2025 High School Team Preview: Victoria East Titans
December 10, 2024
The 2025 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.
Note: Stats are from MaxPreps
Our 2025 preseason coverage continues today.
High School: Victoria East
Head Coach: Wes Kolle
UIL Classification: 22-5A
Team Strengths: Athleticism, Pitching Depth, Speed
2024 Record (Playoff Finish): 30-11 (Regional Quarterfinalists)
Key Players Lost: Gage Goldman (McLennan CC), Xavier Ortega, Hunter Baros, Joey Lee
TOP RETURNING PLAYERS
- SS/OF Grayson Youngblood (2025; uncommitted)
- UTL/RHP Kason Kolle (2026; TCU) - 2024 Second Team All-State, 2024 First Team All-District
- OF Ryan Steele (2026; uncommitted) - 2024 Third Team All-State, 2024 First Team All-District
- RHP/OF Braddock Raven (2026; uncommitted) - 2024 First Team All-District
TOP NEWCOMERS
- RHP/INF Bentley Blinka (2026; uncommitted)
- CIF Caden Krawietz (2028)
FRESHMEN TO FOLLOW
- CIF Caden Krawietz (2028)
MORE PLAYERS TO WATCH
- INF/OF Layland Ring (2026; uncommitted)
- OF/LHP Christian Ferrier (2027)
- UTL/RHP Parker Baros (2027)
- INF/RHP Andrew Alvarado (2027)
- UTL/RHP Derrick Gaona (2027)
SEMLER'S PROSPECT TO FOLLOW
"Kason Kolle, RHH/C, '26 grad: Good build/frame to fill into. Solid approach to hit, starting to show pull side power. Avg raw arm strength for catcher with solid pop times. Area Code UC Games player."
- Max Semler, North Texas Scouting Director
TEAM OUTLOOK
The Victoria East Titans are coming off a strong 2024 campaign, finishing 30-11 and advancing to the Regional Quarterfinals. As they enter the 2025 season, they return a talented and athletic core with a mix of experience and promising young talent. With key returners and exciting newcomers, the Titans are positioned to build on their past success and make another deep playoff run.
With a blend of returning stars, exciting newcomers, and a deep roster of players capable of contributing in multiple ways, Victoria East is poised for another strong season in 2025. Coach Wes Kolle has a talented team at his disposal, and with their athleticism, speed, and pitching depth, the Titans will be a tough opponent for anyone on their schedule.
Returning players like Youngblood, Kolle, Steele, and Raven provide a solid foundation, while newcomers like Blinka and Krawietz add new dimensions to the team. The combination of experience, young talent, and versatility will allow Victoria East to challenge for a district title and make another deep playoff run.
Kason Kolle, son of Head Coach Wes Kolle, will likely be the x-factor for this team in the spring with what he should bring from behind the dish and at the plate. The No. 33 player in the state and No. 338 player in the country batted .337 last spring with 12 doubles, 4 triples, and a homer, and will look to build off his All-State season from a year ago. Youngblood, who is currently ranked No. 199 in the state, should provide stability and veteran leadership from the shortstop position for the Titans in 2025. Steele is another player our staff is familiar with, ranked No. 57 in the state, and we will actually get another look at the First Team All-District outfielder from 2024 here in the coming weeks at our South Texas Preseason All-State event. Steele will likely be the thumper at the top of the lineup for the Titans after batting .371 last spring with 32 RBI, 4 doubles, 6 triples, and 6 homers.
On the mound, the Titans will be led by a pair of junior right-handers in Raven and Blinka. Raven is currently a top-100 prospect in the state’s ‘26 class, and will be looking to build off a First Team All-District 2024 season that saw him post a 1.52 ERA with 60 punchouts over 69 innings of work. Blinka, the No. 221 player in the state, should also see some time on the mound for the Titans in 2025. We recently saw Blinka at the Houston Fall ID, where he showed a low-80’s fastball paired with a short, harder breaking ball. Blinka is a versatile player that will also likely play a big role in the Titans’ lineup in 2025. At the same event this past fall, Blinka ran a 6.78 60, and showed barrel strength from the right side - reaching a max exit velocity of 96.7 mph (avg. 88.1).
The Titans' ability to control the game with their pitching depth and speed on the basepaths makes them one of the more intriguing teams to watch in 2025. With high expectations for the upcoming season, Victoria East will look to build on their 2024 success and take the next step toward a state championship.
Find more information on the 2025 Victoria East program below:
+ Follow Victoria East Baseball on X: @VEbaseball212
+ Prep Baseball Texas, Power 30 Homepage