At long last, the culmination of the TAPPS Baseball season is finally upon us.
Following an exhilarating series of postseason bracketology, several of the big names--Concordia Lutheran, Second Baptist, and St. Thomas--in private school baseball are rearing for the chance to cement their legacy into the TAPPS history books.
With the TAPPS State Tournament (Divisions I & II) on deck, fan-bases will be at the edge of their seats when their respective ball clubs face off in Arlington this upcoming week.
H-Town Private School Standouts: Luke Pettitte (Sr. 3B/P)--Second Baptist School
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
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Eoghan Collins (Jr. RHP)--Concordia Lutheran
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
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Anthony Equale (Sr. SS)--St. Thomas Catholic
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
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Zac Daigre (Sr. OF)--Concordia Lutheran
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
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Ty Baker (Sr. RHP/OF)--Second Baptist School
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
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Jaden Deshautelle (Jr. OF/MIF)--St. Thomas Catholic
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
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Alex Petrovic (Sr. RHP/IF)--Concordia Lutheran
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
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Michael Herndon (Sr. LHP/OF)--Concordia Lutheran
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
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Caleb Davis (Sr. OF)--St. Thomas Catholic
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
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Nolan Traeger (Jr. C)--Concordia Lutheran
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
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Concordia Lutheran Crusaders (Division I)
Among all the teams competing in the TAPPS final four, Concordia Lutheran is the most familiar with the territory.
Having reached the State Semis each of the last nine years (won it all in 2015), the experience the Crusaders carry at this stage speaks volumes.
‘Sader Nation currently touts a 33-2 record as they prepare to take on Trinity Christian, which is remarkable in and of itself. But, that won’t satisfy Coach Royce Kennedy and his group of next-level ball players.
Anything that should be said about this roster already has been.
The depth of the Crusaders lineup--from Auburn-signee Alex Petrovic (Sr. RHP/IF), Eoghan Collins (Jr. RHP), Ronin McCraw (Fr. SS), Nolan Traeger (Jr. C), Cole Lanclos (So. 2B), Michael Herndon (Sr. LHP/OF), to senior OF Zac Daigre--speaks for itself.
Second Baptist School Eagles (Division II)
After a series of injuries put them behind schedule to begin the season, the Eagles carried out a stunning comeback to remind everyone why they’re the defending TAPPS-II champs.
It was a testament to the team’s considerable talent and resilience that SBS resurged back to prominence in the TAPPS race.
But hey, when you have an all-star cast that Coach Rayner Noble does, which features the likes of DBU-signee Luke Pettitte (Sr. 3B/P), dual-sport star JD Crisp (Jr. OF), Texas A&M signee Ty Baker (Sr. RHP/OF), and more, there’s no limit to what Second Baptist School can accomplish on the diamond.
Having won eight of their last ten games, the Eagles prepare to match up against district opponent Kelly Catholic in order to punch their ticket to the state championship.
St. Thomas Catholic Eagles (Division I)
This Spring has seen a tremendous turnaround for the St. Thomas program.
After finishing in their district’s No. 4 spot and being eliminated in the Area Round a year ago, Coach Adam Massiatte’s team has returned to the State Tournament, marking the eleventh time since 2010.
The Eagles have been one of the top teams in the Houston area throughout the year, concluding the regular season with a 20-13-1 record (2nd in district) before recently defeating John Paul II in a 4-3 thriller to advance to the final four.
With their stars--Caleb Davis (Sr. OF/P), Anthony Equale (Sr. SS), and Jaden Deshautelle (Jr. OF/MIF), just to name a few--leading the charge, St. Thomas Catholic is set to face off against Antonian College Prep in hopes of returning to the State Final for the first time since 2018.