By JOSHUA McKINNEY, Staff Writer
The heart of the Lopez Lady Lobos’ lineups provides a new soul for a program on the move.
Sophomore Kasi Rubio combines with twin freshmen Alexis and Alex Castro to man Lopez’s 3-4-5 spots in the lineup.
The girls have been a boon to first-year coach Jesse Martinez, who is looking to change the team’s culture one player at a time.
“The girls have responded to our system,” Martinez said. “We’re trying to change the individual athlete, working real hard on building the individual positions and working on being successful as an individual, not just as a team. Obviously, we’re doing that, too, but working from the inside out.”
Martinez took over as Lopez’s new coach after 12 years as a Porter assistant. He already has a solid foundation in place with Rubio and Castro.
Rubio, who also pitches for Lopez, is the most experienced of the trio after starting last season. She is hitting .417 from the plate with two homers.
“(We’ve improved) very much,” Rubio said. “With our new coaches and everything, we’ve improved a lot. It’s tough because they’re way different from the (coaching staff) from last year, but we’re doing good with them.”
Her coach sees her as a cornerstone to Lopez’s improvement, providing poise from the circle and plate.
“She’s been putting the ball where we need it,” Martinez said. “She’s been our leader, my center pole on a tent, so to speak. She’s a great kid.”
Alex and Alexis Castro, both freshmen, bat fourth and fifth in Lopez’s lineup. Martinez says the sisters are fearless, adapting to the varsity level quick. Their chemistry together is a bonus for Lopez.
“Both of them hit their first high school home runs on the same night, against different teams,” Martinez said. “It’s something that they push each other. They’re tied to each other. They want to do everything together. I can’t keep them apart. It’s a great thing to see, to have sisters to come out and play, especially twins. They’re really good.”
Alex Castro, who primarily plays third base but also sees spot duty as a pitcher, has a .585 batting average and two home runs as the cleanup hitter for the Lady Lobos.
“I was surprised at first, but I think I have the potential to be on varsity,” Alex Castro said. “I’ve been playing select and all-stars since I was 7, so it’s pretty easy for me.”
Alexis Castro, Lopez’s catcher, is batting .422 from the plate and also has two home runs this season. She says her sister is her good-luck charm but admits that it’s always a competition between the two.
“We think we can do better than each other,” Alexis Castro said. “We have the same abilities but we try to step up. It’s funny, we’re competing to try to do better than the other one.”
The twins bring a constant I-can-top-that atmosphere to every practice and game, with both trying not to let the other out do them.
With players like these three, Martinez thinks the Lady Lobos are close to turning the corner and running with the contenders.
All that remains is building the team’s confidence.
“(We’re) not too far,” Martinez said. “If we get to the girls’ mentality, if we get to them and they start believing they can do it as a group, we can beat programs like Hanna, Los Fresnos and Harlingen High. They’re tough, but we certainly can reach for them and take them out on a good night. We’re close.
“It’s just a matter of getting there. I believe it, the coaches believe it, I’m waiting for them to start believing that.”
Joshua McKinney covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6663 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @joshuabvherald.