SportzBuzz - August 2025 | The Buzz Magazines

By Todd Freed, Staff writer | July 25, 2025

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ONE SCHOOL, TWO NATIONAL CHAMPIONS Former St. Pius X Panther Victoria Hunter (shown here in her senior season with the Panthers), was a standout sophomore this season for a Texas Longhorns softball team that won its first ever NCAA Championship. (Photo: Wayne Donnelly)

In a memorable two-and-a-half-week stretch, St. Pius X ’23 graduate Victoria Hunter won a national softball championship while playing for the Texas Longhorns and then, only 16 days later, former St. Pius X Panthers star pitcher Casan Evans, a ’24 graduate, captured a national baseball championship with the LSU Tigers. In doing so, St. Pius X lays claim as the nation’s only high school to produce national champions in both baseball and softball this season.

“It’s pretty cool for that to happen,” said Hunter, who was back home on campus this summer as a special guest instructor at her alma mater’s softball camp. “Going to school with Casan at St. Pius X and knowing just how good he was back then and now for us to win national titles in the same year is pretty special for us and for St. Pius.”

A four-time all-state player, Hunter just wrapped up a standout sophomore season for the Longhorns capped off by the first national softball championship in Texas Longhorns history. The Longhorns sealed the title with a 10-4 victory over Texas Tech in the third and deciding game of the National Championship series.

“Being part of the first softball team to ever win it all while wearing the burnt orange is one of the greatest feelings I’ve ever experienced in my life. The amount of pride and joy that I felt was amazing,” said Hunter. “Our teammates wanted it more for each other than just for themselves. It meant everything.”

“Everyone at our school is just so excited,” added Panthers assistant softball coach Kennedy Thomas. “There’s just so much pride knowing that we’re producing national champions.”

Just over two weeks later, former St. Pius X pitcher Casan Evans (shown here in his senior season at St. Pius X) won a national baseball championship with the LSU Tigers. Casan was a Freshman All-American for the newly crowned NCAA Champion LSU Tigers. (Photo: Wayne Donnelly)

Shortly after Hunter celebrated the national championship, it was much the same scenario for Evans. “It’s pretty remarkable,” said Casan’s father and St. Pius X head baseball coach Mike Evans. “Watching those two players grow and be at the pinnacle of their sport is just special. Casan and Victoria thrived both on and off the field here at St. Pius X.”

It was a special season for Evans, who was honored as an NCAA Freshman All-American. The standout pitcher capped off the season by posting a save in the College World Series opener over Arkansas followed by a World Series win on the mound over UCLA. Three games later, the Tigers were crowned national champions in a 5-3 championship final victory over Coastal Carolina.

“Watching Casan celebrate the national championship with his teammates was just so awesome to witness,” added Coach Evans. “It was also the culmination of all his hard work. Knowing the position Casan was going to have to fight for as an incoming freshman at the major collegiate level and then to succeed as well as he did was especially rewarding.”

FOUR-TIME STATE CHAMPION The Emery/Weiner School’s Josephine Lombardi captured a remarkable fourth consecutive state singles championship to help lead the Jaguars to four straight TAPPS 5A State Tennis Championships. A ’25 graduate, Lombardi will play college tennis at Dartmouth. (Photo: The Emery/Weiner School)

In tennis, The Emery/Weiner School Jaguars captured a fourth straight TAPPS 5A State Championship behind a remarkable fourth consecutive state singles championship from ’25 graduate Josephine Lombardi. A national high school All-American who’ll play college tennis at Dartmouth, Lombardi went undefeated over the course of a dominating senior season.

“It’s just a reflection of her love and dedication to the game,” said Lombardi’s father and Jaguars tennis coach David Lombardi. “Josephine’s ranked among the nation’s top 60 players in her age group and as her dad and head coach I’m just really proud of her.”

Meantime, Lombardi’s freshman daughter Juliet Lombardi (now an incoming sophomore) teamed up with junior Ella Totz (now an incoming senior) to win the state doubles championship for the Jaguars. The duo won every set over the course of four matches at the state tournament. In addition, Jaguars ’25 graduate Emmy Brounes helped propel the Jaguars to a state title with a thrilling tie-breaking victory in her opening match at the state tournament.

On the boys side, the Jaguars came within one point of winning the state championship. Nathan Masturzo and Alex Aronson both won their opening matches in singles play, as did the doubles tandem of Benji Berzin and Eytan Skorupski with the duo of Mohr Sasson and Levi Leibman also contributing to the Jaguars runner-up finish at the state tournament.

Editor’s note: Todd Freed is the host and executive producer of H-Town High School Sports, which airs Saturday at 10:30 p.m. on CW39 and Monday-Thursday on AT&T SportsNet SW. To submit high school sports news for possible inclusion in SportzBuzz, please email [email protected].