(L-r) Mason Cervenka, Granger Studdard and Trevor Ragsdale will be three varsity newcomers who will try to make an impact for the Rebel baseball team this season. Hays is going for its fifth straight district title in 2011. (Photo by Jason Gordon)
by JASON GORDON
For the second time during his head baseball coaching career at Hays, head coach Doug Ragsdale and the Rebels will be on a drive for five.
That’s five district titles in a row.
In the mid-to-late 1990s, the Rebels won four district crowns in a row before finally finishing in second place.
Hays has now won or shared four straight district titles again, and will go for a fifth in a row this season.
The Rebels will have a challenge on their hands as their new District 27-4A is likely to be tougher top to bottom than the league Hays competed in the last two season. 27-4A includes the likes of Smithson Valley, Canyon, Clemens, Alamo Heights and of course cross-town rival Lehman, which made its first-ever playoff appearance in 2010.
“I really don’t think along the lines that we are going for five district titles in a row,” Ragsdale said. “Every year we think we can compete with the other teams in our district and things have worked out pretty well for us.”
Hays outfielder Mason Cervenka said he and his teammates are already thinking ahead on how special it would be to win a fifth in a row.
“Winning district is always a goal here,” Cervenka said. “We’ve won it four years in a row, so five would be a pretty big deal.”
After getting knocked out of the playoffs early in 2009, a Hays team that wasn’t expected to do much in 2010 knocked off Montgomery and Nederland in the postseason before losing to eventual state champion Brenham in the regional quarterfinals.
“Last year was really special,” Ragsdale said. “We graduated a lot from the 2009 team. What was great about last year’s team is that not one player thought they were better than anyone else on the team. We had great chemistry.”
This year’s team will be a mix of players with varsity experience and varsity newcomers.
The starting infield will include first baseman Chase Brunnemann, who hit more than .300 as a part-time varsity starter last year, second baseman Matt Casas, shortstop Rueben Miller, who hit .325 and was an all-district performer at second base last year, third baseman Stefen Navarro, who hit a couple of key homers in district play last season, and catcher Victor Rubio, who hit .365 last season.
“We have a chance to be as good as we’ve ever been defensively in the infield,” Ragsdale said. “We have a lot of guys with varsity experience, which is always a good thing.”
In the outfield, speedy Masen Gully will handle centerfield duties, Cervenka will be one of the other full-time outfielders, and Nick Cavazos and Granger Studdard will split time at the other outfield spot.
Casas, Miller and Cavazos will be Hays’ three starting pitchers this season.
“None of our three starters have overpowering speed, but they locate their pitches well,” Ragsdale said. “I think all three will do well this season.”
Ragsdale has also been impressed with his two middle relievers, Aaron Martinets and Trevor Ragsdale.
“Both of them have thrown a lot of strikes during our scrimmages,” he said. “That’s always a concern with relief pitching.”
Hays opened the season Tuesday at Dripping Springs. The Rebels will play in the San Marcos, Judson and Austin ISD tournaments before hosting their home and district opener on March 8 against Lehman.
