This edition of TSM covers the red hot Houston Astros and all the local High School Baseball Playoffs. THE MLB Draft, Big 12 Football Power Rankings, Horns Youth Baseball and a preview of the High School All Star game at the Dell Diamond. We will return this September for our 2019 High School Football edition. Have a great Summer!
Available now at All HEBs & Randall’s.
The Texas Sports Monthly radio show The Friday Night Countdown will not only be moving to 104.9 The Horn FM this fall , but will also be launching its sister program the day before in The Thursday Night Countdown as well.
After 17 weeks on AM1300 The Zone in the 2018 season, FNC will move to The Horn studios beginning this August 30th as the official Pre-Game show launch for the 2019 Football season. The Thursdays show to air the day before on Thursday August 29th. With all the High School football, College, and NFL in recent decades, Thursdays have been kicking off our football weekends the last few years. Adding this additional night to local programming strengthens the coverage of what is rapidly becoming an even more recognizable brand; Central Texas High School Football.
With coaches interviews, player profiles, game highlights and analysis Texas Sports Monthly’s radio brands add great value to the Student Athlete coverage that Horn FM already offers. The official Flagship for the Longhorns also carries Lake Travis Broadcast, Vandegrift, & Bowie games.
Wednesdays the last two years has featured our friend Rick Epstein of iHSFAN short for – I am a High School Fan -show “Under The Lights”. Epstein will return for his 3rd year of UTL at 8pm on the Horn, but is also adding 7 more schools to his coverage through the HORN FM APP. These schools games can also be heard through the app or website beginning this fall: Austin High, Hays, Cedar Ridge, Leander Glenn, Westwood, Anderson, & Round Rock!
With all this local programming sports fans of Austin will get a heavy dose of all things Football with the new lineup on 104.9 The Horn. Texas Sports Monthly is currently offering sponsorships of its radio programs and magazine for the upcoming 2019 football season. If you or your business is interested in working with us please contact our staff for more information on packages available.
When your a young kid you Dream of playing for the Majors and envision
yourself hitting that Grand Slammer to win the game in front of the home crowd. It’s often a tall order for many players as few get to really live their dreams out and play professionally. But for one Lake Travis student, hard work, lots of practice, great parenting and coaching has landed Lake Travis senior Brett Baty just such an opportunity.
This past week Baty was one of 4 High School kids to be drafted in the 1st round of the MLB Draft in June 3, 2019, in Secaucus, N.J. Baty who has been hitting a staggering .624 this season just graduated from High School last week and is also playing for the 6A State Championship game in Austin for a chance at a Title.
The Texas Longhorn commit may skip his collegiate career altogether as the temptation to the simply play in the major leagues professionally is every college athletes dream anyway.
The 6’3 19 year old 3B/1B/P has a well balanced game and should do well to acclimate to the pros. We wish him the best in search for his own Field of Dreams.
With most of their fans expecting a pitching prospect to be selected with the 12th overall pick of Monday night’s MLB Draft, the New York Mets surprised many by instead nabbing Lake Travis third baseman Brett Baty.
Perhaps new Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen thought it was about time his franchise found a suitable replacement for David Wright, who made his last All-Star Game appearance in 2013.
“I’m just so happy right now I can’t even explain it,” Baty said in a televised interview on MLB Network. “I’m grateful to have my family and friends here to celebrate it with me. They’ve had so much support for me over the years.”
Baty was called the “best high school bat” in the entire draft by MLB Network analyst Jonathan Mayo. The 6-foot-3 senior definitely possesses a ton of power, as he’s mashed 19 home runs during the 2019 season while also batting over .600 and knocking in 50 runs with a slugging percentage of 1.333. As a junior, Baty belted 12 homers for the Cavaliers.
Impressed by Baty’s offensive prowess, the Mets added to a growing list of prized minor league infielders that they hope will one day transform their lineup in the same way that the trio of Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa and Alex Bregman have infused new life into Houston’s order.
Baty and his family flew to New Jersey for the draft and will head back to Texas soon so that he can pitch the opening game of the Class 6A state tournament Friday against Southlake Carroll at the Dell Diamond in Round Rock. Baty’s presence on the mound has helped ease the loss of injured teammate Jimmy Lewis, who was taken 78th overall by the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday night.
Baty comes into the state semifinals with an ERA of 0.84 and 79 strikeouts.
The Mets’ gain appears to be the Texas Longhorns’ loss, as Baty’s expected signing bonus is in the ballpark of $4.37 million. It would be more than a bit surprising to see the 19-year-old turn down that type of money, but then again, it wouldn’t be an unprecedented move.
The Mets’ decision to take Baty represents the first time the franchise has chosen a third baseman in the first round of the draft since Wright in 2001. Coincidentally, Baty’s T-ball team as a youth was also the Mets.
Maybe it was fate all along.
Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry, left, lays up a shot past Portland Trail Blazers’ Maurice Harkless during the first half of Game 1 of the NBA basketball playoffs Western Conference finals Tuesday, May 14, 2019, in Oakland, Calif.
Can anyone beat the Warriors? Can anyone stop this team? If my beloved Rockets couldn’t de-thrown them without KD at home in a “must win” game then I don’t know who can.
Portland may have narrowly defeated the Nuggets in 7 in the 2nd round of the NBA playoffs, but this is the Western Conference finals and now they are playing the reigning champions. Something only LeBron James could do with a healthy young Kyrie Irving in 7 games against a Warriors team with no Kevin Durant.
Stephen Curry hit nine three-pointers for 36 points as the No. 1 seed Golden State Warriors defeated the No. 3 Portland Trail Blazers 116-94 in Game 1 of the NBA Western Conference Finals on Tuesday.
Damian Lillard scored 19 points for the visitors, who are down 1-0 in the best-of-seven series. CJ McCollum, Moe Harkless and Rodney Hood each scored 17. This series will likely go 5 games with the Warriors winning 4-1.
CEDAR PARK, Texas – The Texas Stars, American Hockey League affiliate of the NHL’s Dallas Stars, announced Tuesday that the club has signed right wing Brad McClure for the upcoming 2019-2020. McClure began the 2018-19 season with the team’s ECHL affiliate, the Idaho Steelheads, before logging 30 games with Texas.
McClure, 25, earned his first career promotion to the AHL on Jan. 7, 2019 and made his AHL debut five days later against the Iowa Wild. Following his AHL debut, McClure skated in 30 of the 29 of the Stars final 27 games and collected 11 points (9-2=11) in that stretch. Of his nine goals, three were game winning tallies which included his first AHL goal on Feb. 19 against the Iowa Wild in overtime. The 5-foot-11, 191 pound winger recorded his first career hat trick on Mar. 30, netting all three goals in the third period.
Before earning his full time call to the Texas Stars lineup, McClure was one of the leading scorers of the Steelheads. The Stratford, Ontario native produced 39 points (19-20=39) across 42 ECHL games ending the year third on the roster in goals. McClure went on to rejoin the Steelheads in the Kelly Cup Playoffs, helping them advance to the Mountain Division final with five points (3-2=5) in nine games.
McClure Is one year removed from a his collegiate career at Minnesota State University-Mankato. The former Mavericks captain logged 159 career games at his alma mater from 2014 to 2018 and tallied 91 points (45-46=91).
The Texas Stars are the primary development affiliate of the NHL’s Dallas Stars, return for the 2019-2020 season at H-E-B Center at Cedar Park. Ticket packages for the Texas Stars 2019-20 campaign are on sale now. For more information or to renew your seats, call (512) GO-STARS (467-8277) or visit TexasStars.com.
It was mostly smooth sailing for District 25-6A’s Lake Travis and Westlake during a pair of best-of-three area round playoff series this past weekend.
The district champion Cavaliers (31-3), currently ranked fifth in Class 6A by the Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association, swept San Antonio Brandeis by respective scores of 8-2 and 5-1, while the Chaparrals (29-6-1) defeated South San Antonio 11-0 and 8-7.
In Lake Travis’ opener on Friday, the Cavs plated seven runs in the bottom of the fourth to erase a 2-0 deficit. Lake Travis outhit the Broncos 11-5 and saw Kyle Boyer go 2 for 3 with a double and two RBIs, while Jack Lopez and Braden Olsen were each 2 for 4. Leadoff man Brett Baty finished 1 for 2 with a double and two RBIs.
Storm Hierholzer worked a complete game in the opener and held Brandeis to a pair of runs on five hits while striking out five.
The Cavaliers secured the sweep on Saturday after taking advantage of three Bronco errors and riding the 11-strikeout performance of Baty from the mound. The Longhorn signee allowed one run on three hits in the contest.
Jack Jalufka was 1 for 3 with a double and two RBIs, and the duo of Aidan Babinski and Austin Plante also drove in a run.
Lake Travis will now face San Antonio Johnson in the regional quarterfinals.
It was a tale of two very different games for Westlake, which slammed South San 11-1 in five innings in Game 1 before using a walk-off in Game 2 to prevail in 12 innings.
Leo Lowin clinched a series sweep on Friday by smacking a double to left field to drive in teammate Austin Schmidt from second. The extra-base knock capped a huge rally from the Chaps, who plated seven runs in the bottom of the sixth to come all the way back from a 7-0 hole.
The big inning included two-RBI base hits by Ford Elliott and Taylor Anderson in addition to RBI singles from Grey Harrison and Elliot Schwarzbach and a South San error.
Dylan Savino picked up the win in relief after tossing six scoreless innings and holding South San to just one hit while striking out eight.
In Thursday’s opener, shortstop Peyton Sanderson went 3 for 4 with two home runs and five RBIs. Lowin went 2 for 3 with a home run, a double and three runs driven in. Harrison was the winning pitcher in Game 1 after surrendering one unearned run on three hits and striking out five batters.
The Chaps are now slated to face No. 2-ranked San Antonio Reagan in the third round of the 6A postseason.
Houston – The Rockets played tight defense in a huge win over a tough Jazz team Wednesday night as the 100 to 93 victory advances the team into the next round of the NBA Playoffs.
A great moral win as well since the Warriors were out hustled and out hooped at home Wednesday against a gritty LA Clippers team who were facing elimination. The longer those two keep battling to see who takes on the awaiting Rockets the more rest Houston will get. The Clippers host the Warriors on Friday in LA for game 6 .
The Rockets will now advance to the Western Conference Semifinals for the third straight season. “These last few games, we hung our hat on defense and that’s what gonna get us to our goal,” said point guard James Harden.
The Rockets’ came up 1 game short in last years goal is to win an NBA championship when Chris Paul injured his hamstring in game 6 of the 2018 Western Conference finals. With a renewed since of pride and goal of getting back to the Finals the Rockets like their chances.
Although Houston is still waiting on its second-round opponent following Los Angeles’ victory in Wednesday’s Game 5, the Rockets will reportedly fly to the Bay Area on Friday in anticipation of a Sunday matchup with the Warriors reported the Houston Chronicle. Clint Capela says he wants to play Warriors in the next round even though Chris Paul
Capela: “That’s what I want. I want to face them.” Speaking about the Warriors. Paul to Capela: “Aw, man. You’re going to be all over Bleacher Report. It’s cool, though. It is what it is.”
Paul to a reporter: “Look at you. You can’t wait to tweet that.”
Capela: “We’ve been working on it all year long. I think if you want to be the champion, you’ve got to beat the champion. So, at some point, you’ve got to do it, right?” Game 1 will be Sunday unless the Clippers win Friday.
The highly ranked team has proven experience, talent and mindset to make deep run in State Playoffs. (Editor Note. Article originally appeared Feb 19th 2019 Print Version. Updated edition for recent playoff activity)
BY DANIEL JONES
“Our main goal right now is really trying to build our team chemistry,” Georgetown High School’s head baseball coach Adam Foster said in early February, “and really focusing on energy and the process of trying to avoid getting wrapped up in being ranked fourth in the state” (as noted in txhighschoolbaseball.com’s preseason poll).
Nonetheless, he added that the program’s 2018 success garnered this ranking, when the Eagles went 32-11-1 overall (14-0 in District 18-5A) and made it to the fourth round of the playoffs, losing in the regional semi-finals. Nine players from that team graduated, but only six started. And building talented baseball players is a tradition at Georgetown High School: In the last 20 or so years, the program has developed several Division I and professional ballplayers, including Brewers closer Corey Knebel who played at UT.
In 2019, Georgetown has all the ingredients to brew up another fantastic season ‒ a lot of returning starters, experience, a lineup that has seen a lot of quality at-bats against some of the state’s best pitching, and a complete array of arms that comprise what coach Foster said is “probably the best pitching staff, top to bottom, in the state of Texas. No real superstars, but everybody’s got a role, and they’re really good at their role.” He said this year’s team still has to go out and prove their preseason ranking.
Coach Foster expects senior shortstop Cole Posey, who will play next year at Boise State, to be in the middle of the team’s lineup and have a “huge contribution.” A three-year starter at Georgetown, Posey last season hit .234. Senior catcher Wyatt Childress will be at the top of the lineup and should lead the team’s running game ‒ last year he had 30 stolen bases and two triples in 37 games while hitting .261. “He can really run,” coach Foster said. Of all returning players, senior third baseman Jeffrey David, expected to hit in the middle of the order, had the highest batting average at .322; he has committed to play next year at Texas A&M.
Coach Foster said if the Eagles’ offense can match its pitching, “it’s going to be a very special year.” Georgetown has a truly complete pitching staff returning for 2019, equipped with senior right-handed starters Grant Wood and Jack Brinley, both of whom throw in the upper 80s and have solid breaking balls, and also a stacked bullpen of guys capable of coming in at any time to get batters out. Wood, who will pitch next year at Blinn Junior College, went 6-2 last spring with a 2.38 ERA in 10 starts and 13 games pitched. Brinley was 5-1 with a 1.35 ERA in six starts. The bullpen consists of seniors Reese Grimes (18 games pitched, three saves and a 1.46 ERA), Brooks Hancock, lefties Jared Pierce and Noah Thompson (3-0, 3.15 ERA), Ryan Courtney and Jackson Sioson (2-1, 11 games pitched, 2.33 ERA), who is the team’s closer and lead the 2018 team with five saves.
After beginning the season with a series of scrimmages and competitive tournament games, Georgetown starts district play in mid-March. “Every year, at this time, everyone’s expectation is winning the last game of the season,” coach Foster said. “It’s completely obtainable and very possible right now. … This happens to be one of the best teams we’ve ever had. If we can get them to play for each other, I think the sky’s the limit with this bunch.”
NOTE: “I think the Georgetown and Williamson County area has some of the best ball players in all of Central Texas if you look at the teams making the state playoff’s right now ” Coach Foster told Texas Sports Monthly April 23rd 2019. Georgetown will face an old district rival in Rouse Raiders this Thursday at Leander Rouse. The Raiders are well coached by Chad Krempin and currently the 2019 District Champs at 19-8 and (12-0) district play.
The Eagles of Georgetown 28-2 (12-0) district will face the Raiders of Rouse this Thursday at 7pm for the first round of area High School playoffs!
SAN ANTONIO — By now, Derrick White’s status as one of the NBA’s best kept secrets is already in danger.
The rest of the nation is beginning to understand what Spurs fans have realized for much of the 2018-19 season — that the second-year pro from the University of Colorado isn’t just a vital role player for San Antonio. In fact, he may be on the short list for most valuable performers on the entire roster.
However, just four years ago, White’s rise to prominence in the NBA playoffs would’ve seemed too far-fetched for anyone to imagine.
Born in Parker, Colorado — a suburb of Denver — White signed with the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs (UCCS) out of high school as a 6-foot combo guard. Everything changed when he shot up five inches by the time he reached the NCAA Division II school, and he set new program records for most points and assists in a career during his three seasons with UCCS.
White then transferred to the main campus in Boulder and enjoyed a stellar 2016-17 campaign with the Pac 12’s Buffaloes that included first team all-conference honors.
The Spurs, as they’ve done numerous times over the years, identified White’s potential and targeted him with the 29th overall selection of the 2017 NBA Draft. He immediately went to the G League, where he played for the Austin Spurs and quickly earned a reputation as a cool customer and a near-automatic scorer.
White saw some time with San Antonio during his rookie year, but was used sparingly as he made the transition to the NBA game. He was expected to be utilized in a reserve role in his sophomore season, but once again an unforeseen circumstance thrust him into the spotlight from relative obscurity.
This time, White’s big break came in the form of a season-ending injury to another fledging star — Dejounte Murray. When the point guard tore his ACL in the preseason, many Spurs fans wondered aloud who would be able to replace his defensive prowess in addition to running the offense smoothly from the point guard spot.
White was tabbed as the replacement, but his own foot injury sidelined him until early November against the Miami Heat. Once he entered the lineup, San Antonio’s perimeter defense was noticeably better, while its offense ran more efficiently than before.
White suffered an injury to his other foot in February, and some pundits openly wondered if it would derail the Spurs’ playoff hopes. Thankfully, he was back in plenty of time to round into form for San Antonio’s first-round matchup with his hometown Denver Nuggets.
And if Denver fans hadn’t heard of White prior to the series, you can bet they have now.
White scored 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting in San Antonio’s Game 1 win over the Nuggets, but that was nothing compared to his 36-point explosion in Game 3 Thursday at the AT&T Center. That’s right, White set a new career high in a pivotal playoff game, and did so while converting 15 of his 21 total field goals.
“He was obviously spectacular,” Popovich said after Game 3. “I don’t know what else to say.”
His dominance was startling to most, as he did the majority of his damage near the rim and with his mid-range game. White has proven he can shoot the 3 as well, but his versatility is what separates him from other young players at similar stages of development.
Denver has vowed to make it their mission to stop White in Game 4, which is likely the first time the youngster has been a focal point of an NBA opponent’s game plan. It will definitely be interesting to watch White react following his best game as a pro, especially in what amounts to a must-win scenario for the Nuggets.
