Jackson Blank makes Argyle blink, seals Magnolia West's first Texas state baseball title

By Buck Ringgold | Photos by Andrew McCulloch

ROUND ROCK, Texas - Entering the late innings of a scoreless game for the Class 5A title, Magnolia West’s Jackson Blank made Argyle blink first.

Blank then helped the Mustangs survive the staredown with a game-saving catch to fend off a near-dramatic rally from the Eagles.

After the Mustangs loaded the bases in the top of the sixth, Blank lined a pitch into right center, bringing in all three runs. He then caught a line drive in center field to end the game, as the Eagles stranded runners on second and third as Magnolia West claimed its first baseball championship with a 3-2 win at the Dell Diamond.

“I’m literally physically shaking right now; I can’t even explain it,” said Blank, a senior who will play at Rice University next season, after the game.

For five innings, Argyle left-hander Alex D’Angelo was matching Mustang starter Caylon Dygert with scoreless frames of his own. D’Angelo shut out the Mustangs through five, allowing three hits.

But on a hot afternoon, D’Angelo began to show signs of fatigue in the top of the sixth. He walked three batters to load the bases with one out, bringing up Blank.

Blank appeared to work another walk, going up 3-1 in the count. However, he elected to swing away at D’Angelo’s next pitch, and the decision proved fortuitous.

On that pivotal pitch, Blank swung away and lined a single into right center, scoring two runs. The third run came across on a fielding error in the outfield as the Mustangs (36-5) finally broke through.

“(D’Angelo) was real good, keeping us off-balance the whole game,” Blank said. “At 3-1, I knew he was going to throw me something straight; he loved the change-up but fastball or change-up, if I was going to see it down the middle, I was going to swing it right there and break things open and I did.

“My approach was to (hit it) right over the second baseman’s head, hit a line drive right over his head and I did.”

Dygert then did the rest, although things got very interesting at the end.

After the first two batters went down in the bottom of the seventh, Argyle’s Hunter Sandifer reached on a throwing error. The next batter, Brayden Rosckes, singled on a 1-2 count.

That brought up Colton Roquemore, who drilled an RBI single to right to break up the shutout. JC Davis then made it 3-2 with an RBI single to left, and the Eagles had runners on second and third with Grady Emerson stepping up to the plate.

On the ensuing pitch, Emerson lined a ball to shallow center. But it held up at the last possible moment for Blank - playing center field - to make the catch and preserve the Mustangs’ title win.

“We got our first out and then got our second out; then one thing after another, they got a couple of base hits and two runs and I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, it’s 3-2,’” Blank said. “I played over on the left on the final out and I saw the ball off the bat and I made a great read on it.

“I knew it was so good, but the wind kept carrying it right to me, so I made a good play.”

Blank was named the 5A title game MVP. He went 2-for-3 with his pivotal two-run single along with making the game-saving catch in center.

Magnolia West had just four hits in the game. Wade Nobles had the Mustangs’ only extra-base hit, a third-inning double.

He nearly broke the scoreless deadlock in the fifth when Nobles hit a deep drive to left, but Argyle left fielder Nathaniel Bruce had room right in front of the wall to make the catch.

Dygert gave up two unearned runs on five hits in his complete-game performance, allowing two hits through six innings, and fanned five batters. His outing capped a strong pitching performance for Magnolia West at state.

The Mustangs won their semifinal game Thursday against Frisco Reedy, 3-0. James Ellwanger struck out 17 and took a no-hitter into the seventh and was one out away before it was broken up. Dygert came into the game and struck out the final batter to record the save.

Then Dygert took the hill again two days later and picked up the win.

“Big Game James, he was lights out absolutely, you can’t get much better than that, 17 K’s in the semifinal,” Blank said. “Then Caylon came out and does what he does, throw strikes, and some of the best command I’ve seen from a high school pitcher.”

D’Angelo went 5 1/3 innings and gave up three runs - two earned- on four hits. He walked four and struck out four.

Rosckes was the only Argyle player with multiple hits, going 2-for-3.

The Eagles (35-11-2) were seeking their fourth state title, having previously won it all in 2015 and going back-to-back in 2018-19. But on Saturday afternoon, it was finally Magnolia West’s day to hoist the championship trophy.

“We’ve talked about it, and you know, this is like, we’ve got a good group of kids, let’s see what we can do,” Blank said.

“It’s one of the best feelings; I couldn’t imagine we’d be here, you know, from the start of the season until now. But, I mean, how realistic is it, and it’s so realistic now I’m shaking.”

—