Fayetteville Bashes Abbott to Advance To 1A State Title Game at Dell Diamond

Abbott may have owned the past in one of high school baseball’s best small school rivalries.

But the present belongs to Fayetteville Wednesday’s outcome doesn’t erase the two state title baseball games that Abbott beat Fayetteville in back in 2017 and 2023.

But for Lions fans, it was a good start.

This 2024 version of Fayetteville smashed Abbott 19-6 Wednesday at Dell Diamond in a 1A state semifinal which vaults the Lions into Thursday’s 9 a.m. state championship back in Round Rock.

The Lions got a strong starting pitching effort from Jack Schley, and used a patient approach at the plate (drawing an amazing 14 walks) to overwhelm Abbott in every way.

The game was called after 4.5 innings because of the mercy rule.

“We wanted revenge and we got it,” said Fayetteville sophomore Kole Schmitt, who had three hits, three RBIs and scored three runs and also pitched the game’s final two innings.

“We respect Abbott so much,” said Fayetteville head coach Clint Jaeger. “I’m so pleased to get the win because we know they are a tough team.”

The tone for Wednesday’s win was set early as Schley set down Abbott in 1-2-3 fashion.

“I knew before the game that the top of the first was going to be crucial and he did a great job,” Jaeger said. “He’s stepped up this year. He really wants the ball.”

Schley had also gotten the start in last year’s state title game, and Abbott got to him and the Lions for several early unearned runs – and Fayetteville could never recover.

This year was different. “Last year I was a freshman, and I was nervous,” said Schley, who struck out five and allowed no earned runs in his three innings of work Wednesday. “This year, I had already been here. I knew what it was like, and I was ready to perform. I learned it’s all about confidence.”

A nice by-product of Fayetteville batting around in both the second and third innings was that it allowed the Lions to build such a lead, Schley was pulled after three innings and could be available for some innings on the mound Thursday.

In the second inning Wednesday, Fayetteville batted around and scored eight runs, highlighted by a basesloaded double by Lawson Fritsch, which scored three.

“They were throwing a lot of balls, but when I got the opportunity, I hit it,” Fritsch said.

The Lions did even more damage in the third inning when they sent 15 batters to the plate and scored 10 more runs. The big hit that inning was a bases-loaded double by Schley, that plated two.

Easton Jaeger, Keagan Supak and Mason Fenhaus each drove in two runs Wednesday.

Abbott (16-10-1) ended up using four pitchers Wednesday and none did a good job of throwing strikes.

Fayetteville’s patient approach at the plate made them pay.

“Coach said just take as many pitches as you can until you get that first strike,” Schmitt said.

“We knew they could struggle with wildness,” Jaeger said. “We said ‘Hey, we’ll take what they give us. If they are going to give us free bases we will take it. We will get base hits when we need it.’ And we did that.”

The blowout victory now sets the stage for Fayetteville (18-4) to try for their fourth all-time state baseball title Thursday when they face Ira (23-0), which was a 10-5 winner over Chester in Wednesday’s other semifinal.

“Hopefully we can bring it home tomorrow,” Fritsch said.