The Eagles accomplished that feat last year, going undefeated in 10 playoff games en route to the school’s first state title.
Now comes the hard part - repeating with an almost entirely new cast of characters.
Rogers, the runner-up in District 25-2A, opens its state title defense today with a bi-district series against 26-2A No. 3 seed New Waverly at Caldwell.
Game 1 is at 7 p.m. today, Game 2 is at noon Saturday and a third game, if necessary, will be 30 minutes following the second game. The winner of the best-of-three series will face ninth-ranked and 28-2A champion Hallettsville.
With just one returning starter and 13 freshmen and sophomores on the roster, the Eagles have little playoff experience.
But having been around during last year’s 36-2 title run, they learned first-hand what it takes to win - and win big - in the playoffs.
“They saw how they had to practice, how you had to work and how you had to pay attention to the details if you wanted to be successful,” Rogers coach Craig Coheley said. “So when we started the year, they already had a good idea in their minds about what it was going to take.”
Now that they’re back in the playoffs, the Eagles face one of the fastest teams they’ve seen all season.
New Waverly has 103 stolen bases in 23 games. Leadoff batter Rhett Bohannon leads the Bulldogs with 20 steals.
But their team speed could play right into the Eagles’ hands.
“We hold runners well, we don’t make many mistakes and we don’t give up many walks,” Coheley said. “If you don’t beat yourself, you have a chance to win.”
Rogers certainly gives itself a chance to win thanks to solid defense and pitching.
The Eagles have allowed an average of 2.9 runs per game and the pitching staff has a 2.15 earned-run average.
With three solid starters in Chance Marek, Travis Perkins and Dylan Kuehn and relief specialist Gregory Mendoza, the Eagles have pitching depth.
Marek (3-2, 3.07 ERA), a sophomore who started several playoff games at second base and right field last year, will start the series’ opening game.
He likely will face New Waverly ace Ryan Reyes in Game 1. Reyes is 11-1 with a team-best 1.32 ERA.
Perkins (5-1, 2.62 ERA) is slated to start Game 2, and Kuehn (4-3, 1.46) will pitch a possible Game 3.
If any starter gets into trouble, Coheley has no problem dipping into his bullpen - whatever the situation.
Just a sophomore, Mendoza has a team-best 0.68 ERA and four saves along with a 6-1 record.
Holding down the Bulldogs’ high-scoring offense will be the challenge for Rogers.
New Waverly has scored more than 10 runs per game, though only five a game against Lexington and Trinity, 26-2A’s top seeds.
The Eagles certainly aren’t as high-scoring, but they know how to handle close games. More than half of Rogers’ district games were decided by three runs or fewer.
“When you get into the playoffs, all the games are going to be close, especially the way we play,” said junior first baseman Cameron Doskocil (.389, 26 RBI), the lone returning starter from Rogers’ state championship team. “We don’t blow many people out. We just have to hang in there and find a way to win.”
rschneider@temple-telegram.com
