Deer in the spotlight seeking redemption
Surprising Deer Park is doing what last year’s team was supposed to do
Deer Park won 35 games before experiencing its first setback last season in the Class 6A Region III finals.
This year’s club dropped its opener and started 2-2.
But after coming within two wins of their first trip to state since 1990, the returning players weren’t going to let a little adversity — or a lack of outside expectations — keep them from finding redemption.
“They got a taste of how it was to get close and to make a deep run in the playoffs, and coming back … they never missed a beat,” Deer Park coach Chris Rupp said. “It didn’t hurt them.
“They came back and started competing from Day 1.”
They’re still competing on Day 106 after collecting the regional title they were so close to securing last season.
Pitching depth
The Deer (33-8-1) face Southlake Carroll (32-101) in the 6A semifinals at 4 p.m. Friday at Dell Diamond in Round Rock.
“We did it,” pitcher Adrian Gonzales said after ousting Travis in Game 3 last week.
Last year’s group was supposed to do it.
They were nationally ranked and 35-0 after beating Langham Creek in the opener of their regional final.
“We didn’t beat ourselves,” Rupp recalled. “A lot of games, at the high school level, are lost instead of won. So a lot of times a high school team will make a mistake or two at a bad time that will really end up being the difference in the game.
“We made the plays, got really good pitching and didn’t walk anybody when we pitched.”
But things don’t always go according to plan, and the Lobos, who rallied to win the next two, had their own agenda.
Then the Deer said goodbye to several stars, including pitchers Roel Garcia (Rice) and Cameron Thompson (Kansas State) — who went 20-0 in his last two seasons as their No. 1 pitcher — utility player Rylan Meek (Alvin Community College), outfielder Tanner Goodwin and second baseman Jose Alvarado.
Their exits took the spotlight off the program and left the rest of the Deer to plot their return in private.
“I’m so proud of the effort these guys have put in all year,” Rupp said. Pitching is the key again. Senior Peyton Sherlin, a Dallas Baptist signee, went 11-2 as the No. 2 last year, and he’s 9-3 as the ace this season.
Clay Aguilar made the biggest leap. The University of Houston signee won six games a year ago and now he’s 8-1. He clinched the regional semifinals series with Ridge Point and won Game 2 last week to force a decisive third meeting.
“He’s had such a good year, and his consistency, to go with Peyton, as our 1-2 guys, has been huge,” Rupp said. “And then we have Adrian Gonzales to go to, and he comes in, in tough situations … to get us out of there.”
Gonzales, who’s 8-1 out of the pen, is a Alvin Community College commit.
Deer Park also has Mark Barrow (3-1), who started Game 3 last week, and Dylan Pullig (2-0), a UTSA signee, on the mound.
The Deer are doing it offensively, too.
They’re hitting a combined .382 in the two through five spots.
Left fielder Austin Mitchell sports a .348 batting average, center fielder Chase Keng is batting .437 with 52 RBIs, Aguilar’s at .410 with 35 RBIs, and shortstop Josiah Ortiz (Wharton County Junior College) is hitting .333.
“It’s nice to have those guys coming up,” Rupp said.
Keng (UTSA) improved his batting average by nearly 100 points from last season.
“That extra year of experience helped him a lot,” Rupp said. “He’s learned to go the other way with the ball, and to hit it where it’s pitched. He doesn’t chase nearly as many pitches, and we made a couple adjustments to his swing that helped him out.”
They’re not the only players helping the club.
Catcher Reece Moon, third baseman Blake Martin and second baseman Blaine Holden all stepped up to fill holes.
A tough opener
They’ll all have to play well Friday.
Rupp expects to see Southlake Carroll ace Kole Ramage (10-3, .336 batting average), an Arkansas signee, in the state semis.
But he expects Sherlin to give them a chance — just like he’s done all year long.
“You’ve got to win the first one, because you can’t win it all unless you win the first game,” Rupp said. “So if Peyton’s throwing well, and things are going well all the way through, we’ll let him go as far as he can go.”