SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER
ELSA — Edcouch-Elsa senior Derek Valdez had to earn his way into the lineup during his senior season, but quickly made the move pay off by blasting his first career home run to lift the Yellow Jackets to a win on Friday.
The Jackets (5-4) were taking on the Valley View Tigers in both teams’ final pool play game of the Tony Rico Mid-Valley Classic, and the score was knotted at four in the bottom of the third.
Senior shortstop Joseph Gonzalez was on first when Valdez saw a 2-0 inside fastball coming his way. Valdez said he knew the ball was gone the second he hit it, and the mammoth shot traveled far over the wall in left-center field, putting the Jackets up 6-4.
“That was amazing,” Friday’s starting pitcher for E-E, senior Ben Rangel, said. “I knew he had it in him. He’s a really strong guy. He just needs to find his pitch, and he found it today. That ball went flying.”
A half-inning later, the game was stopped due to the tournament time limit, and Edcouch-Elsa picked up its fourth win in a row. The Jackets finished the tournament in second place after dropping the championship game 14-5 to host Weslaco High.
Like many of the Jackets, Rangel and Valdez grew up playing baseball together. Much of the team first began playing together at the T-ball level.
“My parents said right when I started playing, I loved the sport,” Valdez said. “I honestly don’t remember when I first started, because I was so young, but I kept with this sport. I played football and everything, but baseball was always my sport. I love it so much. I really can’t explain all of the reasons I love this game.”
E-E players up and down the lineup have a strong love for the sport that is born from their younger days playing together. That love has been harnessed by skipper Ryan Garza, who has increased the excitement around the program since taking over on Sept. 21, 2016.
“He’s a great coach. He has the right fundamentals,” Valdez said. “Honestly, without him, I don’t even know — this wouldn’t be possible. He coaches us very well, and he has given us the right fundamentals and strategies to perform during the games, and it shows.”
During Garza’s first year, the Jackets went 17-10 overall and 13-1 in District 32-5A, netting them a district title. After beating Roma in the bi-district round, E-E ended its season with a loss against Corpus Christi Ray in the area round.
The Jackets graduated seven players from that team, but they have seven seniors this year, and the team is starting to hits its stride ahead of its first district game at 7 p.m. tonight at Donna North.
“We have been showing a lot of fight recently,” Garza said. “I’m loving it. The older guys are showing the younger guys the way we play Jacket baseball. This is a resilient group, just like last year. They are going to be fighting every single game. They are showing a lot of heart right now.”
Against Valley View, Valdez smoothed everything over at the end, but the fight Garza spoke of was on full display to start the game.
Rangel got into a tough spot in the second and surrendered four runs. But his teammates said they trusted him, and when he went back out for the third, he knew he had to battle back.
“What was on my mind as I headed back out there was helping my team,” Rangel said. “It’s not just about me, it’s about my team, and I wanted that win for my team. … Coach always tells me to pick myself up and be strong out there, and that is what I did. ”
“Ben is tough-minded,” Garza said. “When he gets on the mound, he is not worried about anybody else. He has tunnel vision for him and (junior catcher) Jared Ruiz. He shows a lot of heart and toughness up there. He never hung his head … He came back into the dugout and went straight back out there. He is showing a lot of toughness, and we love it. We are going to end up using him a lot, later on throughout the year.”
Players like Rangel and Valdez would be a major commodity for other teams, but the Jackets have players with the same mindset at all nine spots on the field.
Another such player is Gonzalez, who was on first for Valdez’s homer.
“We are good friends. We were very excited,” Valdez said. “Ever since little league, we have always supported each other on the field.”
As Gonzalez rounded first, he turned to shout his excitement toward Valdez. The two continued to celebrate the momentous occasion all the way around to home plate, where the rest of the Yellow Jackets met to greet Valdez.
“That was great — put us up by two,” Garza said. “He came out there with a 2-0 count and just sat on it, waited on a fastball. He got what he wanted, and he put it over the wall in left field.”
Valdez has played second base for much of his high school career. Last year, Garza experimented with using him at the designated hitter spot. Garza could tell the move was going to work for Valdez, so this year Valdez got the opportunity to claim that spot full time.
“This year, he has earned that role,” Garza said. “He’s been on a tear so far. From the scrimmages all the way to the Laredo Border Olympics and now into the Tony Rico, he’s been just clubbing the ball. We have kept him at the DH spot, so he just focuses on the plate. We wanted to take that pressure off of him, to help him focus.”
Valdez said he loves the game of baseball, and that love has never wavered. Now, in his senior year, he finally gets to put on his uniform every Tuesday and Friday knowing his name will be on the lineup card.
“It means a lot to me,” Valdez said. “I have to show it, I have to prove it, and I have to perform like I did today. I hope I can do it every other day.”