DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER
Two Rio Grande Valley high school baseball players will participate in the Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association All-State All-Star game later this month, while many more Valley kids will be playing in the RGV All-Star game in La Joya.
Hidalgo’s Mike Alvarez will play for the THSBCA South all-stars in the Class 2A-3A-4A All-Star Game at noon on June 18. Brownsville Veterans Memorial’s Fred Villarreal will play for the South all-stars in the Class 5A-6A All-Star Game at 4 p.m. later that same day.
Both games are at Dell Diamond in Round Rock.
“I was happy, thrilled,” Alvarez said. “I thought Coach (Karlos Carrasco) was playing around when he told me at first. I tried my best all season. We didn’t accomplish what we wanted as a team, but I gave my all.”
Alvarez, who will continue his baseball career at Midland Junior College, hit .530 with 30 RBIs and two homers and had 16 walks to 5 strikeouts. Alvarez had a .610 on-base percentage for the co-district champion Pirates.
“I want to go out there and compete,” Alvarez said about playing in the all-star game. “It’s the top talent in the state, so it will help me get ready for college.”
Villarreal, a University of Houston signee, went 11-1 with a 0.50 ERA and 124 strikeouts to seven walks in 69.1 innings for the Chargers this season. Villarreal had four no-hitters and one perfect game.
For the RGV game, 6 p.m. on June 25 at the La Joya ISD Complex, Mission Veterans Memorial’s Casey Smith and Edinburg High’s Robert Valdez will coach the West all-star team, which features players from Roma to Alamo. Harlingen High’s Bryan Aughney, Brownsville Hanna’s Eddie Garcia and Port Isabel assistant coach Barton Bickerton will lead the East.
The game is for senior baseball players.
Edinburg Vela had the most selections named to the West team with three players. Brownsville Veterans Memorial had the most selections named to the East, with five.
RGV WEST ALL-STARS
Anibal Leal, La Joya High
Bryan Cantu, Mission High
Luis Talancon, McAllen Memorial
Jovani Favata, McAllen High
Rigo Sanchez, McAllen High
Jake Weaver, McAllen Rowe
Esteban Peña, La Joya Palmview
Cesar Rosales, La Joya Palmview
Gil Falcon, Edinburg North
John Henry Gonzalez, Edinburg High
Matthew Treviño, Edinburg High
Gabriel Amaya, Edinburg Economedes
Michael Gonzalez, PSJA Memorial
Rogelio Martinez, PSJA North
Andrew Castaneda, PSJA High
Johnny Davila, Edinburg Vela
Elijah Reyna, Edinburg Vela
John Treviño, Edinburg Vela
Aaron Rodriguez, Valley View
Alonso Armendariz, Rio Grande City
Vicente Contreras, Sharyland High
Michael Alvarez, Hidalgo
Daniel Espinosa, Hidalgo
Jacob Villarreal, Zapata
Abel Guerra, Falfurrias
Alternates: Robert Valdez, Edinburg High; Israel Perez, Mission High; Juan Salinas, Roma
RGV EAST ALL-STARS
David Anaya, Brownsville Veterans Memorial
Alec Buitron, Brownsville Hanna
Kristian Estevanes, Weslaco High
Ismael Gaitan, San Benito
Isaac Galpin, La Feria
Alec Garza, Harlingen South
Josue Garza, Rio Hondo
Jonathan Garza, Port Isabel
Baltazar Guzman, Brownsville Veterans Memorial
Ulises Hernandez, Weslaco High
Javier Hernandez, Port Isabel
Jacob Martinez, Edcouch-Elsa
Jason McClenahan, Weslaco High
Nick Montemayor, Los Fresnos
Santiago Moody, Brownsville Veterans Memorial
Marky Ordoñez, Brownsville Lopez
Joseph Partida, San Benito
Trey Ramirez, Donna High
Jose San Roman, Progreso
Manny Sanchez, Santa Rosa
Noe Solis, Brownsville Veterans Memorial
Axel Vazquez, Donna North
Freddy Villarreal, Brownsville Veterans Memorial
Jaedon Wynn, Harlingen High