By MARK MOLINA | STAFF WRITER
Brownsville Veterans Memorial’s Justin Anaya and Rivera’s Michael Gomez may be suiting up in different uniforms when the high school baseball season starts in a couple of months, but when their senior seasons are complete, they will don the same colors.
Both Anaya and Gomez will go on to play Division I baseball for the University of Incarnate Word in San Antonio after signing their letters of intent during their respective ceremonies Wednesday afternoon in Brownsville.
Anaya, a pitcher and Gomez, a short stop both became familiar with the school attending camps with their select team the South Texas Sliders and it didn’t take long for them to decide it’s where they wanted to be after high school.
“UIW thought I was a great player and I’m glad they chose me,” Anaya said. “I visited the campus with coaches and my parents. They have great coaches and they showed us some stats from the last couple of years. (UIW) has big expectations for me … I hope I can do my best to meet them. They are a winning team and I’m not trying to make them different. I’m a winning player, too and that shouldn’t change.”
Gomez had eyed UIW for a while and after attending a camp at the university and going on a visit, he was sold.
“I had some friends going there already from my travel team and then we went on a team camp,” Gomez said. “I liked the campus. Then they began to recruit me and then I went on my visit there I committed on the spot. The coaches really seemed like great people that really care about their players. That is what really convinced me.”
As a junior, Anaya was an asset on the mound and at the plate for the Chargers, who went on to win an undefeated District 32-5A title.
Anaya was 4-1 with a 1.21 ERA with 45 strikeouts and 34.2 innings pitched. At the plate, he posted a .420 average with 20 RBIS and 21 runs.
The senior pitcher is hoping to bring some of that play to UIW and he will have a support system to help him along as he will join his brother David, who is a senior third baseman for the Cardinals.
“With my brother there, he’ll give me confidence,” Justin said of his brother David. “He’s a great brother and he’ll keep me focused whenever I’m out of focus and build confidence in me.”
The Raiders won 10 District 32-6A games and earned an initial playoff spot before the team was forced to forfeit some of its wins by the district executive committee due to an ineligible player.
Still, Gomez’s efforts showed how much of an impact he had out on the field for the Raiders.
On defense, Gomez had a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage while posting 36 put outs and helped turn six double plays. At the plate, he hit .371, recorded five RBIs and stole 10 bases.
The Raider senior hopes he can bring the same effort to the college level and achieve a goal he already has set.
“I just want to try and start as a freshman,” Gomez said. “I want to contribute to my team as much as I can and try to set a really good example. I want to think big and maybe go for All-American freshman or something”
The University of Incarnate Word plays in the Southland Conference and went 29-26 this past season.