Carroll: No. 3 in Preseason Xcellent 25 Baseball Rankings

A season after surprising the Lone Star State by winning the 5A title, Carroll experienced what one local writer called a "seismic upset in Texas high school baseball" by losing 10-0 to a 15-loss Coronado squad in the 2011 class semifinals – and in five innings, no less.

However, the Tigers return all their key players from the 2011 team that finished 35-6, a base that includes star centerfielder/pitcher and MaxPreps Preseason All-American Courtney Hawkins, who signed with Texas but could get drafted in the first round of this June's Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.

Moreover, there is a six-player senior class that helped Carroll surprise the state two seasons ago, a group that includes Texas A&M-Corpus Christi signees first baseman/pitcher O'Shea Dumes and outfielder/pitcher Chris Cano. They give the Tigers three aces atop their rotation, with Hawkins topping out at 94 mph and Dumes touching 90 on the radar gun.

And they give Carroll hopes of earning state and national championship rings.



Those six seniors also help Carroll begin the season ranked No. 3 in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 Preseason National Baseball Rankings.

The offense should also be solid with Hawkins and Dumes leading the way. Other position players returning include shortstop Trey Rodriguez, third baseman Josh Cruz and outfielder Jason Franco.

Local look: "They've got pretty much every key person back. They made the state tournament the past two years. They're trying to become the second team to make the 5A playoffs three straight years. There's a ton of expectations on them. They've got a core group. It's really a team where it's state or bust. It's kind of harsh to put that expectation on them, but for the kids and they're fans, it's realistic."
- Greg Rajan, Corpus Christi Caller-Times
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School Size: Class 5A

Enrollment: 2,399

2011 Finish: 35-6

Head Coach: Lee Yeager



Years at School: 12

Notable Alumni:
Brooks Kieschnick (Chicago Cubs)
Cliff Pennington (Oakland A's)
Roman Escamilla (AAA)
Mark Blackmar (Drafted by Baltimore)

Key Returners:
Sr. CF/P Courtney Hawkins (.410, 15 HR, 42 RBIs, 22 SB)
Sr. P/1B O'Shea Dumes (.357, 11 HR, 52 RBIs)
Sr. RF/P Chris Cano (.371, 3 HR, 27 RBIs, 18 SB)
Sr. SS Trey Rodriguez (.300, 2 HR, 22 RBIs, 42 BB)
Sr. 3B Josh Cruz (.400, 8 HR, 39 RBIs, 50 H)
Sr. OF Jason Franco

Key Losses:
None.
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Toughest Games: The inaugural USA Baseball National High School Invitational held March 28-31 in Cary, N.C., a 16-game, single-elimination tournament. Among their potential opponents: Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas), Columbus (Ga.), Gulliver Prep (Miami) and Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.).

Local Outlook: No question about it, Carroll is the best of District 28-5A and Class 5A in the Lone Star State. The Tigers begin the year ranked No. 1 in the Texas Baseball Coaches Association Class 5A preseason rankings, just ahead of Memorial (Houston), The Woodlands, Carroll (Southlake), Langham Creek and Klein Oak.

Overall Outlook: With their experience and talent, the Tigers should remain among the national elite all spring. They could easily capture a second 5A state championship and ascend higher up in our poll. However, if an injury or two strikes, they will need to rely on their young, unproven depth – which could prove to be problematic.



Coach Quote: "Our goals are to challenge for a state and national championship."
- Lee Yeager