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This time a week ago, there were three Frisco ISD teams vying for a chance to make it to the regional semifinals—Frisco High, Liberty and Wakeland. And now only the Wolverines remain, as they dispatched the RedHawks in a two-game sweep, and the Frisco Raccoons’ season came to an end by former district rivals, the Prosper Eagles.
Region II UIL Regional Semifinals
Wakeland Wolverines (20-10) VS. Hallsville Bobcats (26-4)
The Wakeland Wolverines were able to quick work of fellow District 9-5A mate Frisco Liberty during last week’s regional quarterfinals.
In game one of the best-of-three, the Woverines used a preponderance of offense, as they plated nine runs in route to the 9-4 win. During their second game, runs were at a premium, but two were plenty for Wakeland to make it to this week’s semifinals, thanks to a dominate pitching performance by Andrew Davis.
The Hallsville Bobcats used nearly the same formula to sweep Lufkin. Game one was the pitcher’s duel, as they scored just enough runs (two) to eek out game one. In the second game, the Bobcats’ bats clawed out nine runs—all scored within the first two innings of play—while their pitching limited Lufkin to just two runs.
Hallsville, an east Texas powerhouse, isn’t talked about too much by local media. However, fans of LifestyleFrisco may recognize the name, as these same Bobcats knocked out the aforementioned Liberty RedHawks during the 2014 regional semifinals. This team is constructed a bit different thought, as last year’s ace, Connor Reich, is now a key contributor to the TCU Horned Frogs’ baseball team.
Even with Reich’s departure, the Bobcats still have plenty of pitching, thanks to ace southpaw Colton Brasher, and even more pop at the plate. Hallsville’s third baseman, Austin Blakeley, set the state record for most doubles in a season (25) last Friday, then added one more on Saturday, just for good measure.
Blakeley, a Texas A&M-Corpus Christi signee, has 53 hits in just 30 games. With an on-base guru like that, it’s no surprise that the Bobcats are averaging just fewer than eight runs per game thus far in the postseason.
Despite Hallsville’s thundering lineup, the Wakeland Wolverines won’t be intimidated. After all, they eliminated Texas’ top-ranked team, Rockwall-Heath, less than two weeks ago. One thing for sure though is that Wakeland’s Andrew Davis and Jared Martin will likely be challenged even more than they were during their bi-district upset of Rockwall-Heath. You’d better believe they’ll rise to the occasion, just as they have all season long.
Game 1: 7:30 PM @ Dallas Jesuit
Game 2: 3:00 PM @ Mike Carter Field in Tyler
Game 3 (if necessary): 2:00 PM @ McKinney Boyd
About Timothy Howell
Tim is a freelance writer from Denton that hangs in Frisco any chance he can get. He graduated from UNT with a BA in RTVF and a minor in Literature and holds an MA in Mass Communication from Texas State University, but he sets it down before the food arrives. When not writing, he can be found on a softball field, in a gym, or covered in pug hair on his couch. Follow Tim on Twitter: @TMurrayHowell or find him at timothyhowell.com
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