Baseball: Pre-Season Top 20 Rankings Render Hawk’s as Stealth

                   Catcher Dalton Stanley is so good he can catch with eyes closed.      rr[Photo Credit: Mark Robinson / MJR

Texas High School Baseball (THSB) has released this year’s Preseason Top 20 with Canyon Lake on the outside looking in.

Signature Homes says, Go Hawks!

The ReSporter has compiled what each team’s record was when play was stopped last year due to the Wuhan Virus and in CL’s case that happened bout 2 weeks before district action was about to start.

Another line on the information below is a compiling of their season records the teams played and then how THSB had ranked last year’s schools.

Having rankings for any high school sport for the State of Texas has to be a daunting task, as you might guess, it is hard to compare teams due to 400-500 miles separating many schools and with West Texas being less populated not having a good idea of how those schools might compete against another school in the Valley or Far East Texas.

THSB would be the closest in having a good rendition of those rankings but sometimes a dart board might have better luck in picking Class 4A Schools and their rankings.

Llano was the only school that finished in last year’s rankings for District 28-4A and after realignment was moved to 3A class for this season which erased the only team representing CL’s district.

Some of the usual powerhouses like Boerne, Fredericksburg, and Wimberley did not make the cut and many other schools might get mentioned based on past performances and teams like Canyon Lake due to not having name recognition.

              Let’s Go Hawks!!

That brings The ReSporter to what could be the best case scenario for the Hawks as their 12-2 record last season did not raise any eyebrows as there is certainly not any name recognition for Canyon Lake in baseball.

Think Boy’s Soccer during these past 4 years, this sport was the last that was able to order T-Shirts for having a playoff year. Those previous seasons gave no indication that CL’s Soccer would be able to make a Regional Tournament in 2016 and then go one step further in 2018 when that crew of athletes were in the Final 4 and just missed a chance to play for a State Championship after losing a nail biter, 2-1 to Midlothian Heritage.

The Lake had a good run that was cut short last year and that left this ‘stealth team’ just that, invisible.

Pitcher Tanner Schultz will work on keeping winning streak in tact as season nears.

With the schools mentioned below, The ReSporter, has compiled some stats to help in comparing just how well the Hawks did last year that could help for some surprises.

Region IV has some tough road blocks and Canyon Lake will see early just how serious this group of players can go if they make the playoffs.

A spring break game against Sinton has to be circled on the Hawk’s schedule as that school has been placed in 6th place. Canyon Lake will up their game in a tournament against some larger schools in San Antonio too.

One good aspect for Canyon Lake is how their schedule does not tend to allow district opponents a chance to catch a Hawk game since many of those battles tend to go north while CL has had a southern draw which is the case again this season.

Canyon Lake had better marks in all three baseball metrics after their 12-2 campaign last year.

The best fielding, batting average, and pitching that Canyon Lake has ever achieved will help in replacing some stellar seniors from last year’s group.

The Lake’s pitching did lose two seniors (Matt Anderson/Cale Claycomb) but two of those main starters (Tyler Pauly/Tanner Schutz) will be back with a chance to continue their dominance enjoyed last year.

A good restock of players has been in the works after a strong Junior Varsity whose only losses came from 6A schools and now the count-down will continue as February inches closer for a year that might have a little soccer taste to it when it comes time to order some T-Shirts.

Let’s Go Hawks!!

        THSB                 Last Yrs.        Teams Opponent's         Last Yrs.
        PRE-SEASON TOP 20     Record           Combined Record           Ranking
     1) Bridge City           15-0-1           92-78-4     .540            1st
     2) Calallen              13-2-1          111-79-12    .597            5A
     3) Bullard                8-4-0           71-79-3     .474           18th
     4) Benbrook               5-5-0           57-48-6     .541            8th
     5) Argyle                 7-3-2           62-78-12    .453            6th
     6) Sinton                10-3-2          113-94-13    .543           25th
     7) Pleasant Grove         9-4-0           62-76-12    .453            4th
     8) Celina                 8-4-1           83-62-11    .567            NR
     9) Midlothian Heritage    7-4-2           69-26-6     .735            NR
    10) China Spring          10-2-0           79-73-5     .519           10th
    11) Giddings              10-3-0           76-63-6     .545            NR
    12) Melissa               12-2-0           89-86-12    .508            5th
    13) Godley                 8-5-0           80-63-3     .564            NR
    14) Bellville              7-5-3          101-74-8     .574            NR
    15) Iowa Park             12-2-0           86-86-11    .500            7th
    16) Levelland             14-3-1           85-102-8    .466            NR
    17) Canton                11-1-0           62-75-4     .454           21st
    18) Carthage               9-2-0           70-73-3     .490            3rd
    19) Rusk                   9-4-0           80-89-5     .474            9th
    20) El Campo              12-3-1           98-62-12    .605            NR
    NR) Canyon Lake           12-2-0           86-60-5     .586            NR

Others Receiving Votes: Aubrey, Burkburnett, Canyon, Lampasas, Pecos, Robinson, Robstown, Stephenville, Tuloso-Midway, and Uvalde.