News 2012

Subscribe to our Newsletter

2012 Region 1 5A Regional Semifinalist

Thank you Blue Raiders for a season of memories!

Record: District 12-4 Season 22-14-1

Congratulations!

2012 L.D. Bell Blue Raider 6-5A All-District Selections

Defensive Player of the Year

*Taylor Empkey, Sr. - Catcher

FIRST TEAM

Gavin Gregory, Sr. - Outfielder

*Trevor Podsednik, Sr. - Short Stop

Taylor Empkey, Sr. - Catcher

Blake Henderson, Jr. - Pitcher

SECOND TEAM

Cullen Gassaway, Sr. - First Base

Sydney Daley, Jr. - Outfielder

Bryce Kidwell, Soph. - Pitcher

HONORABLE MENTION

Weston Sims, Sr. - Pitcher

Toby Brown, Sr. - Second Base

Blake Gibson, Jr - Third Base

*Congratulations to Trevor Podsednik on his 2012 4A-5A North All Star Team selection. Trevor will play in the Area All-Star game in Grand Prairie at Quick Trip Park on June 10th at 7:00pm - The State All-Star game in Round Rock at Dell Diamond on June 17th at 12:00pm.

*Congratulations to Taylor Empkey for being selected to the 2012 Star-Telegram Baseball Super Team.

TRANSPLANT COMPLETE!

Happy Birthday Coach 8/6/2012

We Love You Coach Gibson!

Many of you have asked, "How can I help Paul & Cherie Gibson?" Cherie for several years has served as a volunteer in a nonprofit organization called KiDs Beach Club® and a donation can be made to help cover their impending medical costs by going to www.kidsbeachclub.org and clicking on the "Give" tab at the top of the site, click on “Make a Donation” and then click on “Paul Gibson Fund”. All the proceeds will be used to cover the medical costs they will be incurring due to Paul's illness. KiDs Beach Club® is a 501c3 charitable organization and recognized by the IRS. All the funds raised will be applied toward their impending medical needs. Please keep Paul and his family in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you for your love and support!

Coach Paul Gibson
Benefit Dinner & Auction
$50/Plate
Thursday, July 26, 2012

First Euless - Campus West
209 N. Industrial Blvd, Bedford, Tx 76021

Table Sponsorships also available

Doors open & Silent Auction begins at 5:00pm
Dinner begins at 6:30pm

Live Auction begins at 8:15pm

Entertainment & Testimony provided by
Illusionist and Cancer Survivor
Jim Munroe

CLICK HERE FOR gib back BENEFIT FLYER

Coach Reichenbach named Head Baseball Coach

at Lovejoy High School in Lucas, Texas.

CONGRATULATIONS & GOOD LUCK

to the REICHENBACH FAMILY

Posted Thursday, Jun. 21, 2012

Hurst L.D. Bell baseball coach fighting rare disease

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/06/21/4049630/fundraiser-tonight-for-lb-bell.html#storylink=cpy

By Kevin Casas

Special to the Star-Telegram

Hurst L.D. Bell baseball coach Paul Gibson was watching his team wage a post-season battle this past spring in the Class 5A playoffs.

What no one else knew was that Gibson was quietly fighting his own battle with amyloidosis.

A very rare blood disorder, the disease affects about 1,200 to 3,200 Americans each year.

"I guess things happen for a reason, but this confirms I'm a one-in-a-million kind of guy," Gibson said. "I just noticed things started to get too different in March so I started seeing a physician and we started doing tests."

Gibson, 48, said his doctors suspected the disease when they noticed a protein spike in his kidneys. Further tests confirmed the disease about two weeks ago.

Treatment options vary and Gibson was noncommittal on the prognosis, but said because of his age and the fact that his liver seems to have no effects thus far, he's been scheduled to see a specialist at Mayo Clinic in July.

The facility is equipped to offer a number of treatment options and has the most experience with this disease.

Gibson said he's been humbled by the response of his players and the community.

"I really just can't describe it," he said. I'm getting calls from all over, people I grew up with, people in baseball, other sports, I'm very grateful."

To help offset travel costs to Minnesota, a fund has been established and donation information can be found at www.gibsonteam.net.

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/06/21/4049630/fundraiser-tonight-for-lb-bell.html#storylink=cpy

2012 All-VYPE Baseball Teams

June 21, 2012

VYPE MAGAZINE - Dallas

GREATER FORT WORTH

MVP - STAFF: Kenny Hill - Southlake Carroll - Jr. INF

The all-state quarterback’s addition to the Dragons’ batting order added power, average, clutch hits and leadership in what is essentially his first varsity baseball season at Carroll.

MVP – READERS’ CHOICE: Hayden Ballard - Crowley - Sr. P

Ballard (9-3, 1.53, 60 Ks) carried Crowley through regular season and playoffs including two shutouts.

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: Turner Larkins - Arl. Martin - So. P

Larkins’ 10-0 run as starting pitcher included Game 3 win over Carroll that sent Martin to state tournament.

COACH OF THE YEAR: Curt Culbertson - Arl. Martin

Culbertson guided the Warriors to first 5A state tourney since 1993.

FIRST TEAM

Tyler Alexander - Southlake Carroll - Jr. P

Tejay Antone - Mans. Legacy - Sr. P

Nolan Brown - Coll. Heritage - Sr. P/OF

Taylor Empkey - Hurst L.D. Bell - Sr. C

Hunter Hargrove - Mansfield - Jr. OF

Blake Henderson - Hurst L.D. Bell - Jr. P

Nick Hendrix - Arl. Martin - Sr. P

Matt Michalski - Mansfield - Sr. P

Sheldon Neuse - Keller Fossil Ridge - Jr. P/INF

Trevor Podsednik - Hurst L.D. Bell - Sr. INF

Teddy Stankiewicz - Fort Worth Christian - Sr. P

Charles Taylor - Mans. Timberview - Sr. OF

Cody Thomas - Coll. Heritage - Jr. OF

SECOND TEAM

Payton Cox - Mansfield - Sr. C

Zack Gilbreath - Mansfield - Jr. P

Callaway Kirkpatrick - Aledo - Sr. P/OF

Collin Lawrence - Arl. Martin - Sr. C

Anthony Lyons - Arl. Martin - Jr. OF

Greg Maisto - Southlake Carroll - Sr. P/OF

Connor McGuire - Grapevine - Jr. P/INF

Darien McLemore - Southlake Carroll - Sr. INF

Lane Meyer - Mansfield - Jr. P

Zach Michener - Kennedale - Jr. P/INF

Brian Parks - Coll. Heritage - Sr. DH

Kenniel Rivera-Gonzalez - Keller Fossil Ridge - So. INF/P

Brandon Schoelkopf - Keller Central - Sr. C/UTIL

2012 Star-Telegram Baseball Super Team

Posted Wednesday, Jun. 20, 2012

By Brent Shirley

bshirley@star-telegram.com

Tarrant County-Area Super Team

First Team

OF Cody Thomas, Jr., Colleyville Heritage: Thomas earned offensive player of the year honors in District 6-5A with a .415 batting average. He had 29 RBIs, 21 extra-base hits, 27 walks and 31 runs scored.

OF Hunter Hargrove, Jr., Mansfield: Hargrove was the offensive MVP of District 5-5A and played solid defense in center field.

OF Drew Smith, Sr., Crowley: Smith had a good year on the mound with a 1.41 ERA and 61 strikeouts, but also played well in the outfield and put up big numbers at the plate (.431 average and .527 on-base percentage) to be the 7-4A MVP.

INF Sheldon Neuse, Jr., Keller Fossil Ridge: Neuse was a force at the plate, batting .443. Neuse, the Super Team Player of the Year, had great numbers pitching as well, but he made some of his biggest plays of the year at shortstop.

INF Trooper Reynolds, Sr., Weatherford: Reynolds, a third baseman, batted .500 with 46 RBIs and 19 extra-base hits to earn offensive player of the year in 4-5A.

INF Connor McGuire, Jr., Grapevine: McGuire was the 6-5A MVP after finishing the regular season with 35 hits in 85 at-bats. He finished with 17 extra-base hits, 34 RBIs and 25 runs scored.

INF Kenny Hill, Jr., Southlake Carroll: Hill, a third baseman, was one of the most feared hitters in the area and earned offensive player of the year in 7-5A.

C Emilio Martinez, So., Fort Worth Trimble Tech: Martinez was the sophomore of the year in District 6-4A with a .491 batting average, 54 RBIs and 21 extra-base hits.

P Nick Hendrix, Sr., Arlington Martin: Hendrix was one of the most dominant pitchers in the area with a 6-0 record and a 1.26 ERA in district play to earn 4-5A's MVP award.

P Teddy Stankiewicz, Sr., Fort Worth Christian: Stankiewicz was 9-1 in the regular season and topped 100 strikeouts to earn the district MVP.

P Nolan Brown, Sr., Colleyville Heritage:Brown was the pitcher of the year in District 6-5A with an 8-0 record and a 1.13 ERA. He also had a .333 batting average with 24 RBIs.

Second Team

OF Nick Woodall, Jr., Cleburne: Woodall was the offensive player of the year in District 7-4A.

OF Vinnie Trevino, Sr., Trimble Tech: Trevino batted .414 with 20 RBIs and was the MVP of District 6-4A.

OF Alex Smith, Sr., Fort Worth Paschal: Smith was a District 4-5A first-team outfielder with a .338 batting average, 26 runs scored, eight stolen bases and a .527 on-base percentage.

INF Trevor Hillhouse, Jr., Birdville: Hillhouse was the offensive MVP in 5-4A.

INF Jered Rhodes, Sr., Weatherford: Rhodes batted .444 with 36 RBIs and 21 extra-base hits to earn newcomer of the year honors in 4-5A.

INF Darien McLemore, Sr., Southlake Carroll: McLemore was a force at the plate and played strong defense at first base.

INF Zac Michener, Jr., Kennedale: Michener batted .532 with 29 RBIs.

C Taylor Empkey, Sr., Hurst L.D. Bell: Empkey was one of the top defensive catchers in the area and earned defensive player of the year honors in 6-5A.

P Tyler Alexander, Jr., Carroll: Alexander was one of two pitchers of the year in District 7-5A.

P Tejay Antone, Sr., Mansfield Legacy: Antone was the pitcher of the year in 5-5A with an 8-1 record and a 1.31 ERA.

P Matt Wright, Sr., Mansfield Summit: Wright was the pitcher of the year in 7-4A with a 7-4 record. He had a 1.11 ERA and threw six complete games with 71 strikeouts.

2012 4A-5A North All-Star Team

PITCHERS		High School	High School Coach	Class	Region
Chris	Gittens	Sherman	Art Senato	4A	II
Kevin	Mc Canna	The Woodlands	Ron Eastman	5A	II
Riley	Ferrell	A&M Consolidated	Chase Mann	5A	II
Ty	Culbreth	Bryan	David Powers	5A	II

CATCHERS:
Travis	Sims	Midland	Barry Russell	5A	I
Jose	Favela	Franklin	Andy Powers	5A	I

FIRST BASE:
Jace	Reese	Forney	Jason Farrow	4A	II
Dalyn	Williams	Lake Dallas	John Tompkins	4A	I

2ND BASE:
Max	Hogan	Belton	Eddie Cornblum	5A	II
Trevor	Podsednik	Hurst L.D. Bell	Paul Gibson	5A	I

SHORTSTOP:
Paxton	DeLaGarza	Lubbock Coronado	Gary Hix	5A	I
Jovan	Hernandez	Rockwall Heath	Greg Harvey	4A	II

THIRD BASE:
Trooper	Reynolds	Weatherford	Terry Massey	5A	I
Hunter	Melton	Corsicana	Heath Autrey	4A	II

OUTFIELD:
Blake	Brom	Wichita Falls Rider	Scot Green	4A	I
Blake	Kopetsky	Rudder	Matt Harbin	4A	II
Christian	Benitez	El Paso Montwood	Tom Carrillo	5A	I
Mark	Gottsacker	Highland Park	Fred Oliver	5A	II

AT LARGE:
Caleb	Hamrick	Cedar Hill	Jeremy Fatheree	5A	I
Tyler	Floyd	Stephenville	James Boxley	4A	II

ALL STAR COACHES:
4A	Chuck	Foster	Boerne Champion
5A	Barry	Smith	Klein

Click logo to check out All-State Teams

Players Win Games

Teams Win Championships

2012 Blue Raider Seniors

Keep reaching for the Stars - We will miss you!

"Don't cry because it's over.

Smile because it happened."

-Dr. Seuss

Arlington Martin 8, Hurst L.D. Bell 4: A five-run fourth inning and five solid innings on the mound from starter Turner Larkins propelled Arlington Martin to a Game 3 and series win in a best-of-3 Class 5A Region 1 semifinal at Coppell Baseball Complex.

Josh Watson started the scoring carousel for Martin in the fourth inning with an RBI double. Matt Waller followed with an RBI single. And Drew Dowdy punctuated the scoring with a two-run home run.

Bell posted two runs in the fifth inning to cut Martin's lead to 6-3 but couldn't draw any closer. Larkins threw five innings and allowed four runs. He struck out six and walked three. Mike Hoffman earned the save after throwing two innings of relief.

Taylor Empkey, Trevor Podsednik, Blake Gibson and Harrison Scheffler each tallied an RBI for Bell.

Arlington Martin baseball downs L.D. Bell to reach Region I final

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/05/26/3989244/arlington-martin-downs-ld-bell.html#storylink=cpy

By Louis Horvath

Special to the Star-Telegram

COPPELL -- Arlington Martin rode a five-run fourth inning to an 8-4 victory over Hurst L.D. Bell in Game 3 of their Class 5A Region I semifinals series to advance to face Southlake Carroll in the Region I final next weekend.

With the game tied at 1-1, Martin catcher Collin Lawrence started the outburst in the fourth by drawing the second of his four walks, then Seth Henry and Tyler Kendrick reached on an error and an infield single, respectively.

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/05/26/3989244/arlington-martin-downs-ld-bell.html#storylink=cpy

Josh Watson drove in two runs with his bases-loaded double, and Matt Waller singled home another run.

"It was huge," Martin coach Curt Culbertson said. "[Bell pitcher Weston Sims] was pitching very well. That's the way we've been scoring runs. We've been scoring in bunches."

The fourth inning was punctuated by Drew Dowdy's two-run homer to left field that had him screaming on the way to touching home plate.

"I'm usually not an emotional guy; I hold it in, but it was just such a big time in the game that everything came out all at once," Dowdy said.

The home run predictably excited his teammates, but it also excited Culbertson.

"He was pumped, wasn't he? I was pumped," Culbertson said of the display. "The first 180 [feet], I was screaming my head off."

From there, the game came down to whether starter Turner Larkins and Martin pitchers could protect the five-run lead.

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/05/26/3989244/arlington-martin-downs-ld-bell.html#storylink=cpy

In the bottom of the fifth, Bell responded by scoring two runs of its own to narrow the gap to 6-3.

After Larkins walked the leadoff batter in the sixth, Culbertson had seen enough from Larkins, although he was happy with his underclassman starter’s Game 3 performance.

“I thought as a sophomore pitching in this venue right here, I thought he did good,” Culbertson said. “I don’t think he was as sharp as he had been the last two weekends, but he stuck it out there.”

Martin put the game away for good, however, when it picked up a run apiece in the sixth and seventh innings — all without gathering a single hit. Combined over the two innings, the Blue Raiders surrendered four walks, a hit batter and two sacrifice hits.

“It was momentum for us and it was keeping them without momentum,” Culbertson said. “That was big in the emotional part of the game. Any time you put a run up, it’s good, but at that point in the game it was definitely important to continue to put pressure on then."

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/05/26/3989244/arlington-martin-downs-ld-bell.html#storylink=cpy

Congratulations!!!!!

2012 L.D BELL HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES

Martin tops Bell to force a deciding game

By Jarret Johnson

jmjohnson@star-telegram.com

COPPELL - Arlington Martin needed a great night on the mound Friday at Coppell ISD Baseball Complex, and Nick Hendrix delivered.

The senior lefty went the distance, posting 12 strikeouts, to help the Warriors beat Hurst L.D. Bell 6-1 and knot their Class 5A Region I semifinals series at a game apiece. The winner of Game 3, which is at 7:30 p.m. tonight back in Coppell, will advance to the regional final next week.

"We knew we didn't play very well last night, so we wanted to come back tonight and get on top early," said Hendrix, who allowed four hits and four walks in the 123-pitch performance. "I had trouble with my control in the first two innings with three walks, but after that I settled down. With the lead, I just tried to throw the ball on the corners, and that's what I did."

Collin Lawrence got things started offensively for Martin (33-4) in the second inning by crushing the first pitch he saw 330 feet over the left-field wall. The solo shot was his fifth homer of the season.

"We came in last night knowing that they throw away, away, away," Lawrence said. "I scooted up as close as I could on the plate and had a curveball in on the first pitch. I just turned my hands and drove it."

Martin added three more runs in the third on a RBI triple by Mitchell Peck and two-out, RBI singles by Collin Day and Trenton Buchhorn.

Cullen Gassaway, who has driven in three of L.D. Bell's four runs in the series, got the Blue Raiders (22-12) on the board with an RBI double. The Warriors fired back with a run in each of the next two innings to stretch the lead to 6-1.

Hendrix, who sat down seven batters in the final three innings, picked up his final three strikeouts in the seventh to seal the win.

Jarret Johnson, 817-390-7760

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/05/25/3987948/martin-tops-bell-to-force-a-deciding.html#storylink=cpy

Arlington Martin ace strikes out 12, leveling series to deciding game

CORBETT SMITH

corbettsmith@dallasnews.com

Published: 25 May 2012 11:23 PM

COPPELL — In the playoffs, Arlington Martin coach Curt Culbertson used his ace Nick Hendrix in Game 2 starts.

“He’s the guy that’s either going to close out a series for us or going to get us to a Game 3,” Culbertson said.

Facing elimination after a loss on Thursday, Martin got just what it needed from the senior lefty. A Duke signee, Hendrix struck out 12 as Martin beat Hurst L.D. Bell, 6-1, leveling the three-game Class 5A Region I semifinal series. The deciding game will be at 7:30 Saturday at Coppell Baseball Complex.

“I struggled with my control in two first innings and had three walks,” Hendrix said. “But after that, we scored one in the second, and three in the third, and that kind of got us rolling.”

“Outstanding” is how Culbertson described Hendrix’s performance; Hendrix got more effective as the game went on, striking out seven in the last three innings.

Martin (33-4-1), held in check by L.D. Bell’s Blake Henderson in Game 1, scored in four consecutive innings.

Martin catcher Collin Lawrence hit a home run in the second, and eight batters came up to the plate in the third, stringing together a series of hits to get an early lead off of L.D. Bell starter Bryce Kidwell.

“That’s kind of been the way we’ve been scoring runs,” Culbertson said. “We’ve been bunching runs together. … We had some good quality at-bats, and got runners in scoring position and tonight, we came up with some hits.”

Follow @corbettsmithDMN on Twitter.

With Arlington Martin rallying, L.D. Bell’s Blake Henderson closes door

CORBETT SMITH

Staff Writer corbettsmith@dallasnews.com

Published: 24 May 2012 11:44 PM

COPPELL — This season, Arlington Martin had 17 come-from-behind wins.

And down by a run with two runners on and one out in the sixth, it looked like it had a fighting chance for another.

Hurst L.D. Bell pitcher Blake Henderson just wouldn’t give in.

Henderson registered his fifth strikeout of the game, getting out of the inning with a pop out on a full count. Henderson struck out two more in the seventh, pitching a complete game for a 3-1 win in Game 1 of the best-of-3 Class 5A Region I semifinal.

Henderson leaned on his curveball in the later innings, getting five strikeouts on the pitch in the final four innings.

“I feel like I had a lot of command on my curveball,” Henderson said. “They weren’t squaring it up.”

L.D. Bell (22-12-1) took advantage of an error by Arlington Martin on its first fielding play. Cullen Gassaway drove in the first of his two RBIs with a sacrifice fly, scoring Gavin Gregory.

“Anytime you get momentum in the early innings, that’s huge,” Gassaway said.

Henderson, a junior transfer from Justin Northwest, has transformed himself from an unknown to Bell’s staff ace in short order. He’s won all four of his playoff starts.

“He’s worked his tail off to make himself into a quality pitcher,” L.D. Bell coach Paul Gibson said.

Follow @corbettsmithDMN on Twitter.

Posted Thursday, May. 24, 2012

L.D. Bell pitcher silences Martin lineup

Special to the S-T/Andrew Buckley

L.D. Bell's Gavin Gregory (1) scored two runs to help the Blue Raiders take Game 1 of the best-of-three series.

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/05/24/3985522/bell-pitcher-silences-martin-lineup.html#storylink=cpy

By Jarret Johnson

jmjohnson@star-telegram.com

COPPELL -- Hurst L.D. Bell rode pitcher Blake Henderson to a 3-1 victory over Arlington Martin in Game 1 of their best-of-three Class 5A Region I semifinal series at Coppell ISD Baseball Complex.

Henderson, a junior, struck out seven, walked three and gave up three hits in a 117-pitch, complete-game performance Thursday night against one of the top lineups in Texas.

"Martin poses a huge challenge because they are the No. 1 team in the state," Henderson said. "I feel like today is the best game that I've pitched in the playoffs so far. I kept everything low for the most part, limited my mistakes and capitalized on it."

Cullen Gassaway gave the Blue Raiders (22-11) a 1-0 lead in the first on a sacrifice fly to right field that scored Gavin Gregory, who tagged up from third. Gassaway drove in Gregory again in the third on a single up the middle after Gregory tripled.

Martin pulled to within 2-1 in the fourth after catcher Collin Lawrence drove in Mitchell Peck from first on an RBI double.

The Warriors would threaten again in the sixth, but Henderson shut the door. Bell center fielder Sydney Daley added a little insurance in the bottom half of the inning by tripling and then stealing home in an awkward play at the plate.

Game 2 is at 7:30 tonight in Coppell.

"It's always nice to get Game 1, but you got to win two to advance and we knew that going in," L.D. Bell coach Paul Gibson said. "This is just one; we got to get one more."

Jarret Johnson, 817-390-7760

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/05/24/3985522/bell-pitcher-silences-martin-lineup.html#storylink=cpy

Even with turnover on rosters, Carroll and L.D. Bell making deep runs

Brandon Wade/Special Contributor

LD Bell's Cullen Gassaway (20) catches the ball to force out Plano's Ryan Robertson (12) at first base during a high school playoff baseball game at Kelly Field in Carrollton, Friday, May 11, 2012.

SOUTHLAKE — When Southlake Carroll coach Larry Hughes sat down to draw up his new lineup for the 2012 season, not only were a lot of new names penciled in, even the returning starters had moved to a new position.

“It was certainly an interesting dynamic,” Hughes said. “It was like we were starting over with a completely new team, just about.”

Carroll and, to a lesser extent, Hurst L.D. Bell have both managed to absorb significant losses and find themselves just two series away from a trip to Round Rock for the UIL state baseball tournament.

Carroll (22-10-1) had to essentially reboot their entire roster.

The Dragons returned just four players with varsity experience, three of whom — seniors Ben Sego and Darien McLemore and junior pitcher Tyler Alexander — were starters.

Nineteen seniors graduated from last year’s regional quarterfinalists — including five Division I players.

Despite hitting just .250 as a team, Carroll has advanced farther than its admittedly more-talented predecessor, largely on the strength of its pitching.

Alexander took the role of staff ace early on, striking out 1 ½ batters an inning before going down to a broken wrist at the start of the playoffs.

Senior Greg Maisto, a junior varsity player last year, moved in to the spotlight, and has been nothing short of outstanding. Now committed to Texas A&M, the lefty is a big reason that Carroll’s postseason ERA is 0.52.

“To be honest, I didn’t think we’d go this far,” Maisto said. “But, now that we are here, we want to take it all.”

McLemore, one of the veterans on the team, said watching his teammates rise to the occasion has been “humbling and very impressive.”

L.D. Bell (21-12-1) didn’t have a complete rebuild like Carroll, returning a core group of experienced starters such as seniors Cullen Gassaway, Taylor Empkey, Trevor Podsednik and Weston Sims.

But graduating a transcendent talent is never easy. L.D. Bell graduated all-state catcher Hunter Lockwood, who hit 16 home runs as a senior, as well as two starting pitchers: A.J. Daley and Brad Adams.

While Carroll got hot late, winning its district, L.D. Bell struggled down the stretch — losing three of its last five district games to end up as the third seed in District 6-5A.

But it’s found its second wind in the playoffs.

“We just started to come together at the right time,” L.D. Bell coach Paul Gibson said. “We hadn’t really played well in a couple of weeks. The second half of district, we really didn’t play well at all. But we knew we had it in us.”

Sims, like Maisto, said making a deep playoff run against expectations has been satisfying.

“It’s definitely showing something for us seniors coming back,” Sims said. “We felt we had something to prove. Getting third in district and making it this far has meant a whole lot to us. We’re really looking forward to keeping it going.”

Follow @corbettsmithDMN on Twitter.

No K's, no problem

With three pitchers who do not strike out many opposing hitters, Hurst L.D. Bell (21-12-1) has advanced to the regional semifinals largely on the strength of its ability to induce weak contact and field the ball cleanly.

Starters Blake Henderson, Bryce Kidwell and Weston Sims have combined to pitch 42 postseason innings and have struck out 17.

"We've been playing pretty solid defense. We haven't been giving away a whole lot defensively," Bell coach Paul Gibson said. "We've been making some big plays when we need to at the right time."

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/05/23/3982770/pitching-carries-southlake-carroll.html#storylink=cpy

Wixon: Strong pitching gives hope that Dallas area's baseball title drought will end

When a no-hitter makes it to the late innings, mentioning it is considered a baseball taboo. So as we get late in the playoffs, maybe I should worry about some similar superstition as I talk about the area’s championship drought.

Still, I’m just going to come out and say it:

Although no team from the Dallas-Fort Worth area has won a UIL Class 4A or 5A title since 2008, I think this is the year the drought ends.

Well, it could be. I’ll soften my stance so I’m not blamed for triggering some kind of baseball curse that keeps a local team from winning a championship.

But I do think local teams have a great chance this year, and pitching is a big reason.

Consider some of the performances over the weekend:

Southlake Carroll’s Greg Maisto threw a one-hitter to knock out Flower Mound in a playoff, and Arlington Martin swept Lubbock Coronado with pitching gems by Turner Larkins and Nick Hendrix. Each pitched a complete game, and they combined to strike out 19.

Rockwall-Heath swept Frisco Centennial as its aces, Jovan Hernandez and Jake Thompson, allowed a combined six hits in two complete games.

None of those teams used more than two pitchers over the weekend, which is great for keeping a staff fresh. It’s also a relief for coaches because there is often a significant dropoff from the second to the third pitcher.

But pitchers deeper in the staff can sometimes be the deciding factor in a series. That was the case in Frisco Wakeland’s win over Highland Park, when Wakeland aces Hayden Nixon and Willie Schwanke went the distance in Games 1 and 2. Wakeland trailed, 3-0, after the top of the first in the deciding Game 3.

In came Cameron Brockhoff, who had thrown only 272/3 innings all season and had an ERA of 4.34. The junior threw 52/3 shutout innings as Wakeland rallied for a 4-3 victory.

“He was clutch,” Wakeland coach Barry Rose said. “We would not have won without him.”

The same could be said of Waxahachie’s Ryan Cawthon and Denton Ryan’s Travis Wiley, who each won a Game 3 on Saturday. Cawthon pitched a four-hitter and struck out six as Waxahachie beat Corsicana, 4-2. Wiley, in addition to having a great series as a hitter, went the distance on the mound as Ryan beat Lake Dallas, 10-3.

Hurst L.D. Bell has relied heavily on Blake Henderson, who has three complete-game victories in the playoffs. But in a Game 3 against Plano East on Saturday, the starting job fell on Weston Sims. The No. 3 guy on L.D. Bell’s staff, making his first start of the playoffs, came through with a four-hitter in a 2-1 victory.

This year’s new bat regulations, which have cut into offensive numbers and lowered ERAs, have contributed to some of the pitching success. But even so, the impressive pitching Saturday offers hope that local teams will end the championship drought two weeks from now.

When the third or fourth pitcher on a roster can be that potent, a team is tough to beat in a best-of-3 series.

LD Bell Senior Pitcher Dedicates Win to his Dad

2012 Regional Quarterfinal Champions

Outfielder’s trickery on home run ruled foul helps L.D. Bell top Plano East, 2-1

CORBETT SMITH Staff writer corbettsmith@dallasnews.com

Published: 19 May 2012 08:53 PM

COPPELL — Blake Henderson provided the dramatic finish for Hurst L.D. Bell, but to do so, he needed the theatrics of teammate Gavin Gregory.

Henderson hit a series-winning walk-off RBI double, giving L.D. Bell a 2-1 Game 3 win over Plano East in the Class 5A Region I quarterfinals at the Coppell Baseball Complex.

With the strong south wind whipping to left field, Henderson shortened up his swing, driving a pitch to deep left-center field off East reliever Alex Stuart. Trevor Podsednik, who had led off the seventh with a walk, scored on the hit, sending L.D. Bell (21-10-1) to the 5A Region I tournament for the second straight season.

But the run would have only tied the game if not for a bit of chicanery by Gregory.

In the sixth, Plano East’s Paul Garcia hit what should have been a go-ahead home run off L.D. Bell starter Weston Sims.

The ball sliced down the left-field line and over the fence — a few feet inside the foul pole.

“Oh, it was fair,” admitted Gregory.

However, Gregory tricked the four-man umpiring crew by continuing to run into foul territory, holding up his glove as if he was trying to make a play on the other side of the pole.

The umpires convened after the play and ruled the ball foul.

“Obviously, that play was huge,” Plano East coach Travis Collins said. “But it’s not the sole reason for us losing the ballgame. We didn’t swing the bats well. … Their pitcher did a great job.”

Sims, in his first postseason start, pitched a complete-game four-hitter. On the same field last season, he pitched a complete-game shutout against Coppell in the area round for L.D. Bell to advance.

Follow @corbettsmithDMN on Twitter

Walk-off double advances Hurst L.D. Bell to regional semifinals

Posted Saturday, May. 19, 2012

By Kevin Casas

Special to the Star-Telegram

COPPELL -- Hurst L.D. Bell's Blake Henderson had a lot to think about when he stepped to the plate in the bottom of the seventh inning Saturday.

With the winning run on first base and the hottest hitter in the series having struck out, Henderson was just hoping to put the ball in play.

Turning on an inside fastball, Henderson ripped a walk-off double to give the Blue Raiders a 2-1, series-clinching victory over Plano East.

Bell will face Arlington Martin in the Class 5A regional semifinals this week. Martin defeated Lubbock Coronado in two games.

"Knowing how well Cullen [Gassaway] has hit the ball, it was on my mind that he struck out while I was walking up," Henderson said.

"I hadn't made very many good adjustments to the pitches I had seen today, so I had already made up my mind to take a rip at it."

The ball was smoked to the left-center wall and bounded away from left fielder Jacob Boucher, giving Trevor Podsednik time to score the winning run.

"It was a situation where we had some serious things to consider," coach Paul Gibson said. "I didn't know if I should try to bunt the runner over or let them swing away. Cullen's been hitting it well, and Blake didn't give me long to think about it."

Senior Weston Sims, who pitched seven innings for Bell, was the winning pitcher in a deciding game in the regional quarterfinals at Coppell for the second straight season. He defeated Coppell last year.

"Same field, same feeling really," Sims said. "I felt great today and everything was working."

Plano East had a bit of drama in the sixth when Paul Garcia turned on a first-pitch fastball and sent it 315 feet down the left-field line.

After a quick gathering, the umpires ruled it foul.

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/05/19/3972621/walk-off-double-advances-hurst.html#storylink=cpy

Judgment Fall: Bell's walk-off double bounces Panthers from postseason

BY Matt Welch, mwelch@starlocalnews.com

Published: Saturday, May 19, 2012 6:13 PM CDT

COPPELL -- The L.D. Bell baseball team won't be making friends in Plano ISD anytime soon.

One week removed from extinguishing Plano Senior's playoff run in area play, the Blue Raiders handed Plano East its postseason walking papers on Saturday with a 2-1 victory in walk-off fashion to close the best-of-3 regional quarterfinal series.

"We just didn't swing the bats all that well today," said Travis Collins, East head coach. "We hit way too many pop-ups and got balls in the air. We never really made [Bell] have to work for anything."

As has become a recurring theme in East stick-and-ball sports over the past week, the matchup didn't come without its share of late-game controversy.

With both teams knotted at 1-1 in the top of the sixth inning, East senior Paul Garcia took the first pitch from Bell's Weston Sims and clubbed the ball into deep left field.

Hit near the foul pole, Bell left-fielder Gavin Gregory ran by the foul line whiffing an empty glove as the ball sailed over the fence. After some initial discussion, the ball was declared foul, much to Collins' dismay.

"(That ball was) fair by 5 feet," he said. "I want it in print. It's fair by 5 feet and we pay four umpires to watch the baseball and four umpires don't get it right. It's not fair and it's not fair to the kids that they missed that, but life isn't fair and it's a tough life lesson.

"... It's a bad mistake that shouldn't have been made."

The umpire's explanation didn't do much to quell the coach's frustration.

"All of them lost the ball in the sun," Collins said. "Nobody saw it, the guy at first was watching the first-base bag to make sure it was touched, I don't know what the second-base umpire was watching for, but they all said they lost it and never saw it.

"The left-fielder just ran by because he knew it was gone and they saw him go by and never saw the baseball. That's unacceptable."

Instead, the call was just another untimely blip on the radar for an East offense that failed to register a base-runner over the final three innings. And while Bell was anything but a model of success from the plate through six innings, the Raiders managed to strike in the seventh.

Dealt senior reliever Alex Stuart on the bump, Bell got aboard on a walk to Gregory to open the inning. Two batters later, Blake Henderson hammered the ball into the left-center gap, rolling to the wall and allowing Gregory to score from first for the game-winning, walk-off RBI double.

The Raiders' timely surge closed the book on what had been a back-and-forth, defensive-minded contest highlighted by Sims and East senior Jacob DeLaCruz.

Despite seeing limited time on the bump this season, DeLaCruz was game for six innings Saturday, where he held Bell to just one run on three hits while striking out six and walking two.

"[DeLaCruz] did a great job for us today," Collins said. "He was hurt a bit earlier in the year and just hasn't been able to throw for us as much but came out today and threw a great game. He deserved a lot better than what happened. It's tough."

The pitcher's lone blemish came in the fourth inning when Taylor Empkey led the frame off with a double down the first-base line. Following a double steal by he and Gregory, Podsednik scored Empkey on a groundout to junior Nick Ramos for a 1-1 tie.

However, DeLaCruz's showing was gamely countered by Sims, who limited the Panthers to just one run on four hits along with two strikeouts and three walks.

"You don't get this far without having some quality arms," Collins said. "We just pulled off a lot of balls and tried hitting a five-run homer with one guy on base. And then the time we actually did hit one, we don't get credit for it."

The run East was credited for transpired a half-inning before Bell's, with senior Sam Lane knocking home senior Jacob Boucher, who singled earlier in the frame.

The Panthers had other chances as well, getting five runners on base through two innings -- including a bases-loaded scenario in the first inning -- but falling prey to Sims and the Raiders on each occasion.

The end result saw the Panthers close their deepest playoff run since 2009, finishing the season at 22-16-1.

"This is a much more talented group than people give them credit for," Collins said. "We're not very big but one thing I've never had to question with this group all year is how they battle and compete.

"That's all we ask of them and that goes a long way, not just out here but in life."

James Gang: Rudkin paces Panthers' shutout of Bell, forces Game 3

BY Matt Welch, mwelch@starlocalnews.com

Published: Friday, May 18, 2012 11:24 PM CDT

COPPELL -- Plano East sophomore James Rudkin has pitched in games like Friday night's versus L.D. Bell before.

Only instead of Bell, it was against Colleyville Heritage. And before that, it was against Keller Fossil Ridge.

But regardless of the opponent, the only commonality was the "W" that favored the Panthers in the end and Friday was no different, with Rudkin keying a 5-0 victory over the Blue Raiders to draw the teams even, 1-1, in the best-of-3 Region I Quarterfinal series.

"I've gotten used to it," said Rudkin, pitching in his third elimination game of the postseason. "I'm really just starting to settle in and throw strikes; not think about it and just play the game."

The Panthers improved to 4-0 in elimination games during the playoffs, 3-0 with Rudkin as the starter. But after series-clinching showings against Fossil Ridge and Heritage, Friday might have been the sophomore's strongest outing yet.

Rudkin limited a surging Bell squad to just three hits during the complete-game shutout, aiding his performance with five strikeouts and two walks.

"I was hitting the strike zone a lot better and making them hit the ball," Rudkin said. "I gave up only three hits and walked a few guys, so I was very glad to get out of there with no runs allowed."

It was East's first shutout win since April 5 against Plano West, with Bell able to maneuver just three runners into scoring position all night.

Each time, Rudkin had an answer, retiring 12 of the final 13 batters in Friday's win.

"James threw a great game," said Travis Collins, East head coach. "He just competes; he keeps the ball in the zone and keeps people off balance. He did a great job for just being a sophomore."

The East defense had a say in the outcome as well, most notably in the second inning by scuttling Bell's best crack at a run after Blake Henderson was gunned down at home. A single hit by Blake Gibson was promptly tracked down by junior Ryan Kravik and fired home to senior Clark Kahawaii, who caught the ball with Henderson several feet from the plate for the inning-ending out.

The timely defense meshed with an opportunistic offense that gave Rudkin plenty of breathing room after recording four of its five runs in the second.

After a single into left field by senior Jacob Boucher led to pinch-running senior Matt Wylie scoring the game's opening run, sophomore Ryan Rettke knocked in senior Paul Garcia on a fielder's choice to make it 2-0. The Panthers averted a near-double play by Rettke, who hit a grounder to shortstop Trevor Podsednik, when the ensuing throw to first by Toby Brown sailed wide of Cullen Gassaway at first, scoring the run and keeping the Panthers going.

East made the Raiders pay, with senior Sam Lane proceeding to pound a two-run triple into the left-center gap that scored Boucher and Rettke for a 4-0 cushion.

"You've just got to capitalize on mistakes," Collins said. "[On Thursday], they capitalized on our mistakes and tonight, we capitalized on theirs."

The Panthers added to their lead in the fourth on another Bell miscue, this time in the form of a wild pitch by Bryce Kidwell that allowed Kravik to score from third. While control proved a dicey proposition for Kidwell all evening, the Blue Raiders' hurler did well enough to tame the Panthers' bats, surrendering just four hits while striking out three over seven innings.

It was the absence of those mistakes on East's end that made the most marked difference from the night before, when Bell opened the series with a 7-4 victory.

"We made some errors [Thursday night] that don't show up in the score book," Collins said. "Missing cut-off men and a passed ball or two; just little things that let runners advance and it ended up costing us."

Friday's win kept the Panthers afloat and forced a series-deciding Game 3 Saturday at 1 p.m. from Coppell (results not available at press time).

SportsDay HS powered by The Dallas Morning News
Staff Reports

Staff Reports The Dallas Morning News

Published: 18 May 2012 11:58 PM

Class 5A

Plano East 5, Hurst L.D. Bell 0: James Rudkin hurled a complete-game shutout as Plano East won Game 2 to even the best-of-3 Class 5A Region I quarterfinal series at Coppell Baseball Complex.

Facing elimination, Rudkin yielded just three hits and struck out five. Sam Lane put an exclamation point on Plano East’s four-run second inning with a two-out, two-run triple.

Trevor Podsednik, Cullen Gassaway and Blake Gibson each singled to account for Bell’s only offense. Like Rudkin, Bell starting pitcher Bryce Kidwell threw a complete game but allowed five runs and walked six.

Arlington Martin 9, Lubbock Coronado 3: Martin’s offense wasted little time, scoring eight runs in the first three innings and cruised to a Game 1 win in a best-of-3 Class 5A Region I quarterfinal series at Hardin-Simmons. Martin starting pitcher Turner Larkins threw a complete game and struck out 10.

Josh Watson, Mitchell Peck and Collin Day each drove in a pair of runs for Martin.

Posted Friday, May. 18, 2012

Plano East shuts out L.D. Bell, forces Game 3

By Kevin Casas

Special to the Star-Telegram

COPPELL -- Plano East coach Travis Collins wasn't sure who would pitch Friday's Game 2 of a Class 5A regional quarterfinal series after a Game 1 loss.

He said he needed to consider everything at hand.

The decisions worked well as Plano East defeated Hurst L.D. Bell 5-0 in Game 2 to force a deciding Game 3 at 1 p.m. today at Coppell.

Collins chose left-hander James Redkin and in the process, flip flopped his batting order to try to charge the bottom half of the lineup.

"What they did obviously worked," Bell coach Paul Gibson said. "We were expecting them to throw another right hander like they have previously, but I just told our guys we've been in this position before. We'll have to get it done tomorrow."

Redkin was strong with a mix of off-speed pitches and a nice breaking ball, surrendering only four hits. He seemed to get stronger as the game wore on. Redkin threw 109 pitches and struck out five.

Plano East hammered away in the second inning with four runs on three hits. The rally started after five-hole hitter Clark Kahawaii drew a walk. Sam Lane's two-run triple to left-center was the key blow.

Bell starter Bryce Kidwell worked seven innings and was strong in his effort despite the second inning. He gave up only four hits.

"He settled in and did well for a sophomore," Gibson said.

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/05/18/3971419/plano-east-drops-ld-bell-forces.html#storylink=cpy

L.D. Bell solid in Game 1 win over Plano East

Posted Thursday, May. 17, 2012

By Kevin Casas

Special to the Star-Telegram

COPPELL -- Hurst L.D. Bell's Trevor Podsednik sent a loud and clear message to Plano East on Thursday night.

Podsednik swatted the first pitch he saw over the wall in left-center field for a two-run homer in the first inning, and the Blue Raiders went on to take Game 1 of a best-of-three regional quarterfinal series from Plano East 7-4.

I was looking fastball all the way," Podsednik said. "Usually I'll hang back on a first-pitch breaking ball. It was good to get that one out and start some things for our pitcher."

It was all offense for Bell, but right-hander Blake Henderson was strong in seven innings of work. He gave up runs in the first and third but threw 87 pitches and was backed by strong defense.

The first and fifth innings proved the most damaging to Plano East.

After Podsednik smacked his homer off Plano East starter Ryan Boucher, the Raiders got a double from Cullen Gassaway, and Sydney Daley reached on an error.

Gassaway moved up on the error and scored when Harrison Scheffler hit a sacrifice fly to deep center. Daley also scored on the play after an errant throw to second base.

Plano East scored in the bottom of the first and third innings to cut the lead to 4-2.

In the fifth, Gavin Gregory drew a two-out walk, and Podsednik was hit by a pitch. Gregory stole second and scored on Gassaway's single to left field.

Podsednik scored on a passed ball to extend the lead to 6-2. Bell added a run in the seventh.

Henderson was strong with a mix of breaking pitches and inside fastballs. He threw nine pitches in the first inning, eight in the second and seven in the fourth to keep his work short.

Game 2 is at 7:30 tonight at Coppell.

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/05/17/3968976/bell-solid-in-game-1-win-over.html#storylink=cpy

Special to the Star-Telegram/Steve Nurenberg

L.D. Bell's Trevor Podsednik, who homered in the first, scores another run in the fifth.

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/05/17/3968976/bell-solid-in-game-1-win-over.html#article_photos#storylink=cpy

Comments 0 | Recommend jquery1337486568880=

Hurst L.D. Bell pitcher Blake Henderson again comes up big in playoffs

By

Matt Wixon / Reporter

mwixon@dallasnews.com | Bio

12:59 PM on Fri., May. 18, 2012 | Permalink

With a 7-4 victory over Plano East on Thursday, Hurst L.D. Bell is now one win from the 5A Region I semifinals. The Blue Raiders are also 4-0 in the postseason, and pitcher Blake Henderson is a big reason for that.

Henderson has been the winning pitcher in three of the games. Each time, he threw a complete game, a nice bonus that keeps other pitchers fresh.

Last night, Trevor Podsednik hit a two-run home run in the top of the first inning to get L.D. Bell rolling and take some pressure off Henderson. Game 2 of the best-of-3 series is tonight.

Last week, Henderson threw a complete-game shutout over two days as L.D. Bell won a one-game playoff, 10-2, against Plano. Henderson allowed only four hits and one earned run over the two days.

In the opening round, Henderson pitched a complete-game four-hitter in a 5-0 victory over Mansfield Legacy. Bryce Kidwell got the win in Game 2 as L.D. Bell completed the sweep.

Wixon: Parity makes for wild playoffs as little separates district champs from teams that barely qualified

mwixon@dallasnews.com

Published: 16 May 2012 10:26 PM

On a Friday night late in the district season, the Plano baseball team took down Plano East, 7-2, to take sole possession of first place in District 8-5A. A day later, Colleyville Heritage continued its roll through District 6-5A with a 6-1 victory over Hurst L.D. Bell.

Fast forward three weeks to last Saturday’s playoff games and you’ll see why high school baseball is so difficult to predict.

Plano East knocked out Colleyville Heritage, the No. 1 team in SportsDay’s Class 5A area rankings, in a best-of-3 series. And in a one-game playoff, L.D. Bell beat Plano, 10-2.

Plano East lost three of its final four district games and L.D. Bell lost its final two regular-season games. But everything can change in the playoffs.

“This time of year, it’s a matter of getting hot, playing well and not making a ton of mistakes,” L.D. Bell coach Paul Gibson said. “That’s what we’ve done the last two weeks.”

That’s how you survive in brackets filled with so many evenly matched teams. There are always some playoff qualifiers that can’t compete, but in many cases, little separates a district champion from a third or fourth seed.

That’s why, after only two rounds of playoffs, more than half the district champions in Class 4A and 5A have been eliminated. No district winners have played each other yet, and already 34 of the 64 district champs are done for the year.

Fourteen second seeds are still in the 4A and 5A brackets, along with 13 third seeds, including L.D. Bell and Plano East. Seven teams that finished fourth in district have made it to the regional quarterfinals, including Red Oak. Each of those fourth seeds beat a district champion in the first round.

This is nothing new, of course. Just last year, Lake Dallas and Waxahachie each finished fourth in district and then advanced to the 4A regional semifinals. Burleson was the third seed from 7-4A, knocked off two district champs and lost in the regional final to eventual state champion Wichita Falls Rider.

Two years ago, Plano West tied for second in district and then booted three district champions on the way to the 5A semifinals. Frisco Wakeland, a fourth seed that year, advanced to the 4A semifinals. Wakeland needed to win a district tiebreaker just to get into the playoffs, but a month later, it clobbered Rockwall-Heath in a regional final. Rockwall-Heath had been No. 1 in the state rankings most of the year.

In another sport, it might be shocking. But in baseball, it’s almost expected.

A star pitcher can elevate a so-so team, especially in a one-game playoff. A weak single can score the winning run and a deep smash can be caught for the final out. There are bad hops, fielding errors and freak plays.

Now every team is dangerous. And every team, regardless of the potholes it hit earlier in the season, believes it can drive all the way to the state tournament.

Follow @mattwixon on Twitter

2012 Area Champions

For Whom the Bell Rolls: Wildcats battered by Raiders in area-round exit

BY Matt Welch, mwelch@starlocalnews.com

Published: Saturday, May 12, 2012 6:24 PM CDT

CARROLLTON -- The Plano Senior baseball team was staring uncertainty in the eyes before it even took the field Saturday afternoon against L.D. Bell.

Literally.

Before the first pitch was tossed from senior Hunter Raley's glove, the Wildcats faced a 4-1 deficit in the top of the second inning in what was a continuation from Friday's rain-suspended area-round matchup between the two.

That continuation manifested itself in more ways than one, with Bell picking up right where it left off from the night before in a 10-2 victory.

"All I can say is that [Bell] did a heck of a job," said Rick Robertson, Plano head coach. "They got runners on, hit the ball and just out-played us in every phase."

The loss eliminated the Wildcats from the playoffs in an untimely scenario for the District 8-5A champions, whose prospects of a best-of-3 series went out the window when rain postponed Friday's game until Saturday and in turn, forced a one-game playoff.

The effects were prevalent from the get-go, with a heightened sense of aggression and activity from the Wildcats, primarily on the base-paths.

It proved a double-edged sword for Plano, with an infield single by freshman Cody Farhat in the second inning leading to two stolen bases by the right-fielder, who would score after junior Brad Hoeler reached base on an error to draw the count to 5-2.

It also worked to Plano's detriment at times, with senior Justin Arrington scampering for second base in the third inning, only to have junior Michael Crawford line out to center and Arrington unable to get back to first to avert the double play.

"We were trying to make something happen and felt like we could run," Robertson said. "... We would have continued but we never really had anyone on base early."

That was anything but the case for the Raiders, who stole seven bases over the two-day contest.

"[Bell] wasn't just aggressive at it," Robertson said, "they were very successful. They picked their spots well and got the big hits along with it, and that always helps."

Bell was also game for capitalizing on the occasional Wildcat miscue, as was the case when Gavin Gregory scored on a Raley passed ball in the second inning. It was an indicator of things to come, as just three of Bell's 10 runs were produced by way of RBI.

"I have a lot of confidence in these guys," Robertson said. "I really felt like we could throw some zeroes on the board and give ourselves a chance to win. Unfortunately, [Bell] kept that pressure on us by getting on base and those zeroes never came."

That pressure was applied from stem to stern, highlighted by a three-run sixth inning by the Raiders. There, an RBI single by Toby Brown scored Cullen Gassaway, with Sydney Daley plated in that same sequence after a throw home from Farhat to Crawford sailed wide of the plate for the 10-2 lead. Two batters prior, Podsednik scored on a passed ball thrown by senior Matt McLean, who relieved Raley after 2.2 innings of work.

Raley's stint on the bump proved an interesting one, with the lefty at one time striking out six consecutive batters before five of the final seven batters he'd face would reach base -- two after being hit by a pitch.

The loss would belong to a player who never so much as grazed the diamond Saturday, as Friday's starter -- senior Connor Reed -- surrendered five runs on four hits while walking four.

The Raiders rolled with just one pitcher over both days, with Blake Henderson limiting Plano to just two runs on four hits, while striking out one and walking three. Three of those hits came Saturday, all of the infield single variety, with Henderson at one time retiring nine consecutive batters.

The opportunities never presented themselves for the Wildcats and as such, the team bows out in the area round to cap their 2012 campaign at 21-7-3.

"It was pretty frustrating," Robertson said. "It was frustrating for all of us, but sometimes when you get on a roll things like that will happen. [Bell is] on a roll right now and we just couldn't stop it."

SportsDay HS

Published: 12 May 2012 11:27 PM

Hurst L.D. Bell 10, Plano 2: Starting pitcher Blake Henderson threw a complete-game shutout over two days as Hurst L.D. Bell advanced to the Region I quarterfinals by winning a one-game playoff at Kelly Field in Carrollton. Henderson picked up where he left off Friday, when the game was called in the top of the second inning with Bell leading, 4-1. Henderson allowed just four hits and two runs (one earned) over the two-day, seven-inning game

Strainfall: Weather puts Wildcats in must-win hole against Bell

BY Matt Welch, mwelch@starlocalnews.com

Published: Friday, May 11, 2012 11:33 PM CDT

The Plano Senior baseball team's margin for error this postseason just reduced significantly.

Already tasked with overcoming a three-run deficit through 1.1 innings against L.D. Bell Friday, the Wildcats saw rainfall wash away what was originally a best-of-3 series against the Raiders, suspending play and now leaving both teams with a one-game area playoff Saturday at 3 p.m. from Kelly Field in Carrollton (results not available at press time).

Even more unsettling for the Wildcats is that Bell's 4-1 lead at the time of suspension will be upheld when play resumes Saturday.

"It's 4-1, [Hurst] has runners on first and second with one out," said Rick Robertson, Plano head coach. "It's not what we wanted to do, but we weren't going to be able to fit in a game [Friday night]. By rule, it then goes to a one-game series."

It'll at least give the Wildcats a chance to sleep on one of the more unsettling starts to a game this season, as Bell capitalized on a pair of Plano errors and three hits for a 3-0 start in the first inning. A double steal by Taylor Empkey and Trevor Podsednik worked in Bell's favor with the former stealing home and the latter capitalizing on an error by Plano junior Michael Crawford for a 2-0 lead.

Cullen Gassaway extended the lead by scoring on a passed ball from senior Connor Reed shortly afterwards, making it 3-0.

"It was very uncharacteristic of us," Robertson said. "Anything that could go wrong went wrong, but we got out of it and got a run back. We just need to put it behind us and come out [on Saturday] and play like we play."

The Wildcats countered with some crafty baserunning of their own, with senior Matt McLean and sophomore Connor Brady teaming up for a double steal that ended with the former crossing home to reduce the deficit to 3-1.

The Raiders matched that with a run in the top of the second after Empkey scored following an error by freshman Mitchell Hansen.

With Gavin Gregory on second and Podsednik on first, play was suspended with Gassaway at the plate -- a scenario that will be replicated Saturday afternoon when the two teams resume play in what will be the only meeting between Plano and Bell this postseason.

"There's no margin for error," Robertson said.

SportsDay HS

Staff reports: The Dallas Morning News

Published: 05 May 2012 07:52 PM

Hurst L.D. Bell 5, Mansfield Legacy 2: Gavin Gregory homered, and Trevor Podsednik doubled twice and drove in two runs as L.D. Bell (18-10-1) swept Legacy (22-10).

2012 Bi-District Champions

LD Bell / Grapevine Tie Breaker

By Kevin Lonnquist

klonnquist@star-telegram.com

District 6-5A finished its regular season last Saturday, while the rest of the area districts will finish their seasons on Friday.

Grapevine (17-10-1):The Mustangs ran off their last 10 wins in District 6-5A and caught Hurst L.D. Bell for second place with 12-4 records. Because the teams split their two district meetings, they will play a playoff game on Friday to determine who earns the third seed.

Grapevine coach Tim McCune and L.D. Bell coach Paul Gibson were scheduled to meet Tuesday to determine a time and site. It's likely that they will go with a neutral location. Colleyville Heritage and Euless Trinity were likely candidates for the site.

The game is pretty important, because the Mustangs and Blue Raiders would like any advantage against their District 5-5A opponent. That district also had a couple of unknown scenarios. Cedar Hill and Mansfield Legacy were tied for second with 9-4 records.

McCune isn't sure how he wants to play the game against the Blue Raiders from a pitching standpoint. He could start Conner McGuire, but McCune may only want to use him for a couple of innings to get him ready for the playoffs.

Colleyville Heritage (24-4):The Panthers finished the 6-5A season as the outright district champions with a 15-1 record. The only loss came against Grapevine.

What coach Alan McDougal was hoping for was to find an extra game so his team wouldn't be rusty before the playoffs begin. But the earliest he could play the game was on Friday because of the standardized test schedule.

If nothing else, the Panthers likely will play intra-squad games. It's not clear who the Panthers will face in the bi-district round of the playoffs next week.

District 5-5A's fourth playoff position appeared to be a battle between Midlothian and South Grand Prairie. The Panthers finished the district season winning their last five games.

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/04/23/3905853/big-game-looming-for-mustangs.html#storylink=cpy

2012 BLUE RAIDER SENIORS

Pictures by Brian Small Productions

We don't remember days,

we remember moments.

CONGRATULATIONS SENIORS

2012 Varsity Poster

By Brian Small Productions

Do you want fries with that!

Janell, Charla & Lisa

Working concessions opening day at Rangers Ballpark

raising funds for LD Bell Blue Raider baseball

Thank you guys!

National Signing Day 2012 CONGRATULATIONS!

To Cullen Gassaway for signing

Letter of Intent to play College Baseball.

Cullen Gassaway - Blinn College

Also signing (but not pictured)

Signing letter of intent to play College Baseball.

Trevor Podsednik - McLennan College

SportsDayHS powered by The Dallas Morning News
March 28, 2012 09:43 PM CDT

Latest Dallas-area baseball rankings: Colleyville Heritage jumps to top of 5A

Colleyville Heritage moved from the No. 2 spot to the top of Class 5A in the latest Dallas-area high school baseball rankings.

(Records through Tuesday)

CLASS 5A

Rank, School, Record, Previous

1. Colleyville Heritage, 15-3, 2

2. Arlington Martin, 16-1-1, 3

3. Flower Mound, 16-5, 1

4. Mansfield, 12-4-1, 6

5. Plano, 11-4-3, NR

6. Keller Fossil Ridge, 14-4, 7

7. Rowlett, 13-6, 9

8. Hurst L.D. Bell, 11-5-1, NR

9. Gar. Naaman Forest, 10-5, NR

10. McKinney Boyd, 14-6, 10

Dropped out: No. 4 Denton Guyer, No. 5 Flower Mound Marcus, No. 8 Sachse

L.D. Bell Blue Raiders Varsity 2012

Posted Sunday, Feb. 19, 2012

Teams to Watch

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/02/19/3747100/colleyville-heritage-expected.html#storylink=cpy

By Brent Shirley

bshirley@star-telegram.com
Hurst L.D. Bell: Senior Weston Sims (6-3, 2.0 ERA last year) will lead Bell's pitching staff, as the Blue Raiders try to improve on last year's regional finals run. First baseman Cullen Gassaway (.430 35 RBIs) will pace Bell's offense that has to replace catcher Hunter Lockwood, last year's Star-Telegram Player of the Year who had 19 home runs and 57 RBIs. Senior Taylor Empkey, who batted .400, will take over behind the plate.

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/02/19/3747100/colleyville-heritage-expected.html#storylink=cpy