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Deer Park softball eyeing state; North Shore still chugging along

Tigers make it three straight

2 Katy, the 2015 Class 6A champ, swept Atascocita, which won Region II last year, in its regional semifinal, winning 8-2 and 5-2 to make the regional final a third straight year. The Tigers clinched with sophomore Chloe Cobb and senior Kylie Redding splitting time in the circle in Game 2, allowing ace Alyssa LeBlanc to rest for this week’s showdown. “It was good to give her a break,” Haack said. He liked their approaches at the plate, where they combined for nine hits, but he also saw room for improvement after the Tigers left runners in scoring position in six atbats. “If 50 percent of those … do their job, there’s never any pressure on us,” Haack said. “(But) we saw a lot of comparable pitchers in our district, so it was a matter of being disciplined, letting the ball get into our zone and not chasing pitches. Sometimes we get a little eager … and we did a good job of waiting on it and hitting the ball when we had an opportunity to.”

Highlanders are hitting high note

3 The Woodlands is back in the regional final after eliminating Round Rock Cedar Ridge in three games last week. The Highlanders lost the opener 2-0, then rallied for 1-0 and 8-1 wins to clinch their sixth appearance in seven years. They take on Austin Bowie in a best-of-three series this week. It’s a feel-good turnaround for the program, which lost in the first round of the playoffs for the first time in 11 years last year, following the death of their longtime coach, Richard Jorgensen, who died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in April 2016, after being accused of sexually assaulting one of his players. New coach Tim Borths led the Highlanders to the District 12-6A title, and now they’re seeking their fourth state trip in seven seasons.

Eagles, Falcons, Kats still going

4 Barbers Hill, Foster and Willis round out the area’s remaining softball teams. The Eagles and Wildkats collide in the Region III-5A finals at UH after escaping tight, three-game series against Brenham and Kingwood Park, respectively. The Falcons swept Corpus Christi TulosoMidway 1-0, 8-2 behind two complete games from pitcher Kacie Pryor. They’re looking for their second state berth in four years in the Region IV-5A final against Dripping Springs.

Deer feeding on low expectations

5 Deer Park’s baseball team isn’t burdened by the lofty expectations that finally crushed last year’s nationally ranked club, which reached 35-0 before falling to Langham Creek in the regional finals — and it’s thriving without them. The Deer, with far less fanfare, are back in the regional semis after rallying from a 1-0 loss in the opener of their regional quarterfinals series with Clear Springs, and a 2-0 deficit in Game 3, winning 6-1 and 3-2 to advance. They face 20-5A trichamp Ridge Point this week at UH.

Converging on Crosby

7 After UH and Rice, Crosby’s the place to be this postseason. The school’s new athletic fields are a popular destination, so four teams are splitting the turf for the regional semis. Crosby and Brenham meet Thursday in Crosby, and then they shift to Brenham so Tomball and Port Neches-Groves can slide in Friday and Saturday.

Deer Park vs. Ridge Point baseball, Game 2, 7:30 p.m. Friday, UH

8 UH signee Clay Aguilar and the ninth-ranked Deer take on No. 15 Ridge Point, which quickly is making its presence felt in the Region III-6A bracket after making the move up from 5A.

Travis vs. North Shore baseball, Game 2, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Rice

9 The fourth-ranked Tigers take on unranked upstart North Shore after taking down Katy in three games last week. Junior Jalen Burks led the way, supplying a two-run home run in Game 1.

Katy vs. Deer Park softball, Game 2, 5 p.m. Friday, UH

10 The two softball powerhouses, with three state championships between them in the last five years, meet for the first time in the playoffs since Deer Park’s 2-1 win in 2012 at UH.