Heritage baseball looks to return to playoffs

Colleyville Heritage’s baseball program has taken a lot of pride over the years for its consistency. The Panthers made the playoffs for the first eight seasons under Alan McDougal.

So the 2015 miss was something that no one accustomed to seeing. With that bitter memory throughout the season, a younger but deeper team ensured that wasn’t going to happen again in 2016.

Colleyville Heritage (18-11, 6-4 District 7-6A) is back in the postseason. Despite losing their last four to district powers to Coppell and Carroll, the Panthers are looking ahead to the playoffs for the ninth time in 10 seasons.

As they enter the final week of the 2016 regular season, the Panthers have the inside track toward finishing third. One win in their series with Richland – Tuesday was at Richland and Friday is at Colleyville Heritage – will cinch that position. Coppell and Carroll own the first two spots.

“The reality is that in 2015 we had to grow with some younger players,” McDougal said. “Maybe in the long run that was good for us, because some guys really needed to know what varsity ball was like. We’ve also been injury free. That’s been very fortunate.”

As usual, the Panthers have found two strong starting pitchers in senior right-hander Tyler Merrick and junior right-hander Michael Stanford. Merrick, who began the district season as the Tuesday starter, has been flipped to Friday. Fridays are the day most programs use their ace. Merrick pitched well against Carroll and Coppell but was the hard-luck loser in 3-2 and 2-0 decisions.

Stanford has relied on command of all of his pitches. He has pitched to contact and his defense has been stellar behind him.

“Both of them have the same stuff, but do a great job of keeping us in games,” McDougal said. “They’re in the strike zone. They’re not shy about what they need to.”

There is also depth behind those two in senior left-handers Connor and Cohen Bell. The twins are the first two pressed into service if something goes awry. When they’re not on the mound, Cohen is at the first base. Connor is in right field.

The defense has been shored up by a shrewd move. Senior and four-year starter Connor Croutil has been switched from shortstop to second base. McDougal made that move because freshman shortstop Bobby Witt, son of former MLB pitcher Bobby Witt, has handled the move to varsity ball very well. After starting the year as the leadoff hitter, McDougal moved him to the No. 2 spot for better protection.

“He’s played at a high level of select ball,” McDougal said of Witt. “He’s really solid. He’s not over matched.”

Grapevine update

In his first year running the program, head coach Steve Hutcherson has the Mustangs (22-3, 11 District 6-5A) close to wrapping up a perfect district season.

Grapevine, which is on an 18-game winning streak and has won the district championship, really has not been and won’t be tested. The Mustangs finished the regular season at home on Tuesday against Fort Worth Eastern Hills. They have outscored their district opponents 159-8.

This story was originally published April 26, 2016 at 5:46 PM with the headline "Heritage baseball looks to return to playoffs."