New heights for Georgetown's Gateway Prep baseball team

GEORGETOWN, Texas - A former Longhorn is taking Georgetown's Gateway Prep baseball team to new heights. The Gators are in the state's final four for the first time as a Class 3A semifinalist.

Senior pitcher Steven Vejil says, "To be a seven year school with not (a) rich history at any sport. It's a blessing to be able to make it this far."

Vejil adds, "I think this is a good opportunity for us to show people that charter schools play the right way.  They conduct themselves in a professional manner and they just play hard like any other school."

This may be the first time the Gators are playing on the big state but head coach Ryan Kjos has already been there and done that. 

Kjos is a former University of Texas pitcher who played for the Longhorns back in the early 90's. He's not only played in a state tournament but in the College World Series as well. Not that any of that matters to his players.

"No. They don't care. I'd show them old videos and they'd just laugh at my uniform. That's about it," Kjos says.

But the players aren't laughing about what he's done at Gateway Prep.

"He's a great coach. And just knowing that he has experience in doing this. It just really helps cement that. Especially for some of the younger kids," says senior first baseman Skyler Hill.

It's a sentiment echoed by others like Vejil. "I'm elated to be a part of this team. This school. This program."

"This isn't a typical athletic school or athlete that comes here. These guys are doing a lot of things. Some play baseball and some don't. But when they come to this school, when we finally get on that field, they play hard," Kjos says.

The players know it's been a history making year: "This has been an incredible season. I will always remember this as being the greatest season of baseball I've ever played," Hill says.

And maybe it'll get just a little more historic.