UIL Baseball state semifinals: Aledo, Grapevine take game one, more from area
The UIL Texas high school baseball state semifinals are here.
See how Fort Worth-area teams fared in game one of their respective series.
Aledo shuts out McKinney North, takes game one
In its first state semifinal appearance since 2015, Aledo baseball started strong and never looked back.
The Bearcats (32-8) secured a 4-0 shutout victory over McKinney North (19-13-1) in game one of a UIL Class 5A Division I state semifinal series on Thursday, May 29, at Dallas Baptist University.
Aledo was led by starting pitcher Luke Sandefur, who threw 5 2/3 innings without allowing a run. He conceded five hits and notched five strikeouts.
“He was competing out there on the mound,” Aledo head coach Chad Barry said. “Normally, his offspeed pitch is his curveball and he didn’t seem to have that today, especially early on. ... had to go back to his changeup to keep them off balance and to offset his fastball. But couldn’t be happier the way he pitched out of jams and the way our defense played to bail him out.”
One of those defenders was catcher Brennon Evans, who made a barehanded play on a bunt and fired an off-balanced throw to third base to snag the lead runner. It was a play that helped the Bearcats hold the momentum, and it gave Sandefur room for error.
Normally, allowing zero runs in a state semifinal would be cause for celebration, but Sandefur wasn’t thrilled with his performance.
“Nothing really started working until the last few innings,” Sandefur said. “But I just had to keep throwing strikes and not walking ‘em.”
That’s exactly what Sandefur did, and the offense did more than enough to have his back. In the first inning, Luke Gladchuck set the tone with a leadoff double off the right field wall. After, senior Blake Burdine drove him home with a single up the middle. To finish the early scoring spree, Landon Barnes hit an RBI triple over the center fielder.
After that, neither team scored until the fifth inning. Barry credited the top of the lineup for setting the tone but said he wanted to see more consistent offense.
“We’ve got to do a better job keeping pressure on them,” Barry said. “But for the most part — with it being the first game of the state semifinals — I couldn’t be happier for our guys. They played great defense. Pitched well. And we scored enough runs to win.”
After a walk, Blake Burdine advanced to third on a steal attempt due to a throwing error. That set up an RBI single from Barnes, who collected his second RBI.
Aledo added its final run in the sixth inning when Gladchuck reached safely on an error. Relief pitcher Ethan Hodo came in the sixth inning and finished the shutout.
Barry said the team should enjoy this one on the bus ride back but brush it off and start preparing for tomorrow. Game two is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Friday, May 30, at Dallas Baptist University.
“We still have got one more step to take to get to where we want to be,” Barry said. “Tomorrow, everyone is zero and zero again. We’ve got to go win again.”
Esquivel brothers spark Grapevine’s Game 1 win
Luke and Lale Esquivel did it all for Grapevine against Lucas Lovejoy on Thursday night at Riders Stadium in Frisco. Luke Esquivel, a freshman tossed six innings of shutout ball and accounted for the first run of the game and junior Lale Esquivel picked up a key run batted in the sixth as the Mustangs earned a hard-fought 2-0 win in Game 1 of their Class 5A Division II state semifinal on Thursday, May 29.
Grapevine (34-3), No. 1 in the state in Class 5A according to the Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association, and No. 3 Lovejoy (31-7) will meet for Game 2 at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, May 30, back at Riders Stadium.
Luke Esquivel had to out duel TCU commit Landon Corley of Lovejoy and did just that as both pitchers were stellar. Luke Esquivel allowed five hits while walking three and striking out eight.
“That’s a great team over there, but I didn’t take it any different than any other game I’ve ever played in my life,” said Luke Esquivel. “You have to have that mindset. My slider is my main pitch and it has been my whole life, so I just flip it over whenever I need it.”
Corley, a junior, went six innings allowing five hits as well with one walk and eight strikeouts. The only difference was the Esquivel brothers at the plate.
Luke led off the game with a hustling double to left center and was ran for by Conner McDermott. Zack Goldstein bunted McDermott to third where he later scored on a wild pitch, just before Corley struck out Lale Esquivel to end the inning.
“What a great read by McDermott on that first run, scoring on the ball in the dirt,” said Grapevine coach Jeff Webster. “We kind of thought that both of us are going to pitch and both of us are going to defend. Both of us are fairly athletic so it just comes down to who may get a hit when they’ve got a guy on and Lale did that for us late.”
In the bottom of the sixth Jarett Boswell lined a single to right with one out and was ran for by McDermott, who went to second on a wild pitch. Lale Esquivel followed with a liner to left plating McDermott to give Grapevine a 2-0 lead.
Sam Durard came on in the top of the seventh and got two quick outs before issuing back-to-back walks. A fly out to deep center off the bat of Garrett Hutchins ended the game.
“He’s the best player I’ve ever played with and is the best player out there every time he steps on the field,” said Lale Esquivel of his younger brother Luke, who also went 2-for-3 at the plate as did Lale. “I’m just so dang proud of him that it makes me tear up. He works so hard.”
Brock loses late lead, falls to Spring Hill
Brock led Spring Hill 5-3 in the seventh inning of game one of a Class 4A Division II state semifinal series against Spring Hill on Thursday, May 29, at Dallas Baptist University.
But without Texas Tech commit Jesse Rusinek on the mound, the Eagles quickly lost their lead. Spring Hill scored three runs in the seventh to force extra innings.
In the eighth inning, Spring Hill added two runs to take a 7-5 lead. Relief pitcher Canon Lightfoot conceded five earned runs in 1 2/3 innings.
The Eagles cut the lead in the bottom half with a bases-loaded walk from Braeden Ray but couldn’t plate the tying run.
Offensively, Brock was led by Rusinek, who tallied a team-high three hits. He thrived as a starting pitcher as well, allowing two runs in six innings of work and recording seven strikeouts.
Hudson Davis was another key contributor with two hits. Game two is scheduled for 5 p.m. on Friday, May 30, at DBU.
This story was originally published May 29, 2025 at 7:49 PM.
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