Flatonia Baseball Ready for Regional Final Playoff Series

in a big way.

The Bulldogs won consecutive state titles in 2015 and 2016. This week Flatonia is one series victory away from getting back to state.

“I was bat boy when we won state in 2015 and 2016, so it’s been something I’ve wanted to do since then,” said Flatonia senior Cale Janecka.

Standing in the Bulldogs’ way is district rival Ganado, a team that beat Flatonia twice in the regular season, but struggled against other teams to allow Flatonia to win their first district title since 2009.

Flatonia (26-5) plays Ganado in a best of three series starting Thursday, May 30, at 7 p.m. in Hallettsville. Game 2 is back in Hallettsville Friday at 7 p.m. If needed a Saturday game is set for 4 p.m. at a stillto- be-determined site.

There are no surprises between these two rivals.

“They throw strikes and play defense,” Flatonia head coach Shawn Bruns said. “That’s what I build our teams on – pitching and defense. Ganado is a carbon copy of us right now.

“I think we are pretty evenly matched.”

But Flatonia has a weapon on their pitching staff few teams can match.

Titan Targac is a junior lefty, who had already verbally committed to play for Texas A&M after graduation.

Last week in the one-game 2-0 regional semifinal victory against Johnson City, Targac hurled a complete game onehitter with 10 strikeouts.

“It was just like any other outing ... get your job done like you need to,” Targac said of that outing in the do-or-die game. “There’s always a little more nervousness when you are that far into the playoffs, but as soon as you step between those lines, the nervousness goes away and you just do what you know how to do.”

Targac’s pitching earned him collegiate attention from all over the country, but committing to A&M felt right. “I’ve always grown up an Aggie, my cousin is playing there now ....College Station has always felt like home,” Targac said.

That first name, Titan, is as iconic as his pitching.

He said his parents were in the hospital when he was born and saw a commercial on the TV for the Nissan Titan pickup. Titan’s got two younger brothers with interesting names too – Boston and Stryker.

But Titan says the best name on the Bulldogs this year goes to third baseman Rambo Ramirez.

“When I was born, my grandfather wanted to name me Rambo. He loved that movie,” Ramirez said. “My parents said ‘everyone will make fun of him,’” It didn’t become his given name but from birth Rambo has been his nickname and it’s used by everyone in town.

From Rambo to Titan, this Bulldogs team is tough – and they are a family.

“I believe in us, and I believe we can go far with this team,” Ramirez said.

“At the beginning of the season nobody thought we could do much,” Targac said. “We lost six starters from last year.”

But Bruns’ return to the dugout helped spark a resurgence. Bruns was the head coach for the Bulldogs in this back-to-back state title years, but then left for seven years to coach softball at Flatonia.

“I got to coach my daughter, got to coach my nieces on the girls side,” Bruns said. “But I was missing baseball.”

And it was missing him. “I feel like he’s had a huge impact on our team,” Targac said of Bruns. “The day before games we have a team dinner. Another thing he’s done, our practices are a lot more scheduled – more structured. He’s really helped.”

Bruns is quick to deflect any credit.

“I’m only as good as the kids and our assistants,” said Bruns, who has coached his entire 33 year career in Flatonia. He credits this year’s assistant coaches Mark Migl and Colby Mica (a FHS grad who played for Bruns) with helping the team succeed.

“This group of kids, they are a joy to be around in practice,” Bruns said. “They want to learn. They continue to learn.”

The Bulldogs are getting contributions from up and down the lineup.

“We’ve bonded. We’re like a family,” said leadoff hitter Beck Zimmerman, who had Flatonia’s only two hits in last week’s playoff win.

And now they have put themselves in a position to do something truly special – get back to state.

They are just two wins away.

“Nobody expected us to be this good at the beginning of the year, but we came together and united as brothers,” Janecka said. “I feel like our chemistry is something special.”