Who should be Texas High School On SI Baseball Player of the Week? Vote for the best (05/06/2025)

We've compiled 20 of last week's first-round playoff performances and we're asking you to read up on each and vote for who you think should be Texas High School on SI Baseball Player of the Week

Levi Payton | May 7, 2025

Who should be Texas High School On SI Baseball Player of the Week? / High School On SI

While nearly half of last week's playoff teams have been eliminated after the first round of games in the Texas UIL Class 1A-6A State Baseball Championships, the road to the state championship began to narrow for those who are advancing to this week's area round.

Legends are made in the playoffs, and each of the 20 of the candidates you'll read about below helped alter their respective program's history books with impact performances.

Congratulations to Emerson McKnight of Flower Mound Marcus, who won last week's poll with 51.78% of the votes after pitching a 1-hitter with eight strikeouts and no walks in seven innings in a 1-0 win against Coppell.

Read up on each candidate below and cast your vote in the poll at the bottom of the page. You may vote as many times as you'd like. Voting ends on Tuesday, May 13 at 11:59 p.m. Central time.

Disclaimer: Voting polls are intended to be a fun way to create fan engagement and express support for your favorite high school athletes and teams. Unless expressly noted, there are no awards for winning the voting. Our primary focus is to highlight the abilities and accomplishments of all the athletes and teams included in our poll. You may vote as many times as you'd like and are encouraged to share our polls with others.

Texas High School On SI Baseball Player of the Week

(From the week of April 28-May 5)

Landen Burns, Hawkins

Burns collected three hits on Saturday, but his last one was easily the biggest of the three-game bi-district series between Hawkins and Omaha Pewitt. Locked in a 4-4 tie in the top of the eighth inning in the decisive game, Burns roped a one-out RBI double to drive in the go-ahead run. Hawkins went on to win 5-4 and take the series. Burns finished 3-for-3 with a run and an RBI.

Diego Castillo, Weslaco

Castillo’s big day helped make up the difference in the decisive game of their Class 6A Division I bi-district series against San Benito on Friday. In make-or-break Game 3, Castillo went 4-for-5 with a walk, a double, 5 RBI and scored a run in the 9-4 victory. He cracked a 3-run double in the third inning to make it 4-0, then added a 2-run single in the top of the 11th (part of a five-run inning). Weslaco will face Buda Johnson in the area round this week.

Kohl Collins, Fairfield

Collins stepped up with his team facing elimination twice last week. In Game 2 of Friday’s Class 3A Division I series against Little River Academy, after being shutout 2-0 on Thursday, Collins breathed life back into the offense, going 4-for-5 with a triple, a double, 5 RBI and scored two runs in a 15-9 victory. In Friday’s finale, he grounded into a fielder’s choice in the top of the seventh, stole second with two outs and then scored the go-ahead, and final, run on a throwing error. The Eagles take on Whitney in the second round this week.

Vince Estrada, Rockwall

After winning Game 1 of their Class 6A Division I bi-district series against Sachse on Thursday, Rockwall was desperate to close it out on Friday in Game 2. Estrada helped make that happen as he went toe-to-toe with Sachse starter Zach Evans for seven innings before Rockwall walked it off in the seventh. Estrada didn’t get the winning hit, but he helped make it all happen with his effectiveness on the mound. He scattered four hits and one walk in she shutout while striking out six to earn the decisive win.

Teodoro Estudillo, Pharr-San Juan-Alamo North

Estudillo contributed significantly to both of PSJA North’s wins in its Class 5A Division I first-round series against Brownsville Rivera. In Game 1, Estudillo went 3-for-3 at the plate with a triple, two doubles, 3 RBI and scored two runs in the Raiders’ 9-0 victory on Thursday. After losing 4-2 on Friday and facing elimination in the winner-takes-all rubbermatch, Estudillo drew the start on the mound in the decisive Game 3 and shoved; scattering four hits across seven scoreless innings with three strikeouts – and added a hit at the plate – in a 4-0 victory. PSJA North advances to face Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial in the second round.

Braden Hogan, Odessa Compass Academy

In a 9-8 win in Game 1 on Friday against Anthony, Hogan went 3-for-4 with two doubles, one triple, 2 RBI, scored one run and pitched 1.2 innings, allowing two earned runs on two hits with two strikeouts. When Odessa swept the series with an 11-8 win on Saturday, Hogan contributed with a hit and scored a run while also pitching three innings, allowing a pair of unearned runs on two hits with seven strikeouts and three walks.

Cole Koeninger, Keller

Koeninger had a big day on the mound and at the plate to help Keller advance to the Class 6A Division I area round. While he was saddled with a no-decision, Koeninger started on the mound and pitched seven scoreless innings, scattering three hits and two walks with 12 strikeouts. At the plate, he had three of Keller’s four hits in the game and drove in two in a three-run top of the ninth to help secure the win.

Kade Landry, Lampasas

It wasn’t the bottom of the ninth, or a home run, but Kade Landry lived out every young baseball player’s dream on Friday in the Class 4A Division I playoff. Facing elimination after getting walked off by Gatesville in nine innings in Game 1 on Thursday, Lampasas was trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the seventh in Game 2 on Friday with Landry at the plate. With two outs, two runners on and a 3-2 count, Landry put bat to ball and saved Lampasas’ season. His double to right brought home both baserunners and the Badgers walked off 2-1 winners. The win forced Game 3 on Saturday, which Lampasas led all the way and won, 4-3, to advance to the area round this week.

Cash Linder, Tom Bean

Linder had a big day on Friday in Game 2 of Tom Bean’s Class 2A Division I bi-district series against Cooper. The junior right hander fired a complete game one-hitter with eight strikeouts and three walks in seven innings to earn the series-clinching win on the mound. He also had a hit and drove in two runs in the 4-0 win. Tom Bean won Game 1 9-1 and advanced to face Nocona in the second round.

Reid Macon, Amarillo West Plains

Macon batters miss, is more like it. Facing elimination on Friday in Game 2 of a Class 4A Division I bi-district series against Andrews, Macon drew the start on the mound for West Plains and made most of the Mustangs miss. He fired a complete-game one-hitter, striking out four and didn’t walk a batter in seven scoreless innings. What’s more impressive: Andrews couldn’t square him up and he needed just 56 pitches (41 strikes) to complete the shutout. He also added a pair of hits at the plate in the 2-0 win. West Plains went on to win Game 3 11-1 and advanced to the second round.

Colt McDowell, New Diana

With the series on the line in Game 2, both McDowell and De Kalb starter Cortlen White pitched toe-to-toe for eight strong innings. But in the end McDowell, and New Diana, were a bit better as he needed just 93 pitches to complete a one-hit shutout. He struck out five batters and walked three in eight innings and contributed a hit at the plate, as well. The Eagles won the game, 1-0, and advanced to the area round to face Edgewood.

Jackson Poole, Clyde

Splitting two close games to start last week’s Class 3A Division II best-of-three bi-district series against Blanco, the Clyde Bulldogs handed the ball, and their season, to junior pitcher Jackson Poole in the decisive Game 3. It was the right choice. Poole earned the win after giving up four hits and four walks with two strikeouts in six scoreless innings. But it was his performance at the plate that helped him and his team the most. Batting sixth, Poole went 2-for-4 with a home run, a double, 4 RBI and scored two runs in an 8-0 series-clinching win.

Thomas Powers, Grapevine

The lower third of Grapevine’s lineup did the heavy lifting for the Mustangs on Friday, and Powers had a big day. Batting eighth in the lineup, he went 3-for-5 with a team-high 3 RBI and dove in the game-winning run on a walk-off single in the bottom of the 11th to win the game, 8-7, and the series, 2-0.

Jobe Reed, Colleyville Heritage

With the season on the line, Reed came through in a big way for the Panthers. Facing elimination in Game 2, Reed took the mound for Colleyville Heritage and dominated the Pirates, going seven scoreless and holding them to just three hits with 11 strikeouts and no walks to earn the 1-0 nail-biting victory. He also tripled in that win, then came back for Saturday’s winner-take-all and went 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI and scored a run as the Panthers won 4-0 and advanced to the area round to face Fort Worth Paschal.

Stephen Rodriguez, Lubbock Estacado

Lubbock Estacado had its back to the ropes with wobbly knees until Stephen Rodriguez took one big swing and shocked Brownwood with a knockout blow. Trailing 3-2 with one out and two runners on in the bottom of the eighth inning in Saturday’s finale of a three-game Class 4A Division I playoff series, Rodriguez roped a double to center, scoring both runners and giving Estacado a walk-off 4-3 win. Rodriguez and the Matadors will face Decatur in the area round.

Mason Smith, Alba-Golden

If you want to know how it feels to play a hero, just ask Mason Smith. In the decisive game of a three-game bi-district series between Alba-Golden and Bogata Rivercrest on Saturday, Smith stepped to the plate with the game locked in a 1-1 tie with two outs in the bottom of the 10th, and he locked in. On the second pitch of the at-bat, Smith served a single into center and the Panthers walked away winners of the game (2-1) and series (2-1). They advanced to the area round where they will face Harleton in a three-game series.

Eli Snow, Royse City

In Game 2 of a best-of-three Class 6A Division II bi-district series against Wylie East on Friday, Eli Snow made sure there would be no Game 3. With a runner at second and one out in the bottom of the ninth, Snow smashed a double to center to score Cale Austin. Royse City walked off 3-2 winners in nine innings and advanced to the area round to face Cedar Hill in a three-game set.

Connor Udland, Katy

After losing Game 1 and his team facing elimination in Game 2 against Fulshear in the first round of the Class 6A Division I playoffs, Udland turned in the performance of the year on the mound for the Tigers. The junior gave the Tigers everything he had in that Friday showdown, even though Fulshear’s pitchers were also up to the task as Becket Depuy and Mason Desai held Katy to just one hit. But an error in the top of the second allowed Katy to push across its only run of the game, and that’s all Udland needed. He dominated over seven scoreless, allowing just three hits and one walk with 13 strikeouts. Katy won the game 1-0 and closed out the series with a 5-0 win on Saturday to advance to the area round against Cypress Cy-Fair.

Christian Villamizar, Katy Seven Lakes

With his team facing back-to-back elimination games in the Class 6A Division I bi-district round after losing 15-7 to Houston Strake Jesuit in Game 1, Villamizar helped club them into the second round. He had two hits, including a double, and led the team with 4 RBI in a 16-1 win in Game 2. His biggest hit of the series, however, came in the bottom of the seventh in Game 3. Tied 1-1 with one out, Villamizar picked the perfect time for his first hit of the game. His single to center gave the Spartans a 2-1 walk-off win to clinch the series. They will face Houston Lamar in the area round.

Deegan Warnock, Pflugerville Weiss

Warnock was like a warlock on the bases for the Wolves last week. Taking on Bastrop in a Class 5A Division II playoff bi-district series, Warnock helped his team to a series sweep. In Game 1 on Thursday, Warnock drew a walk to lead off the sixth inning, went to second on a passed ball and scored on an RBI single by Rhema Benjamin to make it 1-0. With the game tied 1-1 in extra innings, Warnock led off the bottom of the eighth with a single, went first-to-third on another single by Benjamin, then stole home for a 2-1 walk-off victory. In Game 2 on Friday, Warnock smacked a double and a triple, had 3 RBI and scored a run in a 10-3 series-clinching victory.