By ANDREW CRUM | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

LOS FRESNOS — What a difference a year makes.

Last season, Los Fresnos felt it missed its shot to advance to the regional quarterfinals. The Falcons were in control during Game 1 and 2, but San Antonio Southwest rallied during the late innings of both games to sweep the series.

This season, Los Fresnos couldn’t have started its area series worse. The Falcons’ pitching and defense let them down and the bats weren’t much better in a 12-2, 5-inning loss in Game 1 last Thursday in Mission. But the difference from last year is that Los Fresnos didn’t panic. The Falcons regrouped and took Game 2, 12-5, at home last Friday and finished the series with a 9-3 win in Game 3 last Saturday on the road.

“It’s a really big relief,” senior outfielder George Villafranca said. “Getting the (series) win against Mission just validates everything we’ve been doing since we were four years old. When we lost (Game 1), everyone was upset. But the next day the entire team changed their mindset about what we were going to go about it.

“I feel pretty proud of my coach, it validates how he’s made a program at this school. He builds them up from freshman year up through senior year and we’re an example of that. We’ve been working this whole time to get to this point.”

Los Fresnos opens the regional quarterfinals at 7 p.m. tonight against Edinburg Vela in a best-of-three baseball series at PSJA High. Game 2 is at 7 p.m. Friday at Los Fresnos and Game 3, if necessary, is at 2 p.m. Saturday at PSJA High.

“For us not to make it last year, it was hard on us,” senior pitcher Victor Montemayor said. “So to make it this year, it’s really great, it’s exciting.”

The Falcons have their work cut out for them against the Sabercats, who haven’t lost in two months and have now won 17 in a row, including series sweeps in the first two rounds of the postseason.

Los Fresnos has had a tougher time in the playoffs so far, but that adversity has helped boast its confidence, as it gets ready for its next test.

“The last couple of series, we’ve been down, but these guys battled back up,” Los Fresnos coach Rene Morales said. “It’s been great with these guys battling back and getting ready for the next game. These guys don’t want the season to end; they’re playing hard and playing with a lot of confidence.

“It feels great to get to this point, these kids want to continue doing what we’re doing and it’s all about them.”

The Falcons senior class has been working toward this moment for the last few years. Now that it’s here, they hope to seize the opportunity.

“We know what it takes to get here and go beyond, I think that’s what we’ve put into this season,” senior first baseman Hugo Sanchez said. “I think we have to approach it the same way. It’s our last year so we’re going to keep playing at a hundred percent every game, for sure. Honestly, I feel like this is a winnable series and we can continue on in the playoffs.

Morales compares the season to a book and hopes his team can continue to write another chapter this week. As the heat has risen deeper into the postseason, Los Fresnos is loose and ready to add more to its history book.

“As we keep going, it gets more intense and we’re just out here having fun and playing hard for each other,” Morales said. “It’s going to be a great series, we’re playing with a lot of confidence. (Edinburg Vela) is good. The best team is going to win every night so I think these guys are ready to go. They’re not nervous, we’re going to go out and play hard and see what happens.”

The program has continued to experience success, but its not finished yet.

“We keep building, we just want to keep making history,” Morales said. “If we win, we’ll move on and write another chapter in our books. The more we win, the more history we make.”

Andrew Crum covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6629 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @andrewmcrum.

By ANDREW CRUM | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

After just a year as head football coach/athletic director at Port Isabel, Jaime Infante has decided to resign.

Despite a disappointing 2-7 season that had many growing pains, including a transition to a new offensive system and injuries to at least three quarterbacks and other key players, the Tarpons still nearly made the playoffs. But a loss in their district finale ended the frustrating season, and six months later, the long-time head coach tendered his resignation to Port Isabel ISD on Friday.

“I did resign and I’ll stay here through the end of my contract to the end of June,” Infante said. “It was my choice … the good Lord opened the doors for me, but it’s time for that door to close and see what else opens up.

“I’m staying positive about the whole thing.”

It was Infante’s second stint with the school, he was previously at Port Isabel as an assistant, including as the offensive coordinator in Monty Stumbaugh’s first season in 2001 before he left to become the head coach at Lyford. He had been there every since before he returned to Port Isabel last year.

Port Isabel ISD Superintendent Dr. Lisa Garcia confirmed the resignation Monday, but offered little else on the situation.

“We don’t talk about personnel issues … we not going to make a comment about personnel issues,” she said. “He resigned and that’s his right.”

Dr. Garcia and the school district must now find a new football coach/athletic director for the second time in two years.

Infante was frustrated with the past football season, but felt the offseason was off to a good start.

“The kids have been working their tails off, they’ve done a great job,” he said. “We felt good about installing what we did in the spring. I felt like we were just getting the ball rolling in the offseason.”

While there was much speculation surrounding the situation in recent days and while it still isn’t completely clear, the outcome is. Infante is set to leave on his own terms.

Infante has coached for 36 years, including 19 as a head coach at Falfurrias, Lyford and Port Isabel where he has combined to earn over 100 wins, three district titles and 11 postseason berths.

“I’ve been blessed with every job I’ve had,” he said. “I’ve had a great 36 years of experience, I’ve enjoyed it. I’ve enjoyed working with the kids, the administrators, the coaches throughout the Valley.”

While Infante is open about the next chapter in his career, retirement could be an option as well.

“I’m talking to my family and my wife would like me to retire,” he said. “Retirement looks like the best option, but when you’ve done this for 36 years it’s hard to hang up the coaching hat … we’ll see what happens. I feel I can serve in a lot of other capacities and help out the community and help out kids, it’s what I’ve enjoyed doing.

“Right now, we’re looking toward retirement … but who knows what the future holds, so we’re going to take it one day at a time.”

Infante wouldn’t give his reasons for the sudden resignation, instead ending his short tenure on a good note.

“I don’t want to do anything to hurt the program, the (school) district or the kids,” he said. “I don’t want to say anything negative, I don’t believe in doing things that way. We’re going to resign and do what’s best for our family.”

Infante wished the program well going forward without him at the helm.

“I want to wish the players, the coaches and the administration of Port Isabel the best,” he said. “This is my second go-around here and I’ve enjoyed every year I’ve been here. We had a great offseason and I think they’ll be extremely competitive next year. It’s the way you want to leave kids; I think we left them on a good note with me stepping out. There’s a lot of good coaches out there that will come in and take over unless they pick someone within. I think they’ll be in good shape.”

Andrew Crum covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6629 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @andrewmcrum.

By ANDREW CRUM | The Brownsville Herald

MISSION — Los Fresnos has relied on solid pitching and defense all season, but it just wasn’t there in a crucial game against Mission High.

The Falcons struggled on the mound and defensively and the Eagles took advantage with an offensive outburst in a 12-2, 5-inning victory in Game 1 of a Class 6A area series Thursday at Leo Alaniz baseball field.

“I just think we weren’t focused enough and ready to go,” Los Fresnos coach Rene Morales said. “That’s part of it, but you’ve got to take your hat off, (Mission High) came out and swung the bats and did the little things right.”

Mission High took a 4-1 lead in the second inning due to a pair of Los Fresnos errors, got the bats going and posted a pair of four-run innings in the fourth and fifth to end Game 1 early and take a 1-0 series lead. Game 2 is tonight at 7 p.m. at Los Fresnos.

Los Fresnos pitchers Cristian Hernandez, Victor Montemayor and Alex Salas had their troubles for the start and combined to throw five innings and allow 12 runs on nine hits, walked four, struck out five and had four hit batsmen.

“We got every break (Thursday), we had some balls that fell in right field,” Mission High coach Rick Lozano said. “Some bloopers that fell in, the first baseman dropped the ball … we took advantage of it.

“We jumped on their mistakes.”

The Falcons also had a tough day at the plate as Eagles starter Eddie Rodriguez kept them off-balanced and went the distance, allowed two runs, scattered three hits, walked one and struck out 11 and had a pair of hit batsmen to earn the win.

“Eddie did a great job on the mound,” Lozano said.

Los Fresnos played differently early on and took a 1-0 lead with a run in its first at-bat as Hugo Sanchez came through with a two-out RBI single to left field.

Mission High quickly tied the game at 1 in the bottom half of the first inning. Andy Martinez led of the inning with a single, stole second and third and came home as the throw to third was overthrown.

One inning later, the Eagles brought in three more runs on a pair of Falcons errors and took a 4-1 advantage.

In the third, Los Fresnos got one back on an RBI double by JJ Sanchez, but still trailed 4-2.

Mission High got its bats going in the fourth with RBI singles by Martinez and Yayo Cardoza and a two-run single by Eddie Rodriguez to push the lead to 8-2.

In the fifth with two outs, the Eagles had a pair of hit batsmen and a walk to load up the bases. Rodriguez brought in a run when he was hit by a pitch to push the lead to 9-2. Juan Garza followed with a two-run double to left and Cardoza brought another run home with a single to right to end it.

Lozano was happy to get the advantage in the series, but he was cautious knowing it just started and it could shift momentum just as easily.

“In this game, you never know, so it feels good to get Game 1, but (today) we have to go over there,” he said. “They’re a good ball club, a good-coached ball club and we know that. Hopefully we can convert on their mistakes like we did (Thursday) … take advantage of their mistakes.”

Morales didn’t let his guys put their heads down because anything can happen in a three-game series.

“I told them to stay confident and we have another game (today),” he said. “That’s why it’s a two-out-of-three series and if we win (today), we’ll see what Game 3 brings. (Thursday) was not our night, it didn’t matter what we did. You have to give (Mission High) credit, they swung the bat and did everything they had to do to win.”

To bounce back, the Falcons simply need to do what they’ve done all season.

“We’re going to have to play better defense and throw strikes,” Morales said. “Do the little things we’ve been doing all season long, little things we didn’t do (Thursday).”

Andrew Crum covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6629 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @andrewmcrum.

By ANDREW CRUM | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

Two Metro-area teams remain in the baseball postseason and each hopes to right a wrong from last season.

Hanna and Los Fresnos both reached the area round last season, only to see their seasons abruptly ended. The Golden Eagles lost the opener Edinburg Vela, took Game 2 in an offensive rout and fell just short in Game 3 in a one-run loss. The Falcons were knocked out in two games by San Antonio Southwest, in which they were in control during both games until the late innings.

Both Hanna and Los Fresnos will try to advance at least one step further, but just like last year, it won’t be easy.

With its bi-district sweep of PSJA North, Hanna earned a battle against Laredo Alexander on a neutral field. Game 1 is at 7 p.m. Friday at the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley. Game 2 is at noon or 1 p.m. Saturday at UTRGV, with Game 3, if necessary, to follow.

The Eagles rely on their pitching and defense, but when they’re able to get the bats going, like they did against PSJA North, it makes them tougher to knock out.

“We were able to stick to our plan and we pitched really well and played defense,” Hanna coach Jameson Wicks said. “Our offense was on fire, we hit the ball really, really well. It seemed like whoever comes up, no matter the situation, we came up pretty clutch.

“That was big for us.”

Hanna expects a tough series against Laredo Alexander. Wicks thinks that because the teams match up so well on the mound, offense might come at a premium.

“It’s probably not going to be a high scoring series,” he said. “If we get a big inning where we score two runs or they score two runs, that could be the difference in the ball game. We’re the stronger offensive team, but they pitch well … we need to take each pitch at a time. Head-to-head, I think it’s going to be a tight series.”

The Eagles know they need to start quickly to get ahead and put the pressure on the Bulldogs in Game 1 to try and get the advantage in the series.

“Our style of play relies on our pitching and defense, that’s what wins ball games,” Wicks said. “When we’re on fire offensively, it takes the pressure off our defense and our pitchers. If our offense gets going, we’re more confident at the plate and feel pretty unstoppable.”

LOS FRESNOS-MISSION HIGH

Los Fresnos topped Edinburg North in three games during bi-district, including the 11-2 road win last Saturday in Game 3 to advance.

The Falcons now face Mission High in an area round, best-of-three series that starts at 7 p.m. tonight in Mission. Game 2 is 7 p.m. Friday at home and Game 3, if necessary, is at 1 p.m. Saturday at Mission High.

Once again, Los Fresnos faces more road tests in this playoff round, but Los Fresnos coach Rene Morales said that doesn’t matter.

“Our kids play well wherever we go,” he said. “That’s what’s good about playing in those (early season) tournaments, the kids get accustomed to not playing at home all the time … it makes a big difference.”

The Falcons face a team similar to themselves; both teams can hit the ball pretty well, play solid defense, but Los Fresnos might have the slight edge on the mound over the Eagles.

“It’s going to be a test for both teams,” Morales said. “The team that goes out there and does everything right is going to win like always, but I think it will be a pretty good series.”

The Falcons will rely on their experience as they prepare to try to take it one step further in their playoff journey.

“They understand what it takes and every year we’ve gotten better at this stage, the experience took over the past two years,” Morales said. “Hopefully we can get past this second round and get to the third round. The kids are confident. Hopefully that will help us out, but we still have to go out and play the games.”

Andrew Crum covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6629 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @andrewmcrum.

By ANDREW CRUM | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

Just as Lopez has done all year, no deficit is too great and it proved it again against Rio Grande City.

After the Lobos tied the game in the sixth inning, freshman Jesus Villafranca came up clutch in the bottom of the seventh with a two-out RBI single as the Lobos earned a 4-3 walk-off victory over the Rattlers in Game 1 of a Class 5A bi-district series Thursday at Lopez.

“He’s a freshman, but he doesn’t play like a freshman,” Alex Olguin said. “As soon as I walked, I said, ‘that’s game.’ Jesus has been coming up clutch all year, so I just knew.

“We have to take the same attitude and same drive and take
it to Rio Grande City.” The Lobos were down 3-1 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning and got a run on an error and another on a fielder’s choice by Robert Guerra to tie the game at 3.

One inning later, Sebastian Benavidez reached on an error and promptly stole second base. The next two hitters stuck out and Alex Olguin came to the plate. He was given the intentional walk and Villafranca came to bat. He answered with his biggest hit of the season, a sharp single to left field that scored Benavidez and Lopez took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series with Game 2 on the road tonight in Rio Grande City.

“The kids never let down … they kept fighting and we got some quality at-bats and came up in the clutch,” Lopez coach Victor Martinez said. “We’ve worked with that all year long … we’ve worked with Jesus on the mental approach. The ability to hit, get good quality at-bats is always there, but the mental part is staying in control and he was successful.”

The Lobos took the early 1-0 lead in the second inning with an RBI single by Jose Rodriguez and it seemed like that was all Olguin would need.

In the third inning, Olguin made his first mistake as Marc Perez hit a two-run home run to left field that gave Rio Grande City a 2-1 lead.

The Rattlers added a run in the sixth inning on a Lopez error to push it to 3-1. But the Lobos promptly tied the game in the bottom half of the inning to tie it at 3 and set up the dramatics for the final inning.

“Not making that routine play, that was huge,” Rio Grande City coach Roque Cortinas said of an error in the sixth inning. “If we make the routine plays, we’re okay, we made a couple errors and that killed us. Baldo threw his butt off for us, but that’s what hurts when you give them six outs an inning, it was hard to him to keep getting outs.

“(Olguin) did a great job, he seemed to get stronger as the day went on … my hats off to him.”

Olguin got the win after going the distance and he allowed three runs on two hits, walked three and struck out seven for Lopez.

Baldo Perez took the loss going 6 2/3 innings and allowed four runs on five hits, walked two and struck out 11, but a pair of errors in the final two innings were the detriment for Rio Grande City.

Despite the setback, Cortinas isn’t worried with a chance to even the series on his home turf.

“It’s not over,” he said. “We go back home (today) and I like my chances at home and try to make it to Saturday. We’ll take it one game at a time. If we hit the ball a little bit better, we’ll be alright.”

Martinez and Lopez aren’t ready to celebrate either. But it has the advantage and will try to finish it off today.

“We have to take one game at a time,” he said. “We have to regroup and get ready to work again (today) and try to seal the deal. We can’t get too ahead of ourselves. We still need to win (one more game to win) the series, so we can’t get too excited.”

Andrew Crum covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6629 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @andrewmcrum.

By ANDREW CRUM | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

With the baseball playoffs about to begin, there has already been plenty of drama before the players have stepped onto the field.

After a shakeup in District 32-6A, Rivera, who had originally qualified for the postseason, was found by the district executive committee to have used at least one ineligible player and thus the Raiders were forced to forfeit those games and it forced them out of the playoff picture. The decision was being appealed as off Tuesday night, but the district is moving forward as opponents have already been changed and games set to begin starting today.

Los Fresnos remains the District 32-6A champion, Hanna is now the second seed, Weslaco High is the third seed and Harlingen High, previously the fifth place team, is now the fourth seed.

Not that the Falcons needed anything to fuel their fire to the postseason, their momentum has already done that.

Last week, Los Fresnos finished off an impressive run to earn its title. The Falcons won four straight games and 4 of 5, including a sweep of Weslaco High. The district finale was a 2-1, 9-inning affair that saw Los Fresnos win in dramatic fashion, on a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded and one out to earn the District 32-6A crown, its second straight.

“It was a great win … it was an awesome feeling to walk off being district champs back-to-back,” Los Fresnos coach Rene Morales said. “The last few games have been the postseason for us because we had to win all of them to win a district championship.”

Now the Falcons are focused on the postseason, where they hope to advance even further than last season’s area round run.

Los Fresnos begins the playoffs tonight against Edinburg North at 7 p.m. at home. The series continues at Edinburg North at 7 p.m. Friday and if necessary, Game 3 will be played at 2 p.m. Saturday at Edinburg North.

“They’re playing with confidence and the momentum is right there for us,” Morales said. “I think it’s finally clicking with these guys that we’re a very good team if we do everything we’re asked to do. The kids are doing the little things right … we’re just taking it week by week, one series at a time and we’ll go from there.

“Hopefully we can get past the first round and we’ll see what we have in the second round and go from there.”

HANNA–PSJA NORTH

Hanna started slow, but earned its 10thconsecutive playoff appearance and first under new head coach Jameson Wicks after it finished in second in District 32-6A via a coin flip after the recent shakeup with Rivera.

The Golden Eagles travel to PSJA North tonight at 7 p.m., Game 2 is at 7 p.m. Friday at home and Game 3, if necessary, will be played at 1 p.m. Saturday at Hanna.

“We’re still going about it in the same way,” Hanna coach Jameson Wicks said. “They’re a good ball club, but we have to go about our business as usual. There’s no difference how we prepare for the postseason … it’s still one pitch at a time.”

For the Eagles, their success will be determined with pitching and defense.

“If we throw the ball well and over the plate, we challenge hitters and make them put it in play, it gives our defense an opportunity to make the plays behind the pitcher,” Wicks said. “If we do that, we’ll be fine because we’re going to score enough runs to win a ball game. We have to limit those big innings and have sharp outings from our pitching and be strong, defensively.”

BROWNSVILLE VETERANS MEMORIAL–SHARYLAND PIONEER

Brownsville Veterans Memorial, fresh off its unbeaten District 32-5A title, is set to begin its postseason journey. The Chargers were upended in the bi-district round a year ago, and they hope to make a run deep into the playoffs.

Brownsville Veterans begins its bi-district series with Sharyland Pioneer tonight at 7 p.m. at home. The series continues at Sharyland Pioneer at 7 p.m. Friday. Game 3, if necessary, will be at a neutral site Saturday, either at noon at UTRGV or at 1 p.m. at either Weslaco High or Mercedes.

“Right now, we’re riding high, we have a lot of confidence in what we’re doing,” Brownsville Veterans coach Albert Rodriguez said. “We’re getting solid defense and we’re hitting the ball really well. We’re not the same team at the beginning of the season; we’ve grown a lot together. If we can put the pieces together, we’ll be alright in the postseason.”

If the Chargers can pitch well, they could have the advantage.

“(Sharyland Pioneer) does a good job at putting the pressure on the defense. They’re patient at the plate, very disciplined,” Rodriguez said. “Our key is pitching … we’re going to have to go right at them. Hopefully they can execute and throw strikes.”

LOPEZ–RIO GRANDE CITY

Lopez earned a postseason berth for the first time since 2013. But just because its unfamiliar territory, doesn’t mean that the Lobos haven’t been preparing for this moment.

Lopez begins its best-of-three bi-district series with Rio Grande City at 7 p.m. tonight at home. The series continues at Rio Grande City at 7 p.m. Friday. Game 3, if necessary, will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at Lopez.

“We’re excited to start our playoff run,” Lopez coach Victor Martinez said. “We’ve been working on the little things, the fundamentals. We’re blessed to play another week of ball. Next week isn’t guaranteed, you have to earn it, that’s what we’re trying to accomplish … one more week of baseball.”

The Lobos are more focused on their own game than their opponent, but need to get off to a good start in the home opener to start the series.

“Baseball is baseball, we have to go out and play our game,” Martinez said. “Focus on situational hitting, have a good pitching performance and play good defense behind him. We know we need to focus on the fundamentals and we’re sharpening our tools and be ready to play ball. It’s playoffs, every team is good, they’re in the playoffs for a reason. That’s a tough team over there.

“We have to protect our house and take care of business.”

PACE–VALLEY VIEW

Pace needed a strong finish in District 32-5A, as well as a win over Donna North in a one-game playoff game, to earn the fourth seed.

The Vikings begin their first postseason since 2011 with a series against Valley View, the District 31-5A champion, at 7 p.m. tonight at home. The series shifts to Valley View at 7 p.m. Friday and Game 3, if necessary, will be Saturday with a time and location to be determined.

“They were very confident, they just believed they could do it and they finally did,” Pace coach Roy Rodriguez said of his team’s finish. “We started strong, but faded in the middle of the district race, we couldn’t get the breaks … but in the end we got the job done.”

Pace wants to continue its late season momentum that helped it earn a postseason berth. But it won’t be easy against Valley View.

“The kids are excited, their confidence is high and I told them, ‘let’s not be happy just being in the big dance, let’s keep working, let’s see where this takes us. Let’s just go out and win it.’ (Valley View) has a winning tradition and that’s what we’re trying to establish here.

“As long as we stay focused and play our kind of ball, we can beat anyone. Just go out, play our game and have fun.”

PORT ISABEL–ROBSTOWN

Port Isabel also needed some late season dramatics to keep its playoff berth streak in tact. The Tarpons had to win their final two District 32-4A games and ended up tied with Rio Hondo and Progreso for the fourth seed. Progreso beat Rio Hondo and Port Isabel faced the Red Ants in a winner-take-all game to earn a postseason spot. Progreso led late, but the Tarpons scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to take the game and earn their playoff berth.

Port Isabel begins its postseason series against District 31-4A champion Robstown at 7:30 p.m. tonight at home. The series shifts to Robstown at 2 p.m. Saturday and Game 3, if necessary, will be played 30 minutes after the completion of Game 2.

ST. JOSEPH ACADEMY-DALLAS BISHOP LYNCH

St. Joseph Academy had an up-and-down season, but was much improved over last season and headed in the right direction. The Bloodhounds still earned a TAPPS Division I playoff spot and face Dallas Bishop Lynch in a one-game playoff today at 1 p.m. at a neutral site in San Antonio.

Andrew Crum covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6629 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @andrewmcrum.

By ANDREW CRUM | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

Just days before the baseball postseason is set to start, Rivera may not be competing despite a tie for second in District 32-6A.

The Raiders finished with a 10-4 record in district and were set to play a seeding game with Weslaco High before the playoffs begin this weekend. Instead Rivera is being accused of using at least one ineligible player and its fate was in the hands of the district executive committee. The hearing that started Monday, concluded Tuesday with a 6-1 vote against the Raiders, forfeiting the games played by the alleged ineligible player and for the moment, knocked them out of the playoffs.

The player in question is zoned for Rivera, but attended Brownsville Veterans Memorial for the majority of the 2016-17 school year, eventually returning to Rivera near the end of the school year last year and has attended Rivera ever since, including the entire 2017-18 school year to date. His parents are married, but are currently separated and live at different residences, which brought up the red flag due to a lack of a previous athletic participation form or residency waiver for him to be eligible to compete for the Raiders, where he is a starter on the baseball team.

“He has always been in our zone, but they didn’t see it that way,” Rivera coach Travis Parker said. “We’re in the process of fighting back, making an appeal. They’re trying to do something to us that isn’t fair, but we’re not going quietly.”

The UIL was going to allow Rivera to obtain the necessary paperwork to declare him eligible, but said it also required the approval of the DEC, which it has already ruled against the Raiders for the time being. Thus putting an overrule by the UIL in jeopardy due to the small window of time.

“We dropped the ball by not turning in that waiver,” Parker said. “I’ll be honest, we should have done that sooner. But we still had that opportunity (Monday) and (Tuesday).”

Rivera is also running out of time with district certification that was due by midnight last night to approve all rosters for postseason play. A UIL decision could come as soon as early as today with the playoffs starting this weekend.

“I’m going to pray it changes things because these boys deserve a better fate, but we’re not going to go down without a fight,” Parker said. “I don’t know if there’s any light at the end of the tunnel, but we’re going to try.”

The Raiders won 19 games this season and had earned their first postseason trip in Parker’s tenure. But it looks bleak without the UIL stepping in ahead of the playoffs starting Thursday.

“In six years as head coach, I’ve never been a cheater or had the thought about cheating,” Parker said. “Kids have left and switched schools, but I’ve never made a complaint … I want to coach kids that want to be here, I’m going to coach my kids. What we did this year, what we accomplished … was with my boys.”

Parker tried to remain optimistic about the situation, but understands how it may be seen from the outside.

“If this doesn’t get resolved, we’re always going to be known or looked at from the outside as cheaters and we did something wrong,” he said. “But we didn’t do anything wrong except playing a kid that has always been zoned here since elementary.

“It’s a hard pill to swallow … we’ve worked for everything we’ve got this year.”

Andrew Crum covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6629 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @andrewmcrum.

By ANDREW CRUM | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

LOS FRESNOS — Cristian Hernandez has been an integral part of a Los Fresnos team that won back-to-back District 32-6A titles. Now he’s hoping to help Our Lady of the Lake University’s baseball team to achieve some success as well.

The Falcons senior pitcher/infielder made his choice official to play baseball for the NAIA school in San Antonio during a signing ceremony Monday.

Hernandez is expected to be on the mound regularly for the Saints under the direction first-year head coach and former Harlingen High baseball coach Bryan Aughney.

“It feels great for the opportunity I get … it’s amazing,” he said.

Los Fresnos coach Rene Morales said his top hurler is ready for the next level.

“He’s the type of kid that puts a lot of work into it, he just works,” Morales said. “He doesn’t say a word, just works hard and does the little things right. He’ll be a big asset at Our Lady of the Lake and Coach Aughney over there.”

Fresh off a dramatic finish to the District 32-6A season Friday where Los Fresnos defeated Weslaco High in a 2-1, 9-inning game that gave the Falcons the district title for the second consecutive year, it’s been a good week for Hernandez.

“I’ve known most of my teammates since I was seven, eight years old, playing with them or against them,” he said. “So it’s amazing to be back-to-back district champs.”
Staying close to home was an important part of the decision for Hernandez, who wanted to make it easier for his family to be a part of his collegiate experience and the familiarity of his new coach, one he’s competed against in recent years.

“I knew the coach and being in San Antonio, it’s not that far from here,” he said. “My family can go watch me play.”

Morales echoed the close proximity in discussion with Hernandez earlier in the season.

“He felt comfortable (at OLLU) and I told him you want to play college baseball and he’s giving you an opportunity … take advantage of it,” Morales said. “His parents wanted to go see him … it worked out perfectly.”

The senior plans to study kinesiology in college and credited his family and his coaches with helping him get to this point.

“Teaching me that hard work pays off,” Hernandez said. “To worry about your academics first, that’s the most important thing.”

Now that his future is secure, he can focus on the next task at hand, the postseason, which begins Thursday.

“Now I can just focus and try to finish out the season strong,” he said.

Morales said Our Lady of the Lake was getting a good player that just wants to help his team win.

“He’s a quiet leader, he leads by example and does everything we ask him to do,” the Falcons coach said. “He’s played third base, DH, he’s pitched, played first base … he’s the type of kid that he just wants to play. The kids follow him and he’s going to be great over there.

“(Aughney’s) going to give you an opportunity, so you have to keep working and go from there.”

Andrew Crum covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6629 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @andrewmcrum.

By ANDREW CRUM | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

Pace was in a must-win situation against Lopez and lived to fight another day.

The Vikings used their bats to get a pair of three-run innings and back a strong outing by pitcher Jose Banda for a 6-1 victory over the Lobos in a District 32-5A game Tuesday at Lopez.

Carlos Ortiz was the spark to get Pace going and finished 2 for 3 with a double, a run scored and a pair of RBIs. Banda went 6 2/3 innings and allowed just one run on three scattered hits, walked five, struck out 10 and had a hit batsman to earn the crucial victory.

“It feels good; it’s an amazing feeling,” Ortiz said after the win and for the chance to earn a postseason berth later this week. “Our mindset is the same, we still had a chance (to get to the playoffs), no one gave up … we just have to keep it going.”

Pace finished 6-8 in District 32-5A, but more importantly, tied for the fourth spot and will play Donna North in a one-game playoff game Friday to determine who gets a trip to the postseason in a time and location to be determined.

“Regardless of what happened (Tuesday), this is a huge step for this baseball program,” Pace coach Roy Rodriguez said. “A huge building block. Kudos to my kids, they never gave up … I told them before the game to go out there and play your game and have fun and that’s what they did.

“I’m proud of the kids, we fought and fought and fought the whole way and we live another day.”

Lopez (11-3) had already earned a playoff spot, but couldn’t get its offense going enough in the district finale.

It was a scoreless game until the fourth inning. The Lobos broke through with an RBI single by Ivan Banuelos to take a 1-0 lead.

The Vikings finally got going in the next inning and put three runs on the board to take a 3-1 lead. Chris Rodriguez reached on an error to start the inning and scored on Ortiz’s RBI single to tie the game at 1. Oritz scored on a double by Angel Gomez and then Gomez came home on an RBI single to center by Banda.

“Carlos came up big with a hit to left center and it opened up the flood gates,” the Vikings coach said. “Jose Banda, our freshman, did a heck of a job and he has a bright future ahead of him with us.”

Pace added three runs in the sixth inning. Jose Lara drove in a run on a single to center and another run scored on errant throw. Then Ortiz added an RBI double to extend the lead to 6-1.

“We didn’t get the bats going,” Lopez coach Victor Martinez said. “We made some errors and I told the kids, ‘errors mean runs.’ We have to play errorless ball games. They’re a playoff caliber team and they put the ball in play. We committed a couple errors and they scored on those errors.”

Jesus De Leon took the loss for Lopez after he went four innings and allowed three runs on four hits, walked one and struck out five.

The Lobos had already clinched a playoff berth last week. It was their first since 2013, so even the loss wasn’t going to spoil their mood.

“It’s awesome to be back in the postseason,” Martinez said. “These kids really earned it; they’ve worked really hard in the offseason. They bonded, they built good chemistry and it showed throughout our season. To finish second in this tough district, it’s been a successful season and we want to continue on.

“If you want to keep going, you have to keep working hard.”

Pace had its ups and downs this season, but came through when it counted to give it a chance at the postseason.

“I’m proud of the kids … the way we’ve played all year, up and down … we keep working and this is the end result, we’re fighting for another game on Friday,” Rodriguez said of the one-game playoff for the fourth and final playoff spot. “We know what they have and they know what we have … at this point you stick to the basics and be ready to play.”

Andrew Crum covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6629 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @andrewmcrum.

By ANDREW CRUM | THE BROWNSVILLE HERALD

Hanna got off to a bad start against Harlingen High and that was the difference in the game.

The Golden Eagles’ pitching struggled early on and the Cardinals took advantage with five runs in the first two innings in a 7-3 victory in a District 32-6A game Friday at Hanna.

“Harlingen is a good hitting ball club and every time we’ve faced them they’ve hit the ball hard,” Hanna coach Jameson Wicks said. “We were trying to be a little careful with them, upset their timing a little bit, but they were on everything. When you score that many runs in the first inning, you can get a little rattled. It was just one of those days where Raul was just a little off.”

Hanna lefty starting pitcher Raul Perez, who threw a no hitter last week, was roughed up in the first two innings and took the loss after going five innings and allowed seven runs on seven hits, walked five and struck out four. The Eagles’ defense didn’t help with a couple errors and the offense didn’t get going until it was too late. The loss ends a five-game winning streak and drops them to 7-5 in District 32-6A. Harlingen High (5-7) got three RBIs from Boedy Flores on a couple singles and he scored a run during the first two innings and that offensive outburst would be enough in the end.

With two games left, the postseason spots are still open. Currently, Hanna is in fourth and Harlingen High is tied for fifth place. It’s fitting that the top four spots, including the district champion won’t be decided until the final week of the season.

“We’re still in good shape, but we’re looking at it like we’re fighting for a playoff spot … we have to take care of business,” Wicks said. “Harlingen is still in it (too), but as long as we take care of business on Tuesday, we’re fine.”

The Cardinals didn’t waste any time getting started. Flores and Abraham Ibarra each had an RBI single and another run scored on an error for a 3-0 lead before Hanna got up to bat for the first time.

In the second inning, Harlingen High got another clutch hit from Flores, a two-run single to left field that pushed the lead to 5-0.

“We put the ball in play and put ourselves in good positions,” Harlingen High coach Juan Rangel said. “Last game we did the same thing, but it’s just one of those games where we were able to get ahead of them.”

In the fifth inning, John Ortega knocked in a run on a single to center and the Cardinals scored on another miscue to extend the advantage to 7-0.

The Eagles finally got on the board in the sixth inning. Noe Guerrero hit a triple to right field that scored a pair of runs and they added a run on a ground out to get within 7-3.

But that’s all they would get because Harlingen High southpaw Matt Sessler was solid on the mound. He went the distance and allowed three runs on just four hits, walked one and struck out three as he kept Hanna off-balanced enough to earn the win.

“When our pitching is on, we know we’re going to have a good game,” Rangel said. “That’s happened almost every game we’ve had success. Our pitchers do a good job of keeping us in the game and we put the ball in play and good things happen for our ballclub.”

The Cardinals know they have to keep up the momentum to give themselves a shot at the postseason.

“We’re still battling for a (playoff) spot, but Hanna put themselves in a good spot by taking two from Los Fresnos. They helped their cause,” Rangel said. “We knew it was going to be tough, but we knew we could split. We played hard and had good results at the end.

“We’re going to let the chips fall where they fall.”

Despite the loss, Wicks was happy his team could deal with some adversity during a game like this similar to the way postseason games or series play out.

“We need games where we’re going to have to face a tougher opponent to prepare for the playoffs,” he said. “We have a good district and it’s a really tight race up and down, it’s very competitive. Without these district games, we wouldn’t be as prepared as we are right now, but I feel good where we’re headed. They just need to keep their heads up and stay positive.”

Andrew Crum covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6629 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @andrewmcrum.