The Carroll baseball team suffered a shocking exit from the Texas 5A state playoffs last season. This year, the same kids are back, and they've got what it takes to erase that memory.
Photo by Jim Redman
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.
O'Shea Dumas
Photo by Jim Redman
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
