Huffman-Hargrave sweeps Gatesville, advances to regional finals

Huffman-Hargrave left little doubt in the UIL 2026 Baseball Conference 4A Division I regional semifinals, beating Gatesville 14-2 on Thursday night and then finishing the sweep with a 10-0 shutout Friday to move on to the regional finals. The Falcons, coached by Andrew Walker, took control early in the best-of-three series and never let Gatesville find the kind of rhythm that carried the Hornets through the end of district play.

For Gatesville, the loss closed the book on a postseason run that had already carried real weight in Coryell County. The Hornets entered the regional semifinal at 24-13 overall and 5-5 in District 23-4A, but they had surged into the playoffs by winning their final four district games by a combined 44-0. That finish included a 21-0 win at Waco Connally on April 20 and a 10-0 home win over Connally on April 24, a late burst that showed how far Gatesville’s lineup could push when it was locked in.

The Hornets also had already earned their place on this stage by surviving Bellville 7-3 in the bi-district round. That made the matchup with Huffman-Hargrave a test not only of talent, but of whether Gatesville could extend a season that had already rebounded from an uneven district slate. The answer in Region III, where UIL places Districts 17-24, was no. Huffman-Hargrave, which came in at 23-9-1 from District 19-4A, handled both games and kept Gatesville from turning the series into a longer fight.

The result mattered beyond the standings because Gatesville baseball has been one of the county’s most visible school-community touchpoints this spring. The Hornets’ season totals on MaxPreps listed 282 runs scored and 146 allowed, numbers that reflected both their offensive ceiling and the pressure they faced in tighter games. Their postseason also had a local individual note when infielder and pitcher Jastin Muegge was named to the Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association All-Star roster, the first Gatesville selection since 2010. Even with the sweep, that run and the late-season surge behind it gave Gatesville fans plenty to remember as the program resets for next year.