San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Reagan faces challenger for crown
Rattlers have ruled area scene for years, but Johnson is looking to seize the throne
No San Antonio-area baseball program has enjoyed sustained success in UIL’s highest classification more than Reagan.
The Rattlers have made five appearances at the Class 6A state tournament in the past nine seasons. That includes last year’s state finals loss to Southlake Carroll.
As much success as the Rattlers have enjoyed, their efforts have yet to yield a gold medal. In fact, no city team has won a state championship in UIL’s highest classification since Highlands won it in 1968.
Will an area 6A team break that trend? And which other area teams have the best chances for state title glory? Here’s a look.
Region IV-6A is loaded
The Rattlers, No. 3 in Texas High School Baseball Magazine’s 6A state preseason rankings, return five starters from last year’s 33-win team, including Super Team member and senior outfielder Luke Sasser, who hit .373 with 18 steals and seven doubles.
Sasser was also a first-team all-state selection and earned a spot on the UIL state all-tournament team along with senior pitcher Aidan Coleman and senior infielder Ashton Beaird (.380, 20 steals)
Coleman, who is signed with Pittsburgh, was 9-1 with a 1.56 ERA last year.
As good as the Rattlers are, even repeating as District 28-6A champions won’t be easy.
Johnson, No. 8 in the state, will challenge Reagan. The Jaguars were 25-9 last year and finished a game back in the 28-6A standings.
Johnson has one of the top pitching staffs in the city, led by senior Mason Bixby (7-2, 1.77 ERA, 68 strikeouts), who is signed with TCU, and senior Barrett Johnson (6-1, 2.58 ERA), who is signed with UTSA. Johnson also hit three homers and drove in 34 runs.
Senior infielder and Texas State signee Ryne Farber hit .411 and had 26 steals. Sophomore infielder Kayson Cunningham, who is committed to Texas Tech. hit .493 with 23 steals and was the Express-News Newcomer of the Year in 2022. Sophomore catcher Masa Chilcutt (.311) is committed to Texas.
Reagan and Johnson will get tested early in the Region IV-6A bracket by 26-6A powers Austin Westlake, which is No. 2 in the state, and No. 7 Austin Lake Travis.
Westlake returns 10 starters from a 27-win team that lost to Smithson Valley in the second round last year. Lake Travis has five returning starters from a 34-win team that lost to Reagan in the regional finals.
Rangers tested and ready
Smithson Valley is two seasons removed from a Class 6A state semifinal appearance.
Senior shortstop David De Hoyos, senior catcher Ethan Gonzales and senior pitcher Jackson Elizondo all played in the Rangers’ 8-4 loss to Rockwall-Heath that season.
DeHoyos hit .443 and Gonzales batted .380 last year. Elizondo was 9-1 with a 2.05 ERA and 87 strikeouts.
Those three, along with four other returning starters and realignment into 5A, have put the Rangers back in the state title conversation.
Junior pitcher M.J. Espinoza (4-2, 43 strikeouts, 0.21 ERA) and junior Zach Gingrich (3-1, 34 strikeouts, 2.68 ERA) bolster the Rangers’ prospects from the mound.
No. 16 New Braunfels Canyon won 27 games last year. The Cougars will challenge Smithson Valley in District 26-5A. Other potential regional roadblocks include No. 6 Corpus Christi Ray, No. 11 Weslaco East and No. 14 Mission Pioneer.
D’Hanis eyes repeat
It’s easy to see why D’Hanis is the No. 1 team in Class 1A.
The reigning state champions return six starters, including senior pitcher/third baseman Daelyn Gonzales, who won 11 games with a 0.46 ERA and struck out 119 on the mound and hit .337 at the plate to earn all-state recognition. Senior outfielder Layton Herrmann hit .342.
Senior outfielder Eusebio Tapia hit .429.
Tapia and Gonzales were selected to the state tournament team.
Fifth-ranked Fayetteville, which won the state championship two years ago, returns nine starters.
Fayetteville and D’Hanis have faced off in the past two regional finals. A third straight meeting in the same round appears likely.