Fayetteville State Title Section

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

State Title Special

Lion Kings

The members of the Fayetteville Lions hoist the state championship trophy after pounding Stamford 10-0 Thursday in Round Rock.

B1 The Fayette County Record

Staff photo by Tom Wood

Fayetteville Dominates Stamford 10-0 to Claim Program’s Second-Ever State Baseball Title

By JEFF WICK The Fayette County Record

R

OUND ROCK – It was supposed to be a state title contest.

What it turned into instead was a five-inning testament as to why the Fayetteville Lions were undeniably the best 1A baseball team in Texas.

With none of the drama that filled Wednesday’s 5-4 state semifinal victory, the Fayetteville Lions blasted Stamford 10-0 for the 1A crown Thursday at Dell

Diamond in one of the most lopsided state championship games ever.

“We came out here and dominated,” said Fayetteville freshman outfielder Matthew Peevler, who hit a walk-off double in the fifth inning to plate Brandon Canik with the final run that enacted the 10-run mercy rule and immediatley ended the game in the bottom of the fifth. “It was amazing.”

Sophomore Logan Stoelke threw a complete game one-hitter for the Lions and was named the championship game

MVP. This was the second-ever state title for Fayetteville, and the first since 1997.

The Lions had also made it to state in 1979, 1985, and 1999. Five current players on the Lions team had fathers that had made it to state.

“There’s a lot of baseball tradition in Fayetteville. There’s a lot of people here today from that 1997 state title team and from the other state teams,” said Fayetteville head coach Clint Jaeger. “I can’t describe how much this means.”

“

When we got here, I said let’s not be the guys who chase the dream. Let’s be the guys who get the dream.”

– Fayetteville Senior Connor Bertsch

Enrollment-wise Fayetteville was the smallest team at the state tournament, with only about a third as many students (64) in their high school as the

Price-Carlisle and Stamford teams they beat in back-to-back days.

Though the Lions (21-6) easily won See Fayetteville, next page

As they storm the field after Matthew Peevler’s walk-off double won the game, each of the Lions found their own way to celebrate as stunned Stamford fans watch in the background. Staff photo by Tom Wood

The Fayetteville players, coaches and stat girls pose with all their hardware after winning the state title.

Staff photo by Tom Wood

B2

The Fayette County Record, Tuesday, June 12, 2012

The population of Fayetteville is under 300, but there were way more Lions fans than that at the state title game. Officially the attendence was 1,187.

Continued from Page B1 the title game, this Stamford team was no pushover.

Stamford came into the game with a 24-1 record, but Fayetteville jumped on the Bulldogs for four first inning runs, and then batted around in the fourth. “Those early runs took a lot of the pressure off,� said Jaeger. “Hats off to Stamford. They are a heck of a team. The score doesn’t reflect how good they are. They hit the ball well, but they hit it right at us or we made some great plays.�

Stoelke was just one great defensive play from a championship game no-hitter. Stamford’s Marion Gonzales got the Bulldogs’ only hit in the second, and

that was nearly snagged when Brandon Canik charged hard and almost made a sliding catch on the blooper to right field. “I was really nervous,� said Stoelke, about making his first start at pitcher in nearly a month. “I usually play shortstop because we have three other great pitchers, but I wanted to do whatever I could to help the team.�

While Stoelke was mowing down the Bulldogs, the Lions had no trouble stringing together the hits against a trio of Stamford pitchers.

Trevor Malota, who was celebrating his 18th birthday Thursday, had the biggest day at the plate for the Lions, going 3-for-3, with two doubles and

Fayetteville Roster 1 3 4 6 7 9 11 12 13 15 21 22 23

Matthew Peevler Freshman Logan Stoelke Sophomore Wesley Bertsch Junior Kadin Schmitt Freshman Justin Schley Junior Reese Weishuhn Sophomore Brett Rohde Junior Brandon Canik Junior Trevor Malota Senior Colton Dedear Junior Ty Norsworthy Sophomore Connor Bertsch Senior Tyler Krebs Senior

Statisticians: Jenna Krebs, Ivy Titmus Head coach: Clint Jaeger Assistant coach: Steve Westbrook

OF SS/P 2B/P OF OF C IF/P OF IF/P 1B DH/C 1B/P OF/C

four RBIs. Malota’s bases loaded single in the first brought home three runs, aided by a Stamford error on the play.

In the fourth inning, as Fayetteville batted around, Malota again cleared the bases, this time with a double. “Yesterday (in the semis) we weren’t hitting well and maybe a little of that had to do with nerves,� Malota said. “Today we relaxed and scored a lot of runs.�

Seven different Lions scored runs for Fayetteville and the Lions’ eight hits came from six different players.

It was trully a team effort for the newly crowned state champs. “It’s true, anything is possi-

ble,� said junior shortstop Brett Rohde. “This is awesome. That’s all I can say. It’s awesome.�

6/7/12 – State championship game

Fayetteville 10, Stamford 0 Stamford

000 00 – 0 1 3

Staff photo by Tom Wood

Fayetteville 400 51 – 10 8 1 Winning pitcher: Logan Stoelke (4-1), complete game one-hitter.

Losing pitcher: Gus West (8-2), 3.1 IP, 5 hits, 6 runs, 4 BBs, 1 K. Fayetteville highlights: Stoekle 1-for-2, 2 runs, 1 RBI, 1 BB; Wesley Bertsch 1

run, 1 BB; Connor Bertsch 1-for-2, BB, 2 runs, 1 RBI; Brett Rohde 1 run, 1 BB; Trevor Malota 3-for-3, 2 2Bs, 4 RBIs, 1 run; Justin Schley 1 RBI; Reese Weishuhn 1-for-3; Ty Norsworthy 1-for-3; Matthew Peevler 1-for-1, 2B, 1 run, 1 RBI, 2 BBs; Brandon Canik 2 runs.

Lions Rule the State All-Tournament Team

After the state tournament the Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association selected the All-Tournament Team, and several Fayetteville players made the cut.

Those honorees are listed below: P - Trevor Malota - Senior - Fayetteville C - Austin Alvarado - Junior - Stamford 1B - Connor Bertsch - Senior - Fayetteville 2B - Dalton Mathis - Junior - Stamford 3B - Hunter Vaught - Freshman - Dodd City *SS - Logan Stoelke - Sophomore - Fayetteville OF - Gunner Baker - Junior - Price Carlisle OF - Jesse Ramos - Senior - Stamford OF - Matthew Peevler - Freshman - Fayetteville UT - Brett Rohde - Junior - Fayetteville * Denotes Championship game MVP

Fayetteville’s Brandon Canik yells as he crosses home plate for the final run of the state title game.

Canik, a junior, did not have a hit all season, but he scored four runs (primarily as a pinch runner) at the state tourney, including the game winner in the semis.

Staff photo by Tom Wood

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The Fayette County Record, Tuesday, June 12, 2012

B3

Old Lions’ Coach Liked What He Saw Emil Schley may have retired five years ago, but make no mistake, the longtime Fayetteville baseball coach is still an avid Lions fans – and a proud grandpa of centerfielder Justin Schley.

Up until Thursday he was the only baseball coach to have won a state title with the Lions. But Schley said he believed from early on that this year’s Fayetteville team was something special.

“I thought (a state title was possible) because they play with

a lot of heart,” Schley said.

But when the Lions were down 4-0 in the third inning of the state semifinals to Price Carlisle, even Schley was starting to wonder.

“It didn’t look good,” he said.

“I think 90-percent of the crowd had given up on them.”

The Lions pulled off the miracle comeback, however, lived to play another day, and then dominated in the state title game.

“They did alright,” Schley

smiled.

He said this year’s Lions team marched to the title much the same way his 1997 championship team did, with good pitching, and they somehow found a way to win close games.

Schley said he was happy to turn over the reins of the Fayetteville program to head coach Clint Jaeger five years ago.

“He’s a good man, and he’s done a fine job,” Schley said.

–Jeff Wick

Logan Stoelke was named the MVP of the championship game after throwing a one-hitter.

Photo by Tom Wood

‘Free-Spirited’ Stoelke Shines In the Spotlight of Title Game

By JEFF WICK The Fayette County Record

ROUND ROCK – From getting injured on a swing-set to being named state championship game MVP. The last 13 months have been quite a wild ride for Logan Stoelke.

Last year Stoelke, then a break-out freshman star for Fayetteville, dislocated his shoulder while playing around on a swing-set just days before the Lions playoff opener and couldn’t pitch at all in the postseason.

“That’s Logan,” said Fayetteville head coach Clint Jaeger.

“He took a lot of (grief) from his teammates because of that.”

Fast-forward to Thursday, and it was Stoelke getting the ball in the biggest game of the decade for the Lions.

And he came up huge, throwing a complete game one-hitter.

Starting Stoelke was a surprise to some Fayetteville fans, because he hadn’t pitched since the first round of the playoffs against Granger.

That’s because Fayetteville had one of the deepest pitching staffs around, with Connor Bertsch, Brett Rohde, Trevor Malota and Stoelke all good enough to be the ace on most staffs.

“I trust any of those four to go out and win any game, no matter who we are playing,” Jaeger said.

And Bertsch, Rohde and Malota had all pitched some in the semifinal game the day be-

The only three coaches to have won state titles in Fayetteville history gathered for a photo after the game. Left to right are: Sharon Fritsch (who coached the Lady Lions to the 2004 state title), Emil Schley (who led the 1997 Lions baseball team to the state title) and Clint Jaeger (who won the 2012 state baseball title Thursday).

Bottom of the Lions’ Lineup Comes up Big

Logan Stoelke accepts the championship game MVP award from UIL Baseball Director Darryl Beasley.

Photo by Jeff Wick

fore.

“I thought about it, but it was actually a pretty easy decision,” Jaeger said of starting Stoelke.

“He had the freshest arm and the freshest mind.”

But Jaeger didn’t tell the sophomore he was starting on the mound until minutes before the game.

“Coach told me to go warmup,” Stoelke said. “I said alright, I’ll do what I can.”

Then Stoelke went out and nearly threw what would have been only the 22nd no-hitter in the 63-year history of the state

baseball tournament.

Only a second-inning bloop single kept Stoelke from that nohitter.

Stoelke didn’t strike out anybody Thursday but he didn’t walk anybody either.

Jaeger had clearly picked the right guy to pitch in a big game – even if it was a year later than Stoelke thought he’d be doing so.

“He’s a free-spirited kid,” Jaeger said of his playgroundloving righthanded pitcher. “And that’s why I didn’t think the pressure would bother him.”

The Road to State Every Fayetteville Game this Season Opponent Score W/L Regular Season Weimar 3-6 L Louise 10-3 W Port Aransas 0-1 L Shiner 1-0 W Port Aransas 2-1 W Snook 15-1 W Somerville 7-0 W Burton 8-1 W

Mumford 3-0 Snook 18-0 Louise 23-0 Somerville 7-0 Burton 6-0 Shiner 2-3 Mumford 10-0 Cameron Yoe 2-9 Hallettsville 1-12 Boling 11-1

W W W W W L W L L W

PLAYOFF GAMES Granger 7-1 Granger 6-9 Granger 6-4 Flatonia 2-1 Flatonia 3-1 Mason 12-4 D’Hanis 2-1 STATE Price Carlisle 5-4 Stamford 10-0

W L W W W W W W W

Job Well Done!

Congratulations

Fayetteville Lions Baseball Team on your

2012 STaTe ChampionShip TiTLe! Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce P.O. Box 217 Fayetteville, Texas 78940

979-378-4021 www.fayettevilletxchamber.org

Tyler Krebs hoists Matthew Peevler up on his shoulders at the conclusion of Thursday’s game. Peevler, a freshman and the Lions No. 9 batter in the lineup, hit the game-ending double to enact the 10Staff photo by Jeff Wick run mercy rule.

As the Lions’ playoff run continued this season, it seemed Fayetteville had a different hero every night. That trend continued at state.

In the semifinals against Price Carlisle, the bottom two hitters in the Fayetteville lineup (Ty Norsworthy and Matthew Peevler) both reached base twice. Norsworthy had come into the game hitting .156 and Peevler .098. In addition, Brandon Canik, who did not have a hit all season, walked against the Price ace and ended up scoring the winning run.

Then in the championship game, Peevler’s double down the left field line in the fifth drove in the final two runs of the game in walk-off fashion.

“I was just praying that it was going to hit the ground,” said Peevler of his liner. “When it did hit the ground and the crowd went crazy, it was just awesome.”

“To end the season with Matthew Peevler getting a base hit was amazing,” Fayetteville head coach Clint Jaeger said.

“He’s been struggling. He’s a freshman.

“This is his first year in high school baseball and for him to get a hit in the state championship game – that’s good for him, that’s good for everybody.”

Congratulations to the whole team!

We’re so proud of you!

B4

The Fayette County Record, Tuesday, June 12, 2012

State Tournament Notebook

By JEFF WICK

The Fayette County Record

A Happy Birthday for Malota

In the middle of the postgame awards ceremony on the field at Dell Diamond, the Fayetteville crowd and Lions players broke out in a chorus of “Happy Birthday” to Lions senior Trevor Malota, who turned 18 Thursday.

“When baseball season started I looked and saw that the state championship was on my birthday and I thought that would be awesome just to make it there,” Malota said. “It’s a dream come true.”

“I couldn’t ask for a better birthday present.”

Malota certainly made the most of his last day as a 17-year-old Wednesday, pitching 4.1 scoreless innings of relief and driving in the game-tying run in the state semifinal 5-4 victory over Price-Carlisle.

Then on his first day as an 18-year-old he went 3-for-3 with four RBIs in the state title game.

Not a bad start to adulthood.

Back-to-Back Titles for Fayette County

What a week for Fayette County sports. On the heels of Flatonia winning the 1A state softball title on May 31, the Lions brought home the 1A state baseball title just seven days later.

It marks the first time Fayette County has ever had baseball and softball titles in the same year.

Here’s a look at the all-time county baseball and softball titles: Softball 2003: Flatonia 2005: La Grange 2012: Flatonia

Repeat?

Baseball 1973: La Grange 1993: Flatonia 1997: Fayetteville 2001: La Grange 2004: La Grange 2012: Fayetteville

It’s never too early to think about next year, and Fayetteville should enter next season as one of the teams to beat in 1A, as they will return seven starters.

But they do lose a very strong senior class.

The Lions have three seniors, Connor Bertsch, Trevor Malota, and Tyler Krebs. Bertsch and Malota were starters and not only were stellar pitchers but offensive and defensive stars on the team as well.

But Brett Rohde, who came into the state tournament with the team’s leading batting average (.448) and championshp game MVP pitcher Logan Stoelke return.

Cound another title be in the future for the Lions?

“We’re darn sure going to try,” said sophomore pitcher/shortstop Logan Stoelke.

Fayetteville’s Trevor Malota awaits a throw at third as a Stamford runner slides in.

Photo by Tom Wood

Long Road Back for Bertsch

Connor Bertsch had a great senior season (was 6-1 as a pitcher and hit over .400) capped off by a great state tournament, but it was a long road for him just to get into playing shape for this year.

A star for the Lions since he was a freshman, Bertsch dislocated his foot and broke the tibia bone in his leg while running the bases during summer baseball.

“I had to work pretty hard to get back because I knew we had a great group of guys,” said Bertsch, who came to rehab in La Grange three times a week for three months to strenghten his foot and leg.

Bertsch made it back to join the Lions in the middle of basketball season.

“That helped a lot,” he said.

The Lions made it to the regional tournament in basketball, a big accomplishment at the time, but nobody knew that was just a taste of success to come later in this spring on the diamond.

Fayetteville catcher Reese Weishuhn played well defensively throughout the state tournament.

Photo by Tom Wood

Postseason Frustration Banished

While the Lions made winning the state title game look awfully easy, make no mistake, the Fayetteville boys know how difficult even the smallest postseason success can be.

The Lions have won four consecutive regular season district titles, but in the past three years they failed to win a single playoff series.

Many of the Fayetteville players said it was experience that helped end that postseason drought this season.

Others said it was the frustration of all those years of abbreviated playoff tries finally boiling over.

“We always talked about it, let’s do it, let’s do it, even as we were getting kicked out of the playoffs every year,” senior first baseman Connor Bertsch said.

“Once you start winning, it’s addicting,” said junior shortstop Brett Ro-

s t a r g Con s!

Lion

Justin Schley makes a catch in centerfielder during the state title game.

Photo by Tom Wood

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Brandon Canik lingers for a moment after sliding home following a Logan Stoelke single in the title game.

Photo by Tom Wood

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The Fayette County Record, Tuesday, June 12, 2012

The Road to Gold

B5

Fayetteville’s Journey to Get to the State Title Game Was the Hard Part

By JEFF WICK

Georgetown High School. That’s the night before both schools hold their graduation ceremonies.

The Fayette County record

The Fayetteville Lions lost their first game of the season.

Right from the start, in that 6-3 loss to Weimar, it became clear that things were not going to come easy in 2012 for the Fayetteville baseball team.

But nothing worth having does come easy.

Because of their successful basketball postseason, and all the early spring rain, the Lions also started the season in catchup mode.

The first sign that this might be a special year for the Lions, however, was in the Fayetteville Tournament (which like all their regular season games, was held at Fairgrounds Park in La Grange because of renovations to their home field in Fayetteville). In that tourney Fayetteville knocked off state-ranked Shiner (via a no-hitter by Brett Rohde) and state-ranked Port Aransas in one-run games.

Those one-run affairs would become another theme this season for Fayetteville.

In all, the Lions played seven one-run games this year – a quarter of their total contests.

A dominating regular season followed for Fayetteville as they rolled to their fourth consecutive district title.

During district, on Friday April 13, Connor Bertsch, Brett Rohde and Trevor Malota hit back-to-back-to-back homeruns in a game against Louise.

Then came the playoffs.

Here’s some excerpts from Fayetteville’s postseason run, as taken from the pages of the Fayette County Record as it was happening.

May 11/12

Lions Finally Solve Area Round Curse

It wasn’t easy, but the Fayetteville baseball team advanced in the playoffs after outlasting Granger in a three-game series that went the distance over the weekend.

The Lions (15-6) won the opener 7-1, led by a one-hitter from pitcher Connor Bertsch, before dropping the second game 9-6. In Saturday’s finale, a 6-4 Lions win, Logan Stoelke was the winning pitcher with Brett Rohde getting the save.

Fayetteville now advances to face Flatonia in the regional quarterfinals.

5/11/12 – Game 1

Fayetteville 7, Granger 1

Fayetteville 104 002 0 – 7 11 1 Granger 000 100 0 – 1 1 1 Winning pitcher: Connor Bertsch (complete game 1-hitter with 12 Ks) Fayetteville highlights: Logan Stoelke 2 runs; Wesley Bertsch 1 hit, 1 run; Justin Schley 2 hits; Reese Weishuhn 1 hit, 1 RBI; Brett Rohde 4 hits, 2B, 1 run 1 RBI; Trevor Malota 1 hit, 1 run, 2 RBIs; Connor Bertsch 2 hit, 2 runs, 2 RBIs. 5/12/12 –Game 2

Granger 9, Fayetteville 6

Fayetteville 400 101 0 – 6 9 0 Granger 106 200 0 – 9 7 4 Losing pitcher: Trevor Malota Fayetteville highlights: Wesley Bertsch 1 hit, 2 runs; Weishuhn 1 hit, Rohde 2 hits, 3B, 2 RBIs, 1 run; Malota 1 hit, 1 RBI; Ty Norsworthy 1 hit, Connor Bertsch 3 hit, 3 RBIs, 1 run.

5/12/12 – Game 3

Fayetteville 6, Granger 4 Granger

000 022 0 – 4 5 3

5/18/12 – Game 1

Fayetteville 2, Flatonia 1 (8 inn.)

Flatonia 010 000 00 – 1 3 3 Fayetteville 100 000 01 – 2 5 1 Winning pitcher: Connor Bertsch (pitched hitless eighth inning); Brett Rohde started the game for Fayetteville (7 IP, 13 Ks, 3 hits allowed); Losing pitcher: Cole Robbins (8 IP, 5 hits, 11 Ks).

Fayetteville highlights: Logan Stoelke homer; Wesley Bertsch 1 hit, Connor Bertsch 1 hit, Rohde scored game-winning run; Trevor Malota 2 hits.

Flatonia highlights: Ray Lopez 1 run; Zane Ponder 1 hit, 3 SBs, 1 RBI; Josh Velasquez 1hit; Will Bruns 1 hit.

5/19/12 – Game 2

Fayetteville 3, Flatonia 1

Fayetteville 200 001 0 – 3 5 1 Flatonia 010 000 0 –1 6 1 Winning pitcher: Trevor Malota (5 scoreless innings of relief) Fayetteville highlights: Logan Stoelke 1 hit, 1 run; Reese Weishuhn 2B, 1 RBI; Brett Rohde 1 hit, 1 run, 1 RBI; Malota 2 hits, 1 RBI. Fayetteville first baseman Connor Bertsch stretches to make a catch in the state title game as a Stamford runner nears.

Photo by Tom Wood Fayetteville 015 000 x – 6 4 0 Winning pitcher: Logan Stoelke (5.2 IP. 4 run, 8 Ks); Save: Brett Rohde Fayetteville highlights: Schley 1 hit, Weishuhn 1 hit, 1 RBI; Rohde 1 RBI, 2 runs; Malota 2 hit, 1 RBI, 1 run; Bertsch 1 run.

May 17/18

Fayetteville Edges Flatonia in Two

They are neighbors, and friends and some are even teammates in the summer.

But Thursday and Friday the baseball players from Fayetteville and Flatonia had to become rivals in the winner-take-all regional quarterfinals.

And in a series whose onfield intensity lived up to the pre-game hype, Fayetteville just edged the Bulldogs with an extra-inning 2-1 victory in Game 1 and a 3-1 win in Game 2.

The Lions got the wins, but both teams walked away with a lot of respect.

“I couldn’t ask for a better game between two great ballclubs,” said Flatonia head coach Shawn Bruns, even after that heart-breaking Game 1 loss.

“Both teams play baseball the way it was meant to be played.”

“We’ve got some great baseball here in Fayette County,” said Fayetteville head coach Clint Jaeger.

Flatonia had great pitching in this series – led by Cole Robbins’ eight-inning complete game in the opener.

But Fayetteville’s was just a little better.

Brett Rohde struck out 13 batters in seven innings in the opener. Connor Bertsch pitched a hitless eighth to win Game 1 and then started Game 2, before giving way to Trevor Malota, who pitched five innings of scoreless relief with 11 strikeouts to clinch the series.

Game 1 was jam-packed with drama from Logan Stoelke’s homer on the first pitch Fayetteville saw in the game to the bases-loaded walk that Reese Weishuhn drew which brought home Rohde with the game winner.

“It felt amazing touching home plate,” Rohde said.

Wesley Bertsch pokes a double into left field in the state semis.

Photo by Dawn Pavalock/Reflections by Dawn

Matthew Peevler hits the dirt for a run in the semis.

Photo by Dawn Pavalock/Reflections by Dawn

“If there were two pitches I could take back, it would be the

first pitch of the game and the last pitch,” said Robbins.

But he had nothing to hang his head about, after his five-hit 11-strikeout performance.

But the Bulldog bats could get little going Thursday against Rohde, the Lions junior pitcher who wears his intensity on his sleeve.

“I try to be a leader, try to get the guys pumped up,” Rohde said.

“Pretty gutsy,” said Jaeger, describing Rohde’s outing.

Flatonia’s lone run Thursday came when Ray Lopez walked, stole second and came home on a Zane Ponder single.

The always aggressive Bulldogs had four guys thrown out on the basepaths Thursday, via pick-offs or caught stealing.

“It just wasn’t our night tonight, but that’s why you play a series,” Bruns said.

But Friday was not Flatonia’s night either.

Fayetteville scored two runs in the top of the first and made that lead hold up.

Malota had two hits, Weishuhn had a RBI double and Rohde also drove in a run.

Friday’s victory vaults the Lions into the regional semifinals where they will play Mason, which downed Kenedy 5-3.

That series will be a onegamer, Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at

May 24

Lions Rally to Beat Mason 12-4

GEORGETOWN – Mason High School won the 1A state football title this season.

But Thursday, Fayetteville showed Mason a little something about how to play baseball.

In an intense one-game regional semifinal playoff contest, the Lions came from behind to knock out the Punchers 12-4.

Connor Bertsch pitched 5.1 scoreless innings of relief and the Lions batted around in both the fifth and sixth innings to break open a 4-4 tie.

Fayetteville will now play D’Hanis, with the winner advancing to the state baseball tournament.

“I couldn’t ask for a better group of guys,” Bertsch said of his team.

“These guys are pretty resilient,” said Fayetteville head coach Clint Jaeger, before he got doused by his players not once but twice by buckets of ice water in celebration of the win. “It’s guts, that’s what we’ve been going on.”

Something certainly has clicked into place for the Lions (18-6), who have won four consecutive district titles, but hadn’t been able to translate that regular season success into the playoffs – until now.

No player on the current Lions team had ever won a playoff series before this season. But now they’ve won three series in a row.

“We know what that losing feeling feels like and we hate that,” Jaeger said. “We want to avoid that as long as we can.”

“This year we’re all older, a little more mature, handle the situations better and we just have a really good team,” said senior Trevor Malota, who reached base four of his five times up Thursday. “Everybody’s doing their job, and we’re rolling.”

There were a ton of heroes Thursday for the Lions, but maybe nobody came up bigger than Connor Bertsch.

Brett Rohde started the game on the mound for the Lions, but an ankle injury he suffered on See Lions, Next Page

B6

The Fayette County Record, Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Lions Were Living on the Edge Most of the Postseason Continued from Previous Page the basepaths in the first inning seemed to affect him as he threw in the second.

Mason scored four runs in that second inning to go up 4-2 before Bertsch relieved Rohde on the mound.

With two on and two out, Bertsch got a grounder to end the threat and then pitched four more hitless innings, before Mason finally got one hit off him in the seventh.

Bertsch finished with eight strikeouts.

“Rohde was struggling, his ankle was bothering him a little, and Connor said ‘give me the ball’ and he throws five shutout innings,” Jaeger said.

“I knew I had to step up,” Bertsch said. “I was pumped up.”

Fayetteville tied the game at 4-4 in the third on RBI hits by Bertsch and Malota.

In the fifth Fayetteville batted around with just a single hit.

Three walks and two Mason errors fueled that inning.

Mason ended up with six errors Thursday.

“In warm-ups we saw they were shaky defensively in some spots so we just knew we had to put the ball in play and put pressure on them to make plays,” Malota said.

The Lions batted around again in the sixth to extend the lead to eight runs, and for all intents and purposes the game was over.

Fayetteville lead-off hitter Logan Stoelke was 4-for-5. Connor Bertsch had a triple and a double. Rohde had two hits.

Fayetteville ended up with those 12 runs and 11 hits, just one week after they really struggled to score runs against Flatonia.

“This is the best game we’ve hit in the playoffs and that pitcher was good,” Jaeger said. “It was just our night to hit.”

With Thursday’s victory, the Fayetteville boys could now relax and enjoy Friday’s graduation ceremonies, and know they lived to play another day.

Three Lions players were seniors – Malota, Connor Bertsch and Tyler Krebs.

“It worked out nice,” Jaeger said.

Malota graduated Friday as the Fayetteville valedictorian.

A playoff win one night and graduating in the top of his class the next. What was the highlight of his week?

“I’m going to have to say baseball,” Malota said, “because I can enjoy it with all my friends.”

5/24/12

Fayetteville 12, Mason 4

Fayetteville 202 035 0 – 12 11 1 Mason 040 000 0 – 4 3 6 Winning pitcher: Connor Bertsch Fayetteville highlights: Logan Stoelke 4-for-5 with 3 runs; Wesley Bertsch 1 hit, 2 runs, SAC; Connor Bertsch 3B, 2B, 3 walks; Kadin Schmitt 2 runs; Brett Rohde 1B, 2B, 2 runs, 2 RBIs; Trevor Malota 1 hit, 2 RBIs; Justin Schley BB; Reese Weishuhn 3 RBIs; Ty Norsworthy BB, RBI.

May 31

Regional Champs

Fifteen years after their last state title, the Fayetteville baseball team is going to get a shot at another.

In an epic pitcher’s duel Thursday night at Texas State

Way to go LionS!

The LIons are handed their state gold medals on the field at Dell Diamond by Fayetteville superintendent Rich Elsasser.

Photo by Tom Wood

University, Fayetteville’s Connor Bertsch outdueled Texas A&MCorpus Christi signee Kaleb Keith as the Lions beat D’Hanis 2-1.

The victory vaults Fayetteville into the state semifinals, which will be Wednesday at 9 a.m, against Price Carlisle (252) at Dell Diamond in Round Rock.

“I knew we had the potential but to get to state a lot of things have to go right,” Fayetteville head coach Clint Jaeger said.

“You gotta get a lot of breaks, but we believe that we make our own breaks.”

That first break for Fayetteville may have been when the coaches flipped a coin to determine the date of the game.

The Lions lost the flip to have a three-game series, but won the flip to hold the single game Thursday instead of Saturday, giving Keith just four days of rest after he threw 10 innings last Saturday in a pair of victories over Shiner.

“My arm was pretty gone tonight,” Keith told the San Antonio Express News.

“If he was tired, it didn’t show,” Jaeger said. “He was throwing in the mid-80s and got up to 89 (miles per hour) a couple of times.”

Keith had come into Thursday’s game with a 12-2 record and a microscopic 0.85 ERA. But Fayetteville took an early 1-0 led in the third inning when Wesley Bertsch singled to drive in Logan Stoelke.

“I was down in the count and guessing curveball and that’s what he threw me and I got enough on it to get it to the outfield,” Wesley Bertsch said.

D’Hanis would tie the game in the top of the sixth, but the Cowboys could have gotten more if not for a highlight-reel play by Fayetteville first baseman Trevor Malota. He made a leaping catch on a line-drive and then doubledoff a D’Hanis runner at first to end the threat.

Then Fayetteville fought back in their half of the inning as Justin Schley singled to score Brett Rohde from second.

Fayetteville first baseman Connor Bertsch gets out of the way of a Price Carlisle runner after a wild throw gets past him in the semis.

Photo by Dawn Pavalock/Reflections by Dawn

While he was on base, Rohde did his best to distract Keith during Schley’s at-bat, which may have helped matters.

Up 2-1, Connor Bertsch closed the door on D’Hanis in the seventh.

The Cowboys got a runner on with no outs, but Bertsch struck out the final three batters in order to end the game and send the Lions to state.

“Connor was just awesome,” Jaeger said. “They only hit two balls out of the infield all night.

After the fifth inning he said he was gassed, but he stuck it out.”

Bertsch allowed just three hits and struck out nine to get the win. His pitching record improves to 6-1 with the victory, but as they head into the state tournament, the Lions are uniquely positioned for success in the back-to-back format at Dell Diamond because Rohde, Malota and Stoelke are all quality hurlers for the Lions too.

“I’m not trying to brag but if there’s another 1A team in the

state of Texas that has four pitchers as good as ours, I’d like to see them,” Jaeger said.

Starting Wednesday Fayetteville will get to see the best the rest of the state has to offer, starting with that Price Carlisle team that is in the midst of a 24-game win-streak.

5/31/12

Fayetteville 2, D’Hanis 1

Fayetteville 001 001 0 – 2 6 5 D’Hanis 000 001 0 – 1 3 0 Winning pitcher: Connor Bertsch (Complete game three-hitter with 9 Ks and 0 BBs.) Losing pitcher: Kaleb Keith (12-3) Fayetteville offense: Logan Stoelke 1for-3, 1 run; Wesley Bertsch 2-for-3, 1 RBI; Justin Schley 1-for-2, 1 RBI, 1 SAC; Reese Weishuhn BB; Brett Rohde 1-for-3, 1 run; Trevor Malota 1-for-2, 1 SAC; Connor Bertsch BB.

April 6

One Win Away

ROUND ROCK – The smallest school at the state baseball tournament staged the biggest comeback.

Fayetteville 5, Price Carlisle 4

Fayetteville 000 004 1 – 5 4 4 Price Carlisle 301 000 0 – 4 6 3 Winning pitcher: Trevor Malota (5-3); 4.1 shutout innings, 3 hits, 2 BBs, 4 Ks) Losing pitcher: Gunner Baker (1 IP, 1 run, 0 hits, 1 BB, 2 Ks) Fayetteville highlights: Logan Stoelke 1 run; Wesley Bertsch 1-for-4; Connor Bertsch 1-for-3, 1 run, 1 RBI; Brett Rohde 1 RBI; Trevor Malota 1-for-3, 1 RBI; Ty Norsworthy 1-for-1, BB; Matthew Peevler 1 run; Brandon Canik 2 runs.

Way to Go Lions!

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Fayetteville rallied from a four-run deficit and Trevor Malota pitched 4.1 innings of scoreless relief as the Lions beat Price Carlisle 5-4 Wednesday in the 1A state semifinals.

Carlisle (25-3) had won 24 consecutive games before Wednesday.

Brandon Canik, who didn’t have a hit all year for Fayetteville, walked and scored the gamewinning run for the Lions in the seventh on a throwing error.

“When it comes down to it,” said Canik, the latest in a long line of heroes for the Lions this season, “we just get it done.”

“These guys come through in the clutch,” Fayetteville head coach Clint Jaeger said.

The victory vaulted the Lions (20-6) into Thursday’s state title game against Stamford (24-1) which beat Dodd City 4-1 in the other semifinal.

Whatever the outcome of the title game, it’s already a historic season for the Lions, who are making their first trip to the state title game since 1997, when they won it all.

“If somebody would have told me at the beginning of the season that we would be playing in the state title game I would never have believed it,” said Fayetteville designated hitter Ty Norsworthy, whose single started a sixth run rally that saved the day for the Lions.

Even by Class 1A standards, Fayetteville is tiny. The Lions’ high school enrollment (64) was just about a third of Carlisle’s (180).

But enrollment numbers, apparently, don’t measure the will to win.

For five innings Wednesday, Fayetteville stared elimination in the face as Carlisle opened up a 4-0 lead.

Through those five innings, the Lions had just one hit (a double by Wesley Bertsch) against Carlisle starter Shadow Sanders.

“Going into the top of the sixth and we had done absolutely squat offensively,” Jaeger said.

“We tried to get the point across to them that if we could make adjustments and get runners on

base, that they would start feeling the pressure of trying to get those last six outs.”

Norsworthy, Fayetteville’s No. 8 hitter, started the rally with a single and then Matthew Peevler, the No. 9 hitter, walked.

“It all starts with one hit. It’s gotta come from somewhere,” Norsworthy said.

“I can’t say enough about what our 8th and 9th hitters did in the sixth,” Jaeger said.

That chased Sanders from the game, but instead of bringing in ace Gunner Baker (who was 140 with a 0.24 ERA coming into the game but had pitched a lot in last Saturday’s regional final) Carlisle manager Wesley Colley brought in Zach Brightwell to pitch.

Brightwell coaxed a grounder off the bat of Logan Stoelke, but the Carlisle shortstop let the ball go under his glove, which plated Canik (who was pinch running for Norsworthy).

“When we scored that first run it fired everybody up,” Canik said.

Connor Bertsch singled home Peevler and then a sacrifice fly by Brett Rohde brought home Stoelke.

Malota then singled in Bertsch, and in the span of 10 minutes that 4-0 Carlisle lead had disappeared into the muggy midmorning air.

Malota retired the Indians in order in the bottom of the sixth.

Then in the top of the seventh Carlisle finally put in their ace, Baker. He didn’t give up a hit, but it was his inability to throw to second that was his undoing.

Canik got a one out walk.

Peevler tried to bunt him to second, but Baker fielded the ball quickly and tried to get the lead runner. But he threw the ball wildly into centerfield.

Canik, after safely getting to second, made a seemingly ill-advised attempt to advance to third on the overthrow.

“Canik always hustles, and his hustle today really paid off,” Malota said.

A good throw would have had Canik easily – but the throw from center wasn’t good. It short-hopped the third baseman and landed in the netting of the Indians dugout.

It was the seventh error of the day between the two teams.

By rule, Canik got to take another base and trotted home.

Baker struck out the last two batters, but the damage was done.

Malota then retired Carlisle in the bottom of the seventh to preserve the win – but it wasn’t easy.

The Indians got runners on second and third with one out, and loaded the bases with two outs, but Malota got Kolton Heim to ground out to end the game and spark a wild celebration by the Fayetteville players and fans.

They were hoping that celebration wasn’t their last of the week – it wasn’t.

Way to Go Jenna!

We're proud of the team and the manager!

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The Fayette County Record, Tuesday, June 12, 2012

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The members of the Fayetteville baseball team ride fire trucks around the town square Thursday after their win earlier in the day.

Photos by Dawn Pavalock/Reflections by Dawn

The Heroes’ Homecoming What would a championship be without a parade?

As the Fayetteville baseball team returned home Thursday afternoon they found the town square packed with well-wishers and a pair of fire trucks to haul the new champs around in.

WAY TO GO

LIONS! WAY TO BRING HOME THE

1A STATE

BASEBALL TITLE! We love you, Fayetteville head coach Clint Jaeger addresses the crowd via the fire truck’s mic.

MOM, MIKE, DAD, REGINA, RYAN, DEREK, & ALL THE FAMILY

The parade route was crawling with people.

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The view is pretty good from the top.

Congratulations to the State Champion

Fayetteville Lions!

Judy Vire, RN, FNP, BC and Staff

The Lions three senior players, left to right, Tyler Krebs, Trevor Malota and Connor Bertsch share some time at the fire truck’s loudspeaker at the celebration.

Congratulations To the New State Champs!

The FayeTTe CounTy ReCoRd The Hometown Newspaper for all of Fayette County

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The Fayette County Record, Tuesday, June 12, 2012

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