to get to state,” he said. “It is a lot easier said than done, but they are excited, the community is excited and we are looking forward to going to go put on a good showing this week.”
The Bulldogs will go with Caden Homniok on the mound in Game 1 today. Because they pitched Saturday, Ty Ringo and Jackson Kiddy will be unavailable to the Bulldogs today.
“Those two will be available on Thursday, but we also have Nathan Nance, Quinton Martin and Joe Effenberger, along with some other guys that can get it done,” Durham said.
If the Sweeny Bulldog bats can stay hot like they did in the come-from-behind Game 3 victory against Cuero, they could be in position to get to the state tourney for the first time since 2012.
“We always know what we are getting from our guys, like our pitchers, whether it is Caden (Homniok), Jackson (Kiddy), Ty (Ringo) or Nathan (Nance). But hitting-wise, when you are struggling, it is just a matter of who is going to step up,” Durham said. “That is the uncertainty when it comes down to the bats, but we expect someone to step up and get it started. It happened last weekend when Jaden (Bohlar) got it started for us. It just has to be one.”
Fredericksburg is coming off a two-game sweep of Beeville Jones during which the Billies offense got 32 hits to go with 24 runs.
The District 28 champs were led at the plate by TJ Tomlinson (eight hits, three RBIs); Dax Dietrich (three hits, two RBIs); Hobbs Price (five RBIs); Willy Sebera (4four RBIs); Don Flannery and Jack Metzger (three hits each) and Riggs Threadgill (two hits).
Threadgill (five innings, five strikeouts) won the first game and Ryan Segner (five innings, six strikeouts) get the second-game victory against Jones.