DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER
PALMVIEW — Rick Garcia has coached La Joya Palmview’s baseball program all seven years of its existence. The Lobos have made the playoffs five times and are coming off back-to-back district championships.
But this year’s team provides a different dynamic than past ballclubs.
“We’ve never had a hitting team like this before,” Garcia said. “Never.”
The truth is in the numbers. Generally a pitching-oriented unit, Palmview is hitting .428 with six home runs and a .509 on-base percentage.
The Lobos (16-3-1) have almost as many walks (86) as strikeouts (90). They are averaging 7.8 runs compared to last season’s 6.4.
“If we get down in games, we still have a lot of confidence,” senior outfielder Jose Chapa said. “We know we can get back in it. Compared to last year, we have better chances of scoring.”
The offensive prowess is so diverse that the Lobos’ top hitters bat 5-6-7 in the lineup. There’s Eddie Hinojosa (.519, 20 RBIs, .552 on-base percentage), Chapa (.491, 20 RBIs, .544) and Carlos Puente (.491, 20, .538).
Teams tend to stack their top hitters higher in the lineup. Not Palmview.
“We were trying to put it all together at the start of the year, messing around with the lineup and seeing what we had,” Garcia said. “Finally, after the Weslaco tournament, we decided we’d keep it this way. We saw nine hitters that could put the ball in play.
“A lot of teams have told us how they prepare for the top five batters, but they don’t prepare for the bottom four. Well, that’s the difference.”
Seven seniors dot the roster, and throughout the years they have grown to be disciplined at the plate. Neither Hinojosa, Chapa or Puente claim to be natural hitters. They worked their way toward that.
Take Hinojosa. Garcia harped on his slugger to cut down on strikeouts. Take your time, Garcia said. Get what you want.
Hinojosa listened.
“I’ve learned to stay patient,” Hinojosa said. “I used to be a pull hitter, and I’ve learned to take the outside pitches the other way.
“I’ve become better at keeping my composure, and that really comes with experience.”
Hinojosa is averaging 5.6 plate appearances per strikeout. Last year, that average was 4.7. Garcia and his players talk about having a plan at the plate. Know what pitch to look for.
It’s easier said than done, but this year the Lobos have done it.
“Eddie had to be more focused,” Garcia said. “He’s a great example of a kid who now has a plan and is disciplined at the plate, and you can see it in his numbers.”
Chapa, who hits sixth, was already disciplined. He spent most of last season hurt because of an arm injury. Once he returned to the field, however, his hitting picked up where it left off, partly because of his plan.
“I go up there knowing what pitches I want and where I want to hit them,” Chapa said. “It can be low or high, I want what I want. Only if it’s two strikes will I make an exception.”
Puente said his approach is simple. Seek fastballs. But he, too, credits experience. It’s one thing to be told what to do, he said. It’s another to learn and execute what you’re being told.
“This is a senior club, so mentally we’re a lot more focused,” Puente said. “There’s nothing really we haven’t seen. I think with the experience we have, you see that in everything — the way we hit, the way we pitch, the way we play.”
While Hinojosa, Chapa and Puente are the anchors of the lineup, their success is dependent upon everyone else.
The averages for Palmview’s 1-through-4 hitters read as follows: .455, .469, .434 and .436. Hitters 8-9: .380, .245.
“That’s why we’re so disciplined,” Chapa said. “We know the pitches we can hit. It helps a lot. There’s no pressure on us. One through nine, all of us are key at that plate, and it gives our pitchers a lot of confidence when you have a ballclub that can hit this well.”
Garcia and players agree that the hitting aspect is what could be a surprise to opponents as Palmview starts its Class 6A bi-district playoff series Friday against Laredo United South.
The Lobos have made their name off defense, and that still remains a core component of Garcia’s philosophy (the Lobos have a 1.97 team ERA). But they have a different look.
It’s just one more reason why Palmview is confident it can best last season and go beyond the third round of the playoffs.
“Hitting wins games,” Chapa said. “It’s everybody’s job in this lineup to come through and find a way to get on base. There are no excuses when you have a team that can hit like this.”