East holds on against West in 3rd annual All-Ellis County All-Star Game presented by Methodist Midlothian

Travis M. Smith June 30, 2023 Avalon High School, Baseball, Ennis High School, Ferris High School, Italy High School, Life Waxahachie High School, Maypearl High School, Midlothian Heritage High School, Midlothian High School, Milford High School, Ovilla Christian School, Palmer High School, Player of the Week, Red Oak High School, Waxahachie High School 949 Views

By Travis M. Smith | Ellis County Sports

WAXAHACHIE — A long blast deep into the left-field trees highlighted the third annual star-studded All-Ellis County All-Star baseball game at historic Paul Richards Park.

Cooper Contreras (Waxahachie, 2024) was named the Methodist Midlothian Medical Center MVP following his fifth-inning home run. The 6-foot-3, 260-pound first baseman yanked the pitch halfway up the outfield trees on a muggy Tuesday night for a 5-3 East lead. There was no doubt as soon as contact was made.

Contreras appeared in 30 games for the Indians during his junior season, recording 6 doubles, 7 RBIs and 10 runs scored on his way to an All-District 11-6A 1st team selection.

The home run was the first for Contreras on the year and first-ever in the short three-year run of the All-Ellis County All-Star baseball game.

Fellow Waxahachie teammate Nash Nichols (2023, 11-6A 1st team OF) later came on to record the save and 5-4 East victory over the West.

The game was made possible by Methodist Midlothian, Waxahachie Autoplex, Pearman Oil & Gas, LLP, and HLH&R Metals.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Beck Sullivan (Waxahachie, 2024) started on the bump for the East and quickly retired the first West batter.

A throwing error and a walk then put two East runners on base. Sullivan (2-1, 3.23 ERA, 11-6A 2nd team) got Life Waxahachie’s Tahir Williams (2023) to line out to Caleb Staggs (Red Oak, 2025) at second base. Staggs flipped the frozen rope to shortstop Nate Nunes (Ovilla Christian, 2025) on the bag at second for the inning-ending double play.

Nichols led off the bottom of the first inning with a single through the left side of the infield. The Waxahachie grad scored two batters later for a 1-0 East lead when Lucas Seymore (state-champion Ovilla Christian, 2023) hit a dribbler back to the mound that found its way into center field by way of a throwing error.

Maypearl ace Tanner Terry (12-0, 1.41 ERA) quickly induced a ground ball double play and a swinging strikeout to end the East threat. Terry helped lead the Panthers to the 3A state tournament and program-best 30 wins (30-10) after advancing to the state semifinals for the second time in program history (2005, 2023).

Terry, a Cisco Junior College signee, got the run back and then some in the top of the second inning. The lefty one-hopped the fence near the right-field foul pole for a two-run triple.

The West eventually added a third run and nearly a fourth, only to have Javier Balderas (Ferris, 2023) throw a strike to the plate to gun down a base runner for the final out.

Balderas, the District 13-4A Co-MVP, wasn’t finished leaving his impact on the third annual game.

The West carried its 3-1 lead through the second inning and into the bottom of the third.

Balderas singled into left field with the bases loaded to pull the East within one, 3-2.

Ferris’ Jakob Ramos (2023) quickly retired the West side in the top of the fourth inning. Ramos was a second-time All-Ellis County All-Star selection, having been named the 13-4A Pitcher of the Year in 2022 and 1st team pitcher this season.

The East took its first lead when Ovilla Christian’s Nunes doubled to deep center field for a 4-3 lead.

Nunes slashed .519/.618/.691 with a 1.309 OPS for the state-champ Eagles. He recorded 26 RBIs with 48 runs scored on 5 doubles and 3 triples.

The top-of-the-fifth inning saw Life Waxahachie’s Williams reach first and swipe the next two bags, only to be stranded at third base.

Cooper launched the first-ever home run in the short three-year history of the All-Star game off of Jaidan Jammer (Life Waxahachie, 2023) in the bottom of the fifth inning. His shot to left field put the East up 5-3.

With the bases loaded, a 1-2-3 double play started by Jammer ended the final East threat.

The West added a run in the top of the sixth inning, sending the East into the top-of-the-seventh inning leading 5-4.

Josh Novak (Avalon, 2026) walked on seven pitches to open the final frame. He was then erased at second base by Balderas on a would-be single.

Nichols recorded the final two outs from the bump to seal the 5-4 East victory.