2008/2009 Bulldog Roster

2008/2009 Bulldog Roster
Name	Pos.	B/T	Ht	Wt	Yr	Hometown
1 Thomas Watson	INF	R/R	6'1	190	SO	Paris, TX
2 Austin Atwell	OF	R/R	5'10	180	FR	Allen, TX
3 Trey Buck	INF	R/R	5'9	165	SO	Crosby, TX
4 Zack Fowler	P/OF	L/L	6'5	190	SO	Texarkana, TX
5 Gip Hendrix	P/OF	R/R	6'0	195	SO	Haughton, LA
6 Jordy Snikeris	C	R/R	5'11	205	FR	Austin, TX
8 Justin Parsons	P	L/L	5'9	180	FR	Jasper, TX
9 Michael Long	C	R/R	6'0	205	FR	Benton, AR
10 Brittan Diamond	P/INF	R/R	6'2	185	FR	Sulphur Springs, TX
11 Joaquin Hinojosa	P/OF	R/R	5'10	190	SO	McAllan, TX
13 John Stilson	INF	R/R	6'3	180	FR	Texarkana, TX
14 Justin Fowler	P	R/R	6'7	205	SO	New Diana, TX
15 Jake Rogers	INF	R/R	5'11	180	FR	Texarkana, TX
16 Ty Moore	OF/INF	R/R	6'0	165	FR	Georgetown, TX
17 Ian Gilley	INF	R/R	6'3	195	FR	Ft. Smith, AR
18 Lance Marvel	C/OF	R/R	6'3	220	SO	Texarkana, AR
19 Colton Reavis	P	R/R	5'11	215	FR	Paris, TX
20 Tanner Bailey	P/INF	L/R	6'7	245	FR	Little Rock, AR
22 Brian Ellis	OF	L/L	5'9	165	FR	Houston, TX
23 Shane Cole	P	R/R	6'3	175	FR	Oakville, Ont, CA
24 David Allday	INF	L/R	6'0	190	SO	Texarkana, TX
25 Justin Fielden	P	R/R	6'5	245	FR	Gilmer, TX
26 Devin Day	OF	L/L	5'11	160	FR	Ashdown, AR
28 Taylor Nichols	P/INF	R/R	6'0	220	FR	Magnolia, AR
Coaches
7 Will Bolt	Head Coach
12 Brad Flanders 21 Travis Wendte	Assistant Coach Assistant Coach
29 Chase Brewster	Manager

Four Bulldogs Chosen for TXNMBCA All-star Game

Four Bulldogs Chosen for TXNMBCA All-star Game

Four Texarkana College Bulldogs have been chosen to represent Region XIV East in the 2008 All-Star game at Baylor Ballpark in Waco, Tx September 25-27. Shortstop Trey Buck (Crosby, TX) (.393 1 HR, 28 RBI), OF Gip Hendrix (Haughton, LA) (.370 7 HR, 48 RBI), Catcher Lance Marvel (Texarkana, AR) (.366 6 HR, 32 RBI), and 3B Thomas Watson (Paris, TX) (.306 6 HR, 33 RBI) have all been selected by conference coaches to attend the event.

“We are pleased to have these players represent Texarkana College in this year’s all-star event,” said TC head coach Will Bolt. “This will be an excellent opportunity for these four sophomores to showcase their skills in front of a large audience of college coaches and professional scouts. They are all very deserving and we wish them the best of luck.”

The four Bulldogs selected are the most for any one team in Region XIV East.

Squad glad Stilson still rubs shoulders with them

By: Louie Avery - Texarkana Gazette -

Published: 08/01/2008

LEAGUE CITY, Texas—Jake Rogers had just hit a home run, and John Stilson joined his Red River Credit Union Indians teammates for a celebration at home plate.

That was Stilson’s only public appearance Wednesday at Clear Creek High School’s Wildcat Field during the Tribe’s opening-day win over Houston Milby in the 83rd annual Texas American Legion Baseball tournament. The former Texas High standout will see no more action this summer after having season-ending shoulder surgery last month.

A leader on and off the field during tournament games in June, Stilson continues to be a motivational factor from the bench for the Indians during their bid to reach the Mid-South Regional and American Legion World Series.

“It has really been tough sitting and watching for the past month,” said Stilson, voted MVP and Outstanding Pitcher at the Nashville and Mountain Home tournaments earlier this summer. “I could have continued playing this summer, but my shoulder was getting worse. Doctors tell me I could be back in four to six months as good as new.”

That’s when Stilson hopes to land playing time for his new team, the Texarkana College Bulldogs.

Stilson injured his shoulder during football practice last fall. He was playing defense and making a tackle when it popped out of place. The injury slowed him the remainder of the football season and continued to plague him when he played basketball and baseball for the Tigers.

Stilson’s presence at the Legion tournament has helped Texarkana manager Tom Wacha’s confidence this week, and has him looking ahead to next summer.

“John is quite a kid,” Wacha said. “I didn’t know him well before this summer, and getting acquainted this season has been very rewarding. Every team needs a leader, and when you’ve got a lot of good players that’s hard to figure out. It was apparent from the very start that John was the leader of this team. He’s everything you look for in a player and a person.”

Stilson is eligible to play for the Indians next summer, and the same can be said for several other current Indians. David Allday, D.D. Bigham, Duncan Collins, Randall Fant, Keegan Haas, Kendrick Henderson, Cody Mayo, Jon Phillips and Michael Wacha are all expected back for the 2009 season.

“We have a good team this year and we could be even stronger next season,” Wacha said.

Should the Indians reach Saturday’s championship game, the Indians’ pitching-depth could be a factor. No doubt Wacha wishes he had Stilson to throw that game.

“We don’t have to get to Saturday or Sunday to say we wish we had John Stilson,” Wacha said.

Blinn eliminates Bulldogs, 15-13

By: Johnny Green - Texarkana Gazette -

Published: 05/12/2008

MOUNT PLEASANT, Texas—As for as Texarkana College is concerned, the South has already risen again.

The Bulldogs’ two-and-out exit from the 2008 Region XIV baseball tournament was courtesy of South Zone teams, including No. 4 seed Blinn College, which outlasted TC, 15-13, in a near-four-hour elimination game Sunday at Northeast Texas Community College’s Bob Baker Field.

Thus the first season of the Will Bolt regime at TC ended at 33-23. Blinn (25-26) plays at 10 this morning against the loser of Sunday’s late game between Alvin College and Navarro.

And it was late, thanks to Sunday’s 11-inning opener that went to Wharton College over Panola, 8-7, and the TC-Blinn marathon that produced a combined 28 runs, 31 hits, 20 walks and 27 runners left on base.

The game was as crazy as those numbers indicate. Blinn had leads of 6-0 and 11-4 before the Bulldogs took advantage of six walks, a hit-batsman and two hits and three runs batted in by David Allday to score eight runs in the seventh inning to take a 12-11 lead.

But they couldn’t hold it.

The Buccaneers scored once in the eighth to tie it, then three more in the ninth off losing pitcher Thomas Watson, two coming on Matthew Steele’s triple that careened off Anton Garcia’s glove in center field.

Winning pitcher James Brandhorst blanked the Bulldogs in the eighth, but surrendered doubles to Gip Hendrix and Watson and a walk in the ninth before ending the game with a strikeout and the potential tying runs on base.

“We expended a lot of energy getting back into the game,” Bolt said. “We did the best we could to slow the game down a little bit for the guys, but they just got so hyped up in situations where all it took was one more hit to break their backs. We were never-say-die, and that’s kind of what this team’s been about all year long.”

TC starter Justin Fowler was hit hard in 5 2/3 innings, including home runs by Layton Hiller and Trey Johnson. Cory Hill surrendered a 3-run homer to the first batter he faced, Zakary Leonhardt, as Blinn extended its lead to 10-3.

“Justin didn’t have his best stuff, but the thing about it, he got us into the sixth inning,” Bolt said. “Not a lot of guys can say that after giving up a four-spot in the first two. He mostly pitched behind in the count, but I thought he competed really hard, and he gave us a chance by staying out there until the sixth.”

Texarkana had to make several positions changes during the course of the game, as well as a big one before it. Second baseman Justin Coats was a late scratch with a shoulder injury suffered in Saturday’s first-round loss to Alvin.

“I had him in the lineup, but he couldn’t throw, and I saw him take batting practice, and he wasn’t the same guy,” Bolt said. “It was a physical, and I think a little bit of a mental blow. It hurt, but that’s not what lost us the game.”

Hiller had a lot to do with that, driving in five runs with four hits, including his 15th home run and a triple. Johnson was 3 for 3 with two RBIs, and Steele drove in three with a triple and a single. Travis Cougot had a pair of doubles as the Bucs totaled 16 hits.

Watson and Allday swung the big bats for TC. Watson was 4 for 5, including a 3-run homer that put Texarkana on the board after Blinn had built a 6-0 lead. Watson also had a double and drove home four runs.

Allday had four singles in six at-bats, driving three runs, all in the big seventh inning. Lance Marvel tripled and singled in three official at-bats, and Hendrix had a pair of doubles.

Thirteen of TC’s 15 total hits were by freshmen.

“We’re not the most perfect team, not the best team that’s ever been through Texarkana,” Bolt said. “But I’m pretty proud of my group the way that they really competed.”



Blinn College 310 024 113 — 15 16 0

Texarkana 000 031 801 — 13 15 4

Trenton Irwin, Will Burke (7), Brian Smith (7), James Brandhorst (8) and Mario Eremo. Justin Fowler, Cory Hill (6), Gip Hendrix (7), Thomas Watson (8) and Dean Malthouse. WP-Brandhorst. LP-Watson. HR: BC-Layton Hiller, 1st, 2 on; Trey Johnson, 5th, none on; Zakary Leonhardt, 6th, 2 on. TC-Watson, 5th, 2 on.

Alvin hands 5-3 setback to Bulldogs

By: Richard Thomas - Texarkana Gazette -

Published: 05/11/2008

MOUNT PLEASANT, Texas—Texarkana College kept offensive power Alvin College on the ropes most of the game, but the Bulldogs just couldn’t deliver the knockout punch.

The Dolphins, who entered the game with a hefty .363 team batting average, rallied late to post a come-from-behind 5-3 win over TC in opening-round action Saturday in the Region XIV baseball tournament.

The setback drops the Bulldogs (33-22) into the losers’ bracket, where they will play at 1 p.m. today against the loser of Saturday night’s late game matching nationally-ranked Navarro (45-8) and Blinn (24-25). The double-elimination tournament is being played at Bob Baker Field on the Northeast Texas Community College campus.

TC, the third seed from the North, was shutting down Alvin, the No. 2 seed from the South, 2-0, through 5 1/2 innings.

Designated hitter David Phillips figured in both of the Bulldogs’ runs. He smacked a two-out, opposite-field homer above the 15-foot wall in left field. It was his team-leading 19th round tripper of the season, tying TC’s all-time record set by slugger Reed Stewart in the 1980s. It also was his 64th RBI of the season.

Phillips led off the top of the sixth with another opposite-field blast that ricocheted off the bottom of the wall near the 309-foot sign. He ended up with a double. One out later, Dean Malthouse scored him with a sharp single up the middle for a 2-0 Bulldog lead.

“Our guys competed hard and played hard throughout the game,” said TC coach Will Bolt. “We got some key hits and we kept the pressure on them, but we let them stay close and we didn’t put them away.”

Bulldog pitcher Jason Chowning appeared in command, allowing only four singles through five innings. The Dolphins narrowed the score to 2-1 in the sixth with a leadoff walk, stolen base and two-out single by cleanup batter Chris Herrmann.

The Bulldogs stayed with the hard-throwing Chowning, a 6-foot-3 sophomore who has signed with the University of Oklahoma. It was his game to win or lose.

“Jason had 80 pitches entering the seventh inning, and we were going to keep the ball in his hands,” Bolt said. “He was pitching well and he deserved the chance to keep going and try to close out the game.”

Chowning’s trouble in the seventh mirrored the sixth when he walked the leadoff batter. Following a sacrifice bunt, a throwing error off a slow grounder bounced into the Alvin dugout, allowing the Dolphins to tie the game at 2-2.

Alvin followed with three straight hits, including its only one for extra bases (a double), to grab a 4-2 advantage. TC’s lead had suddenly vanished and momentum clearly had swung to the Dolphins’ side.

“They just got to him (Chowning) in the seventh,” Bolt said. “They’re a very good-hitting ballclub and they had seen him a couple of times, and they came up with key hits.”

Bulldog reliever Zach Fowler also was touched for a couple of hits in the big inning, one scoring a run that was charged to Chowning (5-4). Alvin sent 10 batters to the plate and scored four runs off six hits and an error.

TC tried to rally in the seventh when leadoff batter Trey Buck singled, stole second and went to third when the catcher’s throw bounced off the second-base bag.

And that brought up Phillips, who had homered, doubled and was robbed of another extra-base hit when the Alvin right fielder made a diving catch in the fourth inning.

The Dolphins replace starting pitcher Taylor Wulf, an eight-game winner, with Brett Kinsel. The reliever struck out Phillips on three pitches.

Phillips, however, came through again in the ninth. Three walks to Lance Marvel, Buck and Justin Coats loaded the bases with one out. Phillips then grounded out to second, scoring Marvel to close the gap to 5-3. Cleanup hitter Gip Hendrix, who was hitless in five trips to the plate, grounded back to the pitcher, ending the game.

“We certainly had our chances, but we just didn’t come up with enough timely hits when we needed them,” Bolt said.

David Allday, Buck and Phillips had two hits each for TC, which must fight its way back in the losers’ bracket.

“Now we need a four-game winning streak, but we’re going to take it one game at a time and play hard and see what happens,” Bolt said.

Angelina beat Wharton, 6-1, in Saturday’s opening game.



Texarkana College 100 001 001 — 3 9 2

Alvin College 000 001 40x — 5 11 1

Jason Chowning, Zach Fowler (7) and Dean Malthouse. Taylor Wulf, Brett Kinsel (7) and Adelaido Anaya. WP-Kinsel (3-2). LP-Chowning (5-4). HR-TC: David Phillips (19), 1st, none on.

Bulldogs begin regional tournament

By: Johnny Green - Texarkana Gazette -

Published: 05/10/2008

j. chowning

MOUNT PLEASANT, Texas—Texarkana College slipped in at the wire as the No. 3 seed from the East Zone for the Region XIV baseball tournament that starts today, but it didn’t help much in determining the Bulldogs’ first-around opponent.

TC (33-21) and Alvin, No. 2 seed from the South, are scheduled to meet at 1 p.m. today at Bob Baker Field on the campus of Northeast Texas Community College. Alvin (33-14) was the season-long leader in the South Zone before being overtaken by San Jacinto in the final week.

“There’s not a lot of difference between Alvin and San Jac,” said TC coach Will Bolt. “Alvin is very offensive; the first five guys in their order are as good as any in the conference. And they like to run. They want to put pressure on you from the first pitch.”

Bolt likes his team’s attitude heading into the tournament.

“I feel like we’re playing our best baseball right now,” he said. “We played pretty well over the last three weeks with our backs to the wall. We’ve been a lot more consistent lately in all facets of the game.”

Bolt is counting on his top two starting pitchers—right-handers Jason Chowning and Justin Fowler—to go deep in the first two games.

“We need them to eat up some innings to set up the rest of our pitching,” he said. “It they can keep their pitch count down and give us seven innings, then we should be in good shape for the rest of the tournament.”

Dean Malthouse will catch Chowning today. Around the infield will be David Allday at first base, Justin Coats at second, Trey Buck at shortstop and Thomas Watson at third. From left to right in the outfield will be Gip Hendrix, Josh Gill and Lance Marvel. David Phillips is the designated hitter.

Other games today will match East No. 2 seed Angelina College (33-14) and Wharton (25-25, South No. 3) at 10 a.m., South No. 1 San Jacinto (42-12) and East No. 4 Panola College (33-21) at 5 p.m. and East No. 1 Navarro College (45-8) and South No. 4 Blinn College (24-25) at 8.

Should TC win, the Bulldogs will play at 8 p.m. Sunday against the Blinn-Navarro winner. A loss would put them against the loser of that game at 1 p.m. Sunday.

The tournament runs through Tuesday or Wednesday with the winner qualifying for the JUCO World Series in Grand Junction, Colo.

The game will be broadcast on the Internet and can be accessed at www.tsrnsports.com/Broadcast/2005/schedule-college.htm.

College Baseball: Six Bulldogs earn places on all-conference team

By: Johnny Green - Texarkana Gazette -

Published: 05/06/2008

Six Texarkana College Bulldogs have been named to the Region XIV East Zone all-conference team.

Gip Hendrix was named Freshman of the Year, while sophomores Justin Coats of Texarkana, David Phillips and Dean Malthouse, and freshmen Trey Buck and Thomas Watson were selected all-conference.

Malthouse finished second in the East Zone batting race with a .411 average that included 12 doubles and 10 runs batted in.

Coats hit .359 with five doubles, four triples, four home runs and 22 RBIs.

Phillips batted .343 with 12 doubles, and led the team with 10 home runs and 36 runs batted in.

Buck was third overall in the conference with a .404 average. He hit 14 doubles, scored 24 run an drove home 16, while drawing 18 walks from his leadoff position and striking out only four times.

Watson, a redshirt freshman from Paris, batted .346 with six doubles, four home runs and 19 RBIs.

The Bulldogs take on Alvin Community College at 1 p.m. Saturday in the first round of the Region XIV tournament at Northeast Texas Community College’s Bob Baker Stadium.

g. hendrix

d. malthouse

t. buck

d. phillips

j. coats

t. watson

Texarkana College splits games

Published: 05/05/2008

PARIS, Texas—The majority of Texarkana College’s hits came in the nine-inning nightcap as the Bulldogs split a doubleheader with Eastern Oklahoma at Hub Hollis Field.

TC (33-21) dropped a 2-1 decision in the opener after managing just one hit, but the Bulldogs banged out 20 hits to back six pitchers in an 18-6 Game 2 rout.

Justin Coats accounted for all of Texarkana’s offense in Game 1 on a solo home run in the fourth inning. Gip Hendrix took the loss.

Josh Gill had a pair of solo homers in the second game, Hendrix added a solo shot and David Phillips had a two-run homer, double and four RBIs for the Bulldogs.

Gill finished 4 for 5, Trey Buck was 4 for 5 with two doubles and two RBIs, Coats was 2 for 4 with a double and four RBIs, Dean Malthouse was 4 for 6 with three doubles, and Zach Fowler had two hits and two RBIs.

Logan Schamberg belted a grand slam for Eastern Oklahoma, and Cody Wilson picked up the win for TC, which scored in each of the first six frames.



Texarkana 001 000 0 — 1 1 2

Eastern Oklahoma 001 001 x — 2 4 2

Jason Chowning, Zach Fowler (3), Gip Hendrix (6) and Dean Malthouse. Nate Pettus, Jeff Sbarbino (6) and Brady White. WP-Sbarbino. LP-Hendrix. HR: TC-Justin Coats, 3rd, none on.



Eastern Oklahoma 000 204 000 — 6 6 3

Texarkana 252 225 00x — 18 20 1

Josh Miller, Seth Terry (2), Philip Parcell (7) and Danny Cartwright. Justin Fowler, Cody Wilson (4), David Phillips (5), Corey Hill (6), Josh Gill (8), Thomas Watson (9) and Lance Marvel, Malthouse (6). WP-Wilson. LP-Miller. HR: EO-Logan Schamberg, 6th, 3 on; TC-Gip Hendrix, 2nd, none on; Josh Gill, 2nd, none on; Phillips, 5th, 1 on; Gill, 6th, none on.

Bulldogs sweep Eastfield

Published: 04/29/2008

Justin Coats set a school record Monday in Texarkana College’s pair of victories over Eastfield at George Dobson Field.

Coats finished the doubleheader with seven hits, including three triples to run his season total to eight for a new school record. The Bulldogs took the opening game 9-1 and cruised to a 10-1 victory in the nightcap, improving to 32-22.

David Allday belted a grand slam home run in the third frame of the first game, and Lance Marvel made it back-to-back home runs with a solo shot. Gip Hendrix and Thomas Watson each added a pair of hits.

David Phillips had a three-run home run and drove in four RBI, and Hendrix added three hits in the nightcap. Trey Buck and Watson both contributed a pair of hits.



Game 1

Eastfield 001 000 0 — 1 5 0

Texarkana 015 201 x — 9 12 1

Jonathan Reeder, Landon Davidson (3), Caleb Kovatch (5), Casey Stone (6) and Travis Graves. Cody Wilson, Zach Fowler (7) and Lance Marvel. WP-Wilson. LP-Reeder. HR: TC-David Allday, 3rd, three on; Marvel, 3rd, none on.



Game 2

Eastfield 000 001 0 — 1 3 0

Texarkana 322 120 x — 10 17 4

Collin Loftin, Austin Good (2), Kelvin Garner (5), Casey Stone (6) and Nathan Reddick. Gip Hendrix, Zach Fowler (3), Cory Hill (5), Thomas Watson (6) and Lance Marvel. WP-Hendrix. LP-Loftin. HR: TC-David Phillips, 1st, two on.

Bulldogs take doubleheader, clinches playoff spot

Texarkana College vs. Lon Morris: Bulldogs take doubleheader, clinches playoff spot

By: Bob Krayl - Texarkana Gazette -

Published: 04/27/2008

Staff photo by Tanner Spendley Texarkana College’s Lance Marvel runs to third as Josh Gill makes his way to second. Marvel and Gill along with Trey Buck made it to home plate on the next play after Justin Coats hit a grand slam during the first game of a doubleheader against Lon Morris Saturday at George Dobson Field.

Texarakana College clinched a playoff spot with a sweep of Lon Morris Saturday at George Dobson Field.

With a six-run fourth inning, Texarkana College won the opener, 8-3. The Bulldogs belted three home runs en route to a 14-4 victory in the nightcap.

The teams were tied at 2-2, at the end of three innings before Justin Coats grand-slam home run highlighted the Bulldogs six-run fourth inning in the opener.

David Allday and Lance Marvel led off the inning with singles and Josh Gill drove in the first run with a single. Trey Buck then beat out a bunt to load the bases.

Coats then slammed relief pitcher Adam Leggett’s pitch over the left-field wall for a home run and a 7-2 lead. The final run came on a single by Gip Hendrix and an RBI single by Dean Malthouse.

The teams traded home runs in the first inning with Brad Cochrane hitting one for Lon Morris and winning pitcher David Phillips tied it at 1-1 with his shot to left field.

Texarkana went on top, 2-1, in the second and Lon Morris tied it up again, 2-2, in the third.

The Bulldogs (30-20, 16-12) banged out 10 hits with Malthouse and Gill leading the way with two each. Cochrane paced the visitors’ seven-hit atttack with the home run and three singles.

Cochrane gave Lon Morris a quick lead in the nightcap after doubles by Tell Ross and Cochrane. Cochrane later followed with two more hits, making it seven straight for the day.

Texarkana got the run back in the second on singles by Malthouse, Zach Fowler, and Marvel, and took the lead with an unearned run in the third.

The Bulldogs added two more runs on three hits in the fourth for a 4-1 lead. Marvel blasted a one-out home run, followed by a single by Allday, a double by Trey Buck, and sacrifice fly to right by Coats.

TC exploded for five runs in the eighth to run rule Lon Morris in the second game.

Phillips had a grand slam home run in the sixth, and Thomas Watson had a two-run blast in the five-run eighth. Watson finished with three hits and two RBI. Marvel had a solo shot in the fourth.

Allday added four hits for the Bulldogs.



FIRST GAME

Lon Morris 101 010 0 — 3 7 2

Texarkana 110 600 x — 8 10 2

Hector Plaza, Adam Leggett (4th) and Brad Cochrane. David Phillips, Cory Hill (6) and Dean Malthouse. WP-Phillips. LP-Leggett.

HR: Lon Morris, Brad Cochrane, 1st, none on. Texarkana, David Phillips, 1st, none on; Justin Coats, 4th, three on.



SECOND GAME

Lon Morris 100 010 20 — 4 12 1

Texarkana 011 214 15 — 14 16 1

Game called after eight innings, 10-run rule.

Ryan Mashinter and Steven Wostal. Josh Gill, Zach Gryder (7), Gip Hendrix (7) and Dean Malthouse.

HR: Texarkana, Lance Marvel, 4th, none on; David Phillips, 6th, 3 on; Thomas Watson, 8th, 1 on.

Playoffs hope alive as TC takes one from region champ

By: Johnny Green - Texarkana Gazette -

Published: 04/24/2008

Staff photo by Evan Lewis Navarro’s Kyle Livingstone slides in safe under the attempted tag by Texarkana College catcher Dean Malthouse in the third inning of the first game in Wednesday’s doubleheader. Navarro won the opener, 17-7, but Texarkana claimed the split, 7-6.

There have no doubt been bigger wins in Texarkana College baseball history, but none that was needed more than the Bulldogs’ 7-6 victory over Navarro College in Wednesday’s second game at George Dobson Field.

Battered 17-7 in the opener, TC survived the nightcap as closer Cody Hill put down a Navarro uprising in the ninth inning. Texarkana’s first win over the Region XIV East Zone champions allowed the Bulldogs to maintain a one-game lead over Panola for the final playoff berth with two games to play. Panola split a home doubleheader with third-place Bossier Parish.

“That was a big-time, gut-check win right there,” said a relieved TC coach Will Bolt. “That’s a win that can lead to many, many more in a row. I was proud of the way we battled after we couldn’t stop them in the first game.”

Right-hander Justin Fowler checked Navarro’s leading bats on eight hits, leaving with a 5-3 lead after six innings despite being struck on the wrist of his pitching arm by a first-inning line drive.

“I thought it was broken,” Fowler said. “I couldn’t even squeeze Coach’s hand. But I got on the sideline and threw some, and it loosened up.”

Fowler was denied the victory when Brett Parsons homered in the top of the seventh inning after Jason Chowning’s third-strike wild pitch allowed what would have been the third out to reach first base.

But Chowning, TC’s No. 1 starter, settled down and the Bulldogs regained the lead in the bottom of the inning on back-to-back doubles by Dean Malthouse and Thomas Watson. They made it 7-5 in the eighth when Justin Coats singled home Josh Gill, who had singled and moved to second on a sacrifice.

Navarro (43-8, 23-3) loaded the bases with no outs in the ninth, and Hill gave up a sacrifice fly to Ross Hubbard to make it a one-run game. But Hill picked off pinch runner Anthony Washington and struck out the next batter.

“Justin Fowler did an outstanding job; he’s come a long way,” Bolt said. “A prime example was when he was hit by the line drive. He never buckled a bit, and came out and attacked the strike zone. Chowning wanted the ball, and it wasn’t perfect for him, but he kept us in the game. And Hill never blinked on the rundown. He got it to the athlete (Coats) and let him run the runner down. It was just a great team win.”

The Bulldogs had 15 hits in the nightcap, including a solo home run and single by Coats and two doubles by Watson. Trey Buck, David Phillips, Gip Hendrix, Malthouse and Gill also had two hits. Parsons had four of Navarro’s 12 hits.

Texarkana made a game out of the opener, pulling within 9-7 in the fourth inning, but the Bulldog bullpen couldn’t slow Navarro’s relentless bats. The visiting Bulldogs scored eight unanswered runs to put the game out of reach.

Most of the damage was done by the long ball. Navarro hit five home runs, three of them by Scott Livingstone, who finished with eight runs batted in. Zach Grichor and Caleb Marx hit solo homers.

TC managed 12 hits, 11 off Navarro’s No. 1 starter Bryan Bingham, who still pitched five innings to improve to 11-0 on the season. Hendrix hit his sixth homer in the third inning and Phillips his 14th in the fourth, both with one runner aboard.

But the first game was all about Navarro’s bats. The Bulldogs cranked out 17 hits, including three each by Grichor, Livingstone, Hubbard and Marx.

TC starter Zach Fowler lasted just 3 2/3 innings and yielded eight runs, seven earned. Relievers Cody Wilson and Zach Gryder were treated similarly by NC’s torrid hitters. Coats tripled and singed twice in four at-bats to lead TC at the plate. Hendrix had a single to go with his home run, and Gill, who recently committed to play next year at Louisiana-Monroe, doubled twice, driving in a run.

The Bulldogs can clinch first-place by sweeping last-place Lon Morris on Saturday at home.



FIRST GAME

Navarro College 102 643 1 — 17 17 1

Texarkana College 004 300 0 — 7 12 2

Bryan Bingham, Jeff Thompson (6), Chad McIn (7) and Mark Mayfield. Zach Fowler, Cody Wilson (4), Zach Gryder (5) and Dean Malthouse. WP-Bingham (11-0). LP-Fowler (5-4). HR: NC-Zach Grichor, 3rd, none on;

Scott Livingstone, 4th, 2 on; Livingstone, 5th, 2 on; Livingstone, 6th, 1 on; Caleb Marx, 7th, none on. TC-Gip Hendrix (6), 3rd, 1 on; David Phillips (14), 4th 1 on.



SECOND GAME

Navarro College 020 010 201 — 6 12 1

Texarkana College 100 013 11x — 7 14 0

Travis Dirk, Brian Shore (6) and Jordan Kopycinski, Mark Mayfield (9). Justin Fowler, Jason Chowning (7), Cory Hill (9) and Dean Malthouse. WP-Chowning. LP-Shore.

Bulldogs split with Panola

By: Johnny Green - Texarkana Gazette -

Published: 04/20/2008

Staff photo by Tanner Spendley Panola College’s Brandon Choate slides into third in front of Texarkana College’s Thomas Watson Saturday at George Dobson Field. The Bulldogs won the first game of a doubleheader, 2-1, but dropped the nightcap, 4-3.

With series remaining against first-place Navarro College and last-place Lon Morris—all at home—Texarkana College could have made it easy on itself with a sweep of Panola College Saturday at George Dobson Field.

Now if they are to qualify for the Region XIV tournament, the Bulldogs will have to it the hard way after blowing early scoring opportunities in a 4-3, second-game loss to the Ponies.

David Allday’s walk-off RBI single with one out in the bottom of the seventh gave TC and left-hander David Phillips a 2-1 win in the opener.

So, instead of a 3-game lead over Panola (29-18, 12-12) with four East Zone games to play, the Bulldogs (27-19, 13-11) hold a scant one-game edge over the Ponies in the battle for the fourth playoff spot.

“We had the opportunity to really make it tough on them (Panola),” said TC coach Will Bolt. “We got the walk-off hit in the first game, and I thought we took the momentum into the second when we got the three-run homer (Phillips) in the first inning. But then we kind of sat on the lead.”

Much of the credit for Panola can go to Carthage right-hander Kory Cleveland, who came on with two outs in the second inning due to an injury to starter Travis Reagan. Cleveland allowed just one hit over the next 6 2/3 innings, striking out two and walking two.

“He did a good job working his fastball to both sides of the plate,” Bolt said. “He didn’t have overpowering stuff, but we just didn’t do a good-enough job at the plate. He gave us pitches to hit, but we just got underneath them. You have to hit line drives, and we hit too many lazy flyballs.”

Phillips’ 13th homer of the season over the center field wall with two aboard in the bottom of the first came after a two-out error kept the inning alive.

The two-out drive scored Trey Buck, who had singled, and Justin Coats, who had walked. But Lance Marvel’s single in the second and Buck’s second hit in the fourth were all the Bulldogs could muster the rest of the way.

It appeared the three first-inning runs would be all that were needed for starter Jason Chowning, who breezed into the seventh with the lead before Panola put together four hits to tie the game. Former Hooks standout Brandon Choate started the rally with a single to left, and scored the first run.

Josh Gill came on with the score tied and kept it that way by retiring the two batters he faced, but he gave up a leadoff double to Chase Wier to start the eighth and took the loss when Wier eventually scored on a groundout off reliever Cory Hill.

“Chowning deserved to win,” Bolt said. “We just didn’t get him any runs early when we had the right guys up. We just didn’t get it done.”

Phillips got it done in the opener, scattering five hits, including a solo home run by Mason Denson, tying the game on the first pitch of the top of the seventh inning.

But with one out in the bottom of the inning, Dean Malthouse singled down the right-field line and Thomas Watson was hit by a pitch. Allday then hit the first pitch from loser Scott Copeland on the ground between third base and shortstop, and Malthouse scampered home with the game winner.

Lance Marvel’s sacrifice fly scored Malthouse from third base with the game’s first run in the fifth inning.

Phillips gave up five hits, struck out three and walked one. Chowning surrendred six hits, fanned seven and walked two in the nightcap.

“I thought we pitched well and played good defense today,” Bolt said. “Our pitchers kept the ball around the zone and we made some good plays in the field. We just didn’t get the timely hits.”

Watson was 2 for 2 with a double in the opener. Zach Fowler also had a double.

Panola ends the season with 2-game series against second-place Bossier Parish and seventh-place Northeast Texas Community College.



FIRST GAME

Panola College 000 000 1 — 1 5 1

Texarkana 000 010 1 — 2 5 0

One out when winning run scored.

Scott Copeland and Brandon Choate. David Phillips and Dean Malthouse. WP-Phillips. LP-Copeland. HR: PC-Mason Denson, 7th, none on.



SECOND GAME

Panola College 100 000 210 — 4 7 1

Texarkana 300 000 000 — 3 5 1

Travis Reagan, Kory Cleveland (2), Aaron Wilkerson (8) and Brandon Choate. Jason Chowning, Josh Gill (7), Cory Hill (8) and Dean Malthouse. WP-Cleveland. LP-Gill. HR: TC-David Phillips (13), 1st, 2 on.

Eights are enough as TC sweeps Paris

Published: 04/17/2008

PARIS, Texas—Texarkana College improved its playoff prospects Wednesday with a sweep over Paris.

The Bulldogs took the opening game, 8-4, and cruised to an 8-2 victory in the nightcap. TC improves to 26-18 overall and 12-10 in conference action.

David Phillips had a two-run double, and Trey Buck added two RBIs to lead Texarkana College to a victory in the first game. Justin Coats contributed a double. Zach Fowler earned the victory.

Justin Fowler notched the win for the Bulldogs in the second contest, and Justin Coats finished 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI. Gip Hendrix had a pair of hits and two RBIs, and Dean Malthouse had two hits.

TC returns to action Saturday with a doubleheader against Panola.





Game 1

Texarkana College 050 003 0 — 8 8 5

Paris 003 010 0 — 4 10 3

Zach Fowler, Cory Hill (7) and Dean Malthouse. Zach Snead, Cole White (7) and Beall Bentley. WP-Fowler. LP-Snead.



Game 2

Texarkana College 131 100 101 — 8 9 1

Paris 000 000 020 — 2 8 3

Justin Fowler and Dean Malthouse. Jared Carruth and Beall Bentley. WP-Fowler. LP-Carruth. HR: PAR-Nick Stelte, 8th, 1 on.

Bulldogs romp in Game 2

Published: 04/10/2008

LUFKIN, Texas—Texarkana College snapped Angelina’s 11-game conference winning streak Wednesday.

The Bulldogs pounded out 20 hits in their 13-7 victory in Game 2. Trey Buck and Thomas Watson each had a home run, and Gip Hendrix finished 3 for 5 at the plate. Justin Coats added a triple, a single and three RBIs. Lance Marvel added three hits, and David Allday contributed a pair of hits.

Corey Hill picked up the win on the hill in relief of Justin Fowler. The Bulldogs rallied for five runs in their final at-bat to pull away from the Roadrunners, and Watson nailed it down in the ninth.

Texarkana College (22-17, 8-10) dropped the opening game, 6-5. Watson finished with three hits and two RBIs, and Marvel added two hits, including a double. Hendrix had a pair of doubles, and Buck finished with two singles.

Josh Gill suffered the loss.



Texarkana College 010 202 0 — 5 13 0

Angelina 110 022 x — 6 10 2

Zach Fowler, Josh Gill (6), Corey Hill (6) and Dean Malthouse. Frank Corolla, Tanner Hamilton (6), Chase Hernandez (7) and Joey Latulippe. WP-Tanner Hamilton. LP-Gill. HR: Ang-Latulippe, 2nd, none on; Latulippe, 6th, none on; Ryan Kelley, 6th, none on.



Texarkana College 110 023 015 — 13 20 1

Angelina 001 100 320 — 7 10 1

Justin Fowler, Corey Hill (7), Thomas Watson (9) and Dean Malthouse. Corey Benavides, Daniel Franchois (6) and Ryland Parker (9), Kyle Cassidy (9), Chase Barrera (9) and Bryan Mallet. WP-Hill. LP-Franchois. HR: TC-Trey Buck, 1st, none on; Thomas Watson, 9th, 2 on. Ang-Chris Laira, 3rd, none on; Chris Andreas, 7th, none on; Mark Serna, 8th, 1 on.

Bossier Parish inflicts doubleheader loss on Bulldogs

Bossier Parish inflicts doubleheader loss on Bulldogs

By: Johnny Green - Texarkana Gazette -

Published: 04/07/2008

Staff photo by Tanner Spendley Texarkana College’s Gip Hendrix slides into second as the ball gets by Bossier Parish’s Garrett Hammond during the second game of a doubleheader Sunday at Texas High. Bossier Parish swept the Bulldogs, 5-0 and 6-5.

It would be hard to point a finger at any one reason for Texarkana College’s doubleheader loss to visiting Bossier Parish Community College Sunday.

Lack of clutch hitting and pitching, and poor defense all played roles in the 5-0, 6-5 losses at Texas High’s Tiger Field, the second time the Cavaliers have swept the Bulldogs this season.

“We weren’t very competitive, and that’s something I addressed between the games and after the last game,” said TC coach Will Bolt. “Two things you can control are effort and attitude, and I don’t think we did that to the best of our abilities today.”

TC, which has lost six of its last eight games, dropped to 22-17 overall and, more importantly 7-9 in the Region XIV East Zone standings. The Bulldogs trail third-place BPCC (23-16, 10-6) by three games and are in a dogfight with Paris Junior College and Panola College for the fourth playoff berth.

Bossier ace T. J. Forrest, a University of Arkansas recruit, blanked TC in the opener, marking the third shutout in six games for the Bulldogs. Forrest, a hard-throwing right-hander, allowed five hits, struck out six and walked one.

David Phillips gave up just three hits and just one earned run in five innings as the TC defense committed five errors. Thomas Watson was touched for three hits and two runs in the sixth, and Zach Gryder pitched a scoreless seventh.

Lance West had a two-run single and David Morgan a solo homer for the Cavs. Five Bulldogs had one hit each, including doubles by Justin Coats and Dean Malthouse.

Malthouse’s double over the third-base bag followed a lead-off single by Gip Hendrix in the second inning, but the runners were stranded at second and third when Forrest retired the next three batters without the ball leaving the infield.

“To me, that pretty much set the tone for the game,” said Bulldogs coach Will Bolt. “We’ve got runners at second and third with nobody out and guys coming up who had driven in a ton of runs. But we don’t get the job done. I don’t think we had any fight in us after that point.”

Hendrix’s two-run double to right field gave Texarkana its first lead of the day in the first inning of the nightcap. But Bossier Parish scored single runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings off TC ace Jason Chowning, who struggled with his control, walking seven and hitting a batter in 4 2/3 innings. He struck out six and allowed four hits.

Josh Gill came on to get the final out on a back-hand stab by third baseman Thomas Watson, who threw out pinch-hitter Jacob Rhodes with the bases loaded.

The Bulldogs took Chowning off the Hook with two runs in the bottom of the inning. Hendrix tripled home Coats, who had singled, then scored on Malthouse’s double, all coming in the first inning of relief by left-hander Moses Munoz. But the next two batters struck out, standing Malthouse at second.

Two TC errors contributed to Bossier’s three-run sixth that put the Cavs ahead to stay. Joey Ford tripled in one run, then scored on an RBI single by K. W. Smith, who advanced on two wild pitches and scored on one of the errors.

Cody Wilson came on to pitch two scoreless innings, and closer Cory Hill did the same in the ninth.

“Wilson did a great job out of the pen,” Bolt said. “He kept them where they were at and gave us a chance. I thought for the most part, Gill did a good job and, while Chowning didn’t have command of his pitches, to his credit he pitched out of a bases-loaded, no-outs jam in the fourth.”

TC crept within one when David Phillips lofted a solo home run high over the right-field bullpen in the seventh, but the Bulldogs went quietly in the eighth and ninth innings.

Phillips, Henderix and Coats each had two hits for TC, as did Ford and Smith for Bossier Parish.



FIRST GAME

Bossier Parish 001 022 0 — 5 6 0

Texarkana 000 000 0 — 0 5 5

T. J. Forrest and Brannin Hagan. David Phillips, Thomas Watson (6), Zach Gryder (7) and Dean Malthouse. WP-Forrest. LP-Phillips. HR: BP-David Morgan, 5th, none on.



SECOND GAME

Bossier Parish 001 113 000 — 6 8 4

Texarkana 200 020 100 — 5 8 3

Jordan LeGros, Moses Munoz (5), Eric Kirkland (8) and Michael Pettito. Jason Chowning, Josh Gill (5), Cody Wilson (7), Cory Hill (9) and Dean Malthouse. WP-Munoz. LP-Gill. HR: TC-David Phillips, 7th, none on.