Denton Record Chronicle - Program Turnaround in 2022 for Broncos

May 9 2022 03:04

SOUTHLAKE — John Tompkins wanted to establish a winning culture and the expectation that Denton baseball would grow into a consistently successful program heading into his first season as the Broncos coach.

Tompkins and his players felt like they took a step in that direction in a campaign that ended on Saturday with a 9-4 loss to Aledo in a Region I-5A bi-district playoff series game at Southlake Carroll.

The Bearcats swept the first two games and ended the Broncos' first playoff appearance since 2019. Tompkins took over a program that won just 10 games a year ago and guided Denton to an 18-12 season in his debut campaign.

“It sets the expectations of where we are trying to go,” Tompkins said. “We dressed some younger kids so that can see what playoff baseball is about and the atmosphere. We want to hold some gold gloves up. With continued buy-in and a lot of hard work, the future is bright for this program.”

Denton’s chances to hold up one of those gold glove trophies that goes along with district titles and playoff wins ended largely because of the way it performed with the bases loaded on Saturday. The Broncos just didn’t produce at the same level Aledo (20-8) did under the same circumstances.

The Broncos loaded the bases with no one out in the third and had them juiced again with one out in the fifth. Denton scored just two runs off those opportunities.

Elliott Jones drove in a run with an infield single in the third and drew a walk to force home a run in the fifth.

Those runs helped Denton rally from an early 5-1 deficit to pull within 5-4.

The Broncos needed more out of those rallies against Aledo, which capitalized when it loaded the bases with three straight walks leading off the sixth. The Bearcats scored four runs in a rally keyed by a Trace Mazon RBI single.

“They capitalized and we didn’t,” Tomkins said. “Baseball is tough. It’s cruel and teaches a lot of life lessons. I love how we competed. We were a couple of pitches and hits away from competing in a third game. That’s playoff baseball. You have to be hot at the right time.”

Denton couldn’t answer after Aledo pulled away and saw its season end.

“We really left it out there,” Denton first baseman Nathan Stone said. “We didn’t expect much coming into the season. Making it to the playoffs was great. It was a new experience and a lot of fun.”

Tompkins encouraged his players to learn from facing Aledo, which won District 5-5A. The Bearcats advanced to face Burleson in the area round.

Denton’s roster was full of players experiencing the playoffs for the first time. The Broncos had 10 seniors who helped set the tone for their turnaround season.

Denton couldn’t extend that season beyond the first round of the playoffs but showed the grit and toughness Tompkins hopes will become a hallmark of the program.

“This is uncharted water for us,” Tompkins said. “They gave a great performance. We just weren’t able to get the big hit and they were. Sometimes you can attribute that to experience. I love the way our guys compete. They’re great kids.”