Ponder, Texas -- When the 2026 baseball season started, there were 173 Class 1A programs in Texas competing for the state championship. By Friday, May 22, only the top eight teams were still in the race and one of them was the Dodd City Hornets.

Dodd City had eliminated Campbell, Perrin-Whitt and finally Ector in the regional semifinals to earn a berth in the regional finals against the Gordon Longhorns.

In game one of the regional finals series, a big fourth inning carried Gordon to a 9-6 win. Dodd City and Gordon were all knotted up at 3-3 after three innings before Gordon scored six runs in the top of the fourth frame.

Gordon picked up one run in the top of the fifth to extend its lead to 10-3, but Dodd City roared back into contention with five runs in the bottom of the fifth to whittle Gordon's lead down to 10-8.

After a scoreless sixth inning, Gordon tacked on two more runs in the top of the seventh to make the score 12-8.

Dodd City tried to rally and managed to score one run before dropping a 12-9 decision to Gordon.

Tyler Denney went 2-for-4, scored once and drove in a run.

Eastyn Weissert, Aaron Solano and Cash Crossland all had one hit apiece.

In game two, Gordon took a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Dodd City scored a run in the top of the second stanza to stay within striking distance, but Gordon put five runs on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth inning to go up 7-1.

Dodd City worked back into the game with four runs in the top of the fifth before Gordon closed the door on the Hornets' comeback plans with eight runs in the bottom of the fifth to post a 15-5 victory to clinch the series.

Gavin Shindler went 2-for-3 and scored a run.

Tyler Denney was 1-for-2, scored once and drove in two runs.

Judd Shipman and Collin Baum both had one hit and one RBI.

Congratulations to the Dodd City Hornets for another deep dive into the playoffs.

Gordon advances to face Hamlin in the state semifinals.