Legendary major league baseball manager Casey Stengel once said “There are three things you can do in a baseball game. You can win, or you can lose, or it can rain.” The Lake Highlands Wildcats, along with most North Texas area high school baseball teams, unfortunately have experienced the third option with regularity this season.
Wet weather and field conditions forced cancellation of the final two days of Lake Highlands’ Jay Higgins Classic, bringing to 13 the total number of varsity baseball games lost to winter weather, rain or wet grounds in 2015. Weather and field conditions have also forced cancellation of virtually the entire junior varsity schedules to date.
The varsity will begin the District 10-6A campaign with a non-district record of 0-4, after falling to Bryan Adams, 9-6, and Royse City, 9-1, in the Classic on March 12. Against Bryan Adams, senior co-captain Sergio Soler went 2-3 with a double and RBI, and junior Collin Dishman added an RBI double for the 'Cats. Catcher Hunter Punjak homered against Royse City for the only Wildcat run in the second game.
The Wildcats’ season motto is “Rise Above it All.” Despite the early season weather and other challenges, the Wildcats remain confident and see opportunity to do exactly that as they begin district competition. “We are still being positive,” says senior co-captain Reed Thomas. “The team knows we are better than what we have shown so far, and we will prove that in district play,” Thomas adds.
The Wildcats open the district season away from their home field. The ‘Cats will play at Berkner on Tuesday, March 17. Three more road contests follow at Mesquite on Friday, March 20, at Richardson on Tuesday, March 24 and at Scotland Yard against Highland Park on Friday, March 27.
Lake Highlands will host the Pearce Mustangs in its district home opener on Tuesday, March 31. Thomas says the team appreciates its student and community fans. “We are going to need support at every game this season. It creates more energy for the players on the field. ....[E]veryone is going to do their part to try to get in the playoffs.”
The Wildcat varsity baseball schedule and roster and junior varsity information can be found on the Lake Highlands Wildcat Club website, www.lhwildcatclub.org. Follow the team on Facebook, Lake Highlands High School Baseball 2015, www.facebook.com/lhhsbaseball.
Go Wildcats!