PHOTO: Cody Worrell/Mineral Wells
BY BRIAN GOSSET
X – @gosset41
X – @gmsportsmedia1
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Jacob Clay is in his second season as the head baseball coach at Mineral Wells. Clay led the Rams to a 7-17-1 record in his first spring with a playoff appearance.
Here in Year #2, he’s got the Rams two wins away from history.
Last week, Mineral Wells beat Canyon West Plains 3-1 in a one-game playoff to advance to the regional final for the first time since 1958. It was the 10th season of UIL baseball with the 1949 season being the inaugural year. There were only two classes back then with 4A and 3A.
Senior Holden Hering starred from both sides – leading the Rams with one unearned run on three hits and 10 strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings. He also hit the go-ahead two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning that broke a 1-1 tie.
Will Hollifield replaced Hering and got the win – not allowing a hit or walk in the final 1 1/3 innings.
The Rams (20-10-1) will face Seminole in the Class 4A Division 1 Region 1 championship. The three-game series will start 6 pm Thursday at Lubbock-Cooper. Game 2 is 4 pm Saturday in Graham.
Their 20 wins are most since 2013.
They are also two years removed from going 2-18 overall and 0-12 in district, according to MaxPreps. Mineral Wells finished the regular season with back-to-back losses and a 1-5 record before winning its first four playoff games against San Angelo Lake View (2-1, 8-2), Springtown (6-0) and West Plains.
Against Springtown, Hering tossed a two-hit shutout in five innings with seven strikeouts while Hollifield went two innings with no hits, no walks and four strikeouts. Braxton May and Hayes Hering drove in two runs each.
