BASEBALL BLOWOUT! | Updating all 12 ETBlitz-area programs, including Gladewater’s 34-1 win at Winona! (*NOT a misprint)
With the boys and girls high school basketball playoffs ongoing, the pursuit of playoff spots in soccer’s district play happening, tennis, track and field and golf all either happening or SOON to be happening, there is this note…
Baseball season is not just upon us; it’s here.
Almost all of the baseball programs in the ETBlitz.com coverage area opened the 2025 season on Monday, and softball programs actually began theirs a few days earlier, Here, we’re going to do a recap of what’s happened so far, and what we know is coming during the busy tournament time.
For the record, high schools that we consider to be in the ETB coverage area (in alphabetical order) are Arp, Gladewater, Gilmer, Henderson, Kilgore, Leverett’s Chapel, Overton, Sabine, Tatum, Troup, West Rusk and White Oak.
4A
Henderson 8, Brownsboro 3: Macen Jones’ bases-loaded triple for the Lions in the bottom of the fourth inning Monday was just what the Lions needed to lift them to a win.
And it was a special win, not only to open the 2025 season, but the very first win in the very first game in the coaching career of Brock Lemire in charge of Henderson baseball.
Lemire, the former Tyler Junior College standout with coaching stops at Grapeland, Brook Hill and Pine Tree, has taken the reins at Henderson, where there is a lot of new: Lemire, a new superintendent (Brian Boman) and a new athletic director and head football coach (Ricky Meeks).
After two and a half scoreless innings Monday, Caden Foster’s grounder scored a run for the Lions (1-0) in the bottom of the third.
Brownsboro (0-1) claimed the lead, though, a 3-1 advantage in the top of the fourth on back-to-back-to-back hits.
But that lead was short-lived.
In the bottom of the fourth, Manning Bradley scored on a single by Sabastian Vega. With Vega already on, Hunter Schwettman followed with another single, and Coy Freeman drew a walk, loading the bases.
Unfortunately for the Bears, that’s when Jones came to the plate for that triple.
Brian Biggs went 3 1/3 innings for the Lions, sitting down seven Bears on strikeouts, giving up just one hit, three walks and two earned runs.
Foster came on in relief and threw 2 1/3 innings, giving up just two hits. He walked two and struck out three. And David Jimmerson went 1 1/3 innings, as well, recording two strikeouts and allowing one hit and one walk.
Up next for Henderson is Lufkin Hudson’s Brandon Belt Tournament, which is scheduled to be contested Thursday though Saturday. Sub-freezing temperatures right now could linger and are likely in the night games for the tournament, named after the former Hornet and Major League Baseball standout.
If things don’t change due to weather, the Lions play a doubleheader midday on Thursday. Tarkington and Diboll face off at 11:15 a.m. to open the tournament, and then Henderson faces Rusk at 1:30 p.m. (Rusk opened the season with a win over Arp Monday). The Lions turn around and play Little Cypress-Mauriceville at 3:45 p.m.
On Friday, Henderson plays just one game, a 1:30 p.m. first-pitch against Northside.
And on Saturday night at 6 p.m., it’s Henderson against host-team Lufkin Hudson.
After the Brandon Belt Tournament this weekend, the Lions will meet Bullard on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. at the University of Texas at Tyler.
Hallsville 15, Kilgore 0: Monday at Hallsville, it was a rough one for the Diamond ‘Dogs in their 2025 season debut.
The Bobcats, who went 24-12 last season and into the third round of the 5A playoffs, jumped out early and scored four runs in the first inning. They added five more in the second, leading to a forgettable first game of the season for the Bulldogs.
Of the 15 runs, only nine were earned: Kilgore (0-1) made five errors in the game.
Brodey Benson went 2/3 inning for the Bulldogs, only giving up a hit, and had a strikeout (the opening batter), and walked four. Rafello Adamez went 3 1/3, allowing 11 runs (five earned) on 11 hits; he walked one and struck out one.
Kaden Akin got the win for Hallsville, going four innings of scoreless ball, allowing four hits, but no runs and no walks. Akin had two strikeouts. Preston Thomas pitched an inning, allowing one hit, two walks and had a strikeout.
At the plate for the Diamond ‘Dogs, Jackson Tucker Phillips had a double; shortstop Tanner Beets, first baseman Cason Edney and designated hitter Kolton Hale each had a hit; Hale and JTP also both reached on a walk each.
For Hallsville, Dunn Smith had a triple, Christian Martin and Trentan Johnson each doubled twice; and Landon Vineyard and Tyler Durrett each doubled once. Martin had 3 RBI and Johnson and Smith each had 2 RBI.
The good news for Kilgore: it’s over, move on, and that’s what they’ll do, as a part of the Whitehouse / Tyler Legacy Tournament Thursday through Saturday.
So far, the weather hasn’t changed the tournament.
Kilgore opens the tournament at Whitehouse High School on Thursday, a noon start against Crandall. That’s Kilgore’s only game Thursday in the tournament.
On Friday, they play twice, both also at Whitehouse High: they face Pleasant Grove at 3 p.m., and home-team Whitehouse at 6 p.m.
And Saturday’s game will be determined by the first two days of the event.
After the tournament, Kilgore comes home to Driller Park for the annual Whataburger Oil Belt Classic (which we LOVE here at ETBlitz – our staff has been covering it for 20 years!). We’ll have the pairings for the Oil Belt event here on ETBlitz.com tomorrow.
Mount Vernon 10, Gilmer 4: A 4-all tie in the bottom of the fifth was smashed with a big fifth inning by the Tigers.
Gilmer went on to lose its season opener, which was actually originally scheduled to be a home game.
Against Mount Vernon, Brayden Pate and Dillon Griffin each had a triple and a single and an RBI. Klein Lindsey had two singles and an RBI.
The Buckeyes (0-1) will play in the Rains Tournament in Emory Friday and Saturday.
Gilmer is scheduled to play just one game on Friday, at 1:15 p.m. against host-team Rains. (Game one is Sabine-Malakoff at 11:30 a.m.).
The Buckeyes will play twice Saturday: a 4 p.m. start against Malakoff, and a 7:30 p.m. start against Sabine. Of course, tournament play often makes games run a little earlier or a little later than originally scheduled.
Following the tournament this weekend, Gilmer is scheduled to head to Paris on Tuesday for a 6 p.m. start.
3A
Tatum 11, Beckville 1: Remember those Tatum Eagles that had that long playoff run last year; the ones that bring a lot of talent back; the ones coached by Dustin Russell that bring the fireworks?
They’re back.
Aidan Courtney and Brody Downs each went 3-for-3, and Courtney had 3 RBI. Logen Tovar and Dustin Henigan each had two hits. Jaxen Prince had 2 RBI for the Eagles (1-0), and Colt Bullard had an RBI in his first game as a Tatum player.
On the mound, Aldo Espinosa threw a complete-game win: five strikeouts, three walks, and just one earned run.
The Eagles are braving the cold temperatures tomorrow with district rival West Rusk, as Tatum will host their own tournament Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Center and West Rusk open things on Thursday at noon. Center meets Harmony at 2:30, and then Tatum faces Harmony Thursday afternoon at 5.
On Friday, Tatum opens the day facing Center at noon. Daingerfield plays Center at 2:30, and Tatum meets Daingerfield at 5.
And Saturday, West Rusk plays Daingerfield at noon, and then the Raiders face Harmony at 2:30.
Next week, beginning Thursday, Russell and the Eagles will play in a tournament hosted by Nacogdoches.
White Oak 11, Harmony 1: The Roughnecks, led by coach Charles Foshee, got a season-opening win at home and a good day from Nico Soto.
Soto had a double and 2 RBI for the ‘Necks, who run-ruled the Eagles (0-1).
Jaxsen Ludlow and Kelton Cates each had two singles, and Ludlow had an RBI. Levi Sipes had a single and 3 RBI, and Tyson McKinney, Jordy Robertson and Will Thomas each had an RBI.
On the mound, a good performance from Collin Wheat, who only allowed one run that was earned on just one hit in six innings. Wheat walked four, but struck out eight.
The Roughnecks (1-0) will play in the Elysian Fields-hosted Kip Lewis Tournament this weekend. The tournament already has changed; EFHS Athletic Director Justin Crowe told ETBlitz.com Wednesday that due to the cold temps, they’re calling off the first day of the tournament on Thursday and only playing Friday and Saturday.
The Roughnecks will play Friday night at 6 p.m. against Harleton, and Saturday at 3:45 p.m. against Atlanta.
Next week, White Oak is open the early portion of the week, then competes in a tournament in Grand Saline Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Troup 18, Elysian Fields 13: Speaking of Elysian Fields, the Yellow Jackets hosted a Troup team full of good athletes on Monday for the season opener for both schools, and it was the visitors – the Tigers, coached by Drew Walley – that left with a win.
Troup scored three runs in the first inning and would go up 4-0 before the ‘Jackets plated seven in the bottom of the second. But nine runs combined in the fourth and fifth innings, and a four-run seventh, got Troup (1-0) out with the victory.
Troup and Elysian Fields each committed five errors, and Troup edged EF in hits: the Tigers had 11, the Yellow Jackets, 10.
The Tigers (1-0) will play in the Howard Estes Tournament hosted by Jacksonville High School, Palestine High and Elkhart this weekend.
As of now, times have not been changed.
Troup plays twice on Thursday: a 10 a.m. start against Huntington at Jacksonville, and at 4 p.m., the Tigers will face Carlisle at Elkhart High School.
On Friday, Troup faces Mexia at 10 a.m. at Elkhart, and then at 1 p.m., also at Elkhart, Troup will face Iola.
After the tournament, next Tuesday, Troup visits Brownsboro, a 7 o’clock start Tuesday night.
West Rusk 4, Frankston 2: Another coach in his first year at a new school is Ronnie Hendrix, in his first season leading the West Rusk Raiders.
Hendrix – new to the Raiders but not new to East Texas baseball fans – got a win in his first go-round, as well, going on the road for a two-run win at Frankston.
Kullin Tavarez and Troy Hunley led the Raiders (1-0) at the plate: Hunley had a double and two singles, and Tavarez had a double and 2 RBI.
Tavarez also pitched four innings of fantastic baseball: 10 strikeouts, just one earned run and walked just one in the win. Cole Jackson pitched two innings and struck out three, and Jase Reasoner threw an inning and allowed a walk and a run.
The Raiders will play in Tatum’s tournament this week. West Rusk will play just once on Thursday, a noon start against Center. Center and Harmony play at 2:30, and Tatum and Harmony, as mentioned, play at 5 p.m.
The Raiders don’t play at all on Friday (see Friday’s schedule above in the Tatum section), and West Rusk plays twice on Saturday: at noon against Daingerfield and at 2:30 p.m. against Harmony.
After the tournament, the Raiders are set to host Harleton on Tuesday, a 4:30 p.m. junior varsity start, and varsity right after, probably around 7 p.m.
Gladewater 34, Winona 1: You read that correctly.
The Bears got nine runs in the top of the first inning on Monday, gave up a run to home-team Winona in the bottom of the inning, and then outscored Winona 25-0 the next two innings.
And yes, we did say “innings” and not “quarters” – they weren’t playing basketball.
Coach Zac Spears’ Bears (1-0 with a bullet) finished with 12 hits and just one error in three innings; Winona had no hits, and was charged with nine errors.
The Bears didn’t have a home run, but Luke Brown and Mason Budro each had three hits – Brown went 3-for-3 with 5 RBI, and Budro, 3-for-3 with 4 RBI. Brown had two doubles. Aubry Floyd went 2-for-4 with a double, had 5 RBI and scored six (6!) runs.
Madaxx Vasquez went 1-for-3 with a double, and had 3 RBI. Alex Villalpando also had a double, and an RBI. Preston Bohanon had a hit and an RBI; Landon King scored four times and had 2 RBI; Rylan Hilton scored a run; Jeremiah Flanagan scored twice and had an RBI; and Sean Burke had a hit, an RBI and scored four runs.
Gladewater successfully stole eight bases in the game: Brown had three of them. Budro had two, and Floyd, Vasquez, and King each had one.
Budro got the win on the mound: no hits allowed in the run-ruled shortened game; one unearned run; two walks; and five strikeouts.
The Bears are hosting a tournament that begins tomorrow and includes another ETBlitz-area program, Overton (see below for more on the Mustangs).
Due to the cold temperatures, the times have been altered. Here’s the new schedule:
Gladewater will face Union Grove in the first game of the tournament on Thursday at 11 a.m. The Bears will face Overton at 1 p.m. Christian Heritage will meet Hawkins at 3 p.m., and Chapel Hill faces Hawkins at 5 p.m.
On Friday, Union Grove faces Chapel Hill at 11, then UG places Heritage at 1. Hawkins and Overton meet at 3 p.m., and Gladewater faces Chapel Hill at 5.
And Saturday, Overton plays Heritage at 11, the first game of the day, then Hawkins at 1. Chapel Hill faces Heritage at 3, then the tournament finishes with Gladewater facing Union Grove again at 5 p.m.
After the tournament, the Bears will play in a tournament in Frankston next Thursday through Saturday.
Hooks 12, Sabine 2: Coach Michael Mayfield and the Sabine Cardinals opened the 2025 season at home on Monday, and Hooks were rude guests: they left with a win.
Sabine led early, a 1-0 lead after the first inning, but then the Hornets scored two runs in the second and six in the top of the third to blow the game open.
Hooks finished with 12 hits and one error; Sabine had five, and four errors.
The Cardinals finished with five hits, and Cole Loveless and Kale Laing each had two of ‘em. Loveless went 2-of-4 with an RBI, and Laing 2-of-3 with an RBI.
Eli Thurston had the Cards’ other hit. All of the hits were singles.
Landry Laird had a stolen base for Sabine.
Loveless threw three innings and allowed eight runs, six of them earned, on eight hits, with three strikeouts, and he walked one. Lincoln Royce threw three innings, as well, with four runs allowed (one earned) on four hits, no walks and four strikeouts.
Up next for Sabine: an appearance in the Rains Tournament at Emory. Sabine opens the tournament Friday with an 11:30 a.m. start against Malakoff, and that’s the Cardinals’ only game of the day.
On Saturday, they play twice: against home-team Rains at 5:45, then against Gilmer right after, around 7:30 p.m.
Rusk 10, Arp 0: Arp’s Tigers opened the season with a home loss to Rusk, who scored six runs in the top of the first inning and set the tone for the game.
The Eagles were able to hold the Tigers (0-1) to just one hit. And Arp committed four errors, as well.
Arp will play in Central High’s Jack Lee Classic Tournament in Pollock, at 7622 U.S. 69, on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and opens the event on Thursday at 11 a.m. (brrrrr) against Garrison. That game had been scheduled for 9, but tournament organizers have moved things up.
On Friday, Arp will face Kirbyville at 11 a.m. and Shepherd at 12:45, and then on Saturday, the Tigers will meet Centerville at 10 a.m.
2A
Overton 12, LaPoynor 9: How’s this for a couple of potential Whataburger / ETBlitz.com Player of the Week candidates?
Mason Rowe had a triple, a single and an RBI, and Braxton Harper had not one but two doubles and 5 RBI in this win over LaPoynor on the road. Well, it was on a baseball diamond, but it was a road game.
Overton scored seven runs in the sixth inning to blow past LPHS for the win.
The Mustangs are set to play in the Gladewater Tournament on Thursday, and will face host-team Gladewater at 1 p.m., as mentioned earlier in the Bears’ report.
Overton plays Hawkins at 3 p.m. Friday.
As far as Saturday’s schedule in the tournament, it appears it’s the same for now: Overton vs. Christian Heritage at 9 a.m., and Overton vs. Hawkins at 11 a.m.
Timpson 10, Leverett’s Chapel 1: Another first-year head coach! This one is A.J. Hendrix for Leverett’s Chapel’s Lions, the son of West Rusk coach Ronnie Hendrix.
This was actually a scrimmage for LC, as Hendrix told ETBlitz.com Tuesday (following Monday’s road game at Timpson) that the Lions’ season opener is actually Friday at New Summerfield, a 4 p.m. start.
“We did OK,” Hendrix assessed. “Pitching needs to be more consistent. Hitting-wise, we competed in the box, and had multiple quality at-bats, laid some good bunts down.”
Timpson’s Bears scored early, getting three runs in the first and in the second inning.
Dewaylon Brown had an RBI for LC.
After this week, LC’s next game is at Avinger on Tuesday at 5 p.m.
