ETBLITZ BASEBALL PREVIEW | All 12 programs, schedules, numbers… all you need to know inside

High school baseball season officially starts Monday in East Texas.

Now, the weather may or may not cooperate this week.

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But your favorite teams absolutely have the green light from the University Interscholastic League to hit the diamond on Monday, and many of the teams in the ETBlitz.com coverage area are doing just that.

Let’s go around the horn and see where everyone is, and take a quick glance at the 12 teams in the ETB area, where they’ll start the season, who’s returning, and what’s happening at each program.

DISTRICT 16-4A

Kilgore

The Diamond ‘Dogs once again have a new head coach, Zach Hubbard, after the departure of Eugene Lafitte. Hubbard takes over what has been a very successful Kilgore program throughout its history – after all, who wouldn’t want tradition-rich Driller Park as their home park?

Hubbard comes to KHS from Shelbyville, where he was very successful in six seasons, his only head coaching job. He passed the 100-win mark last year, when the Dragons went 25-8, including a 13-1 mark in district, and went all the way to the fourth round of the playoffs.

Shelbyville had a team earned run average (ERA) of 3.07 in 33 games, rolled up 246 strikeouts, and a team batting average of .319 on the season.

Hubbard, who has 105 career wins, has a lot of talent with which to work here in Kilgore, so much that it’s difficult to remember them all: Kolton Hale, Joe Hendrickson, Tanner Beets, Cade Cox, Cason Edney, Brodey Benson, Jackson Tucker Phillips, Kason Henry, and Kayson Brooks – just to name a few. The ‘Dogs did lose Tate Truman and Todd House to graduation, and big-bat, big-arm Colt Bullard, who transferred to another ETBlitz-area program, Tatum (more below).

Kilgore finished 16-13 in 2024, losing to Bullard in the first round of the 4A playoffs. If the Diamond ‘Dogs reach the postseason this year, it’ll be in the larger 4A-Division I playoffs now that the UIL has divided its playoffs into two, like football, based on enrollment – Kilgore and Pine Tree have the two largest enrollments in District 16-4A.

Speaking of that, 16-4A in addition to KHS is Pine Tree, Chapel Hill, Spring Hill, Cumberland Academy, Carthage, and two other ETBlitz-area programs, Henderson and Gilmer.

Kilgore is set to open the 2024 season at Hallsville on Monday, a 6 p.m. varsity start, and then they’ll compete in the Whitehouse / Tyler Legacy Tournament on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Of note: Kilgore plays in Whitehouse at noon on Thursday against Crandall.

On Friday, the Diamond ‘Dogs play twice, both in Whitehouse: at 3 p.m. against Pleasant Grove and at 6 p.m. against home-team Whitehouse.

Saturday’s game time is to be determined.

The annual Whataburger Oil Belt Classic, which is three fantastic days and nights of baseball, is slated for Driller on Feb. 27, Feb. 28 and March 1, and then district play begins March 4 at home against Carthage.

By the way, this is a Kilgore program that came within a playoff series of making the state tournament in 2018, and did make the tournament in 2019. Kilgore baseball fans are used to success – a loud Driller Park can be deadly to opposing teams’ playoff hopes in springtime.

Edney’s bat is the most experienced of the returnees from the 2024 season: he had 58 at-bats a year ago (Truman, Bullard and House all had more). Edney did well, batting .354, a .414 on-base percentage, .455 slugging percentage. He had 35 hits, 26 of them singles, eight doubles and a triple. He had 16 RBI, scored 27 runs, walked seven times, struck out just seven, only twice did he strike out looking, and reached on an error eight times.

Two notable names for the Bulldogs’ pitching staff are Hale and Benson.

In 12 games last year, Hale pitched 42 2/3 innings, faced 192 batters, and threw 772 pitches. He went 5-3, with a 2.78 ERA. He allowed 23 hits, 31 runs – 17 earned – walked 33, struck out 47 (21 looking), and allowed 14 stolen bases.

Benson, in 25 2/3 innings pitched, faced 127 batters. He threw 514 pitches, and went 2-3. He allowed 29 hits, 19 runs but only 13 earned, and had a 3.54 ERA. He walked 21, struck out 27 (nine looking) and hit five batters. He gave up 11 stolen bases.

Henderson

The Lions will also have a new head coach, Brock Lemire, who comes to HISD from Pine Tree. Lemire has a 132-101 career record.

The Nederland High School alumnus takes over a Henderson program that probably overachieved a bit a season ago, finishing fourth in a very-tough district (6-9 in district play) and with a 13-16-2 overall record, bowing out of the 4A playoffs in the first round with two losses to Lufkin Hudson.

Lemire is a former Tyler Junior College and Lubbock Christian University and University of Texas at Tyler standout, a former third baseman by trade, and his coaching stops have included Brook Hill School, Grapeland and Pine Tree.

And oh, by the way: he was the NJCAA’s National Player of the Year in 2007 while at TJC, batting .472 with 10 home runs, 23 doubles and 64 RBIs.

He was head coach of the Pirates two seasons, going 12-13 a year ago, 2-8 in a difficult district that included Longview, Texas High, Marshall, Tyler, and Hallsville, and 6-15 the previous year, back in 2023.

Obviously, as mentioned, the Lions also play in 16-4A, with Kilgore, Gilmer, Cumberland Academy, Spring Hill, Carthage, Chapel Hill and Pine Tree, so Lemire will get to face his former PT Pirates.

He’ll do so with a good roster that includes seniors Caden Foster, David Jimerson, Kayne Brantley, Brian Biggs and more.

The Lions are set to open the season Monday at 7 p.m. at Brownsboro, and then ironically, they’ll play in a tournament at Lufkin Hudson, where last season ended, on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Gilmer

Coach Ronnie McNeel is back for his second season as head coach of the Buckeyes – last year, they finished sixth in 16-4A, pretty much the “District of Doom” for baseball in 4A in Texas.

Gilmer had three wins overall in the 2024 season, so the Buckeyes are looking to make a big move this year. They open the season at home on Monday night at 7 p.m. with Mount Vernon, and then compete on Thursday, Friday and Saturday in a tournament in Rains.

The Buckeyes open the 16-4A schedule at home on March 11 against Chapel Hill.

Among the players coach McNeel will have back are Brayden Pate – Pate is a senior this year, a pitcher and an infielder and in spite of Gilmer’s win total, was first-team all-district in 2024. Catcher Dilon Griffin, a junior who was second-team all-district, is also back, and two more pitchers – senior Klein Lindsey and junior Aiden Davis – are also back.

DISTRICT 16-3A

Tatum

No one likely is more excited that baseball is here than Tatum High School head coach Dustin Russell.

That’s because the Eagles still had a half-tank of gas when the 2024 season ended.

Tatum went four rounds deep in the UIL Class 3A playoffs a year ago, beating White Oak in a best-of-three game series; taking down Winnsboro in another best-of-three; getting by a gritty West Rusk team in a third best-of-three; and then finally succumbing to Gunter in a one-game winner-take-all.

And there were personnel losses to graduation, big ones; none bigger than Carson Gonzalez, a big stick at the plate and a big gun on the mound.

Russell, who is 94-63 with the Eagles – does have so much talent back – more on that in a second – and a move-in we mentioned earlier: Colt Bullard, a good-sized kid who’s been a lifer at Kilgore High School, an infielder, mostly at first base, who also spent some time on the mound.

Last year for the Diamond ‘Dogs, Bullard in 30 games and 103 plate appearances, 87 at-bats, batted .368. He had an on-base percentage of .427, a slugging percentage of .621, 32 hits, 20 singles, seven doubles and five home runs. He had 31 RBI, scored 18 runs, walked six times, struck out 16, three of them looking, was hit by a pitch six times, had four sac flies, reached on an error three times, and reached on fielders choice twice.

On the mound, in 20 1/3 innings, facing 102 batters, Bullard went 1-2. He allowed 28 hits, 17 runs, but only seven of them earned; walked 10; struck out 12 (six looking); and had an ERA of 2.41.

So Tatum is getting a heck of a player to add to an already impressive list: senior outfielder / pitcher Cayden Tatum; senior utility Dustin Henigan; senior first baseman Brody Downs; senior catcher / designated hitter Jaxen Prince; junior shortstop Cooper Whiteus; junior catcher and outfielder Grant Adcock; and junior second baseman Kody Hines.

Good grief, the Eagles are loaded.

Adcock was named district newcomer of the year as part of the all-district team after that playoff run. He hit .342, had an on-base percentage of .468, and a fielding percentage of .976.

Henigan, Prince, Tatum, and Whiteus were all first-team all-district selections; Hines and Downs were second-team all-district.

Whiteus batted .395, had 16 RBI, and had an on-base percentage of .472. Tatum, aptly-named, had 13 RBI, a fielding percentage of .921 and batted .352.

Henigan hit .358, had 20 RBI, and an on-base percentage of .358. Prince had 22 hits on the season and an OBP of .429.

Downs’ OBP was .426 and his fielding percentage was .952, and Hines scored 24 runs, hit .328 and had the highest OBP of any of those seven (.525).

The Eagles are certainly aiming to win a fourth straight district championship again in 2025, and they open the district schedule at Sabine March 4. But they open the season on Monday at Beckville, a 6 p.m. first pitch.

They host their own tournament this coming Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

West Rusk

The Raiders have a new head coach – but the name is the only thing “new” about Ronnie Hendrix.

Most East Texas baseball fans know Hendrix, or know of Hendrix, the longtime Kilgore assistant and former Carlisle head coach who has likely more baseball knowledge and experience than any other under-50 coach in the state.

Hendrix was an assistant at Henderson last season, and was likely a huge reason the Lions bounced back and made the 4A playoffs.

He comes to New London after a call from old coaching friend Rafe Mata, the athletic director at West Rusk, to replace Tyler Wilbanks. Wilbanks did a nice job last season in guiding the Raiders to an 18-13 overall record, and into the third round of the playoffs, losing in that round – no shame in it – to Tatum.

Hendrix has some foundational players in Kullin Tavarez, Cole Jackson and Jase Reasoner, all seniors. Jackson and Tavarez actually just took part in National Signing Day – Jackson signed with Concordia University in Seward, Nebraska, and Tavarez with Middle Georgia State University in Macon, Georgia, both young men staying in baseball.

Tavarez is a right-handed pitcher and outfielder who had 56 strikeouts a year ago and a 4.33 ERA; Jackson is a shortstop and pitcher who batted .330, hit 10 doubles and a home run last year.

Reasoner, an outfielder, batted .325 and had two doubles and a triple in 2024.

The Raiders will open the season on the road at Frankston on Monday – junior varsity will start things at 5 p.m., and varsity afterward, around 7.

Troup

Coach Drew Walley and his Troup Tigers were second in 16-3A a year ago and would love to be able to chase down Tatum and win a district championship this year.

Like every sport, it seems, on the Troup campus, they’ve got the talent to do the chasing.

The Tigers went 21-7 overall and 9-3 a year ago, but losing to Tatum both times. They’re hoping to close that gap this year.

Bryce Wallum, who can play anything involving a ball, it seems, will be in the line-up and had a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage a year ago. He was second-team all-district outfield for the Tigers, with 15 hits and a .288 batting average.

Carson Davenport, a senior infielder and pitcher for Walley, batted .414, had five home runs, had 29 RBI (sharing the team lead with Caden Graves) and was first-team all-district at first base.

Caden Graves is a senior utility player – Graves’ batting average is .375, and he had 29 RBI and 23 stolen bases to help him earn first-team all-district status at third base.

How ‘bout Kash Hardy? He’s a senior, and was second-team all-district in the outfield. Hardy batted .266, and had 17 hits last season.

Neither Hayden Huml nor Joshua Childress were all-district choices, but maybe should’ve been – tells you how tough the district was. Hudl had 27 hits and 21 RBI, and batted .346. Childress batted .327, had 22 RBI, and had 22 hits.

Troup will open the season Monday at Elysian Fields, although no time is listed on the schedule. We’ll update ASAP.

Arp

Arp coach Chris Moore has, in his 10^th season, more talent returning than the Tigers have brought back in many years.

The Tigers finished 12-13 overall in 2024, but 3-9 in district and missed the playoffs. They’ll try to reverse that trend in 2025.

Coming back to help them this spring : senior first baseman AB Martin, also a pitcher and designated hitter who was second-team all-district at first base a year ago; Caden Cliborn, another senior who was second-team all-district as a designated hitter last year; Matthew Lowe, a senior at third base who was second-team all-district; a pair of juniors, Zane Borque and Wyatt Johnson, who both were standouts on the mound and in the outfield; Will Sanford, a junior who earned second-team all-district honors as an outfielder in ’24; Mason Wallace, the Tigers’ second-team all-district selection at shortstop last year and also a capable second baseman and pitcher; and two sophomores, Hudson Orpineda, an outfielder and pitcher, and Brendon Dark, a catcher and pitcher.

Arp opens the 2025 season at home against Rusk on Monday, a 4:30 p.m. first-pitch of junior varsity, with varsity to follow, and then the varsity Tigers will play in the Central Tournament on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

White Oak

The Roughnecks also finished with 12 wins in 2024, but with a 5-5 record in district play, coach Charles Foshee, in his second stint as head coach of the ‘Necks – he’s also a former Kilgore High School head coach.

White Oak will open ’25 at home against Harmony on Monday, a 7 p.m. first pitch, and then like most of the other programs in the ETBlitz coverage area, they’re playing tournament play late next week. They’ll compete in the Elysian Fields Tournament on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Foshee will have several upperclassmen in his lineup to count on.

Collin Wheat, a senior, was named first-team all-district catcher a year ago, and batted .259. He went 3-3 as a pitcher, as well.

Another senior, Kelton Cates, was named first-team all-district as a pitcher. Cates had a 2.74 ERA, and went 2-4. At the plate, he batted .242.

Brady Greenwood was voted district newcomer, and he’s back for his senior season in the outfield for the ‘Necks. He batted .364 last year.

And four juniors should make a difference for White Oak.

Third baseman and catcher Jordy Robertson batted .274 a year ago and was voted second-team all-district utility player.

Teammate Jaxsen Ludlow, an infielder and a pitcher, batted .279 and was second-team all-district as a pitcher. Ludlow had a 1-2 record on the mound and a 1.14 ERA.

Braden Callens, a junior who saw time at both first baseman and catcher, batted .312 and was voted second-team all-district as a DH.

And Levi Sipes, an outfielder, was honorable-mention all-district and had a 1.000 fielding percentage.

Sabine

Coach Michael Mayfield and the Cardinals would love to recapture the magic of the 2020 season this year.

That was one of, if not the, best seasons in Sabine baseball history: 22 wins and just nine losses.

The Cardinals are coming off a season to forget in 2024: just three wins, and only one in district play, a 1-9 district slate in ’24.

But that’s over now. Everybody is 0-0 headed into this week, and on top of that, Sabine gets a boost that no other program gets: Colt Sparks, one of the school’s best athletes, was injured in football season and had surgery on his wrist, has rehabbed and is returning. Sparks will be out there on the baseball diamond and hopes to make a difference.

Sparks, a senior and a Texas State University signee in football, was second-team all-district at first base a year ago, and will also likely pitch for the Cardinals – in football, the 6-foot-5 Sparks is the quarterback.

Joining Sparks out there for coach Mayfield will be Hudson McNatt, also a senior. McNatt, an outfielder, was second-team all-district in ’24.

Dalton Taylor, yet another senior, returns, as well. Taylor was honorable-mention all-district in the infield for SHS in 2024, as was infielder Cole Loveless, a junior who’s back in the lineup.

Lincoln Royce, another pitcher who is also listed by Mayfield as an infielder and outfielder – he can play wherever Mayfield and the coaching staff ask him to play – was honorable-mention all-district last season and returns.

The Cardinals open the season at home Monday night at 5 p.m. against Hooks, and like Gilmer’s Buckeyes, Sabine will compete in the Rains Tournament in Emory on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Gladewater

The Bears’ coach, Zac Spears, has been leading the team three years. His most recent campaign in 2024 had the Bears 14-12 and in the playoffs with a 6-4 record in 16-3A, but unfortunately out of the playoffs after the first round, a loss to Elysian Fields.

A strong junior class stands out for Gladewater. Luke Brown had a big 2024: seven wins on the mound, 75 strikeouts, and a 1.44 ERA, most valuable player as a pitcher.

Madaxx Vasquez, an infielder who should see time at second, short and third, was first-team all-district at third last year. He had 17 hits and 6 RBI last year.

Aubry Floyd and Sean Burke are both back. Burke, a first baseman and pitcher, had 16 hits and 10 RBI in ’24 and was second-team all-district at first last year, and Floyd had 17 hits, 9 RBI and was second-team all-district at second.

And Mason Budro, who saw time at catcher, pitching and as a DH in 2024, had 13 hits and 9 RBI, is back for his junior season; Budro was honorable-mention all-district last season.

The Bears will visit Winona on Monday to open the 2025 season, a 4:30 p.m. start for JV, with varsity to follow. And Gladewater is hosting its own tournament Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

DISTRICT 19-2A

Overton

This is a large district, and the Overton High School Mustangs are joined by Leverett’s Chapel (see more on the Lions below), Union Hill, Elysian Fields, Beckville, Harleton, Ore City, Carlisle, and Union Grove.

Overton seems to be able to do very little wrong these days – that’s what happens when you’re running through a string of great athletes, like Bryce Still, Rylan Holleman, Kash Holleman, Jayden Edwards, and the like.

Chris Cook has been the Mustangs’ coach two seasons, and they’re coming off a 15-12 season, a 12-7 record in district and a first-round playoff exit. They’ve got their sights set higher in 2025, in all likelihood, with a large cast of upperclassmen back.

Cook is not exactly gambling with this line-up; it’s a good one.

Rylan Holleman returns for his junior season, a catcher, pitcher, infielder that batted .456 last year and on the mound, a 2.69 ERA.

Also back for their junior seasons: Brody Brown and Landon Hill. Brown is listed as a catcher, pitcher and infielder, as well, and batted .308 in 2024 and had a 3.83 ERA last year. Hill is designated as a first baseman, pitcher and outfielder, and had the same ERA as Brown, and a .231 batting average.

Justin Weir, just a sophomore, batted .360 last year as a freshman; Weir plays in the outfield for the Mustangs.

Seniors for Overton this season include Still, Joey Zalman, Bryson Bobbitt, Mason Rowe and Braxton Harper.

Harper, listed as a first baseman and pitcher, batted .306 in ’24. Still, a middle infielder, catcher and pitcher, batted .255 and had a 2.47 ERA last season. Bobbitt is also listed as a middle infielder and as an outfielder, and batted .237. Zalman, an outfielder, hit .218, and Rowe, a pitcher and middle infielder, batted .343.

Overton, currently about to begin a basketball playoff run, is set to open the season at LaPoynor on Monday, a 5 p.m. varsity first pitch.

Leverett’s Chapel

The Lions’ new head coach is a young man very, VERY familiar to West Rusk head coach Ronnie Hendrix.

It’s his son, A.J. (WHATABURGER / ETBLITZ PERSONALITY PROFILE | Ronnie Hendrix and A.J. Hendrix, new baseball coaches at West Rusk, Leverett’s Chapel)

The former Tatum standout is getting his first taste of being his own man, his first taste of being a head coach, as he takes the reins of the Lions’ baseball program.

But he’s not accepting a job with a bare cupboard. LC only went 4-17 last year, but all four wins were in district. They made the playoffs, even though they were eliminated in the first round by Neches.

Two years ago, LC won its district and went three rounds deep, finally losing to Kennard.

It’s baby steps, but Hendrix – the younger – would likely love to duplicate that feat.

Returning for 2024 for the Lions: senior catcher Corey Grant; senior catcher / pitcher / first baseman Carson Ford, who struck out 58 on the mound, had four stolen bases and batted .375 last year; senior outfielder Ethan Kirk, who batted .255 and was second-team all-district in 2024; senior shortstop and pitcher Ethan Williams; senior outfielder and designated hitter Keaton Geter, who batted .261 a year ago; and senior first baseman / third baseman and pitcher Davis Tyson, who batted .457 with 16 hits in 2024.

The Lions actually have a scrimmage on Monday at Timpson, a 6 p.m. start there, and open the season at Avinger on Feb. 25 at 5 p.m. They’re scheduled to be in the Gary Tournament Feb. 27-March 1.

LC’s first home game is March 11, against Miller Grove.