The 2018 9-6A high school baseball season is about to begin, and the J.J. Pearce Mustangs are looking forward to making another run at postseason play this year. The highly competitive district includes not only the incredibly talented RISD high school rivals and DISD’s Skyline and W.T. White, but formidable, historically strong baseball schools; Coppell and Dallas Jesuit.
Returning three starters from the 2017 season, Pearce has faced a daunting pre-district warm up against top baseball teams including Round Rock, The Woodlands, and Allen High School to name a few.
Senior Mustangs are: Isaac Ableman, Nick Davis, Taylor Davis, Bo Garner, Logan Hunt, Clayton Price, Rory Wheat, Ben Willis, and Logan Winger.
Returning players who received All-District honors from 2017 are Nick Davis (1st Team, All District, Outfield) and Clayton Price (1st Team, All District, Pitcher.)
Mustangs on the Varsity roster are: Isaac Ableman, Bo Brewer, Nick Burlbaw, Nick Davis, Taylor Davis, Wyatt Erickson, Bo Garner, Gavin Gold, Logan Hunt, Clayton Price, Sam Ray, Bo Rodgers, Jordan Rozenblum, John Mark Spence, Preston Vinzant, Nick Watkins, Rory Wheat, Ben Willis, and Logan Winger.
Completing the 2018 Junior Varsity roster are: Jet Arrington, Jackson Black, Zack Brickert, Andrew Dever, Cade Gilliam, Nick Greaney, Hunter Greenwell, Mason Haynes, Trent Hodgkinson, Ben Kesler, Tate Keyser, Drew Landry, Bradley Livingstone, Jackson Lutton, Wes McCord, Brett Rifkin, Joris Schuller, Dillon Shaner, Sutton Stokes, Thomas Switzer, Burke Wahlberg, Jackson Weiss, and Brandon Winger.
Team managers for the 2018 season are Maddox Sanders and Dawson Runyan.
The 2018 JJ Pearce Mustang Baseball Program is led by Head Coach Trent Starnes. He is assisted by coaches Brock Rumfield and Justin Whiteside. The Junior Varsity Coach is Justin Roland.
The season district opener is this Tuesday, March 13th, vs the Richardson Eagles, at Richardson High School. Junior Varsity will take the field at 5:00pm, followed by Varsity at 7:30pm. Admission is free.
The two rivals face each other again at Mustang Ballpark this Friday, March 16th, at JJ Pearce’s Home opener. Attendance is free. Baseball Boosters will be grilling, and the concession stand will be offering ballpark favorites.
This marks the second year of the J.J. Pearce Home Run Heroes program. This program allows area youth from kindergarten through sixth grade with a passion for baseball, to have a little taste of the excitement of high school baseball. The Heroes not only will get a taste of the spotlight at Mustang Ballpark, but are matched with a Varsity team buddy, who will share their excitement for the game and encourage doing well in school.
Please go to www.pearcebaseball.com for more information on the Home Run Heroes, a complete schedule for the Mustangs, and additional information about the J.J. Pearce baseball program.
photo credit: Albert Pena, G3 Photography