Hollis baseball is looking to build off of a solid season last year and have some big hopes for this season. The team will lean on a core group of seniors that bring experience and skill. Head coach Derick Hodges’ squad has already made a splash this season and there is a lot of excitement in the community.
“When the first set of rankings came out, we were at No. 8 in Class A,” Hodges said. “This is a big deal for Hollis. There are a lot of expectations and a lot of buzz going around the town. We had a good season last year, we made it to the regional finals, where we almost punched our ticket to state. Unfortunately, we got beat by Sterling 8-6 in the final game. We are going to be a senior-heavy team with a lot of experience coming back and those seniors are going to be big-time contributors to the team. There is just an overall positive outlook around the community.”
And while he enjoys the positive energy surrounding his team, Derick reminds his players that they still have to make it happen on the field.
“I’ve told the boys not to buy into the hype or what everyone is saying,” Hodges said. “I make sure that they know they have to play the game and do what we do and see where we end up at the end of the season.”
One of the seniors that will be called on to be a leader this season is Zach Meford. He is a left-handed pitcher that also plays in center field. He is a superb talent that will look to help his team be successful. Rowdy Randle is a senior that has committed to playing baseball at Western Texas College. He is a right-handed pitcher, but when he is not on the mound, you can find him at shortstop or center field. He is an outstanding athlete that is not afraid to put in the hard work. Two other seniors that will look to make an impact this season are Braxton Whisenant and Caden Rollins. Braxton, who pitches and plays first base, led the team in batting average last season, while Rollins is a smart baseball player that can play multiple positions.
An underclassman that looks to play a role this season is Kreid McQueen. He is an outstanding catcher and an overall good athlete. He is currently the 27th-ranked player in the state for the class of 2026 and fifth-ranked catcher in the state. He is a hard-working athlete who is very coachable and puts the time in to be a better teammate and ball player.
An under-the-radar player for the Tigers is junior Sebastian Duran. Last season in the playoffs, he hit two home runs and started on the mound against Navajo in regionals and held them to one run. He goes about his business and quietly had a perfect record as a pitcher his sophomore year and made his way up the batting lineup.
