Owls' battery mates power jHS to game one win

The Joshua Owls took a 1-0 lead in its best-of-three bi-district playoff series versus the South Hills Scorpions behind a 7-1 victory Wednesday night in Fort Worth, on the strength of sterling efforts from starting pitcher Kallin Whisenant and catcher Trevor Hernandez.

Whisenant, a junior lefty, fired 7.0 innings in the complete game win, allowing just one unearned run on one hit; he walked but two Scorps', and struck out eight. Offensively, Whisenant was 2-for-3 with a a run scored and an RBI. Hernandez had the biggest hit of the night for either side, a two-run triple in the 7th inning that proved to be the game-winner. On the season, the junior backstop has driven in 33 runs in 31 games. Junior shortstop Nate Chittum continued to swing a hot bat, finishing 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Senior first baseman Alec Aguirre reached safely in all four of his trips to the plate with a single, three walks, and a run scored.

Joshua will look to close out the Class 5A Division II bi-district series in game two, scheduled to be played Thursday, April 30th. First pitch is set for 7PM at Glen Holley Memorial Park on the campus of JHS. 

The Joshua Owls will take on the Fort Worth South Hills Scorpions in the bi-district round the Class 5A Division II Region I playoffs, marking the second consecutive season the teams have met in the postseason's opening round.

Below is the current schedule for the series. Severe weather in the DFW area has been forecast all week, so games dates/sites/times are all subject to change.

Game One

Wednesday, April 29th

7PM at South Hills High School

Game Two

Thursday, April 30th

7PM at Joshua High School

Game Three (if necessary)

Friday, May 1st

7PM at Joshua High School

The Joshua Owls beat the Burleson Elks 6-5 Thursday night in Burleson, keeping the Owls' hopes for a second consecutive district championship alive. 

Junior Kallin Whisenant led the way for Joshua, as the lefty pitched 5.0 innings to pick up his sixth win of the season. Whisenant allowed two earned runs on six hits against BHS, and struck out five. In seven district starts Whisenant is 4-0 with a 1.87 ERA in 30.0 innings pitched. Junior Brayden Payne worked around three walks in 2.0 innings pitched to pick up the save, his first of the season. 

Offensively, Whisenant and senior Alec Aguirre paced JHS. Whisenant was 2-for-4 with a double, a run scored, and two driven in. Aguirre also finished 2-for-4 with a double, as well as two runs scored. Junior Nathaniel Chittum finished 1-for-3 and drove in the winning run for Joshua on a 6th inning sacrifice fly.

The defensive play of the game for the Owls came in the bottom of the 7th inning in a bases loaded, one-out situation. With the Owls clinging to a one-run lead, Payne induced a slow chopper down the third base line from BHS left fielder Cade McNeely. Third baseman Landon Lillagore fielded the ball on the run and was able to throw over the top of the advancing base runner to catcher Trevor Hernandez for the force out at home plate, preserving the Owls' lead. One pitch later Payne induced a ground ball out off the bat of Jo Rangel to Owl second baseman Hunter Strebeck, enabling Joshua to leave Elk Field with a hard-earned victory over their rivals.

Joshua is now 20-7-1 on the season and 11-2 in District 8-5A games, a game behind first-place Burleson Centennial with one game remaining. JHS can still capture a share of the district title, but will need the help of the Mansfield Timberview Wolves. If Timberview can beat Centennial Friday night, and if Joshua can also complete the sweep of Burleson, then the Owls will claim a second consecutive district title. 

Joshua hosts Burleson in the regular season finale for both clubs on Friday, April 24th, with first pitch set for 7PM at Glen Holley Memorial Park on the campus of JHS. If the Owls win, then Joshua will represent District 8-5A as the Division II #1 seed. If Burleson wins, the teams would have to play a seeding game, likely on Saturday, April 25th.

Before, during, and after the game versus Burleson, the Owls will also celebrate Senior Night; the Class of 2026 is listed below. 

Joshua Baseball Class of 2026

Hank Berkner (4-year Letterman)

Hunter Strebeck (4-year Letterman)

Tre Everett (2-year Letterman)

Xavier Grijalva (2-year Letterman)

Cody Rogers (2-year Letterman)

Dylan Rogers (2-year Letterman)

Alek Aguirre (1-year Letterman)

Cade Coleman (1-year Letterman)

Jonah Johnson (1-year Letterman)

Alex Rubalcaba (1-year Letterman)

The Joshua Owls tallied 15 hits, including at least one from each starter, in beating the Everman Bulldogs 8-0 Friday night in Everman to sweep the 'Dogs for the second year in a row.

Senior Hank Berkner led the charge offensively for JHS, finishing 3-for-4 with two triples, two runs scored, two RBI, and a walk. In 12 district games Berkner is hitting .414 and leads the team in on-base percentage (.614), triples (3), runs scored (17), walks (10), and stolen bases (11). Junior Trevor Hernandez was 2-for-5 with a double and an RBI Friday, and has driven in 21 runs in league play to lead Joshua.

Junior Rene Torres was dominant against the Bulldogs, permitting just one hit in 6.0 innings pitched; he walked none, and struck out seven. Torres is 5-1 with a 1.63 ERA in six district starts, and in 34.1 league innings pitched has 38 strikeouts. Senior Xavier Grijalva made his team-high 10th appearance on the mound in the 7th inning, notching a perfect frame on just seven pitches.

The Owls are now 19-7-1 overall on the season and 10-2 in District 8-5A play, and have tallied double-digit district wins in consecutive seasons for the first time this century. Joshua is tied with Burleson High for second place, with both teams just a game behind first-place Burleson Centennial.

Joshua and Burleson will renew their cross-county rivalry next week in a huge series for each squad. Both the Owls and Elks will compete in the Class 5A Division II postseason bracket, and the winner of next week's series will be the District 8-5A DII #1 seed. Both schools also have a chance to claim a district championship. 

Game one will take place on Tuesday, April 21st, at 7PM at Burleson High School.

The Joshua Owls claimed an 11-1 run-rule victory in five innings over the Everman Bulldogs Tuesday night in Joshua, and are now just a game out of first place in District 8-5A.

The Class of 2027 provided most of the production for the Owls on an uncharacteristically wind-free April night in Joshua. Lefty Kallin Whisenant allowed just an unearned run on five hits in 5.0 innings pitched to notch the win, his fifth of the season (5-0). Whisenant permitted just one walk and struck out four in the complete game effort, and is now 3-0 with a 1.68 ERA in six district starts.

Offensively, first baseman Alec Aguirre and shortstop Nathaniel Chittum did most of the damage for JHS. Aguirre only had one official at-bat on the night, but made it count with a mammoth solo home run to left field, his team-leading third round-tripper of the season. Aguirre also walked, was hit by a pitch, scored two runs, and added an additional RBI on a sacrifice fly in the 5th inning. Chittum, on his 17th birthday, finished 2-for-4 with a run scored and four RBI. Chittum drove in all four runs on one swing, an inside-the-park grand slam in the 5th inning that blew open what had been a close game. In 11 district games thus far Chittum is hitting .436 and has 17 base hits; both are team highs. Cash Criner had a season-high three stolen bases, and now has 12 total on the season.

Joshua is 18-7-1 overall and 9-2 in District 8-5A contests, and sits just a game out of first place; Burleson High and Burleson Centennial are tied for first place at 10-1. The win against Everman did assure Joshua that it will compete in the Class 5A Division II playoffs for the second consecutive season, with its seed still to be determined. 

Ahead of a massive series with Johnson County rival Burleson High School next week that will feature a host of playoff implications, the Owls finish the season series with Everman this Friday, April 17th. First pitch is set for 7PM at Gary T. Balch Field, located on the campus of Everman High School.

After inclement weather postponed Joshua and Centennial's District 8-5A game Friday night, the Owls dropped a rare afternoon district game to the Spartans 8-2 on Saturday, April 11th. JHS, however, was able to clinch a playoff spot courtesy of Cleburne's 8-1 victory over Everman Friday evening.

This will be the second consecutive playoff run for the Owls under third-year head coach Albert Carrizales, and the program's sixth trip in the last eight years (not including the 2020 COVID-shortened  season). JHS is still mathematically capable of qualifying for the Class 5A Division I bracket, but will most likely compete in Division II. 

The Owls resume league play on Tuesday, April 14th, against the Everman Bulldogs. First pitch is set for 7PM at Glen Holley Memorial Park on the campus of JHS.

The Joshua Owls scored three runs in the bottom of the 6th inning to rally and beat the Centennial Spartans in a huge District 8-5A matchup Tuesday night in Joshua.

Senior Tre Everett's two-run triple in that pivotal 6th inning was the game-winner, scoring senior Hunter Strebeck and junior Kallin Whisenant. Everett finished 2-for-4 with a run scored and three RBI. Whisenant was 2-for-3 on the evening, including a massive bunt single with two strikes in the 6th. Also logging a multi-hit night was junior Nathaniel Chittum, who was 2-for-4 with a run driven in and two stolen bases. Alec Aguirre, a former Centennial High School student, notched an RBI triple and scored a run in three at-bats.

Whisenant was solid on the mound for Joshua, allowing three runs in 4.0 innings pitched; he allowed three hits, and struck out four. Senior Xavier Grijalva picked up the win with 3.0 innings of stellar relief, permitting just an earned run on two hits. Grijalva walked none and struck out four, and improved his record to 2-1 on the season.

Joshua is now 17-6-1 overall on the season, and 8-1 in District 8-5A contests. The win moved the Owls into a tie with Centennial for second place in the league, with both teams a game behind first-place Burleson High. JHS can clinch a playoff spot for the second year in a row and the sixth time in eight seasons with a win versus the Spartans this Friday, April 10th. First pitch is set for 7PM at Centennial High School.

The Joshua Owls swept the Arlington Seguin Cougars for the fourth year in a row this past week, winning both games by a combined score of 33-5. 

Junior Trevor Hernandez had a huge week, as the Owls' catcher was 5-for-7 in the two wins with a home run, two runs scored, and nine RBI; the home run was the first of Hernandez's career. Senior Hank Berkner also put up big numbers against Seguin, as he went a combined 4-for-4 with a triple, two walks, five runs scored, and six driven in.

Junior Kallin Whisenant allowed an earned run in 3.0 innings pitched of Tuesday's 21-3 triumph at Seguin, striking out four. The win was Whisenant's second in four district starts, and the lefty is now 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA in league games. Junior Rene Torres continued his impressive run through 8-5A with a complete game in Joshua's five-inning 12-2 home win. In four district starts Torres is 4-0 with an ERA of 0.88, and in 24.0 innings pitched has allowed just 15 hits while striking out 27. 

The sweep of Seguin sets up a huge series with the Burleson Centennial Spartans this week. Joshua will host the Spartans (8-0 in 8-5A games) at 7PM on Tuesday, April 7th, at Glen Holley Memorial Park, then travel to Burleson for the return engagement on Friday, April 10th. 

Centennial and crosstown rival Burleson High are both 8-0 in 8-5A games and tied for first-place with six games remaining; the Owls are one game behind both clubs. All of the series involving the three teams will take place in the next three weeks.

Joshua vs. Centennial (Tuesday 4/7 at JHS; Friday 4/10 at CHS)

Centennial vs. Burleson (Tuesday 4/14 at CHS; Friday 4/17 at BHS)

Burleson vs. Joshua (Tuesday 4/21 at BHS; Friday 4/24 at JHS)

Playoff scenarios for games played on Tuesday, April 7th

-Burleson High and Centennial can clinch playoff spots with wins Tuesday night

The Joshua Owls held serve in what's shaping up to be a three-team race for the District 8-5A championship this past week, sweeping the Mansfield Summit Jaguars by a combined score of 27-5.

Joshua bested Summit 14-4 in six innings last Tuesday night (3/24) behind the strength of a massive night from the middle of Owls' lineup. Joshua's 2nd-7th hitters finished a combined 8-for-13 with nine runs scored, 12 RBI,  three doubles, and two home runs. Junior Nathaniel Chittum reached in all four trips to the plate, finishing 3-for-3 with a walk, three runs scored, two RBI, and a home run; the home run was the first of Chittum's Owl career. Junior Alec Aguirre also hit his first career home run, an absolute tank to left field in the bottom of the 4th inning. Junior Kallin Whisenant allowed four runs in four innings to pick up the win, his second in three district starts. 

The Owls then traveled to south Arlington on Friday night (3/27), collecting the sweep with a 13-1 win. Junior Rene Torres was once again dominant on the mound for JHS, allowing just an unearned run and three hits in 7.0 innings pitched; he walked none, and struck out seven. In three district starts, Torres is 3-0 with an ERA of 1.05, and has allowed just 23 baserunners in 19.0 innings pitched. Aguirre continued his hot week by finishing 3-for-5 with a home run, a triple, two runs scored, and four driven in. Freshman Max Mata was the third Owl of the week to hit his first career home run when he connected for a three-run missile in the top of the 7th. Mata added two walks and two runs scored.

Joshua lost a non-district game Saturday at Fort Worth Paschal 10-0 that dropped its season record to

14-6-1 overall, but the two wins versus Summit upped the Owls' District 8-5A record to 5-1, a game behind first place Burleson High and Burleson Centennial. Both BISD schools swept their district series last week (versus Cleburne and Arlington Seguin, respectively) and are sitting at 6-0 in league play. 

Joshua travels to Arlington Seguin on Tuesday, March 31st, for a tilt with the Cougars. First pitch is set for 7PM at SHS.

I really believe this 'podcasting' thing might have some legs.

JHS Baseball Recap for 3-20-26

The Joshua Owls rallied from an early 1-0 deficit to defeat the Mansfield Timberview Wolves 14-2 in six innings in a District 8-5A matchup Friday night in south Arlington. Here's how it happened:

-Rene Torres allowed two runs on five hits in 5.0 innings pitched to pick up his second win of the season. Torres permitted just one walk on the night, and struck out nine Wolves. The junior righty is now 2-0 on the season, and has 18 strikeouts in 15.0 innings pitched.

Senior Xavier Grijalva pitched a perfect 6th inning, striking out all three batters he faced. 

-The JHS offense came alive in the 5th inning, scoring eight runs in the frame to blow the game wide open; the big hit of the inning was junior Landon Lillagore's two-run opposite field double. Lillagore finished 1-for-2 with a walk, two runs scored, three RBI, and two stolen bases.

-Junior Trevor Hernandez reached four times in five plate appearances, finishing 1-for-2 with three walks, a double, three RBI, and a run scored. 

-The Owls tallied seven hits on the night and took advantage of 12 walks and two hit-batters by Timberview pitchers. JHS baserunners were 8-for-8 on the night on stolen base attempts.

-Senior Tre Everett continued his hot start to district play, finishing 1-for-1 with two walks, a sacrifice fly, two runs scored, and two stolen bases. The Joshua leadoff hitter and center fielder hit .750 on the week with five RBI,  four runs scored, and three stolen bases in three attempts.

-Joshua is 11-4-1 on the season, and 2-0 in District 8-5A play, and has now won four straight against Timberview and head coach Bobby Johnson.  

-JHS coach Albert Carrizales and his squad continue league play this week with a massive series versus the Cleburne Yellow Jackets. Game one between the intra-county rivals is scheduled to be played on Tuesday, March 17th; first pitch is set for 7PM at Cleburne High School.

The Joshua Owls rallied from an early 5-0 deficit to defeat the Mansfield Timberview Wolves 10-9 Monday night in the 8-5A opener for both clubs at Glen Holley Memorial Park. I don't feel like doing traditional journalism today (chalk it up to the time change, as I'm running on fumes this morning), so bullet points it shall be:

-Tre Everett had a huge night for Joshua, as the senior centerfielder/leadoff hitter was 2-for-3 with a double, a triple, a walk, two runs scored, a stolen base, and four RBI. Tre's two-out, two-RBI triple in the 3rd inning was the biggest base hit of the night for JHS, and his steal of 3rd base in the 6th inning led to a Timberview throwing error and the Owls' ninth run of the evening. For the season, Tre leads the Owls in total hits (14, tied with Hunter Strebeck) and stolen bases (nine).

-The defense wasn't always super crisp for the Owls on a Monday night, but the unequivocal play of the game came on that side of the ball for Joshua. In the top of the 7th inning, with the Owls holding a 10-8 lead, the Wolves had runners at 1st and 2nd base with one out. Timberview's 8-hole hitter Harrison Gray hit a ball down the right field line, and off the bat it looked to be a certain double. Joshua right fielder Caden Bufler, however, had a different plan, getting to the ball quickly and throwing a missile to shortstop Hunter Strebeck to clip Gray at second base for a massive out. The Wolves did score a run on the play to close the gap to 10-9, and also advanced the tying run to third base, but Bufler's throw removed the go-ahead run from the base paths.

-Kallin Whisenant got the nod on the mound for Joshua, and the junior lefty pitched a workmanlike 4.0 innings to keep his team in the ballgame. He allowed five hits, and struck out six. Whisenant also had a ground-rule double at the plate, the only JHS extra-base hit not produced by Tre Everett.

-Junior lefty Brayden Payne turned in a rock-solid performance out of the bullpen to earn the win, allowing one earned run in 3.0 innings pitched. Payne allowed five hits in his appearance, but walked just one and struck out three, and is now 1-0 on the 2026 season.

-Why was a district game being played on a Monday? Because reasons. Weather, mainly, but also human beings. I won't elaborate, but stuff like this happens when non-baseball folk try their hand at making baseball decisions. A whole bunch of kids around the district pitched at least a day earlier than they normally would have had to, and it was completely avoidable. 

-Joshua is 10-4-1 overall and 1-0 in District 8-5A, and the Owls have now defeated Timberview in the district opener three times in four seasons.  Head coach Albert Carrizales and his crew go for the sweep on Friday, March 13th, at Timberview High School in south Arlington. First pitch is set for 7PM.

Head coach Albert Carrizales and the Joshua Owls went 4-1 during the BSN Invitational Tournament, improving to 7-3 on the season. Scores from each game are listed below.

Instead of a written recap of each game, let's try this: an audio recap! This will either go really well, or be a spectacular train wreck.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO AUDIO RECAP FROM MARCH 1ST

Game One

Melissa 0

Joshua 3

Game Two

Terrell 3

Joshua 5

Game Three

Belton 5

Joshua 7

Game Four

Granbury 6

Joshua 10

Game Five

Crowley 3

Joshua 8

The Joshua Owls varsity baseball team hosted five games this past weekend as part of the 13th Annual Gary T. Balch Classic this past weekend at Glen Holley Memorial Park. 

Game One

Fort Worth Trimble Tech 2

Joshua 11 (6 innings)

In the season opener Thursday morning versus the Bulldogs of Fort Worth Trimble Tech, Joshua rallied from an early one-run deficit to collect an 11-2 win. Senior Cody Rogers allowed an earned run in 5.0 innings to pick up the win in his season debut, permitting just three hits; he walked two, and struck out two. Senior Xavier Grijalva allowed one run on one hit in his season debut and picked up the save. 

Junior Caden Buffler paced the JHS offense, reaching base three times in three trips on a hit and two walks; he also scored twice. Junior Trevor Hernandez and senior Tre Everett both notched doubles for JHS.

Game Two

Euless Trinity 6

Joshua 7 (5 innings)

JHS spotted the Trinity Trojans six runs in the first inning before rallying for a 7-6 walk off win Thursday night. 

Tre Everett made his presence known on both sides of the ball, tracking down a bases loaded, two-out fly ball at the wall in the first inning that saved three runs for his side. Everett capped the night with a sacrifice fly on the final pitch of the game, plating junior Landon Lillagore with the winning run. 

Junior Rene Torres walked three times in three trips to the plate, and scored a run. Freshman Max Mata was 1-for-2 with a run scored and a single, the first hit of his JHS career.

Xavier Grijalva was dominant in relief for Joshua, pitching 4.1 perfect innings to notch his first win of the season. Grijalva struck out five, and needed just 39 pitches to record 13 outs. 

Game Three

Abilene Cooper 8

Joshua 4 (6 innings)

Joshua held a 4-2 lead in the 5th inning of Friday morning's tilt against the Abilene Cooper Cougars, but allowed six runs in the final two frames of an 8-4 loss. 

Junior Casen Cobb threw four shutout innings in his first start of the season; he allowed just three hits, all singles, walked none, and struck out five.

Rene Torres paced the JHS offense, finishing 2-for-4 on the day with two runs scored and three stolen bases. Trevor Hernandez walked twice and scored a run.

Game Four

Fort Worth Southwest Christian 5

Joshua 3 (6 innings)

Senior Hunter Strebeck hit a three-run home run in the 4th inning, and came within a few feet of another in the 6th inning of Joshua's 5-3 loss to Fort Worth Southwest Christian Friday night. 

Landon Lillagore was 1-for-2 with a double and a walk, and senior Hank Berkner was 1-for-3 with a single and two stolen bases.

Junior Kallin Whisenant was stellar for the Owls in relief, permitting just an unearned run on two hits in 4.0 innings pitched. 

Game Five

Amarillo Caprock 0

Joshua 12 (4 innings)

The Joshua offense came alive Saturday morning against the Amarillo Caprock Longhorns, collecting 10 hits and a dozen runs in just three innings of a 12-0 run-rule win.

Hunter Strebeck was 2-for-3 with a double and four RBI; he also stole a base. Trevor Hernandez also had a two-hit day, and drove in two.

Junior Connor Hait threw a complete game shutout in his season debut, allowing just three hits in 4.0 innings pitched. He struck out three, and walked none.

Varsity Schedule for Week of February 23rd-28th

The Owls and head coach Albert Carrizales will play five more tournament games this week, four of them at Glen Holley Memorial Park.

Thursday, February 26th: 10AM vs. Melissa; 5:30 PM vs. Terrell

Friday, February 27th: 10AM vs. Belton; 5:30 PM vs. Granbury

Saturday, February 28th: 12:30 PM vs. Crowley (game to be played at Cleburne High School)