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Texas (UIL) high school baseball: 5 regional quarterfinal series' you shouldn't have missed

A closer look at five 2023 UIL baseball Round 3 playoff matchups

SI Editorial

After two thrilling weeks of postseason action during the bi-district and area rounds, the 2023 UIL baseball playoff fireworks continued into the regional quarterfinals.

More than 500 Texas high school baseball squads have seen their seasons end while the Lone Star State’s top teams have started separating themselves from the pack. On Saturday, half of the 16 teams that entered the weekend in each classification were eliminated.

Matchups are either a best-of-three series or single-elimination format — whichever teams reached a consensus on.

Here's a closer look at those five biggest regional quarterfinal matchups throughout the Lone Star State that caught our attention in the third round of the 2023 UIL baseball playoffs.

CLASS 6A, REGION I:

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Trophy Club Byron Nelson def. El Paso Americas 2-0

Nick Julian pitched a complete game shutout to lead the Bobcats to a Game 1 win. The senior struck out five and gave up three hits and two walks but no runs to help Byron Nelson preserve a lead built in the third inning. Garrett Walton's line drive double to left field scored Brody Dobecka but Gavin MvcCurley was thrown out at home to prevent a two-RBI double. On the next at bat, Walton scored on a passed ball. 

Kyle Ippolito blasted a two-RBI double to center field and Tate Reynolds scored Ippolito on a triple on the next at-bat in a three-run fifth inning to build a comfortable cushion in a closeout win. Byron Nelson got another strong complete game performance, this time from Luis Santiago Castro, who fanned five batters and gave up five hits, two walks and a run. 

CLASS 5A, REGION IV:

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La Joya Palmview Lobos def. Edinburg Vela SaberCats 2-0

Josiah Gonzalez uncorked a walk-off line drive single to center field in the bottom of the seventh to push Palmview to a series advantage. Joe Cerda and Gonzalez each had two RBI for the Lobos, whose two-run seventh erased a 5-4 deficit. Izzy Perez led Vela at the plate, going 2 for 2 with a double and two RBI.

Jorge Garza had two of Palmview's 10 hits and two of its extra base hits — a double and triple — to help the Lobos coast into the regional semifinals. Herminio Gonzalez gave up seven hits and two walks, but struck out five in a shutout 6 1/3 innings. 

CLASS 4A, REGION I:

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Midland Greenwood Rangers def. Canyon Eagles 2-0

R3 Midland Greenwood Rangers (19-14) vs. R4 Canyon Eagles (24-8)

  • Game 1: Greenwood 7, Canyon 1

Information unavailable.

  • Game 2: Greenwood 8, Canyon 4

Canyon led 4-2 when Greenwood rallied off six runs in the fifth to take the winning lead. The Rangers have now won 12 consecutive games and face Stephenville in the regional semifinals.

CLASS 3A, REGION I:

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Wall Hawks def. Blanco Panthers

  • Game 1: Wall 4, Blanco 0

Wall led 3-0 when the first game in the regional quarterfinal series was postponed due to weather. Play resumed Saturday and Wall closed out the win, 4-0.

CLASS 2A, REGION I:

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Albany Lions def. Hamilton Bulldogs 2-0

  • Game 1: Albany 10, Hamilton 5

Tyler Chapman tossed nine strikeouts in four innings and went 3 for 5 with a triple and two RBI as Albany scored eight runs in the fourth and fifth innings combined. 

  • Game 2: Albany 7, Hamilton 0

Cole Read went seven scoreless innings with seven strikeouts opposite two hits and four walks to help send Albany to the regional semifinals. Zane Waggoner hit a two-run home run in the fourth as the Lions scored three in the opening frame and four more in the fifth.

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