Owls rally, then hold on for one-run district win

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)