Eric Hammond, Keller overpower Houston Strake Jesuit in 6A state semifinal, advance to first title game in school history

ROUND ROCK — With temperatures in the low 90s, Eric Hammond brought plenty of heat in Friday’s Class 6A state semifinal. And the USC signee placed his name alongside World Series champion Max Muncy of the Los Angeles Dodgers on the list of memorable names in Keller baseball history.

Throwing a fastball that was consistently clocked in the low 90s, and mixing in a dominant slider and effective curveball, Hammond was overpowering against Houston Strake Jesuit at Dell Diamond and put Keller in position to win the first baseball state title in Keller ISD history.

With major league scouts in attendance, Hammond put on quite a show, allowing four hits and one run while striking out nine in six innings as Keller won 7-1 in its first trip to the state tournament since 1991. Hammond, projected as a potential third- or fourth-round draft pick, was still throwing in the 90s in the sixth inning and helped Keller (36-7) earn the first state tournament win in school history as it advanced to play Rockwall-Heath in the state title game at 4 p.m. Saturday back at Dell Diamond.

“My [velocity] wasn’t as high as it’s been previously, but I went out there and competed, and each pitch tried to win that pitch,” Hammond said. “I’m just lucky to have that opportunity. We’ve got a great group of guys and a great pitching staff. I’m lucky that coach trusted me.”

Keller will be trying to become the fifth Dallas-area school to win the state title in the UIL’s largest classification in the last seven state tournaments (the event wasn’t held in 2020 because of the pandemic).

To motivate Hammond before the biggest game in school history, Keller coach Rob Stramp could have talked about the national championship that he won as a player at the University of Texas in 1975. Or Stramp could have discussed how Keller has a chance to become the 14th school from the Dallas-Fort Worth area to win a UIL baseball state title in the last seven state tournaments.

Instead, his message was simple. “Just go out there and be you,” Hammond said. “Go out there and compete like you always do.”

Hammond (12-2) entered Friday with a 5-0 record and 1.25 ERA in the playoffs. He continued his postseason magic against first-time state tournament qualifier Strake Jesuit, the No. 3 seed from District 23-6A.

Keller, ranked No. 17 in the nation by MaxPreps, stranded 10 runners but got timely hits from several spots in its lineup as part of a 10-hit attack. Griffin Barton continued his late-season surge by going 2 for 2 with three runs and an RBI, Aidan Connors was 2 for 3 with two RBIs, and Michael Dattalo was 2 for 2 with a pair of RBIs.

“I felt like we swung the bats well, squared up a lot of balls,” Stramp said. “I felt like we could have had more.”

Keller took the lead in the bottom of the third as a sacrifice fly by Dattalo drove home Barton to make it 2-1. Keller broke the game open with a four-run bottom of the fourth that knocked out Strake Jesuit ace Garrett Stratton, committed to Rice.

An RBI double by Missouri signee Whit Thoms extended Keller’s lead to 3-1, and a sacrifice fly by Connors made it 4-1. After a run scored on an error, Dattalo capped the inning with an RBI single.

Hammond’s fastball was his out pitch at the most important moments. After Strake Jesuit (27-13) scored its only run in the top of the second, Hammond escaped further damage by ending the inning with a strikeout on a 91-mph fastball. With two runners on in the third, Hammond ended the inning with his fifth strikeout, which came on a 90-mph fastball. And with the bases loaded in the fifth, Hammond got an inning-ending fly out on a 91-mph heater.

Keller’s rallying cry all season has been “Win Texas.” It’s one win away from accomplishing that mission.

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