Corpus Christi bragging rights: Breaking down the Carroll v. Ray baseball series
This season marks another year that two Corpus Christi ISD schools will meet in the regional quarterfinal round of the high school baseball playoffs, and this season Carroll and Ray will have that honor.
Neither team won the district but both find themselves in the position that if they win they will carry the Class 5A banner for not only CCISD into the regional semifinal round but also for Corpus Christi and the Coastal Bend as the area's lone remaining 5A team. The area has not had a regional finalist in Class 5A since 2018 when Veterans Memorial made its run to the state tournament.
This week's series will be tight, so here's what to know.
When are the games
The series is slated to begin at 7 p.m. Thursday at Cabaniss Baseball Field, and Game 2 will be at the same time on Friday. If a third game is needed, it is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Cabaniss.
X Factors
Carroll and Ray's playoff experience
Both teams are loaded with experienced seniors, and a few other players that have experienced the pressure of the playoffs. The core of Ray's team was there in 2021 when the Texans and Veterans Memorial played a classic series at Cabaniss. Carroll, meanwhile, has a senior class, that has not missed the playoffs and knows how to succeed when the pressure is on. That experience could play a key role this week.
Lack of familiarity on the field in 2023
Yes, both teams know each other because they are both from Corpus Christi ISD, and many of the players play on the same summer or select teams. But what is a factor is the fact that these two teams played once during the high school regular season on March 7 in a non-zone game. Ray won 6-5. Thanks to 29-5A splitting into zones and both teams being in different zones, they only played each other once and it didn't count in the district standings. Knowing each other on paper is a little different than having played each other on the field twice during league play.
What this series means
Not only is bragging rights on the line but also a spot in the regional semifinals. Area squads are working on a two-year streak of teams making to Region IV's final four teams. Plus it is one more chance to break a four-year drought for area Class 5A squads to reach the regional final. From 2010, when Carroll won state to 2018, when Veterans Memorial advanced to the state tournament, at least five area teams (Vets, Moody, Calallen, Ray and Carroll three times) have advanced to the regional final in the state's large classifications.
Players to Watch
Carroll
Richie Roman
The Moody transfer has been a key player for the Tigers this season on a senior-heavy team, and he could play a factor on the mound as well as in the field.
Easton Hewitt
The slick-fielding shortstop has been a mainstay for the Tigers for four years, and has been a catalyst in the leadoff role.
Ray
Jack Bell
The Texas A&M signee has come up big during his four-year career for the Texans, and this could be another chance for him to make his mark on the program.
Jack Spenst
The Texans outfielder has produced some key hits this season, and being positioned behind Goss and Bell in the lineup has paid dividends at points this season.
This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: High School Baseball: Breaking down the Carroll v. Ray series
