Brock baseball stymied by Robinson in Class 4A Division II state championship — PHOTOS
Robinson first baseman Caden Coe drove in a pair of runs with single in the fifth inning and the Rockets were able to hold off Brock 3-1 in the Class 4A Division II state title game Friday at Dell Diamond.
“I’m extremely proud of them,” Brock head coach Koby Page said. “It’s hard to get here, and it’s really hard to win it. Robinson is here for a reason, because they’re a good ball club, but nothing takes away from what [Brock] has done. The senior classes have won 95 ball games in three years – that’s incredible. They’ve done incredible things. Don’t walk out of here with heads down, because they fought hard, they fought all year long.”
Robinson (30-10) claimed its first title after two previous championship game appearances (2017 and 2011) including a 5-1 loss to Kennedale in the 2011 Class 3A championship game.
Brock (32-7) has dominated in baseball the past eight seasons, the 2020 Covid season withstanding, with three state title game appearances, three losses in the state semifinals, and two regional final losses. The only previous title was in Class 2A in 2006.
The Eagles moved up to Class 4A during the last UIL realignment and held the same standard.
“It starts with this senior class,” Page said. “Coming here as sophomores, they kind of had an idea of what it was they had. They had good leaders in front of them, too. There’s a standard around here, and you just go, and you fight, and you work.”
The game got started two-hours late after a pair of rain delays in the Class 4A Division I title game and Brock threatened in the top of the first, but Robinson’s half was more than a threat.
Brock got a pair of two-out singles from Evan O’Connor and Jake Windle in the top of the first, but they were stranded at third and first base. Robinson, however, scored once in the bottom of the inning without the benefit of a hit.
Eagles’ starting pitcher Weston Pickard hit Robinson leadoff hitter Cash Cleere with a pitch, a perfect bunt by Bryce Vasquez, and a throwing error moved the Rockets to third and second. Cason Helpert drove home Cleere with a one-out groundout to short to give Robinson a 1-0 lead after one inning.
Brock got the run back in the top of the fourth when Asher Strait led off with a lined single to left and Pickard followed with a double just inside the bag at third base. On the play, Robinson left fielder Coltin Trunbo’s throw back to the infield went behind the screen and into the stands to score Strait and allow Pickard to go to third.
Robinson starting pitcher Cayden Birkes and the Rockets’ defense got out of the rest of the inning with the score tied 1-1.
Pickard had a no-hitter through four innings, but walked Turnbo to lead off the bottom of the fifth and gave up his first hit on a bunt single to first by Cleere, moving Turnbo to second. Vasquez’s sacrifice moved both runners up, and Coe, the game’s MVP, followed with a lined single to center to score two to make it 3-1 and chase Pickard.
Page said there were two instances (First and fifth innings) where runner’s interference should’ve been called; that would’ve changed the trajectory of the game.
“That’s the way that it goes,” Page said. “I can’t blame anything on [umpires]. Heck, I screwed up too. It’s the way baseball goes. Unfortunately, it wasn’t in our favor.”
O’Connor, an Arizona State pledge, has a team-high 12 wins and no losses for the Eagles. He was not available to throw in the championship. Pickard, who has been dealing with a hip flexor issue, was able to push through in a solid start; he conceded two earned runs in 4 1/3 innings and Page called him the ultimate competitor.
“We had a ton of faith in Weston [Pickard],” Page said. He came out there and pissed his tail off. There’s nothing to take away from what Weston did. … we had all the faith in the world in him, and that, that’s that still rings true right now. I’ll take him all day long.”
Austin Gallogly came on in relief and got the final two outs, despite a fielding error, to limit the damage. Brock got a pair of runners on base with two out in the sixth, but couldn’t score.
Before the start of the seventh inning another weather delay halted play. After a 48-minute break, Brock jumped on relief pitcher Eddie Villarreal. Hunter Martin led off the inning with a single and after an out, Braxon Roberts singled to put runners at second and first.
Villarreal struck out O’Connor, but walked Jake Windle to load the bases. Strait followed, but hit a high pop up to second base that Vasquez squeezed for the final out.
This story was originally published June 5, 2026 at 5:27 PM.
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