It’s hard to believe it, but we are now just a few days away from the 2014 UIL State Baseball Playoffs. Three of Frisco ISD’s finest are poised for a postseason run, and here’s a quick breakdown of each.
Frisco Liberty—(25-5, 11-2)
Brian Simpson continues to lead the RedHawks, and is tearing the cover off the ball, hitting .461 with 29 RBI and a homer. JT Vangelder can really scoot, as his team-high three triples and 19 stolen bases can attest. He’s also batting .378 with 15 RBI.
With Simpson and Vangelder providing the juice on offense, the RedHawks have plenty of pitching to keep the opposition’s bats at bay. Josh Ryan has led the show on the hill, as his sub-one ERA (0.73) coupled with 66 strikeouts in just 48 innings has been an overpowering combination. Michael Cantrell (3-0, 1.58 ERA, 34 Ks) and Robby Evans (5-1, 2.37 ERA, 57 Ks) complement Ryan well.
Next Game: Liberty, fresh off a 2-1 win over 9-4A’s second-placed Prosper, heads to Frisco Wakeland to conclude the regular season tonight @ 7:30 PM.
Frisco Wakeland—(21-9, 8-5)
With a team batting average of .315, the Wolverines have quietly out-slugged many of their adversaries. Johnny Gonzales and Seth Mullis ignite Wakeland’s offense. Gonzales is hitting .351 with two home runs and 13 RBI, while Seth Mullis has produced a triple-slash line of .361/.400/.500.
As is so often the case with top baseball teams of all levels, pitching is paramount to the Wakeland Wolverines. Cameron Yates (3-1, 0.98 ERA) is once again having an excellent season, as is Andrew Davis (2-4, 2.14 ERA, 40 Ks). Coleman Beazley (4-2, 2.41 ERA, 45 Ks) has been getting it done too.
Next Game: Wakeland will look to avenge their 10-4 drubbing at the hands of the RedHawks last month. The Wolverines regular season finale is at Wolverines Field with the first pitch set for 7:30 PM tonight.
Frisco High—(18-12, 7-6)
The Frisco High School Raccoons’ lineup doesn’t inspire much awe, but they have more than enough grinders to back up a salty pitching staff, which is why they are poised for a postseason berth.
P.J. Harris (.393, 3 HRs and 22 RBI) provides plenty of pop, and Brennen Fischer (.372, 21 RBI, 23 SBs) is a disruptive force on the basepaths.
Parker Bell’s numbers don’t wow you too much, but he has provided the kind of consistency that every team craves. Bell is 5-3 with a 3.67 ERA on the year. Although Grant Kilmer’s walk-to-strikeout ration of 17:18 is alarming, he gets outs when he needs them most—as his 1.59 ERA indicates.
Next Game: Frisco hits the road to battle the Prosper Eagles @ 7:30 PM tonight. During their first meeting, Prosper pounded the ‘Coons 10-2.
