Baseball, softball notebook: Things to watch from Fort Worth-area teams
The UIL Texas high school baseball and softball playoffs are well underway.
Baseball teams are in the area round, while softball squads are in the regional semifinals. See full schedules here: Baseball pairings and softball pairings.
Here are some things to know from the Fort Worth-area.
A big weekend for Fort Worth ISD Baseball
It’s a big week for Fort Worth ISD baseball, as the school district has three teams playing in area round series: Benbrook, Arlington Heights and Paschal.
No. 7 Benbrook (25-5), a consistent force in Class 4A, has one of the highest profile area round matchups. The Bobcats will face No. 5 Brock (24-3).
Game one of the series is slated for 7 p.m. Thursday, May 8, and game two is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday, May 9. If necessary, game three will be played at 1 p.m. Saturday, May 10. All three games will be played at Chisholm Trail High School.
In 2024, Benbrook made it to the regional semifinals after tossing back-to-back-to-back no-hitters. The Bobcats have a ton of potential in 2025, but getting past Brock will be a challenge; the UIL’s new split division format creates a situation where Texas’ top programs may face off in the early rounds.
Brock is a proven program. In 2024, the Eagles made a Class 3A state championship appearance. In its first year in Class 4A, Brock’s dominance has continued. The Eagles won the District 6-4A title and have three total losses.
Arlington Heights (22-8-1) will face Aledo (25-7), and both programs have loads of potential. The Yellowjackets are coming off an 11-1 District 7-5A championship run, while Aledo went on an undefeated run in District 5-5A.
In 2024, Arlington Heights and Aledo were both ousted by Argyle, an eventual regional finalist. Now, they’re gearing up for another shot at a deep run.
Game one of the series is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 8, at Aledo High School. Game two is slated for 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 9, at Arlington Heights. If necessary, game three will commence at noon on Saturday, May 10, at Saginaw High School.
Paschal, after moving down to Class 5A in the 2024 realignment, has had a strong year. The Paschal Panthers (10-11-2) finished second in District 7-5A and only lost twice — both were to Arlington Heights.
Paschal will face a tough challenge in Colleyville Heritage (18-11-1), the second-place finisher in District 6-5A. Grapevine, the 2024 Class 5A state champion, finished above Heritage but split the regular season series.
Game one of the series will commence at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 8, and game two is slated for 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 9.
Game three, if necessary, is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday, May 10. All three games will take place at Birdville High School.
Can Keller softball make it to the regional finals?
Keller Softball (25-7-1) is a Fort Worth-area powerhouse, and they’ve proven it with deep playoff runs throughout the past three seasons.
In 2023 and 2024, Keller made it to the regional finals and, in both years, lost to Denton Guyer. Keller has one more opponent in its way of a third consecutive regional final berth: Flower Mound Marcus (25-9).
Game one of the series is at 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 8, and game two is at 7 p.m. on Friday, May 9.
Game three, if necessary, is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday, May 10. All three games will be played at Byron Nelson High School.
One Keller player to watch is senior catcher Kaiya Fabela, a BYU commit. She has a .495 batting average and 10 home runs.
If Keller is victorious against Flower Mound Marcus, Denton Guyer might be its regional final opponent, which would set up the trilogy. Both teams are in the Class 6A Division II bracket.
But first, Guyer must get past Mansfield Legacy (28-6), a team that has had a strong season. The Wildcats and Broncos will clash at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 7, at Guyer High School in game one.
One player to watch in that series is junior Notre Dame commit Finley Montgomery, an all-around player with power at the plate and the mound.
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