The Gordon Longhorns (23-4) are set to face off against the Groveton Centerville Bulldogs (23-1) in Class 1A UIL Baseball State Championship game during the final round of the 2026 Texas high school baseball playoffs.
First pitch between Gordon and Groveton Centerville is scheduled for 9 a.m. on Saturday, June 6, at Dell Diamond in Round Rock.
Here’s what you need to now before the Longhorns and Bulldogs battle for the Class 1A UIL Baseball State Championship on Saturday morning:
WHO WILL TAKE HOME THEIR SCHOOL’S FIRST UIL BASEBALL STATE TITLE?
Both the Bulldogs and Longhorns will be looking to bring home the first UIL baseball state title in their respective school histories.
Gordon will be making its second straight appearance in the Class 1A UIL Baseball State Championship game after sweeping Big Country-area rival Hamlin in the state semifinals for the second consecutive season.
The Longhorns fell in a 4-2 loss to Fayetteville when they last reached the state title game in 2025.
Groveton Centerville, meanwhile, will be making its first appearance in a UIL baseball state title game after the Bulldogs went 7-0 during the first five rounds of the 2026 Texas high school baseball playoffs.
The Bulldogs have been dominant throughout their postseason run, too.
Centerville knocked off Fayetteville — the reigning Class 1A UIL baseball state champions — in an 11-1 state semifinals run-rule victory.
In total, the Bulldogs have collectively outscored their opponents 62-3 through seven playoff games this year.
Six of Groveton Centerville’s nine everyday starters are also batting above .300 this year, led by senior catcher/pitcher Kolt Larsen (.544), sophomore shortstop/pitcher Hardy Brown (.459) and junior third baseman/pitcher Wyatt Clede (.441).
GORDON ACE SHANK CONTINUES SENSATIONAL POSTSEASON STREAK
Few pitchers throughout the Lone Star State have been as dominant as Gordon senior Aiden Shank.
In addition to serving as the Longhorns’ leadoff hitter and primary shortstop when he isn’t on the mound, Shank has developed into Gordon’s unquestioned ace during a sensational senior season.
Heading into Saturday’s 1A state title game, he has tallied an 8-1 overall record and a 0.38 ERA with 96 strikeouts, 24 hits and 37 walks allowed through 48 innings pitched this year.
Shank caught fire at the start of the postseason, too, and has shown no signs of slowing down.
In eight playoff appearances for the Longhorns this spring, he has a 5-0 record with 43 strikeouts and hasn’t allowed an earned run through 22⅓ innings pitched.
Expect Shank to either start the 1A state title game on the mound for the Longhorns or shift over to the mound later in the contest as a high-leverage relief pitcher.
Shank started on the mound for Gordon in last year’s Class 1A UIL Baseball State Championship game against Fayetteville, pitching five innings with five strikeouts, seven hits, five walks and four earned runs allowed.
“Last year, I felt like the sun really killed me and I wasn’t prepared (for that),” Shank said. “I think now knowing that that stage is there and that it’s like actually realistic and we can picture it, now we get to have that opportunity to do it again. I think now the lights aren’t so bright.”
CAN LONGHORNS GAIN EDGE ON BASEPATHS?
One of the biggest reasons for Gordon’s recent postseason success has been the Longhorns’ ability to consistently find ways to get on base.
Another major component of the Longhorns’ second straight run to the UIL state title game has been their advantage on the basepaths.
Gordon’s players have collectively swiped 63 stolen bases in 11 playoff games this year.
That has helped the Longhorns plate 10 or more runs in eight of their 11 postseason games entering the state championship.
Gordon’s elite team speed and opportunistic approach on the basepaths could play a pivotal role in the outcome of Saturday’s matchup and will definitely have to be accounted for in the Bulldogs’ decisions defensively throughout the game.
GORDON’S BIG-GAME ADVANTAGE
A frequently mentioned fact that shouldn’t be overlooked heading into Saturday’s state title game matchup is Gordon’s big advantage when it comes to experience delivering in high-pressure, big-game scenarios.
Multiple members of the Longhorns’ everyday starting lineup helped Gordon capture three consecutive six-man football state championships during their high school athletic careers.
Others on Gordon’s baseball squad were members of the Longhorns’ boys basketball teams that achieved top-five finishes in the TABC Class 1A statewide rankings in back-to-back seasons.
More members of the Longhorns’ baseball team also played pivotal roles in bringing Gordon back-to-back Class 1A team state titles at the 2025 and 2026 UIL State Track and Field Meets.
That’s all on top of Gordon’s rollover experience from last year’s squad that reached the UIL Baseball State Championships for the first time in school history.
Seven of the nine players who started in the 2025 state title game will suit up again for the Longhorns on Saturday morning in Round Rock.
“Our kids have been there, done that in every sport,” Gordon baseball coach Ligon West said. “As far as last year, you know, we had a great team and we were so close, and our kids were super upset about it. But we set a goal at the beginning of the year to get back there and finish the job this time.”
This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: What to Know: Gordon vs Groveton Centerville in 1A UIL Baseball State Championship
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
