If there is one thing you can count on, it’s that, regardless of the sport, there are going to be plenty Frisco ISD representatives heading to the playoffs. This is especially true in the world of high school baseball. Later this week, four Frisco schools will dip into the playoff picture for a chance at the ultimate prize – a State Championship.
Frisco High School (19-4, 14-2)
Comfortably seated high atop District 9-5A, the Frisco High Raccoons have once again put together an excellent season. In fact, their lone district blemish came at the hands of fellow conference foe, the Centennial Titans.
The Raccoons feature the excellent one-two pitching punch of Blake Welch (6-1, 0.63 ERA, 57 Ks) and Parker Pell (5-1, 1.89 ERA, 30 Ks). Offensively, Frisco High is led by Ryan Vilade (.368, 3 HRs, 20 RBI), who also serves as Frisco’s lights-out closer, with five saves and a miniscule 0.894 ERA.
Frisco Liberty (14-11, 12-4)
Despite a tentative grasp on a potential second-seeded playoff entrance, the RedHawks are poised for yet another deep playoff run. This is thanks in no small part to Paris Junior College-bound JT Vangelder (.583, 18 SBs). Simply put, Vangelder jump-starts the RedHawks’ speedy offense by getting on base early and often.
Fellow Liberty speedsters include Austin Nault (13 SBs), Mario Quintanilla (11 SBs), Donovan Langston and Judd Presley who have combined for 16 swiped bags. Robby Evans (2-2, 1.11 ERA) and Noah Thompson (5-0, 2.25 ERA) anchor the pitching staff for Liberty.
Frisco Wakeland (13-9, 11-5)
After winning an all-out slugfest against top-seeded Frisco High, the Wolverines of Wakeland are getting hot at the perfect time. With one final regular season game against the Independence Knights, Wakeland will likely be riding a four-game district winning streak as they head into the 2015 UIL Playoffs next week.
The keys to the Wolverine’s success can be found in hot-hitting senior Brady Manning (.326) and junior Ryan Monson (.314, 7 SBs). RHP Andrew Davis (3-2, 3.26 ERA, 42 Ks) and Preston Minor (3-0, 0.78 ERA) round out a very solid pitching staff.
Frisco Centennial (11-12, 9-7)
Don’t let their fourth-place seeding fool you: the Centennial Titans are sneaky good. Of their seven district losses, four were by three runs or less, as they were just a few key hits from being 11-3 and in position for one of the top two seeds.
The Titans are capable of pouring on some runs, as their back-to-back 10-0 shellacking of district bottom-feeders Lone Star and Independence can attest, and they can also compete with the better teams in the area, as was witnessed by their victory of Frisco last month.
Cooper McCain (4-1, 0.73 ERA, 35 Ks) is certainly a big part of the Titans’ success, and a key reason why their potential playoff suitors will not likely opt for a one-game series. Taylor Floyd (3-3, 2.92 ERA, 42 Ks) can also sling it, as he and McCain combine for a slump-inducing one-two punch. Speedy, multi-sport star Nolan Richie (.391, 12 SBs) is the table-setting catalyst for Centennial’s offense.
