DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER
MISSION — Since taking over as coach of Mission Veterans Memorial’s baseball program six years ago, Casey Smith has led the Patriots to the playoffs five times.
That was step one in growing the program from mediocrity to respectability. The Patriots had only been to the playoffs once before Smith got there.
Step two was taken this season, when Mission Vets eliminated Mercedes and Gregory-Portland for the program’s first bi-district and area playoff wins, a reward made even more special considering the Patriots had been eliminated via walk-offs by Flour Bluff and Laredo Martin, respectively, in the first round the previous two years.
“That showed us what it took to win in the playoffs,” senior infielder Edward Peña said. “It was a rude awakening. What we learned is that regular season ball is a whole different animal from playoff ball.”
It’s been baby steps for Smith and seniors like Peña, but they have produced. Mission Veterans Memorial not only won its third straight district title this season, but is also one of a handful of Valley programs left standing.
“The hardest part, for me when I got here, was teaching these kids how to win,” said Smith, previously an assistant for six years under Bart Bickerton at Sharyland High. “It’s like anything else. Everything is a process and everything starts with a foundation.”
That foundation emphasizes work ethic, pitching, defense and fundamentals.
“We try and play the game the right way, do the little things right,” Smith said. “And what it comes down to is doing all that to the best of our ability.”
A WINNING HUNGER
The Patriots boast a roster of 10 seniors and eight sophomores heading into Thursday’s Game 1 of their Class 5A regional quarterfinal series against Roma at Edinburg Baseball Stadium. But sophomore ace Noel Vela, Peña and senior Ruben Cavazos are the core components.
Peña and Cavazos did not make the playoffs their freshman year. For two players who have been recognized state-wide for their talent— Peña a two-time Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association All-State selection and Cavazos a selection last season — that didn’t sit well.
“It definitely made us work harder, and we did some good things the last two years,” said Peña, batting .427 with 29 RBIs and 18 walks to nine strikeouts. “Just making the playoffs seemed like an accomplishment because we didn’t my freshman year. But then we lost in the first round the last two years, and so this year we didn’t just want to get there, we needed to get past there.
“Now we’re just taking it as far as we can.”
Peña and Cavazos have taken it all in.
“That playoff experience has been key,” Cavazos said. “We’ve had young guys, older guys, and any type of playoff experience has been big. These guys have grown up. We’ve had a drive to get past that first round and it pretty much consumed us. And now that it’s happened, we just need to keep getting better.”
A program is only as good as its talent, and the Patriots have had that. Aside from Peña and Cavazos, there’s Vela, 9-2 with a 1.49 ERA and a 3.61 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Pitching is the backbone of Smith’s philosophy, and with Vela and Peña (6-1, 1.29 ERA) he has two go-to marksmen on the bump.
Vela, whose fastball has been clocked at 88 miles per hour and sits around 81-86 consistently, said the difference between last year and this year for him has been getting ahead in the count more because of a developed curveball. But his drive is no different than that of Peña’s or Cavazos’.
“Losing gave us a hunger,” Vela said. “I think you can tell we just want it more this year. We lost in the first round and we were tired of it. We weren’t going to let it happen again.”
WALKING THE WALK
That can be easier said than done, but the Patriots have done just that.
“We’ve made it farther this year than any year, but I also feel we’ve played more relaxed,” Peña said. “I think we put a bit too much pressure on ourselves the last two years. This year we’re having more fun and we’re just playing ball.”
That sense of calm comes from a rigorous non-district slate and competing in arguably the toughest district in the Valley. It’s no coincidence that 31-5A has two teams left standing, and they happen to be playing each other for the right to move on to the regional semis.
But the poise also comes from learning to be comfortable during uncomfortable situations. Cavazos said there was a time when the Patriots played timid in big situations. Adverse moments would dogpile.
That is no longer the case.
“Baseball is a game that you have to remain even keel,” Smith said. “You have to understand there will be bumps along the way. We lose two in a row during district and you have people doubting how good we were. We saw the rankings.
“But I don’t think the kids ever doubted, and that’s where it starts.”