Top 25 Stories in 2024 Texas High School Baseball

 admin  |    Jul 19th, 2024

---

1. Tomball Wins First 6A State Championship

The Tomball Cougars won their last 30 games in route to a 6A State Championship. The 41-3 Cougars defeated Pearland 4-1 in the state championship game. They were led by Sr Catcher Cade Arrambide and pitchers C.J. Sampson and Karson Reeder. Tomball threw 15 shutouts during the season and had only 3 games where they gave up 4 or more runs. It was their 3rd State Championship but first at the 6A level.

2. Tomball’s Cade Arrambide named Gatorade Texas Baseball Player of the Year

Tomball Senior Cade Arrambide was named the 2024 Gatorade Texas Baseball Player of the Year. The 6’3” 210 Senior led the Tomball Cougars to the 6A State Championship. On the season, he hit .412 with 14 2Bs, 12 HRs and 35 RBIs and was a defensive gem behind the plate. This is the 39th year that Gatorade has honored player of the year athletes from each state. Arrambide was the second player from Tomball to win the award.

3. Grapevine Captures 5A State Championship with Walk-off Win

Jarrett Boswell hit a ball over the drawn-in centerfielder’s head to give Grapevine a walk-off 6-5 dramatic win over Lovejoy to capture the 5A State Championship. Grapevine finished the regular season ranked #1 in 5A and went 12-2 in the playoffs. They finished the season 40-5.

4. Texarkana Liberty-Eylau Returns to Claim 4A State Championship

Texarkana Liberty-Eylau avenged last year’s state championship game loss by beating Calallen 3-1 this year in the 4A State Championship game. Liberty-Eylau finished 2nd in district but marched through the playoffs including a series win over #1 Celina. It was Liberty-Eylau’s first baseball championship since 2006 when Liberty-Eylau Head Coach Zach Fowler was a player and was named the state championship game MVP.

5. Franklin Captures First Baseball State Championship

Franklin scored 3 runs in the top of the 7th to break a 4-4 tie and beat Brock 7-4 to win the 3A baseball state championship. It was their first ever baseball state championship title. Franklin was ranked #10 at the end of the regular season and beat 3 teams ranked higher than them on their way to the state championship. They finished the season at 35-5.

6. Collinsville Dominates at State Tournament to Claim 2A State Championship

Collinsville dominated at the 2A State Tournament winning 10-0 in the semifinal game and 9-0 in the championship game to claim the 2024 2A State Title. Collinsville lost in the state semifinals in 2023. They took over the #1 spot in the 2A rankings on April 1 and won 38 of their last 39 games. They finished the season with a 40-3 record.

7. Cade Arrambide, Jonnie Gifford Share Texas High School Baseball Home Run Lead

Tomball Sr Cade Arrambide and Canyon West Plains Sr Jonnie Gifford both hit 12 Home Runs this season to tie for the home run lead among all Texas High School Baseball players. Both players were tied with 11 Home Runs at the end of the regular season. Gifford hit his 12th home run on May 3 in the first round of the playoffs to take the home run lead. But Arrambide hit his 12th home run on May 24 against Rockwall to tie it up again.

8. Central Catholic Rallies to Take TAPPS Division I State Championship

Central Catholic scored 3 runs in the bottom of the 6th and then held on in the 7th to beat Concordia Lutheran 3-2 and capture the TAPPS Division I Baseball State Championship. Central Catholic finished 3rd in district play but went undefeated through the playoffs.

9. Ira Captures 1A State Championship in First Trip to State Tournament

Ira captured the 1A State Championship in their first ever trip to the State Tournament. They defeated Fayetteville 7-6 in the championship game. It was the rookies versus the veterans as Fayetteville had been to the state tournament 10 times and had won 3 state championships. Ira finished the season at 24-0.

10. Ira Is 5th Team in Texas Baseball History to Finish Season Undefeated

Ira became the 1st Texas High School Baseball team since 2018 to go undefeated on the season. They join Argyle (2018), Lorena (2003), Colmesneil (1986) and South San Antonio (1967) as the only UIL teams to finish the season undefeated. They finished the season at 24-0 and the 1A State Champions.

11. Flatonia’s Titan Targac Is Texas High School Baseball Strikeout Leader

Flatonia Jr LHP Titan Targac had 170 strikeouts this season to lead all Texas High School Baseball players. Targac was 13-1 with a 0.90 ERA and picked up his 170 Ks in 84.2 innings. He had 10 or more strikeouts in 8 games and had 16 Ks in a game three different times.

12. Logan Jenkins Breaks Texas High School Consecutive Scoreless Innings Streak

Collinsville Sr RHP Logan Jenkins pitched 65 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings over the last part of 2023 and most of the 2024 season to set a Texas High School baseball record. Jenkins’ streak started on May 25 when he pitched a scoreless 6th inning after giving up a run in the 5th. He then went on to pitch 12 scoreless innings in the next two playoff games. Jenkins did not give up a run in 52 innings in the 2024 season until a run scored in the 3rd inning with two outs on May 10 on an attempted double play that scored a run on an error. Jenkins streak broke the record of 55 2/3 innings set by Canton’s Johnnie Krawietz in 2019.

13. Houston Second Baptist Win 7th Baseball State Championship with TAPPS DII Title

Houston Second Baptist struggled early in the season but put things together to win 8 of their last 9 and go undefeated in the playoffs to capture the TAPPS Division II State Championship, It was Second Baptist’s 3rd straight appearance in the Division II State Championship and their 2nd State Championship in the last 3 years.

14. Paul Gibson, Armando Sedeno Retire with 500+ Wins

Two longtime successful coaches retired at the end of the 2024 season. L.D. Bell Coach Paul Gibson retires after 31 years as Head Baseball Coach at L.D. Bell. Coach Gibson amassed 588 career wins, taking his 33-6 team to the 5A Regional Finals in 2011. Langham Creek’s Armando Sedeno retires after 42 years of coaching, 34 at Langham Creek. He finished with 646 career wins and took Langham Creek to the State Tournament in 2016.

15. Ron Eastman, Danny Wallace Hit 700 Career Wins Milestone

Two coaches reached a milestone in 2024 attained by only 27 coaches in Texas High School Baseball history. The Woodlands Head Baseball Coach Ron Eastman reached 700 wins in his 31st year of coaching on Feb 23 in the first tournament of the season. Flower Mound Head Baseball Coach Danny Wallace reached 700 wins in his 34th year of coaching on April 16 with a district win over Plano East.

16. Brook Hill Guard Captures TAPPS Division III Title

The Brook Hill Guard got timely hitting and took advantage of Bay Area Christian miscues to win 9-2 and capture the TAPPS Division III State Championship. It was the 5th State Championship for Brook Hill but the first since 2013.

17. Galveston Ball’s Jonah Williams Named 18-5A MVP, Third MVP Award of the Year

In a time when specialization is more the norm, Galveston Ball Jr OF/LHP Jonah Williams picked up superlative awards in 3 sports. He was named the 18-5A MVP in Baseball hitting .387 with 23 Runs, a .591 OBP and 9 SB and was 3-1 with a 2.10 ERA and 51 Ks on the mound. He was also named the 18-5A Defensive MVP in football and the 18-5A Defensive MVP in basketball.

18. Pasadena First Baptist Returns to Championship Game with TAPPS Division IV Title

The Pasadena First Baptist Warriors dominated through playoffs with a 46-3 combined score over playoff opponents to capture the 2024 TAPPS Division IV State Championship Title. It was their 3rd State Championship Title but their first since 2018. Pasadena FBCA avenged last year’s loss in the 2023 State Championship Game.

19. Tomball Gets National Attention in Rankings

Tomball won the 6A State Championship in Texas High School Baseball but they also received some pretty high national rankings. Max Preps ranked Tomball #2 in their final rankings. Perfect Game and Prep Baseball Report ranked Tomball #3 in their final rankings. Baseball America had Tomball at #7 for their end of the season rankings.

20. Shiner St Paul Gets Hot at Right Time to Claim TAPPS Division V Championship

Shiner St. Paul got hot in the playoffs and captured the TAPPS Division V State Championship with a 5-4 win over Christian Life Prep. St. Paul finished 2nd place in their district but defeated District Champion Halletsville Sacred Heart in the State Semifinal game.

21. St. John’s School Breaks 33 Year Drought with SPC 4A State Championship

The St. John’s School Mavericks captured the SPC 4A State Championship with a 6-4 win over Episcopal. It was St. John’s first baseball championship since 1991. They finished the season 23-5-1.

22. Steve Chapman Continues to Rise on Career Coaching Wins List

Calallen Baseball Coach Steve Chapman improved to 1,180 Career Wins as a Head Baseball Coach. He is # 1 among Texas High School Baseball Coaches having passed Lubbock Monterey legendary coach Bobby Moegle in 2022. Chapman’s 1,180 wins ranks him 19th nationally in the record books. Many ahead of him have wins from both fall and spring baseball seasons.

23. 3 New Members Selected to the THSBCA Hall of Fame

3 Coaches were selected to the THSBCA Hall of Fame in 2024. Those new members included Glenn Bacak, who coached a total of 39 years, 16 at Elgin and 23 at Austin High, Herb Espinosa, a legendary Head Baseball Coach at Ft. Bend Clements and Randy Talley, longtime Rockwall Coach where the Rockwall High School Baseball Field is named after him.

24. Trinity Valley School Captures SPC 3A State Championship

The Trinity Valley School Trojans captured the SPC 3A State Championship with a 7-1 win over Cistercian Preparatory School

25. Latana Harvest Christian Academy Are TCAF State Champions

The Latana Harvest Christian Academy baseball team wins their 2nd consecutive TCAF State Championship with a 19-1 win over Decatur Victory Christian Academy.