DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER
SAN JUAN — Edinburg Vela baseball practices the last few weeks have centered on details. It could be adjusting a step toward a base here, or fixing an arm angle there.
It’s the SaberCats’ approach that has Vela coach Jaime Perez feeling like his team is where it needs to be going into this weekend’s Class 5A regional quarterfinal series against No. 1-state ranked Calallen.
“We’re getting closer to peaking,” Perez said. “We still haven’t gotten there. We’ve had guys here and there carry us. A group here and there. But not the whole team at once. It looks like we’re getting close.”
Vela (18-8-1) is in the third round of the playoffs for the first time in the program’s three years. The SaberCats survived Donna North in the bi-district round and nemesis Victoria East — which ousted Vela in the area round last season — last weekend.
Vela fell to the Titans 17-2 in Game 1 before rallying to win 10-0 in Game 2 and 5-2 in Game 3.
“Last year, playing against Victoria East, it was kind of intimidating,” senior John Treviño said. “Big crowds, the intensity, how crazy everything is. It got to us. This year, it doesn’t. We’re a lot more comfortable in big games.
“Now we’re facing the No. 1 team in the state and we don’t see them as a scary opponent. They’re just another team. They’ve still got to hit the ball and throw strikes like we do.”
Talent-wise, the SaberCats have all the pieces. Senior Johnny Davila is the ace, boasting a 7-1 record and 0.44 ERA. Offensively, Davila and Elijah Reyna have combined for 41 stolen bases. Six SaberCats hit .407 or better, led by postseason hero R.J. Ochoa (.486).
The difference for this year’s SaberCats is experience. With that comes an appreciation of the minutiae.
“We lost a lot of close ballgames last year that we’re winning this year,” Davila said. “We’re sound in details now. We’ve paid attention to the little things, and that’s helped us tremendously. From bunting to stealing bags, all those crucial things that played a part in us losing ballgames last year, we’ve corrected and able to pull through in big situations.
“We’re not going to take no for an answer and I think it shows whenever we play.”
In his second year of the helm of the SaberCats, Perez has asserted himself. He is more demanding of players in pursuit of consistency.
Last year was about setting a foundation of discipline and winning. The SaberCats were successful in doing so. This year, it’s about having something to strive for.
Last week, heading into the Victoria East series, Perez’s buzzword for his team was “flawless.” The SaberCats weren’t, but they had something to shoot for en route to winning. This week, the buzzword is “belief.”
“Last year, Coach was in his first year and he was adjusting to us and we were adjusting to him,” Treviño said. “This year, there’s more of a connection. He’s a lot tougher on us. Last year, he was just trying to get his feet wet. This year, expectations are greater.”
Mentally, the SaberCats are as sharp as they’ve been all season. Physically, they continue to get better, starting with Davila.
Davila, an athlete’s athlete, focused more on baseball this season. A standout on the football field and track, he knew he’d be asked to do more on the baseball field. So, whereas baseball took a backseat to football and track last season, Davila put baseball at the forefront of his priorities this year.
He worked more on pitching — his slider has improved considerably and he has better control with pitches — and understood that as he went, the team would go. After a subpar pitching effort as a junior, Davila’s refocus and commitment has enabled him to become one of the top pitchers in the Valley.
“I knew I was going to be a bigger part of this team, mostly because I’m a senior and that’s the role we step into naturally,” said Davila, who’s also hitting .407 with 23 RBIs and four triples. “I knew I had to be ready to lead this ballclub.”
Once their anchor was set, everything fell in place for the SaberCats. Now comes their greatest challenge yet in the 25-2 Wildcats, starting with Game 1 at Texas A&M-Kingsville on Friday night.
“They’re just another team,” Ochoa said. “They put on their clothes just like we do. We have as much of a chance as they do. We’ve worked too hard and believe way too much to go in there scared. We’re going to give it everything we’ve got.”
Or, as Davila put it: “We have nothing to lose and everything to prove.”