Burnet baseball looks to continue recent success

CAPTION: Cohen Jorpeland is one of three experienced pitchers returning this season. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro

The Burnet High School baseball team is ready to add another chapter of success on top of what the program has already accomplished,

The Bulldogs, who won a Class 4A Division II bi-district title a year ago, return six players with experience and work ethic to do even more.

“I’m encouraged by the returners’ experience that we have,” head coach Russell Houston said. “A lot of these kids have played in the playoffs and had some success. I’m excited by the pitching coming back. Obviously, that is a good thing.”

The pitching staff has three proven winners: seniors Cohen Jorpeland, Cade Park and Mason Watson. Other returning lettermen include seniors Charles Edwards, Cason O’Hair and Tate Lambright.

Wyatt Atkison, Hudson Crawford, Cooper Evans, Lyndon Harycki, Fisher Powell and Bowen Raiford are among the newcomers.

Lambright and Evans have been splitting time at catcher.

“If you can hang your hat on throwing strikes, not walking a lot of people and then playing really good defense — and when I say really good defense, I mean making the routine plays, making the plays that you’re supposed to make and then make some special ones every now and then — I think you’re going to be in every ballgame,” Houston said. “Whether you’re just crushing the baseball or whether you’re not crushing the baseball, I think if you can pitch well and play solid defense I think you give yourself a chance to win. And I think those two things we can always control.”

Last season the Bulldogs did both very well in winning at least 13 non-district games where they scored a run in almost every inning. Very few teams could overcome the speed they had in both the infield and outfield coupled with some strong arms capable of getting base runners out.

Houston used that speed in calling for the Bulldogs to do numerous hit and runs and steal bases where infielders couldn’t throw runners out in time. Typically, an infielder looked for a baseman to throw to for an out and struggled to find one.

When district play began, the Bulldogs had a four-game winning streak but faced what turned out to be the top three district teams first. With their backs against the wall, the Bulldogs welcomed Lampasas with an 8-3 victory then finished district play with a six-game winning streak.

After losing game one of the bi-district series to Lorena, Burnet came back to win the next two 7-6 and 3-0 to take the series then followed that with a 4-3 victory against La Grange in game one of the area round before losing 7-4 and 3-2.

In 2024, the Bulldogs won the district title and two playoff rounds before losing to eventual regional finalist China Spring.

Houston pointed to those results to illustrate what he wants the program to have.

“Hopefully it becomes the standard, where that’s the expectation,” the coach said. “You’re expected to make the playoffs and you’re expected to go several rounds. Every year is always different because you always have new kids, but if you have kids who are returning, who have had that success and who’ve been a part of it, then they are able to kind of set the tone for practices, and they’re able to set the tone for what the expectation of play is. And then it’s on the younger kids to figure it out and rise to that occasion and not be the ones to not be able to do it, and I think that’s important for those young kids to see, that they want to be a part of it. They just don’t know how to do it. And if your older kids who’ve done it before are able to teach them that, then I think your program is able to build and be successful over and over and over again.”

The Bulldogs will compete in the Eberle-Beck Tournament Thurday-Saturday, Feb. 19-21. Houston said Burnet is on track to play 15 games in three weeks.

CAPTION: Mason Watson is another returning lettermen who produces for the Bulldogs. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro