SAN JUAN — UTRGV baseball added one of the top bats in Texas to its 2023 signing class as PSJA High senior catcher Julius Ramirez signed a national letter of intent to play baseball for the Vaqueros on Wednesday at PSJA High School.
“I’ve been working since I was 5 years old when my parents put me in the sport. Not even only baseball, my parents started me off in soccer and I feel that kind of helped me a lot,” he said. “I’ve just been working so hard for this moment and I’m so proud and happy for it.”
Ramirez is a four-year letterman who’s been a key piece in PSJA’s success during his time wearing maroon and white.
Ramirez posted a .451 batting average with four home runs and 28 RBIs as a junior for the District 31-6A champion Bears last season. He was named District 31-6A’s most valuable player and earned a spot on The Monitor’s 2022 All-Area Baseball First Team.
PSJA has played 16 games this season and Ramirez has already hit five home runs, surpassing his junior year total.
Ramirez’s power at the plate has been consistent throughout his playing career, even dating back to his little league days when he first picked up the sport.
“I didn’t know how to play — I was playing soccer. I didn’t know how to play defense, but they put me in the outfield just because I could hit and (power) has always been there,” Ramirez said.
| PSJA High’s Julius Ramirez (99) hits a home run against Los Fresnos during the third inning in a game at PSJA High School on Tuesday, March 21, 2023, in San Juan. (Joel Martinez | [email protected]) Joel Martinez |
The Bears began District 31-6A play Wednesday, and before joining UTRGV next season, Ramirez’s sights are set on repeating as district champs and putting together a playoff run in his final year at PSJA.
“We want to go at least three or four rounds. We got a great team and we’re starting to click together,” he said.
Ramirez hopes to be the next PSJA High product to become a contributor with the Vaqueros. Former PSJA teammate Jacob Sanchez is currently a junior infielder at UTRGV and has helped current Bears like Ramirez realize they can follow in his footsteps and carve out everyday roles for themselves at the collegiate level.
“It fires me up. My guy Jacob, he’s a starter there and it goes to show us that it can be done and I just want to make it happen,” he said. “I’m going to give it all, my 110%, in the classroom first. That’s the most important thing. After that, I’m going to be the best teammate and best ball player I can be.”