Van Vleck head baseball coach Jacob Cadle was all smiles while watching seniors John Tyler Corenfield and Wade Huston represent the school Tuesday at the Greater Houston Baseball Coaches Association Senior All-Star Game at St. Thomas High School. 

Corenfield and Hutson played one final high school game Tuesday, helping their team to victory. The two Leopard baseball players played on the Class 2-4A team, wearing blue, that squared off against the Class 5A team, wearing red.

Players from around the Houston area received invitations to the game for their outstanding performance this season. 

Huston and Corenfield helped lead Van Vleck to a 17-13 record overall, including a 6-4 mark in District 24-3A. The Leopards drew the one seed in the Division I playoffs, defeating Coldspring-Oakhurst in the opening round. Van Vleck had not won a postseason series since 2019. 

The Leopards’ season ended in the area round with back-to-back losses to Orangefield. Van Vleck was the lone team to reach the second round. East Bernard, Brazos and Boling each lost in the bi-district round. 

Corenfield and Huston played key roles in the Leopards’ successful 2025 campaign. Each took steps forward to improve the team by a total of five wins. The Leopards also finished one spot higher in the district standings. 

Huston was named the District 24-3A Defensive MVP for his work behind the plate throughout the season. Corenfield played shortstop for the Leopards. He posted a .364 batting average with two home runs and 10 stolen bases.

The Van Vleck all-stars teamed with former district mates Aidan Fiala and Zach Cook of Danbury, which dropped to 2A during the previous realignment last February. The 2A-4A team also included multiple players from El Campo, Needville and Columbia.

Meanwhile, the 5A team consisted of a mixture of players from Angleton, Porter, Santa Fe, La Porte, Friendswood, St. Thomas, Milby, and Galena Park.

Pitchers ruled the start of the game, as most players had not appeared in live action since the end of their seasons. La Porte’s Kylin Manning retired the side, including two strikeouts against Corenfield and Columbia’s Grant Thrasher.

At the bottom of the first, Santa Fe’s Jackson Higgins launched a solo home run off El Campo’s Lane Schulz for the early 1-0 lead. Schulz walked another batter before retiring the next two to get out of the inning.

The blue team found its rhythm on the mound as Thrasher, El Campo’s James Dorotik and Fiala combined for four hitless innings. None allowed a baserunner in the four innings, with Fiala throwing two and striking out three.

Fiala was the first baserunner of the game for the blue team when he walked at the bottom of the third. El Campo’s Chris Rodriguez walked in the next at-bat, but the blue team could not push a run across. 

Rain began to fall at the top of the fourth. Still, Angleton’s Kade Dobbs retired the first two batters he faced before Corenfield drew a two-out walk. The rain intensified, forcing the umpires to clear the field temporarily.

Following the brief break, Thrasher walked while Corenfield advanced to third base on a pair of passed balls. The half-inning concluded with a ground ball to the shortstop.

Finally, in the fifth inning, the blue team got on the board. Columbia’s Fred Kirschner slapped a single into the opposite field for the team’s first hit. Schulz walked, and then a ground ball up the middle led to the first out at second. 

During the next at-bat, a passed ball allowed Kirschner to score, tying the game at 1-1. Rivas walked the next two batters, loading the bases for Rodriguez. He smoked a line drive double into right field, scoring two runs, 3-1.

With runners on second and third, the red team called its infield in to keep the deficit at two. Huston rocketed a line drive that would have potentially scored both runners, but La Porte’s Caleb Hill made a terrific leaping grab from his shortstop position. 

The red team closed the gap to one at the bottom of the sixth after Hill hit a lead-off double and advanced the next two bases on passed balls. 

After an uneventful top of the seventh, the 5A squad attempted a late rally. Back-to-back singles put two runners on with one out. El Campo’s Bradyn Korenek walked a batter to load the bases, bringing up Higgins, who hit the home run earlier in the game.

Korenek induced a ground ball up the middle, which Fiala backhanded at second base, tapping on the bag for one out and then firing to first for the final out of the game.

Huston will play college baseball at Ranger College in Ranger. Corenfield hopes the all-star game could open some doors for him to play at the next level.Â