The Rangers concluded their 2014 regular season spectacularly, finishing 24-7 before entering the playoffs, losing only to Lake Travis, O’ Connor, Pflugerville, Cedar Park, San Angelo Central, JJ Pearce, and Sachse; also, most of these losses also came out of district and in the beginning of the season. The Rangers also held an astounding twenty game winning streak.
Two of the more crucial losses in the season, JJ Pearce and Sachse, occurred on the same day. JJ Pearce was the first game of the day and Sachse, a makeup game, was the second.
Sophomore pitcher Pete Hamrick says that they “were not expecting to lose to both Sachse and Pearce on the same day,” also adding that the Pearce game “ended [their] winning streak.” Pete Hamrick says as well that the Rangers had “previously played JJ Pearce in districts” and “run-ruled them the first time [the Rangers] played them.” Hamrick says that the Pearce game, “was a good game, until there were a couple calls that didn’t go [their] way and that changed the momentum for the rest of the game.” The game was very low scoring and the loss was not expected at all by the Rangers. Losing two games in a row, on the same day would come as a shock to the Rangers who had just previously won twenty games in a row.
The last five games of the Rangers’ season proved to be very crucial in their standings. The opponents in these regular season closing games were Lake Highlands, JJ Pearce, Sachse, Sunset, and Richardson. “The last game played was a big one for us,” Coach Jones explains, “due to the fact that it was the district champion clinching game in which we won 14-1 over Sunset.” He also adds that, “It being senior night made it that much better.”
Despite the importance of those last five games, another one earlier this season may have proved to be ultimately more important. “I think the biggest game was the extra inning game against WT White,” states Coach Jones. The game was tied at 0-0 going into the bottom of the tenth. As Chase Jennings was standing on second, Kyle Muller stepped up to bat. Kyle sent the ball deep into the outfield, allowing Chase to score and putting Kyle on second base. This would give the Rangers the 1-0 win. “That win gave us a lot of confidence,” Coach Jones mentions.
The Rangers finished the regular season as district champs. Coach Jones says that this is their “goal every year,” and the team is “fortunate to 
have done that five years in a row now.” He also states that now “that [they] have secured the number one seed, it will be more impressive if [they] stay in the playoffs a few rounds.”
The first round in the playoffs began on Thursday, May 1, and the Rangers faced Plano East on their home turf. The Rangers entered with high hopes for the playoffs and the ability to succeed. Before playing their first game, Coach Jones stated that their “expectation for the playoffs is to take it one round at a time and concentrate on that particular opponent.”
Their goal all year was to win district and advance into the playoffs. They were able to achieve that, and more, defeating Plano East in a three game series for the bi-district playoff round.
Finishing with a 24-7 overall record and a 13-1 district record, the Rangers went into the game as district champs and hungry for victory. The first game in the three game series did not pan out in their favor, however, and the team suffered a 2-1 loss to the Plano East Panthers.
With Harrison Folk ’15 on the mound, the Rangers got off to a quick three-up, three-down inning in the bottom of the first but were not able to produce any runs in the top half of the inning. After giving up two quick runs in the second, the Rangers were not able to respond with any runs of their own.
Behind solid pitching from Folk, the score remained 2-0 until the sixth inning, when Darius Hill ’15 and Grant Reuben ’15 each drove in a run and were able to tie the score at 2 a piece. Although Jesuit tied the score, the Panthers responded with a run of their own in the bottom of the sixth and with no runs in the seventh, the game came to a close with a 3-2 Panther win.
Despite being 0-1 in the series, Coach Jones explained that going into game two, “we had all the confidence in the world with Chris Muller on the mound. Plus we were playing at home.” The Rangers proved to be resilient in this must-win game, registering a 2-0 victory.
In the second game of the series, the offenses of both teams were quiet until the bottom of the sixth inning. Behind a shutout from both pitchers through five innings, Hill was able to once again drive in a run and score a run himself. Chris Muller ’14 was able to complete his shutout and ultimately won the game for the Rangers.
In the win-or-go-home, the Rangers proved that they were dominant and clinched the series with a 5-4 victory. The game were the most exciting thus far, in an extra-innings victory.
Sophomore ace Hamrick was on the mound for the Rangers and his stellar performance kept the Rangers in the game. Early on, they were able to get ahead 2-1 and continued to add on to the lead, registering a run in each the third and fourth inning.
With a 4-1 lead the game looked like it was over but the Panthers fought back and tied the game up at 4 in the seventh inning, going to extra innings. Lorenzo Riddle ’15 pitched two clutch innings, allowing no runs and the Rangers walked it off with a hit in the bottom of the ninth.
Hamrick explained that “we got too confident going into the seventh with a three run lead but after tying the game, we did not lose our confidence and that allowed us to win the game.” Coach Jones agreed with the statement and. When asked about making a deep playoff run, Jones responded that the team definitely can and that “this is a team that doesn’t get too high or too low and that’s big when you get to the playoffs.”
The Rangers next opponent will be Rockwall in the area round of the playoffs on Friday, April 9, at Jesuit.
