Starting pitchers Gomez, Gay prove tough to beat for Abilene Wylie – Abilene Reporter-News
The Wylie baseball team can put up runs in a hurry.
The Bulldogs have scored five runs or more in an inning five times in the playoffs, including twice in a 17-6 win over El Paso El Dorado in the opener of their Region I-5A area playoff series.
Yet when the offense falters, Wylie can fall back on its pitching – especially its two starters thus far in the playoffs, Trey Gomez and Brooks Gay. Both are undefeated in three postseason starts each.
Both also are coming off gems in the Bulldogs’ sweep of El Paso Del Valle in the region quarterfinals. Gomez tossed a two-hitter in a 3-1 victory in the series’ opener. It was his second complete-game effort in the postseason.
Gay and the Bulldogs finished off the Conquistadores with an 11-0 run-rule victory. Gay allowed one hit in throwing all five innings. He struck out seven and walked two.
Together, the two seniors have made for a formidable 1-2 punch.
Adding an arm
Gay, 3-1 as a starter in the playoffs last year, is no surprise. He got plenty of experience in the 2021 postseason.
Gomez, however, missed much of the last season with a shoulder injury from football. He was available for the region semifinals last season but didn’t pitch. He’s been dazzling in the playoffs, save for one start.
Gomez threw a two-hitter and struck out eight in a 10-3 win over Plainview in Game 1 of the bi-district series. He went the distance in the game.
He then tossed three scoreless innings before giving up four runs on four hits and three walks in the area-playoff opener against El Paso El Dorado. It should be noted the Bulldogs led 9-4 when he left after 3⅔ innings.
He bounced back with the two-hitter against Del Valle last week.
“I think for Trey, he’s proven he’s up for the challenge,” Wylie coach Grant Martin said. “The same for Brooks. We lean on the fact he has experience and for Trey as well. All he’s done is go out there all year long and done a great job for us. The moment is not too big for him. The same way with Brooks.”
Gomez has given the Bulldogs a chance to win every series opener in the playoffs thus far – forcing opponents to face a daunting task to even the series against Gay. None have been up to the challenge thus far.
“He (Gomez) knows he’s got a good defense,” Martin said. “He doesn’t try to overpower people. He’s a smart pitcher and very talented.
“Him getting us off on the right foot in these series have been huge, and when you can hand it to a guy like Brooks Gay, who’s pitched since he’s been a freshman, that’s a deal as a coach that’s a pretty special thing,”
Gay gave up two runs on five hits in an 11-7 win over Plainview to wrap up that bi-district series. He struck out five and walked one in five innings. Wylie had a 10-2 lead when he left.
El Dorado put plenty of pressure on him in Game 2 of the area series, but Gay and the Bulldogs got out of jam after jam. He struck out 10 in five innings in an 8-1 victory. Gay followed with last week’s shutout against Del Valle.
“As far as a competitor is concerned, there’s not a better one,” Martin said of Gay. “There’s guys that want to be in that moment, and there’s guys who don’t want to be in that moment. He’s a guy who wants that pressure on him. That’s what you want out of your guys.”
Wylie (25-5) faces its toughest test yet in the playoffs against Aledo (26-10), which is ranked No. 10 in the Texas Association of Baseball Coaches’ Class 5A state poll.
Game 1 of the Region I-5A semifinal series is 6 p.m. Thursday at Weatherford College. Game 2 is 1 p.m. Friday at Abilene Christian University’s Crutcher Scott Field. If needed, Game 3 will be played at 5 p.m. Saturday in Iowa Park.
Wylie graduates Friday evening.
No.1- ranked Lubbock-Cooper (29-7) plays fifth-ranked Mansfield Legacy (28-7) in the other region semifinal. That series is being played at McMurry’s Walt Driggers Field, beginning at 7 p.m. Friday. Game 2 is noon Saturday, and Game 3 would follow if needed.
Lubbock-Cooper went undefeated in District 4-5A, while Wylie was second. Aledo and Legacy are both district champs, winning Districts 5 and 8, respectively.
A shot at redemption?
Aledo ended Wylie’s season last year – sweeping the Bulldogs 6-5 and 6-1 in this round.
Gay took the loss in Game 1 of that series last year – giving up five runs on seven hits in two innings as the Bulldogs’ starter. He struck out three.
Amarillo High took out the Bearcats in the region finals, bouncing from a 2-1 loss in the series’ opener to win 6-3 and 8-1.
The Bearcats have beaten Denton High (6-2, 9-4), Burleson (6-4) and Burleson Centennial (4-0, 3-0) in reaching the region semis once again.
Wylie has a chance to not only get revenge but perhaps set up a showdown with district rival Lubbock-Cooper, which swept the Bulldogs in district play.
Yet, Martin said the Bulldogs are thinking about redemption. It’s about winning and moving on instead, regardless of the opponent.
“There’s memories that are made, and there’s memories that are lost. For us, I told them this (Tuesday), it’s kind of statement on life, ‘If you live on what you did yesterday, then you’re missing the boat on today.’
“We’re a different team. It’s a different year. It has to be that way for us. So, our approach is about ourselves. That’s no disrespect at all to our opponent, because we know we have a very good opponent in front us, but we have to handle stuff in-house.
“We have to be our best. We have to worry about the things we can control. I think that’s something this group has done a great job with. It’s a new year, a new opportunity, and we’re excited to still be playing.”
Players to watch
Hunter Rudel is 3-0 in as many starts for the Bearcats, who have won nine consecutive games. He has allowed six runs on 18 hits in 19 innings – going at least six innings in each start. He has struck out 14 and walked nine.
Preston Clark has thrown three scoreless innings in three appearances in relief. He’s allowed one hit and struck out three.
Ethan Jacques, the Bearcats’ No. 2 hitter, has eight RBIs in the playoffs, and he also threw a two-hit, complete-game shutout in the opener against Centennial.
Wylie has won 10 consecutive games – outscoring opponents 125-20 in that streak, including 60-18 in six playoff games. J.T. Thompson has eight hits and and 12 RBIs in the postseason, followed by Garrett Graham (11 hits, eight RBIs) and Landon Williams (nine hits, six RBIs).
Opponents have had trouble keeping leadoff hitter Braden Regala off the bases, too. He has scored a run in every game and has 11 runs, five RBIs and five hits.
Joey D. Richards covers Abilene high schools and colleges, Big Country schools and other local sports. Follow him at Twitter at ARN_Joey. If you appreciate locally driven news, you can support local journalists with a digital subscription to ReporterNews.com.