TOUGHEST DISTRICT IN THE STATE?
Dawgs take control of early play
By GEORGIA PURDY Newsboy Correspondent

Newsboy photo/Georgia Purdy JASPER'S TRAVIS REAGAN gains handshakes pitching the Dawgs to an early district victory.

Coming into District 21-3A play, Jasper Head Baseball Coach Shawn Mixon knew the competition would be fierce for the district crown.

When the University Interscholastic League realigned school districts the previous year, they set up a super 3A district in baseball.

The new District 21-3A would feature six playoff teams from last year, including five that won their first round playoff matchups.

"This is one of the strongest districts in the state if not the strongest," Mixon said before the season began. "Nobody will 10-run rule another team. Every game will be like a playoff and at the end of district play, there will be very good teams who stay home. If you don't show up to play, you're going to get beat."

First district round begins The Jasper Bulldogs won their district opener 10-3 against Orangefield.

Travis Reagan was the winning pitcher against the Bobcats. Reagan threw a complete game, struck out 12 and walked two. At the plate, he was one-for-two with one RBI.

Newsboy photo/Georgia Purdy JASPER SENIOR CHANTZ PRYOR steals second during a game with Hardin- Jefferson. Pryor was a threat on the base paths all year long.

Jasper had a total of eight stolen bases by Taylor Hart, Malcolm Bronson, Chantz Pryor, and Jaylon Clotiaux, who were all two-for-two.

2-0 in district After taking a break from district for the Field of Dream tourna- -ment, the Bulldogs returned to district play and came away with a 3-1 victory over Hamshire - Fannett.

The victory moved Jasper to 2-0 in district play.

H-F scored in the top of the first inning but Jasper came right back in the bottom of the first to knot the game at 1-all. The Bulldogs took the lead for good in the bottom of the second at 2-1 and then followed the pitching lead of Travis Reagan.

Reagan threw seven innings in outdueling H-F's Jake Minaldi for the victory. Reagan struck out 12 while allowing only four hits against H-F.

Newsboy photo/Georgia Purdy JASPER JUNIOR TAYLOR HART was called out on this play but the junior outfielder was a catalyst for the Bulldogs' offense all year long and set the table on most of the run-scoring innings.

WO-S no match for

Dawgs

Next up for the Dawgs was a road matchup with West Orange-Stark and Jasper showed no signs of slowing down as they rolled to a 6-0 victory over the Mustangs.

Justin Parsons and Aaron Stephenson combined on a two-hitter against WO-S.

The Bulldogs jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning and pushed that lead out to 5-0 in the fifth to cruise to the road district victory.

Change yields same

result

Jasper was scheduled to return home for their next contest againstHardin- Jefferson but the game was quickly turned into a road contest.

The game was moved at the last minute because of a malfunction in the sprinkler system, causing the field to be too wet.

But whether on the road or a home, the Dawgs kept up their winning ways in District 21-3A as they bested Hardin-Jefferson 9-5 at Sour Lake March 20.

Newsboy photo/Georgia Purdy JASPER BASEBALL PLAYERS asked Head Coach Shawn Mixon if they could shave his head if they made the state playoffs. "You don't have to wait," Mixon said. "If you win (against Silsbee), you can shave my head at home plate." Ryan Ellis came prepared. After the Bulldogs defeated Silsbee 5-2, he sat Mixon on a bucket at home plate. As his teammates crowded in to watch, he clipped Mixon down to his scalp.

Hart led off with a home run and the Bulldogs had 11 total hits for the night. Hart, Ellis, Pryor, and John Bradley had two hits each.

Travis Reagan got the win. He threw a complete game, gave up four hits and only one run was an earned run.

Silsbee tames Dawgs 6-3

The first big district showdown loomed for the Bulldogs on March 23 when they traveled to Silsbee to take on the Tigers and their ace pitcher Joel Schooling.

Silsbee handed Jasper their first district baseball loss 6-3, capitalizing on Bulldog errors late in the game.

The loss leaves Jasper and Silsbee tied at 4-1 and district leader Bridge City up 5- 0.

Justin Parsons pitched five innings, struck out three and gave up only two hits. Ryan Ellis pitched the last inning.

"Justin did a real good job," Mixon said. "He pitched well enough to win, but we had five errors in the last two innings. Our infield defense just blew up and we didn't make the plays. We had chances to make routine plays and didn't do it."

The Bulldogs had seven hits off Silsbee's top pitcher Schooling. Taylor Hart hit a home run, his second for the week. Parsons and Chance Pryor had an RBI each.

"We swung the bats pretty well," Mixon said. "We just didn't play defense in the infield and got beat. We've had this same kind of t rouble for several games but it's the first time it has gotten us beat. We're just in a little funk."

Bouncing back just fine Mixon didn't have to worry about the Dawgs' first district loss sending the team into a losing tailspin as Jasper bounced right back on March 27 with an 18-2 pounding of Kirbyville.

Jasperscored 18runs on 15 hits against the Wildcats, seven of those runs came in the seventh inning. PitcherAaron Stephenson got the win.

"Everyone got to play and everyone swung the bat well," Mixon said. "We also got back to playing good defense."

At the plate, Taylor Hart was three-for-three; Malcolm Bronson and Travis Reagan, two-for-four;Ryan Ellis, one-for-three withthree RBIs. Justin Parsons and Chance Pryor had two RBIs each.

Hart, Bronson and Ellis scoredthree runseach. Reagan and Pryor scored two each.

O-field falls 11-2

The Dogs followed that up on March 30 with an easy 11-2 victory over Orangefield to run their district mark to a sparkling 6- 1.

Pitcher Travis Reagan got the win over Orangefield. He gave up two hits and struck out five in five innings.

Parsons came in to pitch one inning and struck out two.

Hart hit a two-run home run in the second inning and was three-for-four for the night. It was Hart's fourth homer of the season. Parsons and Bronson were four-forfour; Ellis and Reagan, twofor four.

"We had good at-bats before this with no results and now we're starting to get results," Mixon said. "I think we played well defensively and swung the bats real well last week."

Jasper's two wins last week and Bridge City's 9-7 loss to Silsbee puts all three teams tied at 6-1 in district play.

"We've had good pitching all year," Mixon said. "Everything is starting to come together."

Dawgs down rival BC

The fans came early and stayed late when the Bulldogs took on Bridge City April 3. With three teams- Jasper, Bridge City and Silsbee tied for the district top spot, the tension was visible.

When the Cardinals scored two runs on two hits in the first inning, the game became a nail-biter right through the bottom of the seventh inning when Malcolm Bronson bunted in Aaron Stephenson from third base to give the Bulldogs a 3-2 victory.

"The fans were great. They didn't even leave when the game ended," Mixon said. "It was really exciting."

Jasper and Silsbee remain tied at 8-1. Bridge City is 7-2 and Hardin-Jefferson, 6-3.

Travis Reagan got the win, coming in the fourth inning to take over from left-hander Justin Parsons. Reagan struck out seven in four innings, gave up two hits and had no walks.

Jasper scored three runs on two hits, both by Bronson.

"Our pitching won it for us, also executing the bunts and squeeze plays," Mixon said. "We played good defense."

Jasper was especially aggressive on the bases, taking a number of risks on steals. Taylor Hart scored Jasper's first run in the third inning. He walked, then Bronson bunted him to second and outran the ball to first. Hart stole third and then stole home on a wild pitch. Bronson stole third but was left on base. Later, Hart was thrown out on an attempted steal home in the fifth inning.

Jasper's second run came in the bottom of the sixth when Travis Reagan walked,

Parsons hit and got on base on a Bridge City error. Reagan stole third, then scored on a wild

pitch with Chantz Pryor at bat.

"We knew we weren't going to hit that guy so we had to do some things we don't usually do," Mixon said. "We had to take the risks. Actually, we hadn't even practiced the steal home, but the pitcher was behind and threw a wild pitch so we went for it. We don't usually do that more than a couple of times a season."

Bridge City committed four errors, the 'Dogs none. Cardinal pitcher Jeff Stringer struck out 11.

"With a pitcher like Stringer, they haven't had to rely defense," Mixon said. "When you strike out 14 or 15 a game, you don't have to make that many defensive plays. In his last game against Hardin-Jefferson, he struck out 15. We knew we had to just put the bat on the ball and force them to play defense."

Jasper rolling along in

district

Jasper defeated Hamshire-Fannett 9-2 April 5. Justin Parsons was the winning pitcher. He threw five innings, and gave up three hits and one run; Aaron Stephenson threw two.

"Our pitching was good. Aaron did a pretty good job," Mixon said. "He struck out four, gave up one hit and one run."

Hart, Bronson and Parsons were two-for-four at the plate.

"We just need to keep doing what we're doing and getting better each week," Mixon said. "We're in pretty good shape right now.

WO-S falls again 11-0 Jasper kept up their winning ways April 12 when the Bulldogs beat West Orange-Stark

11-0 in five innings. Aaron Stephenson threw a complete game, gave up two hits and struck out nine.

"Aaron did a real good job," Mixon said. "He threw the ball well and we played a good game."

Taylor Hart led off with a home run and was three-forfour as was Malcolm Bronson. Travis Reagan hit a three-run home run to end the game. Jasper had 11 hits with only one error. The Mustangs got two hits and committed three errors.

H-J hands last loss to

Dawgs

But before Jasper could continue their district winning ways, Hardin-Jefferson threw a wrench into their plans by handing the Dawgs a 7-6 defeat April 14.

Errors cost the Jasper Bulldogs a needed win and threw the district race is once again in a three-way tie between Jasper, Silsbee and Bridge City.

Jasper had gained the lead after knocking off Bridge City last week. Hardin-Jefferson also defeated Silsbee Tuesday night, which put them one game out of first.

The April 14 tangle was not a pretty game for the 'Dogs who have a reputation for excellent defense and few errors. They committed five errors; one of those cost four runs in the second inning. The Hawks also had their share with four for the night.

"We just didn't play well. Their pitching was good but that doesn't account for the loss," Mixon said. "We didn't make easy, simple routine plays. We didn't make the plays on defense that we should have made. We will have to play a lot better to win these last games."

The game went nine tense innings. Both teams scored a run in the first. Taylor Hart scored on a sacrifice bunt by Ryan Ellis.

The Hawks then capitalized on Jasper's error in the second with four runs to take the lead.

Jasper pitcher Travis Reagan hit the first of his two solo home runs in the third inning. Chantz Pryor and Parker Phillips scored in the bottom of the fourth. Reagan added his second home run in the fifth, tying the game. The Bulldogs took the lead in the sixth. The Hawks scored again in the top of the seventh to tie the game again at 6-6 and then scored again in the top of the ninth on another Bulldog error.

Travis Reagan threw the entire game and struck out 12. He was two for three at the plate with two home runs.

Justin Parsons was twofor three with two RBIs; both Blake Weller- Alexander and Chantz Pryor doubled, and Ryan Ellis squeezed in a run.

It would turn out to be the last time Jasper would lose a baseball game.

Revenge gained on

Silsbee

Another showdown with Silsbee loomed ahead for the Bulldogs on April 20. After losing to Silsbee in the first round of district play, the Dawgs needed a victory to keep pace in the district race.

They got just that by posting a 5-3 victory over the Tigers. The win put Jasper and Bridge City tied for the district lead at 10-2.

Silsbee led 1-0 after the first inning. In the bottom of the second, Jasper outfielder Justin Parsons walked, Ryan Ellis bunted him to second, and Chantz Pryor brought him home. Pryor stole second and Blake Weller-Alexander scored him.

Silsbee scored again in the top of the third, but the Bulldogs answered in the bottom of the inning. Aaron Stephenson led off with a walk, Taylor Hart bunted him to second, Malcolm Bronson's infield hit moved him to third, and pitcher Travis Reagan drove him in on a single. Tyler Earnest went in to run for Reagan. With two outs, shortstop Ellis singled to left field, bringing in Bronson from third base. Chantz Pryor followed Reagan and Ellis with another hit to left field that brought in Ernest, giving the Bulldogs a 5-2 lead.

Jasper pitcher Travis Reagan threw a complete game. He gave up three runs on eight hits and struck out five.

The Tigers scored an additional run in the sixth inning, outhitting the 'Dogs eight to six. Pitcher Joel Schooling struck out nine and allowed five runs on six hits.

Coming into the contest, Jasper, Bridge City and Silsbee were in a three-way tie for first place in District 23- 3A.

At this point in the season, Mixon said there is no other district in the state where the outcome is still anyone's guess.

"All of the other districts have clear winners and most of the winners have a sizable lead," he said. "This is probably the toughest the district in the state."

TCB against Kirbyville

Before their showdown with Bridge City April 27, Jasper had to take on Kirbyville April 24 and take care of business against the Wildcats.

The Dawgs did just that as they ran over Kirbyville 13-2 on 11 hits in five innings.

Justin Parsons was the winning pitcher. He threw four innings, gave up four hits and struck out six.

Senior Fermin Gonzalez, in the DH position, was threefor three, scored two runs and 1RBI. Hart and Ellis were two-for-three.

Jasper wins district at BC

The District 21-3A championship all came down to the final game of the season when Jasper took on Bridge City April 27 on the road.

The crown would rest firmly on Jasper's heads as the Bulldogs outscored the Cardinals 10-8 in seven innings.

The victory not only gave the Dawgs the coveted District 21-3A title but a first round bye in the playoffs.

Jasper turned 10 hits and three Cardinal errors into victory with winning pitcher Travis Reagan throwing four innings and relief pitcher Aaron Stephenson, three.

Reagan gave up two home runs and the 'Dogs found themselves down 4-0 after the second inning.

In the top of the third, Blake Weller-Alexander led off with a base hit. John Bradley followed with a double, bringing in courtesy runner Malcolm Bronson. Jaylon Clotiaux got on base on a third strike when the catcher missed the ball.

Ryan Ellis came up with an infield hit, scoring Bradley. Reagan walked, and Chantz Pryor was hit by a pitch, which loaded the bases. Cardinal pitcher Phillip Meeks balked on the next hitter, producing Jasper's third run.

In the top of the fifth, Jasper exploded.

Taylor Hart, Ellis, Reagan, Justin Parsons, and Pryor hit and the score was 6-4. Bronson came to the plate to bunt and Bridge City picked up another error when interference was called on the catcher, sending Bronson to first.

Weller-Alexander came to plate and hit a hard line drive to the right centerfield gap, scoring three runs. When the side was retired, Jasper was up 9-4 and Bridge City had brought in pitcher Jeff Stringer.

Aaron Stephenson came in to pitch for the Bulldogs. He struck out two and one grounded out to end the inning with the 'Dogs leading by a single run, 9-8.

Jasper put another run on the scoreboard in the sixth. Bridge City committed their third throwing error, and Parsons drove in one RBI to up the score 10- 8.

"Aaron did a good job. He's been throwing well all year," Mixon said. " He has a good change-up that we thought would be effective. His three strike-outs were in big situations and he also popped up several batters."

Jasper's defense, always strong, made the difference in the end.

"We made our plays," Mixon said. "Parker Phillips made two good plays in the seventh inning. I think he had four balls for the game and fielded all of them."

Jasper finished their regular season 22-5 and 12-2 in district.

"We're proud of our kids," Mixon said. "We're all happy we won district but we just want to keep winning and keep playing. If we keep playing defense the way we have, we've got a good chance to play awhile."