Magnolia West baseball captures first Class 5A state title with win over Argyle
Magnolia West fan Nolan Cruz, right, cheers alongside Brady Radcliff in the seventh inning of the Class 5A state championship game during the UIL State Baseball Championships at Dell Diamond on Saturday, June 10, 2023 in Round Rock.
ROUND ROCK — Jackson Blank grew up on baseball fields, in dugouts and in the grandstands watching the game. On Saturday afternoon, he joined the family legacy by producing the biggest hit needed for a Magnolia West state championship. The senior outfielder broke open a scoreless game with a bases-clearing single in the top of the sixth. He then made a spectacular game-saving catch in center field. Just as they did before and after Blank’s big hit and catch, the Mustangs rode pitcher Caylon Dygert to victory as the Mustangs won 3-2 over Argyle in the University Interscholastic League Class 5A championship at Dell Diamond. “Up and down the whole game,” Dygert said afterwards. “It was 0-0 going into the fifth. It was huge. Whenever we got that hit, it just felt like this is it. Then they started coming back and you just have to breathe.” Blank was selected as the game’s Most Valuable Player for was 2-for-3 day with two big RBIs that broke open the game. The catch was icing on the cake.With two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Argyle had runners reach on an error and a single. The top of the order was up and Colton Roquemore came away with an RBI single. JC Davis followed with an RBI single of his own to left field. The runners advanced as second and third as the Mustangs right fielder didn’t come up with it cleanly. Grady Emerson then hit a solid ball to center where Jackson ran in quickly forward to grab and the state title was won. “Talk about anxiety,” Blank said. “They put up two runs right there and I was getting a little nervous. But I just said hit me the ball. The wind was blowing out. But whenever he hit, I saw it was soft and started charging right away. I put a good route on it and it came right into me.”“As soon as it was hit, I turned around and Jackson had a great jump,” Dygert said. “As soon as I saw the jump he got, I knew it was over.” The Magnolia West ‘Dirt Boys’ are ranked No. 22 in the country by MaxPreps and end the season 36-5. The trip to Round Rock was a first for the Mustangs, who made the playoffs for the sixth time ever after winning the District 21-5A title. Argyle lost in a state championship game for the second straight year. Last season, the Eagles, a three-time champion, played in Class 4A. “It got a little dicey at the end,” Magnolia West first-year coach Travis Earles said. “We expect nothing else. That’s an outstanding baseball team right there and give them respect in the world for putting up a fight and coming back.” Dygert was sound through six innings as he allowed just two hits while striking out five. He finshed the complete game with two unearned runs allowed on five hits. Magnolia West allowed just 17 runs in 13 playoff games. “That’s Caylon Dygert,” Earles said. “He just wills us to win. It’s hard to explain. But he’s the best high school player I’ve coached in my life, he really is. He just wills us to win. He has another gear and is an absolute bulldog. It’s great way for him to finish his career at Mag West.” On the other side, Argyle starter Alex D’Angelo, a crafty left-hander, was keeping Magnolia West off the board early. The Mustangs had its first base runner on a double by Wade Nobles with two outs in the third inning. “He had a very good change up which is hard to duplicate in practice,” Earles said. “Change ups are hard to hit and he was locating with it. He did a good job keeping us off-balance.” With Caldwell McFaddin at first and one out, Brandon Seidmeyer drew a walk giving the Mustangs two base runners for the third time in four innings. “After the first few times around the lineup, we realized his change up was pretty good,” Seidmeyer said. “He didn’t always throw it for a strike. We were waiting on our pitch on the outside corner and if we didn’t get it, we took it. We got a few walks and then Jackson came up big with the hit.”
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