Texas high school baseball playoffs: 2022 UIL Class 2A Baseball State Tournament preview, players to watch

SBLive Texas takes a closer look at the top players, storylines and x-factors to watch during the 2022 UIL Class 2A Baseball State Championships on Wednesday (June 8) and Thursday (June 9)

AUSTIN, Texas — The road to the Texas high school baseball state championships ends this week deep in the heart of the Lone Star State at the 2022 UIL Baseball State Tournament.

The sixth and seventh rounds of the playoffs will get underway at Dell Diamond in Round Rock and Disch-Falk Field in Austin with the last two dozen teams left standing around the state battling for six titles during a five-day state championship weekend.

RELATED: Class 2A UIL Baseball State Tournament bracket

The UIL’s Class 2A Baseball State Tournament will highlight state championship weekend’s early action, as semifinal matchups begin Wednesday (June 8) followed by the 2A state championship game on Thursday (June 9).

Here are the projected first-pitch times for each of those Class 2A state tournament games:

• Class 2A state semifinal — Valley Mills (28-2-2) vs. New Home (33-3), 4 p.m. Wednesday, June 8th, at Dell Diamond in Round Rock
• Class 2A state semifinal — Shiner (33-0) vs. Garrison (31-7-1), 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 8th, at Dell Diamond in Round Rock
• Class 2A state championship — Valley Mills/New Home vs. Shiner/Garrison, Noon Thursday, June 9th, at Dell Diamond in Round Rock

SBLive Texas will be taking a closer look at the state’s top players, storylines and x-factors to watch in each classification level during the 2022 UIL Baseball State Championships throughout the week.

We’ll begin by taking a deep dive to analyze the competition in the four-team Class 2A baseball state tournament field, which features Garrison, New Home, Shiner and Valley Mills.

Here’s what you need to know about the Bulldogs, Leopards, Comanches and Eagles before they step onto the diamond to duel for the 2A UIL Baseball State Championship:

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GARRISON BULLDOGS

Season Record: 21-4-1 overall, Region III champions

How They Got Here: 9-0 postseason record

• Bi-district round — W 14-1; W 20-0 vs. Colmesneil
• Area round — W 13-0 vs. Lovelady
• Regional quarterfinal — W 13-9; W 13-3 vs. Douglass
• Regional semifinal — W 2-1; W 19-1 vs. Simms Bowie
• Regional championship — W 10-0; W 3-2 vs. Centerville

Head Coach: Dempsey Compton (8th season)

Players to Watch: Senior 3B/P Britt King; Senior DH/3B Chalon Driver; Senior P/1B Alex Slowikowski; Sophomore OF/P Brayden Davidson; Senior C/3B Andrew Slowikowski

State Tournament Appearances (Most Recent): Two (2021)

UIL Baseball State Championships (Most Recent): None

Distance to Dell Diamond: 227 miles

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NEW HOME LEOPARDS

Season Record: 33-3 overall, Region I champions

How They Got Here: 10-1 postseason record

• Bi-district round — W 11-0; W 27-6 vs. Post
• Area round — W 12-2; W 13-3 vs. Sunray
• Regional quarterfinal — W 18-2; W 13-0 vs. New Deal
• Regional semifinal — W 11-6; L 2-4; W 13-12 vs. Anson
• Regional championship — W 5-3; W 15-5 vs. Albany

Head Coach: Brady Webb (7th season)

Players to Watch: Sophomore 3B/P Ashton Lucio; Junior 1B Brody Emert; Sophomore SS/P Logan Addison; Junior DH/RF Hunter Watkins; Senior SS/P Zach Blizel; Junior LF Jackson Raines

State Tournament Appearances (Most Recent): Three (2019)

UIL Baseball State Championships (Most Recent): None

Distance to Dell Diamond: 361 miles

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SHINER COMANCHES

Season Record: 33-0 overall, Region IV champions

How They Got Here: 9-0 postseason record

• Bi-district round — W 24-0; W 15-0 vs. Bremond
• Area round — W 10-0 vs. Dallardsville Big Sandy
• Regional quarterfinal — W 1-0; W 8-1 vs. Thorndale
• Regional semifinal — W 10-0; W 8-3 vs. Kenedy
• Regional championship — W 1-0; W 3-2 vs. Mumford

Head Coach: Daniel Boedeker (19th season)

Players to Watch: Senior P/1B AJ Patek; Junior P/SS Ryan Patterson; Junior SS/P Drew Wenske; Junior C Bryce Nerada; Senior 3B/P Bryce Filip

State Tournament Appearances (Most Recent): Six (2021)

UIL Baseball State Championships (Most Recent): Four (2004)

Distance to Dell Diamond: 101 miles

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VALLEY MILLS EAGLES

Season Record: 28-2-2 overall, Region II champions

How They Got Here: 8-0 postseason record

• Bi-district round — W 10-0; W 23-4 vs. Lipan
• Area round — W 12-2; W 10-0 vs. Rio Vista
• Regional quarterfinal — W 7-1 vs. Axtell
• Regional semifinal — W 6-0 vs. Collinsville
• Regional championship — W 8-4; W 5-4 vs. Bosqueville

Head Coach: Doug Sanafelt (1st season)

Players to Watch: Senior P/OF Cooper Ewing; Senior 2B/P Eli McNair; Sophomore 1B/P Kennett Mclane; Sophomore SS/P Cason Johnson; Senior OF/3B Kaleb Kuligowski

State Tournament Appearances (Most Recent): Seven (2019)

UIL Baseball State Championships (Most Recent): Three (1992)

Distance to Dell Diamond: 89 miles

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Stay with SBLive Texas all week and throughout the postseason for scores, game recaps, photo galleries, top performers and much more.

For complete statewide scores and schedules, check our Texas scoreboards below:

STATEWIDE TEXAS SCOREBOARD

REGION I SCOREBOARD | REGION II SCOREBOARD

REGION III SCOREBOARD | REGION IV SCOREBOARD

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Here are the brackets for every classification level this week at the 2022 Texas (UIL) Baseball State Championships:

CLASS 6A BASEBALL STATE TOURNAMENT BRACKET

CLASS 5A BASEBALL STATE TOURNAMENT BRACKET

CLASS 4A BASEBALL STATE TOURNAMENT BRACKET

CLASS 3A BASEBALL STATE TOURNAMENT BRACKET

CLASS 2A BASEBALL STATE TOURNAMENT BRACKET

CLASS 1A BASEBALL STATE TOURNAMENT BRACKET

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