The 2024 Texas high school baseball season is quickly approaching and, as usual, excitement is abound throughout the state. Players and coaches have been working in preparation for the upcoming season and, as is the case each year, there are some very talented players and teams across Texas.

Teams across the state have goals and aspirations to finish their seasons in Austin at the UIL State Tournament in June, but there is plenty of work to be done before that becomes reality. We hope to familiarize our readers with many of the teams across the state as we preview individual teams across Texas. We will take you right up to first pitch this season with these team previews, eventually releasing our Preseason Power 30 rankings that’ll carry us into the opening week of action.

Please keep checking back throughout the season as we will be your one-stop shop for everything related to high school baseball across the state. Each week we will be releasing our Players of the Week and updating the Power 30 rankings.

Our 2024 preseason coverage continues today.

High School: Rockport-Fulton Pirates
Head Coach: Arturo "Tudi" Elizondo
UIL Classification: UIL Class 4A (District 30)
Team Strengths: Returning Starting Pitchers & Team Experience
2023 Record (Playoff Finish): 15-15 (4A Area Finalists)
Key Players Lost: Devan Phillips - 3B/OF

 

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TOP RETURNING PLAYERS

+ UTL Isaiah Elizondo (2024; St. Thomas) - District Junior of the Year in 2023
+ INF Jordan Gibson (2024; uncommitted) - First Team All-District in 2023
+ RHP/1B Sean Howell (2025; uncommitted) - District Sophomore of the Year in 2023
+ INF Jaxon Keown (2026) - Honorable Mention All-District in 2023
+ UTL Jackson Grubert (2026) - Second Team All-District in 2023

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TOP NEWCOMERS

+ RHP/INF Chris Oakman (2026)

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FRESHMEN TO FOLLOW

+ C Reid Snyder (2027)
+ RHP Evan Richardson (2027)

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TEAM OUTLOOK

After finishing last season at .500 and as 4A Area Finalists, the Rockport-Fulton Pirates and Coach Arturo “Tudi” Elizondo look to go back to the playoffs in 2024. Returning a handful of All-District performers, the Pirates have some exciting pieces to build around for this year and future years to come.

One of the main pieces of the 2024 Pirates team is recent St. Thomas commit and Coach Elizondo’s son, senior UTL Isaiah Elizondo, who earned the Junior of the Year award for the district in 2023. Elizondo will primarily factor in behind the dish, but will showcase his positional versatility in other spots throughout the season as well. The Pirates return another senior who earned All-District honors in 2023 in INF Jordan Gibson (uncommitted), who was First Team All-District last season. The returning District Sophomore of the Year returns for the Pirates in 2024 also in RHP/1B Sean Howell (2025; uncommitted), who will be expected to lead the pitching staff as a Junior this season.

The Pirates also bring back a pair of talented sophomores who factored in enough as freshmen last season to earn All-District honors in UTL Jackson Grubert (2nd Team All-District) and INF Jaxon Keown (Honorable Mention All-District). These two are expected to be joined in the sophomore class by projected 2024 newcomer, RHP/INF Chris Oakman, who hopes to factor in as a two-way on varsity this season.

Rockport-Fulton has a freshmen duo to keep tabs on this year and moving forward in C Reid Snyder and RHP Evan Richardson, who could both eventually play a bunch for the Pirates right away.

Led by their returning senior class and impactful underclassmen, mixed with their playoff experience from last season, the Pirates could be a team to watch throughout the 4A playoffs again in 2024.

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Find more information on the 2024 Rockport-Fulton Pirates program below:

+ <<2024 Schedule>>
+ Follow Rockport-Fulton on X: @RfPiratew
+ Prep Baseball Texas, 2024 Team Previews

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