Like those rulers, the Aledo Bearcats baseball program has spent more than a decade with an identical lost possession – their throne.
After 11 years of waiting – to the exact day – the Bearcats (34-8) are officially back atop the baseball world amid the rest of the competition in Class 5A Division I after their 8-1 win over Comal Smithson Valley (28-13) at Dell Diamond Stadium Friday night, June 6.
Aledo also tied the 2014 team for the program record in victories in a season.
“Oh man, there’s a lot of emotions involved. The kids said, ‘Coach, you don’t look too excited,’ and I told them that if I got too excited I would start crying,” said Bearcats head coach Chad Barry, who also led Aledo to its last championship in 2014.
“To see them come out on the biggest stage, thrive and put it all together like I’ve seen them do all year long – man, I couldn’t be happier for them. They’re a tough, hard-nosed group of kids.
“They’ve turned my hair grayer every day, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world. They’ve earned it and they know how big the expectations have been. They met the challenge and came out and played with a chip on their shoulder, so hats off to them.”
The celebration on the field featured plenty of emotions, an abundance of energy and sheer joy.
“It’s awesome. This was our goal at the beginning of the year,” Bearcats slugger Lucas Nawrocki said. “To bring one back to Coach Barry after 11 years is awesome. He deserves it, and I’m just so happy to be a part of bringing a championship back to this town.”
Quick start
Aledo nosed in front early in the game. Left fielder Luke Gladchuk drew a walk to open the contest in the top of the first and stole second two outs later. Then, Nawrocki hit the ball sharply to right field for an RBI single and a 1-0 lead.
Smithson Valley tied the game at 1-1 after generating the equalizing RBI single in the bottom of the frame, but the Bearcats continued to battle.
“Obviously, I had the first inning jitters and I came out there, got it out of the way and shut them down the rest of the time,” Aledo ace pitcher Devin Miller said. “It’s tough going out there with this atmosphere, and we faced a great team on the other side. Our team was just better today.”
With runners on the corners and one out in the second inning, Aledo took its first step in proving they were the better team. The Bearcats used heads-up base running to score again as shortstop Nic Foster alertly capitalized on an errant Smithson Valley throw, putting Aledo ahead 2-1.
Then, Miller started to find his rhythm with his fastball, changeup, and lethal curveball. He produced a quick 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the second courtesy of a groundout, strikeout, and fly out.
The score remained 2-1 until lightning struck off the bat of Gladchuk in the top of the fifth inning. The athletic left fielder belted a triple deep over the right fielder’s outstretched glove. After two ground outs in the next two at-bats, Nawrocki stepped to the plate and came up with another huge hit that resulted in an RBI single and a 3-1 Aledo lead.
Clutch defense
After the Rangers made a pitching change, right fielder Luke Trager produced an RBI infield single that increased the lead to 4-1 entering the bottom of the fifth, where Aledo showed its defensive wizardry and unshakable resolve when Smithson Valley threatened.
With the bases loaded and only one out, the Rangers looked poised to cut into Aledo’s three-run advantage. However, Miller and the Bearcat defense had other plans as a double play ended the scoring threat – narrowly.
A hard-hit ground ball was fielded by Foster, who flipped the ball to second baseman Landon Barnes for the force out. Then, the umpires called obstruction against Smithson Valley’s baserunner, deeming he impeded the progress of Barnes’ throw to first for the out.
The call was upheld and saw Rangers head coach Chad Koehl get tossed from the game after he voiced his displeasure. Regardless, Aledo’s lead held true at 4-1 entering the sixth inning.
The Bearcats began to pull away thanks to more momentous plays at the plate. Brooks Burdine showcased that playmaking ability with a monster RBI triple to right that came within a couple feet of clearing the wall. Instead, his hit scored Aledo’s fifth run, and the Bearcats produced a few more insurance runs in the seventh.
Following a stalwart defensive stand in the bottom of the sixth, a bases-loaded balk and a huge RBI single from sophomore catcher Brennon Evans that drove in two more runs stretched Aledo’s lead to 8-1 with three outs remaining before a celebration could ensue. Miller – who once again went the distance – was able to retire three consecutive batters after allowing a walk to start the frame.
Once the final out – a ground out handled cleanly by Foster – was recorded, the water sprayed high in the sky as the team swarmed each other amidst an exuberant on-field celebration.
“I’m at a loss for words, man. I went full game, every single game for these playoffs,” Miller said. “I just did my job, and my team was absolutely supportive with the runs and the defensive plays. We are a special team and I’m glad we were able to win it.”
Nawrocki MVP
For his efforts, Nawrocki was named the Nike Most Valuable Player of the championship bout. He finished 4-for-4 with two runs and two RBI to lead the offense. Adorned with “Rocky” chants towards the end of the contest, Nawrocki’s bat sizzled throughout the night.
“Earlier in the week, I did my scouting report on these pitchers, and I would go to the cage a lot to train on them,” Nawrocki said. “To see that show up on the big field at this stage, it’s all you can ask as a hitter.
“I was seeing the ball really well tonight. They were throwing me away (in the zone) and I knew they were going to go away all night, so I stuck to my game plan and attacked the fast balls that they threw me.”
Evans also came up big with two hits, two RBI and one run while Foster, Burdine, Gladchuk and Barnes produced one hit apiece for the Bearcats.
Miller pitched all seven innings with two strikeouts against one walk and four scattered hits for his 11th win of the season on the mound.
Strength throughout
Fueled by a grueling pre-district schedule in competitive environments such as the PBR Tournament, Aledo won District 5-5A without losing a contest (10-0). Furthermore, the Bearcats were triumphant in 11 of their 13 total playoff games with an average run differential of 4.85 runs per game.
“It shows the versatility of our athletic program at Aledo,” Barry said. “I think a lot of times football does overshadow everything, and for good reason. I mean, they’re a different animal altogether.
“But, we have a lot of great programs at Aledo - softball, basketball is on the rise, soccer is really good, the one-act play and band are phenomenal, too. All of the extracurriculars at Aledo are excellent, and for us to come out here and do the same thing on the baseball field is a testament to our school, our kids, our town and our culture.”
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