Area players shine in all-star event
Orlando leads Cy-Fair contingent in HABCA game at University of Houston
Cy-Fair coach Paul Orlando coached the North, which included his son, Beau Orlando, and CyFair’s Hayden Wesneski, in the Houston Area Baseball Coaches Association’s Class 6A all-star game. The South won 7-2, but Orlando said it was a special occasion he won’t soon forget.
“It was an honor and a blessing to be chosen to be able to coach with those kids (last week at the University of Houston’s Schroeder Park), and in all honesty, with the group that was there this year, there were a lot of kids on the North and South teams that my son played with or against growing up.
“So I’ve known a lot of these kids and faces – and some of them know me, and this and that, and certain acquaintances – over the years, since they were 8 years old and growing up playing in this area.”
The South all-stars, coached by Westside’s Michael Barrow, grabbed a quick 4-0 lead.
“We had some miscues on defense and a few walks, and they hit the ball well, too, and put together some runs there to jump on us early,” Orlando said. “After that, the kids kind of settled in and it was a little bit closer.”
Beau Orlando (1-for-2, walk, RBI) supplied the first run midway through.
Seven Lakes’ Bryan Sturges supplied the only other run for the North on a fielder’s choice ground ball.
Strake Jesuit pitcher Kevin Graff started the game for the North.
“He had a great year and all that, and so, with his record, I felt like he deserved to start that game,” Orlando said. “And he struggled a little bit with his off-speed pitches, and some of that, a little bit, so we brought in Nick Mikolajchak from Klein Collins after him, and he really went in and threw well.
“He threw 21⁄3 innings of scoreless ball.”
Wesneski followed Mikolajchak with two more solid innings, then Jersey Village’s Zach Garza, Klein’s Kevin Roliard and Cinco Ranch’s Zak Zeller pitched an inning apiece, with Zeller closing.
The North’s 20-man roster featured seven players from Cy-Fair ISD, including Langham Creek’s John Michael Sopher and Mikey Hoehner, and Cypress Ranch’s Marshall Skinner and Tyler Bielamowicz.
That’s a lot of talent from one district, but Orlando’s said most districts in the Houston area are equally talented.
“Everyone’s a little biased in the district that they’re in probably, that they have a lot of talent, but I do believe in our district over here,” he said. “The last few years, there has been a lot of success from teams coming out of our district, and it really doesn’t matter whether you’re a one-seed or a four-seed.”
The all-star game culminated a sort of farewell tour for Beau Orlando.
Most of the time, whether it’s late in the regular season or the playoffs, players and coaches don’t know when the end is coming, so they’re continuing to grind rather than enjoying the final moments.
“It was special,” Coach Orlando said. “It’s hard that it’s over … but it definitely signified the end of it.
“We were blessed that he was chosen to play in that Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association All-Star Game in Round Rock, and that was the weekend before, so we were up there Friday and Saturday for that, then came back, and then Tuesday night was the Houston-area game here atUofH.
“So I got to be up there with him, and experience that a little bit with him, up there, which was a neat and special honor, too, and then come back here for them to be able to do that one more time.”
Beau Orlando is headed to Navarro College, where he’s expected to primarily play catcher.
The Tampa Bay Rays took Wesneski, a firstteam all-district pitcher with an ERA less than 1.00 this past season, in the 33rd round of this month’s MLB Draft, but Orlando expects him to head to Sam Houston State.
“I’m excited to follow him, too,” the coach said.
“Beau has played with Hayden and they’ve been friends ever since they were 8 years old, so I know Hayden very well and I’m very proud of him.
“He’s a big, tall kid (62) who still is going to fill out and get stronger, and he’s still learning to put everything together, and link everything together from his lower half to his torso. He’s in the 90-91 range right now, and once he gets to college … and he fills out and gets stronger and stronger, he’s got a high ceiling.”