UIL Baseball Celebrates 65 Years
By Chris Schmidt, Public Affairs Representative | Monday, June 03, 2013 8:52 AM
File photo from 2012 State Baseball Championship.
Photo by Jeanne Acton
Baseball had a humble beginning as a UIL sport. Even though play began in 1947, only 30 schools out of the 469 that signed up reported the outcome of their seasons to the state office.
It wasn’t until 1949 that the UIL held its first state championship in baseball, crowning state champions in the City Conference and Conference 2A. The first state championships were held at Disch Field in Austin (2A) and Burnett Field in Dallas (City), both of which were homes to minor league baseball teams at the time.
More than 630 schools and 9,900 student-athletes competed in 1949, which was up by more than 1,000 student-athletes from the previous year. Participation in baseball grew with the addition of a state championship, and as more schools built night facilities for baseball, schools saw increased attendance and a reduced loss of school time. Last year, more than 46,000 student-athletes participated in UIL baseball.
Some of the more interesting rules from the first years of state tournament play were that only student players were allowed in the coach’s box while the coach was requested to remain in the dugout. All tournament games were played to seven innings, as they are today, but the final game could go to nine innings with mutual consent from both teams.
After a brief hiatus from crowning two state champions in the early 1950s, the UIL returned to a two-conference state championship in 1957 with Conferences 3A and 4A competing. It was the first year for two conferences to be crowned state champions on the same field as all teams played at Disch Field in Austin.
In 1965, Alvin High School star pitcher Nolan Ryan advanced to the state tournament after the ace threw a no-hitter – something he would become known for – in the regional final against Brenham High School. After striking out nine batters in a two-hit shutout in the state semifinal, Ryan and his team advanced to the state championship game where they lost a 6-3 decision to Waxahachie High School. Ryan would go on to become one of only two Texas high school graduates elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (Ernie Banks of Dallas Washington High School was inducted in 1977).
Another one of the greatest pitchers in Texas high school baseball history, David Clyde of Houston Westchester High School, made state tournament appearances in 1972 and 1973. As a senior, Clyde went 18-0 and only gave up three earned runs in 148-innings pitched. No more than 20 days after pitching his team to a semifinal win against Galena Park to advance to the state championship game, he was on the mound for the Texas Rangers striking out eight batters in a 4-3 win over the Minnesota Twins. Clyde still holds several national high school baseball records, including most shutouts and most strikeouts in a career. In 2009, he was inducted into the NFHS National High School Hall of Fame.
In 1979, state tournament play was expanded to all five conferences, B-4A. For the first time in Texas baseball history, state champions were crowned in every conference that participated in the sport. In previous years, smaller conferences only played to the regional or bi-district level. Although the names of the conferences have changed, baseball still crowns five state champions
After the closure of Disch Field in 1967, state tournament games alternated between Nelson Field and the Burger Center in Austin until it found a more permanent home in 1975 with the construction of Disch-Falk Field (later renamed UFCU Disch-Falk Field) on the campus of The University of Texas at Austin. Since its inaugural season, a high school baseball state champion has been crowned on the field at Disch-Falk every year except for one. In 2007, the stadium did not host a state final due to renovation projects.
In 2000, the Dell Diamond officially joined the ranks of UIL Baseball State Tournament venues.
The Texas high school baseball state tournament has garnered an impressive history in its 65 years. From standout performers to elite venues, the state championships never seem to disappoint. With participation growing, the future of baseball in the Lone Star State is brighter than ever.