A recent home-stand opener between the newly-fledged East Texas TimberHogs and the Texarkana Rhinos  started and ended with fireworks. On the first pitch of the night, the lead-off Rhino took a fastball from TimberHogs starter Zakary Jordan and drilled it over the left-centerfield fence. 

That round-tripper foreshadowed a wild game which featured three TimberHog home runs (including back-to-back home runs by centerfielder Cermodrick Bland and shortstop A.J. Smith in the third and a grand slam by first baseman Kahne Nolan in the seventh) and four homers from the Texarkana side.

East Texas held a brief, 5-4, lead after three innings, but a big rally by the visitors in the sixth, aided by three long balls, opened a 14-5 lead. The TimberHogs loaded the bases in the seventh and Nolan brought them all home with a towering drive into the trees behind the ‘Ranger Print’ sign in left field. His blast closed the score to 14-11, but the Rhinos held on for a 15-11 win. 

Within minutes of the final out, and in still air which seemed to enhance the experience, the TimberHogs staged a free fireworks show over the park. It was no small event and was a great show for its duration and brilliance.

It was Gladewater Night courtesy of the TimberHogs at the White Oak City Park ,and some 450 folks were in attendance. The whole evening was a hit, from the action on the diamond to the multitude of between-inning events for kids. Those included a “dizzy kid” race, water-balloon catching, baseball accuracy and racing the mascot, Tusky. 

Add some quick-witted work on the general announcing system, a cold beverage with a great selection from the concession stand, and one had all the ingredients of a fully enjoyable night at the ballpark. 

The TimberHogs are in the middle of their inaugural season. As members of the independent Mid America League, the team is bringing the next level of baseball back to East Texas.

What brought the team to White Oak was not so much a long road but rather an expressway on-ramp.  

Club president David Upchurch advised, “We basically have been able to put everything together in 10 months – contracts, renovations to the ballpark, coaches, players, host families, equipment, the whole thing.”

The story begins with a call by newly-formed Abilene Bison president Scott Kirk to Upchurch in October 2022. Both are baseball men, and Kirk had just put the Bisons together. He was looking to build a league and was searching out like-minded people.

Upchurch, the current President of Red Dirt Baseball, a 501c3 non-profit organization, and an owner/operator of Performance Baseball, was more than up to the challenge.

His initial vision was to locate a team in Kilgore; however, the restoration of Driller Park proved to be too complex. Upchurch related that the City of Kilgore and Kilgore ISD were also not behind the initiative. 

It was his wife, Rachel, who then suggested, “Hey, what about White Oak?” That was in August 2023.

Things moved fast. “We have had unbelievable support from the City of White Oak and White Oak Schools from the very beginning ,” Upchurch related. He credits, in part, the long sporting history of White Oak for much of that support.  

A lease was signed on the large baseball diamond at City Park, and renovations began. There were numerous things to do, including soliciting sponsors and building the organization. Player recruiting started in February, and the search for host families for those players began immediately. 

Through his many local baseball contacts, Upchurch was able to identify a group of host families, with whom a player would live for the duration of the season.

“It is a key element to our success…it is a labor of love and has mutually beneficial impacts on both the player and the families – we couldn’t have the team without them.”  

The Mid America League is composed of teams in Fort Smith, Ark.; Joplin, Mo.; Abilene, Sherman, Texarkana and White Oak. The league is not affiliated with Major League Baseball nor the minor league system. It is an independent league, known in baseball as a ‘summer league.’

As such the players are a mix of ex-collegiate, collegiate and minor leaguers.

Upchurch commented, “Our league is a place for young men to come and improve their skills while they pursue a further career in the sport.” 

The TimberHogs have a unique roster. In addition to local talent such as Gilmer’s Zakary Jordan and Harmony’s Gage Goddard, the roster also includes two Cuban ballplayers (veterans of the minor league system) and one Japanese ballplayer, infielder Seishou Uchikoshi.

Certainly, the TimberHogs offer young ballplayers a chance to keep their skills sharp. However,  Upchurch explained that the team is guided by more than just the Rules of Baseball.

“We want to provide these players with living examples of good Christian men,” Upchurch stated.

“The team is based on mentorship,” Upchurch related, “and we conduct chapel twice a week on Sundays and Wednesdays.” Upchurch, who spent time with six teams over a 2-year stretch in the minor leagues, views mentorship and faith as critical parts of baseball.

What can fans expect when they head to City Park to catch a game?

Upchurch never hesitated when he answered, “All our players are hungry, and you’ll see full effort all the time.”

That certainly was the case in the high-scoring thriller against Texarkana.

In the bottom of the seventh Bland found himself on first when Goddard doubled to right-centerfield. Only a maximum effort by Bland allowed him to score in a close play at the plate. Bland leaned into his rounding of third base so hard that he nearly toppled over. It was maximum effort. 

The TimberHogs have 12 home dates remaining in the 2024 schedule and conclude the season with a two-game stand, Friday Aug. 9 and Saturday Aug. 10, when they host Texarkana. 

White Oak City Park, the home of the TimberHogs, is a great place to celebrate baseball in East Texas.