HIGH-SCHOOL

Blake Coleman homer 'a dream of mine,' highlights all-star baseball game

Colby Gordon
American-Statesman correspondent

ROUND ROCK — Less than 10 days after his graduation from Anderson, Blake Coleman can now say he’s homered in a professional baseball stadium.

Coleman — who helped the Trojans to back-to-back District 17-5A titles the last two seasons — cleared the wall in left-center Sunday at Dell Diamond while earning MVP honors in the Austin Area Baseball Coaches Association Senior All-Star Game.

Playing for the South squad in a game that ended in a 7-7 tie after nine innings, Coleman’s blast came in the bottom of the second on the first pitch he saw, and he ended the day 2-for-2 with a walk at the plate while also making several putouts in the outfield.

“Means a lot to be named MVP here,” said Coleman, who will play next year at Odessa College. “This was a fun game with all of these great players from around Austin. I’m just glad I was able to show my talents against the best of the best.”

Blake Coleman of Anderson has a fist bump for the ball boy after hitting a home run for the South team during the Austin Area Baseball Coaches Association All-Star game, which was played at Dell Diamond in Round Rock on Sunday. The North and South teams played to a 7-7 tie.

The game showcased a little bit of everything by the collection of the area’s best senior talent from great hitting, pitching and defense, to several double-steal calls by the local coaches.

“It’s fun coaching a roster like this — I could certainly get used to it,” said Anderson coach Kenny Matthews, who, along with Bowie’s Sam Degalia, led the South. “You’re putting guys out there on defense that can make a ton of plays, and then you’re running dude after dude to the mound and the plate, so it’s a cool feeling.”  

After Coleman’s home run marked the game’s first run, Cedar Ridge’s Danny Valadez followed later in the inning with a single to score Westlake’s Cole May and put the South ahead 2-0.

Ethan Calder of Lake Travis pitches for the South team during the Austin Area Baseball Coaches Association All-Star game, which was played at Dell Diamond in Round Rock on Sunday. The North and South teams played to a 7-7 tie.

The North answered with its first run in the top of the third when Georgetown’s Andon Petty scored all the way from second on a wild pitch while attempting to steal third.

After pitching mostly dominated the first five innings — including Anderson’s Aidan Johnson needing only six pitches to get through the top of the second — the offenses came alive in the game’s latter half.

Westlake's Cole May, playing for the South team, beats the throw to EJ Davis of Georgetown during the Austin Area Baseball Coaches Association All-Star game, which was played at Dell Diamond in Round Rock on Sunday. The North and South teams played to a 7-7 tie.

Westwood’s Jeff Hebert brought home Glenn’s Brett Hall on a groundout in the sixth for the North. Later in the inning, Georgetown’s Landon Hyle — a day after helping the Eagles win a Class 5A state championship on the same field — scored on a double-steal to give it its only lead of the game at 3-2.

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The South responded with five runs in its half of the sixth, with Johnson ripping a bases-clearing double to the alley in right-center, Anderson’s Evan David scoring McCallum’s Wyatt Cunningham on a groundout, and Bowie’s Brody Miller crossing home on a passed ball.

Trailing 7-3, the North began its rally when Vista Ridge’s Matt Foley belted an RBI single in the seventh, then tied the game in the eighth as Thorndale’s Broedie Salas hammered a two-run double then scored the next at-bat on a double by Salado’s Nolan Williams.

The South had two on with one out in the ninth, but a line-out double play ended the game.

For the players, though, the experience of who they played with and being in the setting of a professional ballpark was far more important than the game’s end result.

Michael Martinez of Hendrickson throws to first for the South team during the Austin Area Baseball Coaches Association All-Star game, which was played at Dell Diamond in Round Rock on Sunday. The North and South teams played to a 7-7 tie.

“This was a great environment,” said Cedar Ridge’s Jacob Havern, who earned Pitcher of the Game honors for the South after a perfect fourth. “I got to play with a lot of guys I played with and against in the past, so it was just really cool to be here and compete. Getting to put the Cedar Ridge jersey on one more time was a good experience.”

Johnson echoed Havern’s sentiments.

“It was awesome playing with guys that are going to schools like Baylor and who could potentially go in the draft,” he said. “It was really great to compare yourself to those guys and compete against them. And playing with the other Anderson guys again was really a treat — those guys are my friends for life.”

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Tyler Betts of Round Rock follows through on a swing for the North team during the Austin Area Baseball Coaches Association All-Star game, which was played at Dell Diamond in Round Rock on Sunday. The North and South teams played to a 7-7 tie.

For the North’s postgame honors, Williams was Offensive Player of the Game, Petty earned Defensive Player of the Game and Westwood’s Jarred Hyman garnered Pitcher of the Game.

Cedar Ridge’s Matthew Brooks — who along with Lake Travis’ Ethan Calder impressively threw runners out at home from the outfield — earned Defensive Player of the Game for the South.

But the highlight of the game was Coleman’s home run.  

“I just saw an inside fastball and put a good barrel on it and it went out,” he said. “It’s cool to homer in a pro ballpark as that’s always been a dream of mine.”