By Terry Carter
The No. 2-ranked Tompkins Falcon baseball team remains unbeaten with a 13-0 overall record as district plays looms on the horizon.
Tompkins and No. 18-ranked Katy (12-4) appear to be early favorites in District 19-6A, but Seven Lakes (8-4), Taylor (9-7) and Cinco Ranch (7-4) are likely to challenge for playoff spots in May.
The Falcons have captured three consecutive tournament titles and are averaging 9.6 runs per game with a talented, deep lineup. Only Cy Woods (5-4 Tompkins victory), Kingwood Park (6-4) and Magnolia (5-3) have challenged the Falcons’ pitching supremacy. In fact Tompkins has enough talented to challenge for a state title in June, but the race to state is nearly always full of dramatic surprises.
Still no Region III team is ranked higher than Tompkins, and the Falcons are nationally ranked in the Top 25, according to MaxPreps.
Among Tompkins’ returners from a 31-9 Region III semifinalist are:
- Third-Team TSWA All-State P/OF/1B Jace LaViolette
- First-Team TSWA All-State DH Drew Markle
- P Michael De Battista (8-1, 1.36 ERA)
- Second-Team All-State 1B/P Jack Little
- P Solomon Rotberg (7-2, 3.06 ERA)
- P/IF Trevor Esparza (3-0, 1.88 ERA)
- OF/P Cash Russell (.297 BA, 16 SB)
- OF/P Ty Dagley, (5-2, 0.57 ERA)
- C/3B/1B Landon West (4 HR, 28 RBI)
- OF Tyler Brownlee (.263 BA, 20 R)
Led by Tompkins baseball coach Kenneth Humpreys, the Falcons have been ascending the Region III-6A mountain of talent each season. This spring the Falcons are off to their best run-producing start yet. In 2021 when Katy won district with an unblemished 12-0 mark, the Tigers opened last spring 12-3. Tompkins opened the 2021 campaign 15-1-1, but Katy defeated the Falcons both times in league play.
Katy reached the regional quarterfinals before falling to Jersey Village in two games. Tompkins advanced to the regional semifinals before losing to Strake Jesuit. The Strake Jesuit Crusaders advanced to state.
Katy, led by Tiger baseball coach Tom McPherson, will see plenty of hitting when the Tigers are in the dugout. They have a host of talent back also, including:
- SS/P Parker Kidwell (.375 BA, 2.21 ERA)
- RF Ryan George (.361 BA)
- 2B Graham Laxton (.316 BA)
- 1B/DH Johnathan Ferrebus (.376 BA)
- LF Judson Ceyanes (.343 BA)
- P J.R. Ceyanes (3-0, 1.43 ERA)
- P Garrett Thompson (3-0, 2 SV, 0.00 ERA)
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- The Katy Tigers will have their hands full in district play with Tompkins this spring. Katy finished unbeaten in 19-6A play in 2021 with Tompkins in second place. This spring the Falcons are ranked second among all 6A teams in Texas. Photo by UDPhotos
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- The Katy Tigers will be formidable again in 2022, and the more effective the pitching rotation, the more the Tigers will likely win and challenge for the top spot in District 19-6A. Photo by UDPhotos
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- Katy is expected to be a strong hitting squad this spring, led by a host of .300-hitters who enjoy scoring runs. Photo by UDPhotos
CUTLINES
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The Katy Tigers will have their hands full in district play with Tompkins this spring. Katy finished unbeaten in 19-6A play in 2021 with Tompkins in second place. This spring the Falcons are ranked second among all 6A teams in Texas. Photo by UDPhotos
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The Katy Tigers will be formidable again in 2022, and the more effective the pitching rotation, the more the Tigers will likely win and challenge for the top spot in District 19-6A. Photo by UDPhotos
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Katy is expected to be a strong hitting squad this spring, led by a host of .300-hitters who enjoy scoring runs. Photo by UDPhotos