Local diamond teams set bar high for next season

By all accounts high school teams set goals each year with hopes of fulfilling each one as they march towards a state championship.

Most coaches take one game at a time, others set a goal of making the playoffs and beyond only.

Our coverage teams turned up this season.

Bloomburg

Bloomburg’s softball team had one of the most memorable and historic seasons in the program’s and school’s history.

The Lady Wildcats won a district championship then went on a tear. The Lady ’Cats beat Yantis in bi-district, Neches in the regional quarterfinals, Saltillo in the regional semi-finals and Chireno in the regional finals.

Beating Chireno was an avenged loss from a great run in 2019 that ended at the hands of the Lady Owls deep in the playoffs.

COVID-19 erased a year of what could have been, but the Lady Wildcats clawed each and every game this season en route to only being two wins away from a state championship.

Many, including myself, believe the state game was between Dodd City and Bloomburg as the Lady Wildcats fell 4-3 in the state semi-final round in extras.

Although the entire team was on fire throughout the season, Bloomburg third baseman Skyler Newell was selected to the Softball State All-Tournament Team for her performance in the Division 1A State Playoffs.

With no seniors on the team the blue and gold squad will be back looking to bring home the coveted state championship.

Atlanta

Both Atlanta’s baseball and softball teams had solid seasons although the Lady Rabbs bowed out of the playoffs earlier than expected.

The baseball team won a district championship then made it to the regional finals after beating Winnsboro in a 2-game sweep for a bi-district title, beating White Oak in area, beating Harmony in the regional quarterfinals and beating Grandview in the regional semi-finals.

Being part of the “Elite 8” hasn’t come for this program since 1998 when the Rabbs won the program’s only baseball state championship in school history.

The Lady Rabbs lost two games all season long and went undefeated en route to a district title.

In the bi-district round of the playoffs Atlanta swept Winnsboro in two games by outscoring the Lady Raiders 29-8.

McLeod

The Longhorns’ baseball team rolled through the first three series’ of the playoffs en route to a regional semi-finals appearance.

In the bi-district round McLeod outscored Cumby 25-3 in a 2-game sweep then beat Cayuga in area and beat Hawkins in the regional quarterfinals.

The Lady Longhorns made an appearance in the regional quarterfinals after beating Rivercrest in the bi-district round and topping Frankston in area.

Linden-Kildare

Both of Linden-Kildare’s diamond teams made it to area.

The baseball team beat Alba-Golden for a bi-district title and the softball team beat Detroit for a bi-district title.

Queen City

Queen City’s softball made the playoffs after battling a tough gauntlet of teams in district play.