Following their second straight trip to the UIL Baseball State Championship, several standout Gordon baseball players have been recognized as Class 1A UIL All-State Tournament selections.
Freshman Jasper Clark, senior left fielder Noah Kostiha, senior center fielder/pitcher Stryker Reed and senior pitcher/shortstop Aiden Shank were all honored with spots on the UIL’s 1A All-State Tournament Team after leading the Longhorns back to the state title game.
All-State Tournament team selections are voted on by the head coaches of teams who reached the UIL state semifinals in their respective classifications.
Gordon defeated Hamlin twice (1-0, 18-8) in their state semifinal matchup before falling to Groveton Centerville 2-0 in the UIL state championship game.
Clark — who made appearances in the outfield and middle infield defensively — went 1-for-7 at the plate with two runs scored, one RBI and a walk during the Longhorns’ three final postseason games to earn his UIL All-State Tournament selection.
Kostiha tallied two runs scored, one RBI, a stolen base and a pair of walks on 0-for-10 hitting for Gordon.
Reed — who has committed to run track and play college football at Air Force — went 3-for-10 at the plate racking up two RBIs, two runs scored, a home run, two stolen bases and a walk offensively during the state semifinals and state title game.
He also made multiple appearances on the mound during that stretch, tossing 6⅓ combined innings for the Longhorns with five strikeouts, six walks, three hits and four earned runs allowed.
Shank shined on the mound for Gordon during two combined starts in the state semifinals and 1A state title game.
He pitched a combined 12⅔ innings, recording 21 strikeouts, nine hits, nine walks and two earned runs allowed on the mound for Gordon.
Shank also tallied five RBIs, three runs scored, two home runs, a pair of walks and a stolen base on 5-for-11 hitting for the Longhorns offensively.
Hamlin senior right fielder Derrick Lechuga was also recognized on the Class 1A UIL All-State Tournament team for his performance during the state semifinals.
Lechuga went 3-for-6 at the plate with a double for the Pied Pipers in their two-game state semifinals series against Gordon.
This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Gordon, Hamlin baseball standouts named to 1A UIL All-Tournament Team
Reporting by Andrew McCulloch, Abilene Reporter-News / Abilene Reporter-News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Andrew McCulloch, Abilene Reporter-News | USA TODAY Network
