BY BRYAN RAMOS | STAFF WRITER
McALLEN — The race to the playoffs is heating up on the diamond across the Valley at the midway point of district play. With a month left in the season, teams are battling in hopes of making a push and punching a postseason ticket.
BEARS UNBEATEN IN 30-6A
The PSJA High Bears have been the most dominant team in District 30-6A, and arguably the Valley’s best. Sitting at a perfect 7-0 in district play, the Bears ran through McAllen High 13-3 in their first matchup on March 22, and even hung 20 runs on rival PSJA North.
Senior shortstop Ariben Gutierrez feels the Bears can get it done against any opponent.
“We know the caliber of hitters we are. We can hit off any pitcher. We’re stone cold with our mindset. Whatever you throw, we’re going to see it and we’re going to mash it. We’re not guessing pitches. We’re not intimidated by anything,” Gutierrez said.
The Bulldogs sit behind the Bears at 5-2 in district, with their other loss coming at the hands of La Joya High. McHi has managed to right the ship since, and with their lineup and arms on the mound, the Bulldogs’ district title dreams aren’t done yet.
The race for the third and fourth spots in 30-6A are neck-and-neck between four teams. PSJA North and La Joya have gotten off to 4-3 starts, while Mission High and McAllen Memorial, one of the biggest surprises, are in the hunt.
EDINBURG VELA IN CONTROL OF 31-6A
The Edinburg Vela SaberCats (16-4-2, 5-0) have shredded the competition in District 31-6A, winning four of five games by 10 or more runs. Senior pitcher Nico Rodriguez has been key to the SaberCats’ success as he was handed the ball on the road against Weslaco High, leading his team to a 5-3 victory.
The Weslaco High Panthers (19-4-1) and Edinburg North Cougars (10-10-1) are tied for second in 31-6A as they share 4-1 district records, but that will change tonight as the two meet for the first time this season at Weslaco High School.
BROWNSVILLE RIVERA ON TOP OF 32-6A
The Raiders are hitting their stride in the 32-6A race as they sit at 17-5 overall and 6-1 in district. Harlingen High has been a pleasant surprise as they’ve worked their way into second place at 5-2, meanwhile Los Fresnos and Harlingen South are tied at fourth with 4-3 records, but the Falcons have gone 2-1 in head-to-head matchups against the Hawks.
RGC LEADS VALLEY’S TOUGHEST DISTRICT
Rio Grande City continued its hot start in 31-5A with two wins over Roma last week, improving to 6-0 and 15-5-1 on the year. As the district’s last remaining unbeaten, the Rattlers have built a two-game lead by beating the teams they’ve needed to. But looming in the distance on their schedule are series against three potential playoff teams.
The Sharyland Pioneer Diamondbacks (21-4) and Sharyland High Rattlers (19-4) are two teams hot on Rio’s tail as they sit at 4-2 in district play. The rivals, who share Shary Road in Mission, split their series last week with each team winning in walk off fashion. The Diamondbacks and Rattlers will have their shot at Rio in the near future.
Tied for fourth in 31-5A are the Mission Veterans Patriots and La Joya Palmview Lobos, two teams who missed the postseason a year ago. Both have retooled and rebuilt with 3-3 records as they split last week’s series. Five teams have a legitimate shot at one of the four playoff spots up for grabs, making 31-5A arguably the Valley’s deepest district.
EDCOUCH-ELSA, VALLEY VIEW JOCKEYING FOR POSITION
Brownsville Veterans (15-4-2) is head and shoulders above the competition in 32-5A as it has stormed out to a 6-0 district record.
Two teams in pursuit of the Chargers are the Edcouch-Elsa Yellowjackets and Valley View Tigers. After a slow start to the year, the Yellow Jackets have put together a 4-2 district record and have their crack at giving Brownsville Veterans its first loss as they meet tonight. Meanwhile, Valley View sits in a tie for fourth with Brownsville Pace with records of 3-3.
HIDALGO REMAINS HOT IN 32-4A
Zapata sits in first place in District 32-4A with a 6-1 record. The Hawks’ only blemish? A 7-0 defeat at the hands of the Hidalgo Pirates.
Hidalgo, 5-2 in district, has established itself as the second place team and a force in 32-4A. Hidalgo looks to hold down its position, while a matchup against Zapata remains on the schedule.
Grulla and Progreso are in a three-way tie with Rio Hondo for the third slot at 4-3, but Progreso’s win over Grulla gives the Red Ants a slight advantage.