Texas high school baseball playoffs: 2022 UIL Class 3A Baseball State Tournament preview, players to watch

SBLive Texas takes a closer look at the top players, storylines and x-factors to watch during the 2022 UIL Class 3A Baseball State Championships on Friday (June 10) and Saturday (June 11)

Andrew McCulloch | Jun 9, 2022

Texas high school baseball playoffs: 2022 UIL Class 3A Baseball State Tournament preview, players to watch /

AUSTIN, Texas — The road to the Texas high school baseball state championships ends this week deep in the heart of the Lone Star State at the 2022 UIL Baseball State Tournament.

The sixth and seventh rounds of the playoffs will get underway at Dell Diamond in Round Rock and Disch-Falk Field in Austin with the last two dozen teams left standing around the state battling for six titles during a five-day state championship weekend.

The UIL’s Class 3A Baseball State Tournament will headline state championship weekend’s early action, as semifinal matchups begin Friday (June 10) followed by the 3A state championship game on Saturday (June 11).

Here are the projected first-pitch times for each of those Class 3A state tournament games:

Class 3A state semifinal — Gunter (34-1) vs. Corpus Christi London (24-13), 9 a.m. Friday, June 10th, at Dell Diamond in Round Rock
Class 3A state semifinal — Brock (35-3) vs. Diboll (38-4), Noon Friday, June 10th, at Dell Diamond in Round Rock
Class 3A state championship — Gunter/Corpus Christi London vs. Brock/Diboll, 9 a.m. Saturday, June 11th, at Dell Diamond in Round Rock

SBLive Texas will be taking a closer look at the state’s top players, storylines and x-factors to watch in each classification level during the 2022 UIL Baseball State Championships throughout the week.

We’ll begin by taking a deep dive to analyze the competition in the four-team Class 3A baseball state tournament field, which features Brock, Corpus Christi London, Diboll and Gunter.

Here’s what you need to know about the Eagles, Pirates, Lumberjacks and Tigers before they step onto the diamond to duel for the 3A UIL Baseball State Championship:

BROCK EAGLES

Season Record: 35-3 overall, Region I champions

How They Got Here: 10-0 postseason record

Bi-district round — W 4-2; W 10-0 vs. Breckenridge
Area round — W 3-0; W 12-2 vs. Coahoma
Regional quarterfinal — W 13-1; W 13-1 vs. Holliday
Regional semifinal — W 8-0; W 4-1 vs. Idalou
Regional championship — W 4-1; W 3-0 vs. Bowie

Head Coach: Tim Arden (16th season)

Players to Watch: Senior P Tristan Boedecker; Senior 3B/C Luke Stills; Senior 1B/P Peyton Shaffer; Sophomore CF/P Sawyer Strosnider; Junior OF/3B Jaxson Cooke

State Tournament Appearances (Most Recent): Seven (2021)

UIL Baseball State Championships (Most Recent): One (2006)

Distance to Dell Diamond: 190 miles

CORPUS CHRISTI LONDON PIRATES

Season Record: 24-13 overall, Region IV champions

How They Got Here: 8-1 postseason record

Bi-district round — W 3-2 vs. Odem
Area round — W 21-0 vs. Edinburg IDEA Quest
Regional quarterfinal — W 1-0 (12 innings); W 17-5 vs. Santa Gertrudis Academy
Regional semifinal — W 8-0; W 7-6 vs. Lago Vista
Regional championship — W 3-1; L 2-3 (9 innings); W 4-3 vs. Bishop

Head Coach: Kevin Carr and Albert Amaya (10th season)

Players to Watch: Junior OF Mason Arispe; Senior P/1B Kade Budd; Freshman P/1B Ethan Ortega; Sophomore SS/UTL Mason Jacob; Senior C Jayden Martinez; Freshman RF/UTL Rudy-James Olivares

State Tournament Appearances (Most Recent): Two (2021)

UIL Baseball State Championships (Most Recent): None

Distance to Dell Diamond: 228 miles

DIBOLL LUMBERJACKS

Season Record: 38-4 overall, Region III champions

How They Got Here: 10-1 postseason record

Bi-district round — W 1-0; W 13-3 vs. Kountze
Area round — W 11-0; W 14-4 vs. Boling
Regional quarterfinal — W 7-1; W 12-6 vs. Woodville
Regional semifinal — W 7-5; L 2-6; W 4-1 vs. Cameron Yoe
Regional championship — W 5-2; W 9-1 vs. Franklin

Head Coach: VJ Bunner (3rd season)

Players to Watch: Senior P/INF Ty Roman; Senior CF/P Carson Morales; Senior P/1B Gabe Smith; Senior SS/P Coby Dejesus; Junior LF Zach Phipps; Junior C Edger Portillo

State Tournament Appearances (Most Recent): First UIL Baseball State Tournament appearance in school history

UIL Baseball State Championships (Most Recent): None

Distance to Dell Diamond: 210 miles

GUNTER TIGERS

Season Record: 34-1 overall, Region II champions

How They Got Here: 10-0 postseason record

Bi-district round — W 18-1; W 8-2 vs. Edgewood
Area round — W 9-1; W 7-6 vs. Whitesboro
Regional quarterfinal — W 2-1; W 13-0 vs. Maypearl
Regional semifinal — W 13-2; W 2-0 vs. Harmony
Regional championship — W 15-1; W 4-1 vs. Pottsboro

Head Coach: Daryl Hellman (4th season)

Players to Watch: Junior P Isaac Villanueva; Senior OF/INF Kaden Rigsby; Senior INF/OF Trey Oblas; Sophomore INF/P Cade Dodson; Senior C/P Riekkhen Bostick

State Tournament Appearances (Most Recent): Nine (2021)

UIL Baseball State Championships (Most Recent): Two (1998)

Distance to Dell Diamond: 229 miles

Stay with SBLive Texas all week and throughout the postseason for scores, game recaps, photo galleries, top performers and much more.

For complete statewide scores and schedules, check our Texas scoreboards below:

STATEWIDE TEXAS SCOREBOARD

REGION I SCOREBOARD | REGION II SCOREBOARD

REGION III SCOREBOARD | REGION IV SCOREBOARD

Here are the brackets for every classification level this week at the 2022 Texas (UIL) Baseball State Championships:

CLASS 6A BASEBALL STATE TOURNAMENT BRACKET

CLASS 5A BASEBALL STATE TOURNAMENT BRACKET

CLASS 4A BASEBALL STATE TOURNAMENT BRACKET