The State Championship game should be close – a contest between the best two teams in the state of Texas. This is exactly what the Conference AAA championship game between the Blanco Panthers and the Wall Hawks turned out to be – a nail-biter, a low-scoring game decided by a one run difference. Unless they begin saying baseball games can end in a tie, you cannot get any closer to a state championship, and still not win, than the Panthers did Saturday, June 8 at Dell Diamond in Round Rock. Wall, coming to the game with a 39-1 record, prevailed 2-1 over Blanco, 33-5.
Blanco pitcher Zack Wisdom, a left-handed freshman, took the mound and went five scoreless innings. “It felt so good,” said Wisdom, to a bunch of reporters. “Five innings, no runs. It was the best feeling when (Coach Bryan Wyatt) told me I was pitching at state.” Wisdom played on the undefeated 23-0 junior varsity most of the season. Wisdom went the distance, going six innings, scattering six hits, striking out two and walking one. His varsity record is 1-1, pitching in five varsity games this year, including a brilliant pitching contribution in a playoff win over Bishop.
“Oh, my gosh!” was Wyatt’s response when Wisdom’s name was mentioned in the postgame conversations. “He didn’t have any nerves.”
Part of the reason for his calmness may have been the stellar defense the Panthers demonstrated.
“Blanco played the best defensive game all year behind Wisdom,” added Wyatt. Panther outfielders Austin Van Pelt, Jackson Hunter and Justin Wardlow all made super catches in the second, third and fourth innings, respectively. Shortstop Griffin Johnson turned in a Triple-A play leading to a force out in the fourth. Second baseman Eddie Calzoncit went flying and laid out in a full horizontal stretch to catch a blooper behind first base to end the fourth inning.
“Been making these plays all year,” insisted Wyatt, but, “not this many in one game.”
Wall hit in the gaps for three singles in the sixth inning and scored two runs to break the scoreless tie.
However, Blanco was far from done. Walton Daves walked to open the seventh inning. Lane Lowak ran for Daves. Calzoncit singled. The Hawks made a pitching change during a time out for an injury to Lowak who was hurt sliding into third on Calzoncit’s hit. When play resumed, Ty Adkinson ran for Lowak. Hunter hit a sacrifice fly to bring Adkinson home. Tyler LaRue was walked for the fourth time in the state tournament. Wardlow got on base on a fielder’s choice with LaRue thrown out at second. Calzoncit advanced to third. The Wall pitcher struck out the next batter to end the game 2-1. The Panthers left 10 runners stranded.
Offensively, Calzoncit was two-for-two with two singles and two walks. Baylor Smith hit a single. Hunter had one RBI.
“Even a silver medal feels great,” said LaRue. “It’s still amazing.” Austin sports reporters never interviewed such classy young men, who avoided no one.
“We fought hard,” added Calzoncit. “Worked hard every practice; means a lot to everybody.”
AJ Briscoe went seven innings for the win in the State Semi-final game against the Van Alstyne Panthers Friday, June 7. “One of his best performances all year,” said Wyatt of the senior pitcher. Briscoe is 11-2 on the year.
Van Alstyne, a team the Panthers beat 16-0 in the rain in Waco for the 2001 football state title, led 2-0 through three innings. However, Briscoe allowed only two more hits the final four frames. “He’s our go-to guy,” said Wyatt. “Did a fantastic job; we needed him.”
The infield really got the work out in this game. They responded well turning three double plays. Johnson, Smith and Calzoncit had to stop grounders that were skimming the grass.
The Panthers first score came on a run in the fourth inning when Baylor Smith singled and stole second. With two outs, Van Pelt singled and Smith scored. Van Alstyne led 2-1.
In the fifth inning, Calzoncit, whose dad was in a Blanco uniform in the state tournament in 1988, tripled to right center. “He did real well,” stated Eddie Sr. At home, “We do a lot of hitting, lot of workouts.” He’s “special,” said Eddie Jr. “Every day is baseball.”
LaRue stepped up to the plate and hit a sacrifice fly bringing Calzoncit home for the tying run.
Following a scoreless sixth inning, Calzoncit got his fourth hit of the game in the seventh. He advanced to second on a balk. Hunter was hit-by-pitch. He advanced to second and Calzoncit went on to third on a throwing error.
Wardlow, up next to bat, did exactly what needed to be done hitting a sacrifice fly bringing Calzoncit home for the walk-off winning run for the Panthers. Wardlow was asked if he felt extra pressure: “0-2, definitely, but I knew he’d throw a curve ball. (I wanted to) put it in play and hope for the best.” The best happened. Blanco moved on to the State Championship game.
Calzoncit was four-for-four with three singles and a triple scoring two runs and stealing two bases. Calzoncit also tied the state tournament record with four hits in a game and tied the record with six hits in the tournament. He got on base eight times out of eight plate appearances. In the Van Alstyne game Smith went two-for-two with two singles and one run scored. Johnson was one-for-two with a double. Van Pelt hit one-for-three with a single and one RBI. Wardlow hit a sacrifice fly with one RBI.
The 2019 UIL Baseball State All-Tournament Teams were announced Sunday, June 9. Selections are made by the Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association. Calzoncit, Briscoe and Van Pelt were named to the All-Tournament Conference AAA team.
Wyatt described the 2019 season this way following the game: “No calming these guys down – let them play. It’s nice to take the journey and have these memories.”
On Monday, after having a day to rest and reflect on the season Wyatt added, “Wow is all I can say. The boys played their butts off until the last out and as a coach you cannot ask for anything else. We are so proud of their efforts, they played in two of the most important games that anybody could play in and played over their heads, fearless and determined.”
