By ANDREW CRUM | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD
With plenty of inexperience coming into the season, Brownsville Veterans Memorial didn’t let it prevent it from reaching its goals.
The Chargers had six players new to varsity this year and one of their freshman, Rafael Capistran, stood out among the rest and helped his team go unbeaten in District 32-5A and clinch a title.
Capistran adjusted quickly to the new level in the outfield and on the mound and for his efforts he has earned The Brownsville Herald’s All-Metro Baseball Newcomer of the Year.
“ It feels amazing,” he said. “It makes me think I can do some great things later on.”
The freshman hit .407 in 14 district games with 11 RBIs and scored 15 runs and a stolen base. On the mound, he went 3-0 with a 0.70 ERA and struck out 28.
Capistran became a starter in the outfield early on and made an impact on the mound, too. And around midseason, the freshman became the team’s leadoff hitter.
“ I think Rafael helped us a lot in the outfield, he solidified it in center field,” Brownsville Veterans coach Albert Rodriguez said. “From the get-go you can tell when someone has a lot of potential, has talent by their demeanor, the way they carry themselves with their peers and coaches. He’s a quiet guy, but he gets the job done.”
It took Capistran some time early in the season to adjust to aspects of the varsity level, but once he did, he flourished both at the plate and on the mound or in the outfield. That early confidence not only eased his mind, but it became evident that the team shared the same sentiment.
“ I knew we were going to do great things, but I thought we were going to make it (further) in the playoffs,” he said. “But it motivates me because I thought we were going further. I know next year we are going to.”
Rodriguez saw his potential early in the season.
“ His character is of a perfectionist and he helped out big time,” the Chargers coach said. “He was a catalyst in our pitching rotation … he was hard to strike out, he would get on base whether it was a hit or a walk and that’s what you want. It shows the caliber of player he is and what he can contribute to the team. He’s a winner, there’s no negativity coming from him whether he’s doing great or doing bad. He’s always picking guys up, a competitor at heart and is a great teammate to have.”
With a shorter than expected playoff appearance this year and with Capistran and others returning with a year under their belt, Rodriguez believes that the skies the limit for his squad.
“ We’re going to have high expectations,” he said. “One key thing we didn’t have at the beginning of the year was experience. So with most of the guys being underclassmen … I think these guys are going to come out hungry and come out fighting. They know they can win at this level.”
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.