How a loss on the gridiron 'added fuel to the fire' for Stamford baseball's playoff run
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PLAINVIEW — In December, the Stamford football team stepped onto the turf at AT&T Stadium for the Class 2A Division I state title game.
The Bulldogs ended up losing a heartbreaker in double overtime to Ganado, ending an impressive run from Wayne Hutchinson's team.
A few months later, the Bulldogs have given themselves an opportunity to reach the state championship again, this time on the baseball diamond, following a two-game sweep of Gruver in the Region I-2A Division II final series.
Following a 7-6 win on Thursday, Stamford notched a 2-1 victory on Saturday to secure their spot in the state semifinals.
While Stamford has reached this point five times in the school's history, this year marks the Bulldogs' first trip to the state semifinals with head coach Steven Gould at the helm. After a large portion of the school's baseball team felt the pain of losing the state title in football, including Gould, the group has used the experience as fuel for a successful baseball season.
Two-sport stars
The Bulldogs were undefeated heading into the state title game against Ganado, boasting a 15-0 record behind a strong rushing attack.
One of the keys to Stamford's ground game was Kaston Vega, who played a crucial role in the team's win against Gruver on Saturday. Alongside Vega; fellow Bulldogs' baseball stars Alek Hernandez, Brayden Jimenez, Christian Duran and others, were all integral pieces of Stamford's run to the state championship game.
The group may have lost to Ganado, but according to Vega, that has only motivated the Bulldogs during baseball season.
"We're a brotherhood," the outgoing senior said. "We kind of built that together over the years. It started when we were young, and we were able to build on it more. We saw our success in football, and we wanted to carry that momentum over. Granted, we did lose in the state championship. But I mean, that kind of added fuel to the fire for us to come and put that into baseball."
This 'fuel' seems to have worked for Stamford, as Gould's team has complied a 26-4 record and now secured a trip to the state semifinals. On Saturday, Hernandez pitched a complete game, allowing just one run in seven innings while Vega went 2-for-4 at the plate, scoring the game's opening run.
The group's success is no surprise though, as Vega, Hernandez and many of the team's other players have grown up on the diamond together. In addition to being on the same rosters throughout middle and high school sports, multiple members of the group have competed on the same travel baseball team since they were around six-years-old.
The newest chapter
This year may not be the first time Stamford has reached the state semifinals, but for Gould, the 2025 season marks a new milestone.
The Bulldogs head coach was on staff for the team's run to the state championship game in football, and has now led an impressive stretch of his own. Gould admitted that he knew upon being hired that the expectation was to get the Bulldogs back to the team's previous heights, and the Stamford coach has now delivered on that expectation.
"First time, as a head coach, that I've done this," Gould said. "We've done it a lot as a program. Just to keep that tradition going, it means a lot. When I got hired on here, that was kind of the expectation. 'Hey, we go to the state tournament.' So now that it's tradition."
After sweeping Gruver, which had lost just one game all season, the Bulldogs will meet defending state champion Collinsville in the state semifinals.
Stamford's last trip to the state semifinals was in 2016, where the group ultimately fell at the hands of Beckville.
This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Loss in state football 'added fuel to the fire' for Stamford baseball
