Dallas Tigers Polk SS Travis Sanders walks it off in the Championship Game

By: Brenna Barkley

For Dallas Tigers Polk SS Travis Sanders, hitting a walk-off three-run home run to give his team the win in the Five Tool Texas DFW Regional tournament is a moment he will not forget. 

“It was definitely a moment I will remember,” Sanders told Five Tool after the game. “Hitting my first walk-off home run ever to help the team win the championship. When it went over the fence it was a mixture of relief and excitement.

“All I could do was smile.”

Coming into the weekend, all Sanders wanted to do was hit the fastball and have fun on the field with his team. The ’22 Texas Tech commit definitely was able to check off both of those things this weekend. 

Sanders’ approach was simple. Stay back and drive the fastball. 

“Before I got in the box I told myself to stay with my approach, middle back sides and hunt the fastball,” Sanders said. “I didn’t want to be too big, even though I could end the game in one swing.”

DRIVE. HOME. SAFELY!!!@DTigerBaseball Polk's Travis Sanders (@Travis1Sanders) caps off a torrid weekend with the walk-off BOMB to win the @FiveToolTexas DFW Regional 18U Championship! 3-run home run for the 8-7 W. #FiveToolPower

Copperas Cove (TX) 2022 • @TTU_Baseball commit pic.twitter.com/ZOCq4Rxpkp

— Five Tool Baseball (@FiveTool) June 6, 2021

Dallas Tigers Polk and DFW Twins 18U Black were in a battle until the very end where every pitch counted in the game. The Tigers knew that they could battle back even if it meant using the whole game to get to where they wanted to be. 

“We were in a dog fight,” Sanders said. “We made some defensive mistakes which led to some runs for them. But we kept fighting. We got it done and came out with our first tournament win.”

The Copperas Cove, TX native went 1-3 in the Championship Game. The game-winning jack was his second home run of the weekend at the Z-Plex Texas Sports Village in Melissa, TX.

“At the plate, I was looking for a fastball I could drive into a gap,” Sanders said. 

The final score of the game was 8-7 as the three-run home run was all that was needed for the win.

Sanders hopes to keep his momentum from the game going as his summer season on Dallas Tigers Polk continues. They’ll head down to Houston, TX this weekend for the Five tool Texas AABC Connie Mack WS Qualifier at Premier Baseball of Texas.