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Willis' Maddox Keo
ON NOTICE: Top Players to watch through Area Round Baseball
Cade Arrambide -- Tomball Cougars
Doug Brown (VYPE)
The Cougars enter the Area Round as the No. 2 ranked team in the state, according to MaxPreps. But, they don't rankings to fill seats at the ballpark.
Tomball (29-3) has already taken a one game lead in their series against Grand Oaks, following their statement 11-0 win Thursday night, which saw a shutout thrown by sophomore C.J. Sampson.
As usual, the bats have been on fire for the Coogs, and none more so than that of Cade Arrambide.
The LSU-signee is as consistent from the plate as ever, making him a threat to any pitcher, whenever he's not directing the defense from the catcher position.
He's been on everyone's radar, for good reason, and will be essential as Tomball aims for a sweep.
Cole Joyner -- Memorial Mustangs
Doug Brown (VYPE)
Memorial (22-10-2) put all of Region III-6A on notice when they defeated perennial contender Ridge Point, by the score of 11-0, in the opening game of their Area Round series.
This comes on the heels of thrashing Westside (Game 1: 10-0, Game 2: 11-0) a week ago, and it appears that their momentum will only continue to increase.
While the batting has lit up the scoreboard, coach Jeremy York's greatest asset on the diamond is arguably his ace on the mound, Cole Joyner.
The senior right-hander has stifled lineups left and right, as the stat-lines show, which should bode well for the Mustangs moving forward.
Joyner and co. will look to keep their hot-streak rolling, before he moves on to Hendrix College this Fall.
Isaiah Castaneda -- Pearland Oilers
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
Pearland (28-6-2) is coming off a series sweep against Clear Brook to open the playoffs, which was followed up by a key 6-1 victory over Dobie, Thursday night.
Despite facing some exceptional pitching, the Oilers' hitting continues to flourish.
As expected, Nico Partida remains the anchor of the lineup. However, senior Rice-signee Isaiah Castaneda deserves some recognition for the efforts he's made.
He is currently averaging 0.323 at the plate, which includes 16 RBIs, 15 runs scored, and 7 stolen bases, thus far.
Given the talent on Pearland's roster, it can be difficult to pick out one particular difference-maker, but Castaneda should be a worthy inclusion when they look to advance to the Regional Quarters.
Maddox Keo -- Willis Wildkats
Bradley C. Collier (VYPE)
With 64 teams remaining in the playoff race, Willis (23-9) emerges as a sleeper within Region III.
After finishing third in District 13-6A, the Wildkats proceeded to sweep Dekaney (Game 1: 8-1, Game 2: 9-0), which was highlighted by senior pitcher Maddox Keo throwing a perfect game in the series clincher.
This caliber of performance is nothing new for the Rice-signee, as he has been the ace for coach Brett Washburn all Spring.
Willis will resume Game No. 1 (delayed due to inclement weather) of their Area Round series versus Klein Collins tonight, followed shortly by a double-header to possibly determine who moves on to the third round of the playoffs.
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