WAKE UP on ETBLITZ | It’s Wednesday: time for Overton-Beckville, and time for the Rangers to stop the slide
EDITOR’S NOTE: It’s Wednesday’s Wake-Up! on ETBlitz, and here are a few things that are for certain true: 1. We’re glad you’re here; take some time and look around the site. We’re about all things sports in East Texas (that’s where the ‘ET’ comes from in our name) and there’s no pay wall, like not at all. Everything is free to read, no catch. Read all you want, look at as many photos as you want. And our sponsor for Wake-Up! each day is none other than Cozy Coffee Station in both Kilgore and Gilmer. They’re on Facebook and Instagram, and they’re also right here, on an outstanding website with a MORE than outstanding menu: Home | Cozy Coffee Station.
It begins tonight
We’ve talked about it every day this week, and it’s here.
Overton resumes its pursuit of a state baseball championship today at Longview High School.
The Mustangs (27-7) will meet Beckville (23-6) in the University Interscholastic League (UIL)’s Class 2A, Division II, Region III finals – better known in plain English as the fourth round of the playoffs.
Game one is at 5 p.m., with game two to follow. It’s a best-of-three series, so if one team wins both of those games, it’s over. If they split, then game three will be Friday back at Longview High, at 5 p.m.
Obviously, ETBlitz.com will have coverage of the series, and we wish Overton the best of luck.
The winner of the Overton-Beckville series will play the Region IV winner, either Shiner (25-4) or Burton (21-10) next week, in the state semifinals.
The game will be streamed live on the NFHS Network at this link: Overton-Beckville / NFHS Network.com. There is a subscription fee that can be canceled, but the initial fee must be paid.
Rangers bite the dust in first game at Yankees
The Texas Rangers’ first game of their series at the New York Yankees was Tuesday, and to say it didn’t go well – that’s an understatement.
Texas gave up two home runs to Aaron Judge and to Ben Rice, and allowed Yankees rookie hurler Will Warren to roll up 10 strikeouts in a 5-2 loss at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday.
It’s a three-game series – game two is tonight (Wednesday) at 6:05 p.m., and game three is Thursday at 11:35 a.m.
After that, the Rangers move on to another road series, at the Chicago White Sox on Friday at 6:40.
Texas is 25-24 on the season so far, third in the American League West.
The Yankees are 28-19 so far, and they’re pretty good at defending their home park; they’re 16-9 at home in 2025 and have won nine of their last 12 games. The Rangers, after winning six straight, have lost three of their last four.
Texas lost manager Bruce Bochy in the sixth – he was ejected by umpire Carlos Torres during an at-bat by Judge.
Rice’s homer was in the second inning, and Judge hit his 16th home run of the season in the eighth. New York led 5-0 until late, when Jonah Heim had a two-run home run.
Will Warren got the win for the Yankees: five innings pitched, allowed five hits but no runs, walked one, and struck out 10. Luke Weaver came on for the save, a third of an inning, giving up no hits, runs or walks.
Patrick Corbin took the loss for Texas, going five innings, allowing three earned runs on five hits, with three strikeouts and two walks.
Heim had a double to go with his home run. Sam Haggerty had a triple. In addition, Wyatt Langford, Adolis Garcia, and Marcus Semien each had a single; Josh Jung had two.
Camp update
Camp Central, with information on over a dozen upcoming youth sports camps, is updated, and to make it easy, here’s the link: CAMP CENTRAL | Youth sports camps coming up across the ETBlitz area (updated May 21).
Win gift cards to Cozy Coffee Station
ETBlitz is actually having a drawing on Sunday to give away three gift cards to three of you guys, our readers, this Sunday.
We’ve outlined how to play a couple of times, and we’ve gotten several who have entered. Here’s your chance.
Go to this link, and follow the instructions on how to enter via Facebook, via Instagram, or this web site.
