Aledo baseball eyes history in championship game against surging Smithson Valley
Aledo baseball head coach Chad Berry said the Bearcats needed to have unwavering intensity to reach their full potential.
The team needed to “hit the gas” and keep the foot on the pedal while still taking things one game at a time. From bouncing back in elimination games to stringing together dominant wins in the state semifinal, Aledo has played with urgency, intensity, and grit through five series victories.
The team has proven themselves worthy of being called relentless.
Now, the Bearcats need to capitalize on one final opportunity to cement themselves in the Texas high school baseball history books. Aledo (33-8) will face Comal Smithson Valley (28-12) in the UIL’s Class 5A Division I state championship on Friday, June 6, at Dell Diamond in Round Rock.
The Bearcats’ playoff run has been challenging from the beginning. Aledo lost to Birdville in the bi-district round but came out on top in an elimination game. After series sweeps against Arlington Heights and Amarillo, the season-defining moment came in the Region One final against Colleyville Heritage.
After a game one loss, Berry’s squad needed to come out on top in consecutive elimination games. They delivered, ending the series with a 13-2 statement victory and carrying the momentum to the next round
Aledo, No. 6 in the Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association Class 5A rankings, dominated McKinney North in a state semifinal series. The Bearcats secured 4-0 and 6-0 victories to shut out McKinney North for the entirety of the series.
Since they got hot, they’ve stayed hot. And now, only one team stands in the way of a state championship.
Aledo vs. Smithson Valley Class 5A Division I championship
In the inaugural year of split division in UIL baseball, there will be changes to the strategy of the state championship game.
Aledo’s pitching staff will be well-rested and ready to go, which gives Berry some options.
Grayson McKelvey has led the way in pivotal playoff games against Arlington Heights and Amarillo. Luke Sandefur faced elimination against Colleyville Heritage, and Ethan Hodo has delivered quality innings.
The Bearcats boast a roster full of proven talent. Their ace during the 2025 playoff run has arguably been Devin Miller, who allowed zero earned runs to McKinney North and Colleyville Heritage in 14 innings of work.
Offensively, they’ll continue to rely on team speed, putting pressure on the defense and timely hitting. Aledo’s strength is its scrappiness and ability to push across runs.
The No. 6 Bearcats will enter the championship as a favorite against Smithson Valley, a team that had to win its final two district games to earn a spot in the playoffs.
Both the Bearcats and Rangers are familiar with each other. In 2023, Aledo football won a state championship with a resounding 51-8 victory over Smithson Valley.
The Rangers are experienced, with seven elimination game victories, and with their improbable run to the championship, have nothing to lose and everything to gain. They swept No. 4 Barbers Hill to secure the program’s first championship game appearance and are playing their best baseball of the season at the right time.
Aledo, seeking its first state title in Class 5A and second overall, hasn’t reached the championship stage since its Class 4A run 11 years ago. Now, the Bearcats stand one win away from making program history.
But Smithson Valley, riding a wave of playoff magic and fearless baseball, has proven just as capable of seizing the moment. Only one team will leave Round Rock with the state championship — with its legacy cemented.
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