Baseball playoffs: Bagby no-hits Olympus in 15-1 drubbing to open 2nd-round series
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- West Field’s Bryce Bagby steps to throw a pitch in a 5A second-round playoff game against Olympus on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Taylor.
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- West Field players Brady Penland, left, and Sam Smith touch helmets to celebrate scoring runs against Olympus in a 5A second-round playoff game on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Taylor.
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- West Field’s Tyke Johnson slides safely into third base during a 5A second-round playoff game against Olympus on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Taylor.
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- West Field’s Brady Penland takes a cut at an Olympus pitch in a 5A second-round playoff game against Olympus on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Taylor.
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- West Field’s Sam Smith, left, dashes toward third base as Olympus infielder Jake Ward gathers the ball in a 5A second-round playoff game against Olympus on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Taylor.
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- West Field’s Tyke Johnson, center, and coach Tyler Barfuss, right, bump fists near teammate Marshal Moon (19) in a 5A second-round playoff game against Olympus on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Taylor.
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- West Field’s Kohen Anderson flips a throw to first base in a 5A second-round playoff game against Olympus on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Taylor.
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- West Field’s Wyatt Penrod runs to first base in a 5A second-round playoff game against Olympus on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Taylor.
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- West Field’s Andrew Hurst ranges under an Olympus fly ball in a 5A second-round playoff game on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Taylor.
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- West Field players Bryce Bagby (22) and and Tyke Johnson, right, bump fists during a visit with Wyatt Penrod (2) in a 5A second-round playoff game against Olympus on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Taylor.
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- West Field’s Brady Penland runs to third base in a 5A second-round playoff game against Olympus on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Taylor.
TAYLOR — A 30-minute lightning delay was the only thing that slowed down the West Field baseball team in its 5A state playoff game against Olympus on Wednesday.
The No. 4 Longhorns batted around twice, and Bryce Bagby pitched a no-hitter, during a five-inning, 15-1 victory via run rule over No. 13 Olympus in Game 1 of their best-of-three, second-round super regional series.
Getting into game mode didn’t prove to be a problem for the Longhorns (22-4) after the start was pushed back.
“When it happened, we went in our fieldhouse and were listening to music,” West Field third baseman Wyatt Penrod said. “Relaxed, but we got focused when we were throwing and stuff after we got back on the field.”
Bagby set the tone when he retired the Titans (17-10) in order to open the game, then the Longhorns put up nine runs in the home half.
“In the first inning, I’m trying to feel out their lineup and see what kind of hitters they are and what they’re biting on,” Bagby said. “Three up, three down is a good feeling. It’s a blessing to have a productive offensive aspect of our team.”
The first seven batters in the Longhorn lineup got on base and scored a run, and two run-scoring sacrifice flies were the only outs among the first 13 batters.
“Nine runs was great. It’s what we need to do every time and it’s what I expect us to do,” Penrod said. “We are a great swinging team and Bryce gave us support, and we gave him that support.”
Penrod led off the bottom of the first with a single, then delivered a two-RBI single to right-center in his second trip to the plate during the inning.
“That’s my job. I need to see pitches and get on no matter what it costs, and I did. … That sparked us,” Penrod said. “On my second at bat, I was thinking ‘oppo’ — right center gap — and I hit it there. It was nice … my training was paying off.”
He scored both times he reached base in the inning as well.
“It’s great to have our whole team support us with our bats…it really shows. We get hot and feed off each other and the first inning fired us up,” Penrod said. “In that first inning and the third, we scored lots of runs; we picked each other up.”
Designated hitter Sam Smith hit a two-out double for the only extra base hit in the first inning, but the Longhorns went long-ball when they batted around again in the third.
Centerfielder Brady Penland smashed a two-run homer to left-center as part of a five-run outburst, making it 14-1 for West Field.
“With the big lead, I just threw my fastball down the middle, let it fly more; have them make weak contact. I have a great defense behind me,” Bagby said. “It’s a stress-free team to pitch for.”
Bagby allowed two baserunners on a rare second-inning error that led to the Olympus run, and issued a walk with two out in the fifth. He struck out three.
“Giving up one … whatever. I focused on resetting and threw donuts after that,” Bagby said. “On the walk, I wanted a big strikeout to end the game and got a little wild.”
He said he used the lightning delay to stretch a little bit more and get loose before officials made him go to the fieldhouse to wait out the weather woes.
It paid off with the five-inning no-hitter, where West Field could save other pitchers for one or possibly two games on Thursday.
“That’s been my job this year. Last year, I saw my role as a reliever and this year they told me to get my stamina up and carry us through some innings … be a reliable piece on the mound,” Bagby said.
There were many batting stars for the Longhorns, but some of the highlights are: three runs scored by Penland and two runs each by Penrod, Smith, second baseman Marshal Moon, first baseman Tyke Johnson and shortstop Kason Taylor.
Penrod, Penland and Johnson had two RBIs each.
The Longhorns were scheduled for a 1 p.m. home game Thursday with Olympus, with Game 3 to follow if necessary.
They won’t have Bagby on the bump, and hope they didn’t deplete the run machine on Wednesday.
Bob Judson has covered high school sports for the Standard-Examiner for the past 51 years.
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