SAN JUAN — The PSJA High baseball team had the Tri-City area rocking last Friday as the Bears won a pair of regional quarterfinal playoff games against Laredo United on their home turf at C.V. Cain Field to earn their spot in the Sweet 16 for the first time in nearly 20 years.
“It’s been special doing something that hasn’t been done since 2004, to have that extra Monday (of practice) and keep striving with my boys,” PSJA High senior catcher and UTRGV baseball signee Julius Ramirez said.
Now, the Bears (27-8) are set to take their show on the road for a three-game Region IV-6A semifinal playoff series against San Antonio Johnson (31-4-2), beginning with Game 1 tonight at Veterans Field in Laredo. Game 2 is scheduled for 2 p.m. Friday at Veterans Field in Laredo. Game 3, if necessary, will follow 30 minutes after the conclusion of Game 2.
| PSJA High’s Andy Gamboa (10) position himself during a pitch against Los Fresnos in a game at PSJA High School on Tuesday, March 21, 2023, in San Juan. (Joel Martinez | [email protected]) Joel Martinez |
“It’s win-or-go-home, so we’re out here trying our best to keep this thing going,” senior infielder Andy Gamboa said.
Whether up on the scoreboard or on the losing end in late innings, this Bears team has battled its way into Round 4 with its back against the wall to become one of 16 teams left in Class 6A with a shot at a state championship. Their senior core of Gamboa, Ramirez, Austin Flores and Diego Gomez has been pivotal in this team’s success.
“I remember playing with or against these guys when I was 8 or 9 back in coach pitch. Playing with Julius, Austin, Andy, that’s been, like, our core group since middle school really and we’re a real tight-knit group, and I think that’s helped us on this run,” said Gomez, a UTRGV baseball signee. “Here where we’re at, this is exactly what we knew we were capable of.”
| PSJA High’s Diego Gomez (11) carries the ball back to first base after a hit by Laredo United in a Region IV-6A quarterfinal series game 1 on Friday, May 19, 2023, in San Juan. (Joel Martinez |[email protected]) Joel Martinez |
After sweeping San Benito in Round 1, the Bears needed a Game 3 victory against Laredo Alexander to get past Round 2. PSJA trailed 1-0 entering the fifth inning of the deciding Game 3 before putting up a five-spot to punch its ticket to Round 3. In Game 1 of last week’s regional quarterfinals, the Bears scored eight runs across the sixth and seventh innings to surge past United, then demolished the Longhorns in Game 2 to advance to the regional semis for the first time in nearly 20 years.
| PSJA High’s Jaime Lopez (8) hits against La Joya High in a District 31-6A game at C.V. Cain Field on Tuesday, April 18, 2023, in McAllen. (Joel Martinez | [email protected]) Joel Martinez |
“They’re just enjoying the ride, and they have the mentality right now that they can beat anybody,” PSJA head coach Marco Guajardo said. “Then again, we tell them every team is tough in the Sweet 16. You don’t get there by accident, so we just have to be ready for anything. You never know what’s going to happen, and that’s why we play the game.”
| PSJA High’s Diego Gomez (11) carries the ball back to first base after a hit by Laredo United in a Region IV-6A quarterfinal series game 1 on Friday, May 19, 2023, in San Juan. (Joel Martinez |[email protected]) Joel Martinez |
Awaiting PSJA High in the regional semifinals is San Antonio Johnson, the eighth-ranked team in Class 6A, according to the Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association’s May 8 poll.
The Johnson Jaguars made their way to the regional semis by sweeping New Braunfels and Austin Bowie in Rounds 1 and 2, then winning a three-game battle against Lake Travis in Round 3.
PSJA’s Ramirez feels the Bears are up to the challenge.
The senior slugger entered the postseason batting .545 with eight home runs and 45 RBIs. His ninth home run of the year came on a 1-1 count in the bottom of the first inning of Game 2 against Laredo United and sparked the Bears’ 9-1 blowout to lead the team into Round 4.
“Our mentality is we’re not going to back down. We’re confident, we got faith in each other and we’re going to stay together,” Ramirez said. “People are saying, ‘We’re the underdogs, we got nothing to lose.’ I don’t really care about that. We’re going to go up there and do what we need to do.”
“This is history. We haven’t been in this round since 2004, and we want to keep it going,” Gomez said.