By CLAIRE CRUZ, Staff Writer
Brownsville Veterans Memorial outfielder and pitcher Rafael Capistran paid his dues for a chance to play college baseball, and he saw that hard work come to fruition Wednesday.
Capistran signed his national letter of intent to play baseball for the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and coach Derek Matlock in the Western Athletic Conference at the NCAA Division I level. The two-sport Chargers athlete plays travel baseball with the South Texas Sliders and trains with his father daily to improve his game, and he’s excited to keep getting better with the Vaqueros.
“I’m very honored to have this opportunity. I know not a lot of people get to have this chance, and it was very hard to get,” Capistran said. “I want to thank God for everything He gave to me, and my dad especially because he was the one that pushed me and helped me through this process. He is the main reason I’m here and the one that made me the person I am today. I have to give credit to my coaches here (at Brownsville Veterans), and to the South Texas Sliders and head coach (Jeff) Quillin because they helped me a lot.”
Brownsville Veterans baseball coach Adam Vera said it was exciting to see Capistran sign because of the work he puts in and for the example it sets for other players in the program. Vera called Capistran a testament to hard work paying off and believes signing before the season will help the senior play loose and stress-free to have another strong season.
Capistran has been a key asset to the Chargers program since he started high school. He was named The Brownsville Herald’s All-Metro newcomer of the year as a freshman and received first team all-district honors in all three of his seasons at Brownsville Veterans for his efforts on the mound and in center field.
Capistran expects to be primarily battling for a starting spot at center field with the Vaqueros, and Vera believes Capistran’s aggressive playing style will help him be successful in college just as he was in high school.
“I know what kind of a kid he is and how much he puts into it, so it’s awesome to see all his hard work pay off,” Vera said. “And not just at practice, but at home. I know he’s always working hard with his dad. He’s probably one of the better athletes in the Valley. He’s on the track team, he runs the 200, so he’s one of the faster kids we’ve got, and he also has the most power on our team. He’s an aggressive player, he takes big cuts, and when he hits he can hit it pretty far. I think that’s something that can translate (to the college level), just his aggressiveness.”
Capistran’s skills drew interest from other schools, but choosing to play for the Vaqueros was a no-brainer. He said he fell in love with the field at first sight and likes the school’s kinesiology program because he wants to be a physical therapist in the future. He wants to use the lessons he’s learned through baseball, like not taking anything for granted and pushing through when things aren’t easy, to help UTRGV’s baseball program reach new heights.
“A lot of schools saw me, but UTRGV followed me for a good two to three years,” Capistran said. “They went to some of my high school games and offseason games in the summer. When they finally offered me, I said yes right away. Pretty easy decision. Just the thought of being close to my house and my parents being able to go watch me every game makes me feel really good.
“It’s going to be a totally different thing, and I can’t wait to compete against some of the top schools, like (Texas) and all those. It’s very exciting for me,” he added. “(My goals are) definitely make the position that I want to play, because there’s a lot of other good guys there, then help the team get to where they haven’t gone, which is Omaha.”