WHITE OAK, Texas — The White Oak Roughneck baseball team (26-8) is headed to the regional semifinals for the first time since 2018 to face that semi's rematch against Pottsboro (28-8).
They earned the spot after blanking the hard hitting West Rusk Raiders first 10-0, then 11-0 in regional quarterfinals.
Roughnecks head coach, Skylar Stagner, believed they would win, but didn't predict it would be so one sided.
"We felt like they were going to be one of the best swinging teams that we had faced all year," Stager said. "From what we had seen, the scores that they had put up, the runs that they had put up and how well some of their top guys were swinging it. I mean, we we're a little nervous about it, but I think we did a good job of identifying ways we could attack their hitters. And then our pitchers did a great job of of executing that game plan."
One of those pitchers were Landon Anderson. He executed the game plan on both sides of the ball, allowing just two runs from the bump in game one. In game two, Anderson hit a single, a double, 3 RBI, and a homerun.
“On the Homer I had a 2-1 count," Anderson said. "So I was kind of ready for that pitch and the wind was blowing a little bit so that helped, but yeah, I had a good day on the plate to help run-rule in game two.”
As far as preparation for the semi-finals is concerned, Anderson believes it business as usual.
"Just continuing what we've been doing. A lot of energy, just playing for each other and having each other's backs," Anderson said. "We know they're a good team, but we're a good team too. And we're gonna compete with our best out there."
The Roughnecks will take on Pottsborro in a best-of-three series starting at 5 p.m. on Thursday at North Forney High School.