List of Texas teams for CMWS grows after two qualifying tournaments
Dillon Brandt, pictured here as a pitcher for Jesuit College Prep (Texas), was one of the Dallas Tigers’ leading pitchers on the road to the 2024 Connie Mack World Series. (Photo courtesy)
FARMINGTON – The power play will play a big role in the Connie Mack World Series later this month.
There are still just over three weeks before the teams arrive in Farmington for the annual event, but at least six teams from the neighboring state of Texas will be participating in the CMWS.
“It says a lot about the quality of baseball across the state,” said Dallas Tigers coach Tommy Hernandez, whose team is looking to win two straight World Series titles. “The guys from the other Texas teams all know each other, so we’re excited to be a part of it.”
The Tigers, coached by Brett Bergman last year, won their second CMWS title in dramatic fashion, defeating the Midland (Ohio) Redskins in a thrilling game. Hernandez, who founded the Dallas Tigers baseball club in 1993, appears to have a strong team ready to reclaim the title.
The Tigers are one of the few teams that received an automatic bid to the Connie Mack World Series. By winning the title last year, the Tigers received an automatic bid, along with the Redskins, the Dallas D-Bats, the Texas Twelve Red Sox and the yet-to-be-determined host team.
The NTX Longhorns, coached by Jacob Boddie, qualified for the 2024 Connie Mack World Series after winning the AABC Texas qualifier. The Longhorns are one of six teams from the state of Texas that will compete for the CMWS title. (Courtesy photo)
Joining the Tigers are recent qualifiers. The Dulins Dodgers will make their third consecutive CMWS appearance after winning the AABC South Regional championship, while the NTX Longhorns will travel to Farmington for the first time after winning the AABC Texas Qualifier.
Two more regional qualifiers will take place in the coming weeks, with up to 13 teams from Texas expected to participate.
The California qualifier, which features several Connie Mack teams from recent years, including the Southern California Renegades and the Colton Nighthawks, begins Saturday in Huntington Beach.
The Oklahoma qualifier, which begins July 9, features the Enid Majors and includes nearly 30 teams from as far away as Missouri and Nebraska. The Enid Majors won the 2022 CMWS.
The state of Texas has sent several teams to the Connie Mack World Series in recent years. In 2023, three teams from Texas participated in the tournament. In 2022 and 2018, five teams represented the Lone Star State in the tournament, which is widely considered one of the most prestigious amateur baseball tournaments in America.
The Longhorns, coached by Jacob Boddie, won the Texas qualifier by defeating the Marucci Elite two games to none in a best-of-three final in Weatherford. The Longhorns defeated the Elite 6-5 in the opening game and took the title by a score of 8-3.
Cord Rager, pictured here with the Maypearl (Texas) High School baseball team, has been a threat on both the mound and the batting crease this summer for the NTX Longhorns as they prepare for the 2024 Connie Mack World Series. (Photo courtesy)
Jaxson Jester, a recent graduate of Pottsboro High School, pitched five innings to earn the win over Elite in the final game of the tournament, allowing just two runs on three hits. As a hitter, Jester posted a .372 batting average with 14 runs batted in and 19 runs scored, a team-best effort, during his senior year.
“His racket really came alive for us in the tournament,” Boddie said of Jester. “He’s a really solid two-man talent.”
The Tigers also have some talent on the mound, most notably Dillon Brandt, a pitcher from Jesuit College Prep who has already signed with the University of Pennsylvania. Brandt finished last season 8-2 with a 1.68 earned run average and 99 strikeouts.
“He looks fantastic and seems like he’s growing into his body,” Hernandez said of Brandt.
Fracking companies have big weekend in Albuquerque
The Frackers, who are undefeated in the City League this season and aiming for a spot in the Connie Mack World Series, had a solid weekend at the Duke City Championships in Albuquerque.
The Frackers went 3-2 over the weekend and competed against some of the best teams in the metropolitan area, including the Albuquerque Baseball Academy.
Before reaching the final game of the Duke City Championships, the Frackers earned a stunning 9-8 victory over the Southwest Snipers on Sunday morning.
Alejandro Hernandez-Carrillo’s three-run home run capped a five-run rally in the bottom of the seventh inning and put the Frackers in the championship game. However, the Frackers lost 8-1 to the Albuquerque Baseball Academy in the title game.
The Frackers (17-4-1) finish the City League regular season on Friday against the 505 Panthers.
