Class 4A baseball brought Texarkana together.
When Pleasant Grove faced Liberty-Eylau in the Region II-4A final, it was one for the history books.
Never before had two city teams from Texarkana met in a baseball regional final.
The Hawks have an illustrious history of playoff baseball, including making the state tournament for six consecutive years from 2008 to 2013 as a Class 3A school - prior to UIL adding a 6A classification.
Pleasant Grove won the state title in 2010 and 2012, and returned to the state tournament as a Class 4A school in 2016 and again in 2017.
Liberty-Eylau won the 2006 state title and went back to the finals in 2007, which was the last year the Leopards won the district title before besting the Hawks this season for the District 15-4A championship.
L-E began this year's playoff run in the bi-district round against Kilgore. The Leopards won the best-of-three series, 3-1, 2-3 and 7-6. Kaufman was the next team in Liberty-Eylau's path. It took three games, but the Leopards fought off the Lions, 5-2, 1-2 and 7-1.
The next team standing in the way was Bullard. Liberty-Eylau dropped Game 1, 11-1, but the Leopards had the fortitude to win the next two regional quarterfinal games, 7-5 and 3-1.
L-E was quickly establishing itself as one of the best adversity-conquering teams as it improved to 4-0 in elimination games.
Under the tutelage of head coach Zach Fowler, the Leopards faced Godley in the regional semifinals. Liberty-Eylau improved to 5-0 in must-win games as it defeated the Wildcats in the series, 12-3, 1-2 and 5-3. The Leopards were in the regional finals for the first time in 14 years.
There was magic and excitement in the air when Pleasant Grove swept Melissa, 3-0 and 5-3, in the regional semis to set up a cross-town rivalry, all-Texarkana regional final against the Leopards.
As I drove up to Texas High's Tiger Field, I first noticed a sea of vehicles blanketing the parking area and extending out to a field of green grass. Despite having arrived an hour early, I had to park out in the field and walk a distance up to the gate.
I was in awe when I saw the multitudes of Texarkanians (and others) who filled the stands, surrounded the perimeter fence and piled around the backstop. I had come to cover Game 2 of the series on Thursday.
This was, by far, the largest high school baseball crowd that I had ever seen in person. I could feel the immense energy of the crowd before the game started as both sides cheered and competed in chants.
Once the game was underway, my adrenaline shot up as every pitch, every swing and every defensive play was suddenly magnified. Everything that happened on the field was cheered by one side or the other. I had never been a part of a high school game more grand.
Pleasant Grove clinched the regional championship with a 4-3 victory over the Leopards. The Hawks had won Game 1 on Wednesday, 7-5.
One thing that everyone knew before the series started was that there would be a team from Texarkana competing in the UIL state tournament in Austin.
Baseball brought the city together in a wonderful way. An all-Texarkana high school series of this significance may never be played here again.
I hope that I get another chance to be part of something of this great value again.