Bellaire’s Kyle Chaskin was already having a good postseason performance before last weekend. He helped the Cardinals survive a tough series against Alvin with strong performances at the plate and on the mound.

And he continued his strong play this past weekend to help the Cardinals reach the state semifinals for the 11th time in school history.

And even though he’s a sophomore, he has stepped up playing like a senior in helping the Cardinals to get them one step closer to a state title.

In the series against Westside, Chaskin was 4-for-7 at the plate with five RBI. In the third game, he got a big two-RBI single in the fourth inning in a 6-0 win.

Earlier that afternoon, Chaskin pitched a one-hit gem, striking out 11 batters to get a 2-0 win in Game 2 to force a deciding third game. He retired the last nine batters in a row and 15 of the last 17. Also, Chaskin singled in that game in the fourth inning and his courtesy runner, Aaron Hafer, came around to score a crucial run. Later, Chaskin hit a RBI single in the fifth to bring home Bellaire’s other run.

For his standup performance, Chaskin was named Athlete’s Connection's CollegeBallorBust.com Athlete of the Week for the second consecutive week.

Two Saturdays ago, Chaskin was 3-for-6 with the bat in the two games, getting three singles, two RBIs and scoring one run. His hits came at the right time, either when Bellaire needed a run to stay close with the Yellowjackets or to pull ahead.

But his best performance came in the nightcap of the doubleheader, pitching a complete-game win by holding Alvin to two runs on six hits while striking out five to seal the series win and set up an all-District 20-5A regional final with Westside.

“My two-seamer was pretty good,” Chaskin said. “It was running in on hitters and they were getting jammed.”

His only mistake was giving up a two-run homer in the fourth inning, which he shook off with uncanny maturity for a sophomore. But this isn’t Chaskin’s first time in the playoffs. He pitched a few games as a freshman last year, and credits his teammates for helping him develop into a better pitcher.

“Just talking to my teammates to stay in the game and rely on my stuff,” Chaskin said. “I started last year, and that really helped me. Playing in the playoffs last year, a couple of guys really helped me out through things.”

Chaskin will have to keep his edge with his bat and his arm as he and the Cardinals prepare to face Southlake Carroll in a state semifinal at 7 p.m. Friday at Dell Diamond in Round Rock.

- Chad Washington

cwashington@athletesconnection.com

Subscribe to this comment's feed