By ANDREW CRUM, Staff Writer
Los Fresnos was one of the top teams in the Metro-area this season.
The Falcons were talented offensively and defensively, leading them to a 22-5 record, including a 12-2 mark in district play, an outright district championship and a return trip to the area round in the postseason this year.
Los Fresnos’ Joseph Munoz, Miguel Gonzalez and head coach Rene Morales helped lead the Falcons to a great season and the trio have been rewarded for their efforts.
Munoz has been named The Brownsville Herald’s All-Metro Baseball Offensive Player of the Year; Gonzalez was selected as the All-Metro Baseball Defensive Player of the Year and Morales earns the All-Metro Baseball Coach of the Year.
“I couldn’t have done it without my dad, he pushed me every day,” Munoz said of his father Joey.
Munoz said his father pitched to him in the batting cages during the offseason and throughout the spring and helped him become a dangerous hitter this season.
The junior designated hitter had 33 hits in 69 at-bats, including seven doubles, five triples and a home run. Munoz finished with 28 RBIs and scored 29 runs, drew 12 walks and struck out six times. He hit .478 on the season, had a .563 on-base percentage and a slugging percentage of .768 for a 1.33 OPS.
“He was our number four hitter and he did a great job from that spot,” Los Fresnos coach Rene Morales said. “He’s one of those kids that comes out here and works with his dad, comes out here before we get out here hitting. He’s taken that step that we want the other kids to come out here and do things like that.
“This award is big for him because he does everything we ask him to do and extra.”
Gonzalez became one of the best defensive players in the Metro-area. The senior shortstop helped turn eight double plays and frequently used his range and footwork to take away sure hits up the middle and in the hole and made a habit of saving runs for his pitchers.
“I’ve put in the extra hard work during the summer,” he said. “My brothers practiced with me when they were free to hit some ground balls and the coaches taught me some mechanics and how to do things right … making the little things work and the rest falls into place.”
Gonzalez wasn’t just a good glove in the field; he also used his bat in the leadoff position to help his team.
He had 26 hits in 82 at-bats, eight doubles and a home run. The senior finished with 13 RBIs and scored 36 runs. Gonzalez was hit by 11 pitches, drew 13 walks and struck out just twice and led the team with 13 stolen bases. He hit .317, had a .467 on-base percentage, and a .451 slugging percentage for a .919 OPS.
“Miguel had a great defensive year, he made a lot of plays that we were sometimes amazed by,” Morales said. “It comes down to setting yourself up in a good position, knowing where the ball is going to be pitched. He studies the game and did the other things before each pitch … having him and (second baseman) Abel (Rodriguez) in the middle was a big plus.”
Morales has been the model of consistency. His teams have enjoyed success this season, earning a district title after they finished as the runner-up a year ago, compiling a 46-11 record (a .807 winning percentage) over the past two seasons, which included a 23-5 (.821) in district play during that time.
“We set goals for the kids,” he said. “We try to keep them motivated towards different points in the season. We try to keep small goals to keep going toward bigger goals, winning a district championship and beyond.
“We’re trying to get to that level every year.”
Los Fresnos approach things one game at a time, which helps it focus day-by-day rather than the top of the mountain all at once. It starts with Morales and each senior class tries to set the tone to continue that success.
“Every class wants to top each other,” he said. “They want to be better than the class before. We tell them to leave a legacy that people will remember for years down the road.”
Andrew Crum covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6629 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @andrewmcrum.