DIGITAL GAME PROGRAM

UIL 6A REGION II QUARTERFINAL ROUND
Jesuit Dallas (9-6A) vs. Highland Park (10-6A)
Game One: Jesuit Dallas, 4-0
Game Two: Friday, May 20 - 7:30 p.m. - Jesuit Dallas (Wright Field) l Live Stats l Live Video
Game Three: Saturday, May 21 - 12 p.m. - Prosper H.S. l Live Stats l Live Video

Palisch's No-Hitter Results in Series-Opening Win: Junior Jacob Palisch hurled his second no-hitter of the season, striking out a season-high 15 batters to make an emphatic statement for No. 11 Jesuit Dallas in a 4-0 win over Highland Park in game one of the University Interscholastic League (UIL) 6A Region II Quarterfinals on Thursday night at Scotland Yard. Palisch moved his record on the year to 9-0, striking out the first 12 batters in order to start the contest.  The junior threw the fifth no hitter of the year for the Rangers' pitching staff and second of the playoffs, following the no-hitter collected by fourth year Kyle Muller in the series-clincher against North Mesquite on May 7. In total, the Jesuit pitching staff has shut out four of six postseason opponents this year, including three consecutive shutouts by Palisch, who has yet to allow a run in 21 postseason innings pitched.  The Rangers' mound contingent has procured a 1.58 earned run average during the playoffs, striking out 72 total batters and holding opposing hitters to a paltry .168 at the plate.

Attacking Early and Efficiently: The Rangers have recorded .479 batting average in the leadoff spot this season, by comparison, opponents are hitting .298.  Junior JT Mix, who has cemented a spot at the top of the order, is 28-of-56 (.500) when batting leadoff, followed by Matt Horvath, who is batting .400.  Senior Kyle Muller leads the Rangers offensively runners aboard, logging 36 of his 48 hits this year with at least one runner on base.  In addition, Muller is batting .451 with runners in scoring position, followed by junior Mark Ready (.412) and Matt Horvath (.395).  In total, Jesuit has recorded a .327 batting average with runners in scoring position this season.

Postseason Heroes: Senior Jared Bond currently leads the Rangers in hitting during the postseason, logging a .438 batting average and driving in a team-high seven runs.  Fellow fourth year Pete Hamrick has found identical success, hitting .429, driving in six runs while scoring a team-high seven runs.  On the mound, Muller is holding hitters to a .154 batting average with two outs, and has yet to walk a batter while striking out 30 over two starts.  Palisch is averaging 11.79 strikeouts per game, with batters hitting 4-of-21 against the lefty with runners onbase.  In total, Jesuit is hitting .326 on the year, with opponents strugging to forge a .207 average against Ranger pitching.  Combining for a .476 slugging and .448 on-base percentage, Jesuit has continued to be aggressive on the basepaths, converting 11-of-14 stolen base attempts during the playoffs.

Rangers Escape Tigers' Grasp:  Jesuit Dallas shook off a Friday evening loss to Belton out of UIL District 12-6A, upending the Tigers in games two and three on Saturday to earn a trip to the University Interscholastic League (UIL) 6A Baseball Tournament Region II Quarterfinal Round.  The Rangers were shutout in the first eight innings before mounting an inspired comeback in the bottom of the seventh, scoring six runs but falling, 13-6.  Senior Kyle Muller took the mound for game two, striking out 15 batters for the second consecutive game to propel the Rangers to a 9-1 victory.  Muller was assisted by senior Jared Bond, who hit his sixth home run in the season in the second inning.  Junior Jacob Palisch took the mound for the decisive third game, hurling a 2-0 shutout victory that sent the Rangers into the third round.

Tollway Series Episode II: Over the last two seasons through several sports, Jesuit Dallas and Highland Park have developed an incredible new chapter in their local rivalry, culminating in this weekend's UIL Region II Quarterfinal series.  Last year, Jesuit punched a ticket to the UIL Region II Semifinal round with a sweep of the Scots, winning the first game, 1-0 before a 5-3, series-clinching win in front of a packed crowd at Wright Field.  Most recently, Jesuit and Highland Park met in the Texas High School Lacrosse League (THSLL) Division I Championship game, a contest won by the Rangers, 9-4, to win the first THSLL State Championship in program history.