BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER
EDINBURG — If District 31-6A learned anything about the new-look Edinburg North Cougars this year, it’s that they are never out of a game.
North beat Edinburg Vela and PSJA High in the first round of the district season, and they did it via comeback wins. Against Vela, the Cougars were down 5-0 and then 6-1 before storming back to win 10-9.
“That game was so exciting,” junior outfielder Argelio Guajardo said. “I had a lot of friends there. It was a hell of a game. So much excitement, a lot of heart from both teams and solid baseball.” “That was crazy,” senior infielder and pitcher Juan “Junior” Almeida said. “I didn’t think we were going to win. When I went in to pitch, that was crazy. There were so many fans out there. What a game. I will remember that night forever.”
North used the momentum it built to earn a playoff berth. The Cougars will face the Los Fresnos Falcons in the bi-district round, with Game 1 of the best-of-three series set to begin at 7 p.m. Thursday at Los Fresnos.
“I think it will be a very evenly matched series,” first-year North coach Richard Valdez said. “We are a lot alike. They are one of those programs that year-in and year-out, they are in the playoffs. … They are just like us. They put the ball in play. Their pitching, they put it in the strike zone. They are not going to do more than they are capable of. They don’t have any one star. It’s a solid lineup one through nine. … I expect a great series, and whoever commits the fewest mistakes will win.”
Coming into the year, the Cougars were missing two of the biggest pieces from last year’s team after Saul Garza and Giancarlo Servin graduated.
The team needed some time to adjust to those absences, and the adjustment came with some lumps. The Cougars started the season 1-8-1.
“The leadership came from Joey (Salinas), Junior, Argelio and me,” junior shortstop Frankie Zuniga said. “As soon as we started the Edinburg tournament, it all showed, because that was when we went undefeated and took first place in that tournament. Before, we had no leadership, and we would lose a lot of games.”
Everything started to click for the Cougars. They matched up with McAllen Rowe in the opening game of the tournament, and they made a statement with a 12-8 win.
“In the Laredo tournament (the week before), we weren’t talking. We weren’t playing like a team,” Almeida said. “But then, against Rowe, something changed. We all started chanting. We came together as a team. That really helped us.”
The momentum carried over to a Vela win to open the district season, and as the wins came pouring in, the belief around the program began to grow.
“I always tell them, we are never out of a game,” Valdez said. “Once we got the first one, they knew they could do it again.”
The Cougars also rallied to beat PSJA High and Edinburg High this year in pivotal games.
How did the switch flip so quickly? Guajardo has an idea: “The dugout,” he said.
“We have a lot of animo (fighting spirit and encouragement). We cheer each other up. If we make an error or a bad play, we pick each other up. Thank God, it’s like a family here, and we all have each others’ back.”
Zuniga and Guajardo have both taken big steps forward to help lead North this year. Guajardo leads the team with his .359 average, and Zuniga is one spot behind at .358. Salinas leads the team with 24 RBIs, but Guajardo is second with 19, and Zuniga is fourth with 14. In 41 1/3 innings, Zuniga has a 2.37 ERA. He has fanned 34 and walked just 15 this year.
“He has been way better than last year,” Guajardo said of Zuniga. “Last year, he was a good player, but he really worked hard this year to get better. He struggled a little bit early in the year, but now, he is doing his job.”
“He’s grown a lot this year,” Salinas added. “He was here in the cages every day. After practice, he would stay and work on stuff. He just kept busting his butt, and he came out on top, and now he is doing great.”
Guajardo has been steady at the plate, but his play in the field is unparalleled.
“He’s had a real good year,” Valdez said. “Friday, when we played the Bears, coach (Marco) Guajardo said to me, ‘Coach, I have never seen a kid run down a ball like that in 20 years.’ I’m blessed to have a guy like that. And, he’ll be back next year. … That’s also part of the reason he hasn’t been on the mound as much, because he is playing so well in the outfield. But going into a series like this, he could be on the mound.”
“He’s a big motivator,” Almeida said of Guajardo. “When I am pitching and I can see him in center field, I know I can count on him to go get any ball. … His speed is crazy. Against Bobcats, they hit a deep ball, and I didn’t think there was any way he could get it, and then he caught it.”
Valdez is taking his time deciding who will start the series.
“Honestly, I’m not sure yet,” Valdez said. “We have our pitchers, but I really don’t know who I will go with, because we do our pitching by committee.”
Along with Zuniga, the Cougars have a plethora of pitchers who are capable of leading the Cougars to a win. Junior Michael Anzaldua is second on the team with 30 innings pitched. Sophomore Jacob Alvarado has posted a 2.25 ERA in 28 innings. Almeida and Salinas have also been huge factors on the mound, helping seal the win against Vela.
Los Fresnos has a lot of left-handed pitchers, so the Cougars have been taking as many cuts as they can against the pitching machines, which can simulate the spin and movement of pitches from a lefty.
“We are going to work on situational hitting,” Valdez said. “When we get guys in scoring position, I think the guys press a little bit too much. We want our guys to have a good approach at the plate and know what they are trying to do when they get up there. That’s part of the inexperience we have.”
The Cougars have just three players who have played regularly in the playoffs. Despite the lack of playoff experience, and the fact that Los Fresnos is the first seed and North is the fourth, the Cougars are confident going into the series.
“We are ready to go,” Zuniga said. “We are pumped up, and we are just going to go out there, grind hard, and get those Ws.”
“Everyone takes us lightly because we don’t have Saul and Carlo,” Almeida said. “But we just keep coming back.”