EDINBURG — Iyana “Yaya” Dorsey led the Tarleton Texans in points scored as a freshman and points per game as a sophomore last season.

She transferred to UTRGV this season and became the leading scorer for the Vaqueros in her first year with the program.

Wednesday night, Dorsey dropped 27 points against her former team to lead the UTRGV women’s basketball past Tarleton 66-58 at the UTRGV Fieldhouse in Edinburg.

“To be honest, it’s all love. I appreciate every single one of those girls,” Dorsey said of her former team. “It was definitely a battle, but I knew we had to win just because I came from there and I don’t like losing, especially against people that want to win against you. I just stepped up and got us to where we needed to be to get the win.”

University of Texas Rio Grande Valley guard Iyana Dorsey (2) goes to the basket against Tarleton forward Elise Turrubiates (2) in a WAC game at the UTRGV Fieldhouse on Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023, in Edinburg. (Joel Martinez | [email protected]) Joel Martinez

UTRGV improved to 10-16 overall, 4-11 in Western Athletic Conference play and clinched a spot at this year’s WAC Women’s Basketball Tournament in Las Vegas next month.

“It was a tale of two halves. First half was a struggle to score, we played great defense though. Anytime you can only give up 26 points in a half, you’re playing really good defense, but our offense was pretty anemic,” UTRGV head coach Lane Lord said. “You have to credit Tarleton for playing good gap defense. We got it going in the second half and it was fun to watch. Real proud of our effort, punched our ticket to Vegas, Yaya needs seven points Saturday for 1,000 points in her career, so a lot of good things happened tonight.”

University of Texas Rio Grande Valley guard Jena’ Williams (11) attempts a basket against Tarleton in a WAC game at the UTRGV Fieldhouse on Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023, in Edinburg. (Joel Martinez | [email protected]) Joel Martinez

The Vaqueros shot 21.4% during the second quarter and saw the Texans take a 26-22 lead into the locker room.

UTRGV proceeded to double its offensive output with 44 points during the second half to pull away from Tarleton behind Dorsey’s 27. She also grabbed four rebounds.

Deborah Ogayemi scored seven of her nine points during the second half to go with seven boards. She converted down low for UTRGV during their run to create separation.

Ogayemi said the team was fired up to have Dorsey’s back against her former team.

“My teammates and I, we have trust in each other. We knew this was her former school she was playing and Yaya’s our teammate. We have her back, so we knew, you play, we’re going to play,” Ogayemi said. “We’re going to get every rebound, we’re going to post, we’re going to do everything.”

University of Texas Rio Grande Valley forward Deborah Ogayemi (33) reaches for the rebound against Tarleton in a WAC game at the UTRGV Fieldhouse on Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023, in Edinburg. (Joel Martinez | [email protected]) Joel Martinez

“I think Deb’s probably the biggest helper with that. She knows the nights I’m struggling to score and she’s really good at just telling me, ‘Hey, we got your back.’ That’s what this team is about,” Dorsey said. “That was another thing she helped me out with today. In the first half, I was struggling and she was like, ‘Hey, this team, we got your back.’”

Charlotte O’Keefe pulled down 11 rebounds, scored eight points and blocked two shots. Halie Jones and Arianna Sturdivant had six points apiece.

The Vaqueros are back in action with their final home game of the season against Sam Houston at 4 p.m. Saturday at the UTRGV Fieldhouse. Tickets can be purchased at UTRGVTickets.com.

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EDINBURG — Edinburg Vela and Brownsville Pace battled back and forth for the first three quarters of their Region IV-5A bi-district playoff matchup Tuesday night at Edinburg Vela High School.

Then, Axel Garza took over.

The SaberCats’ junior forward closed the third quarter by drawing two fouls on made baskets through contact, then he scored Vela’s first eight points of the fourth quarter with a pair of dagger 3-pointers to help seal a 54-47 victory over the Vikings.

Edinburg Vela (24-12, 16-2) advances to the area round to face Corpus Christi Flour Bluff. Brownsville Pace’s season comes to an end at 26-12 overall.

“The first half was just nerves, just nervous for a playoff game, so you saw some easy shots missed, but we got into the game, adjusted well and the guys found their rhythm in the second half,” Edinburg Vela head coach Lucio Rodriguez said.

Garza finished with 17 points, 13 of which were scored during the second half. He missed a couple shots around the rim during the first half, but during the third and fourth quarters he was money. He also added seven rebounds, three steals and one block.

“The first half, I was nervous and coach kind of sat me down and said, ‘You know what, the nerves are out the way. It’s time to play basketball the way I know you could play,’” Garza said. “He gave me opportunities, he drew up that play for that second 3 for me and I hit it. I just thank him for the plays.”

EJ Avelar matched Garza with 17 points and five assists. His defense helped the SaberCats keep up with Pace during the second and third quarters.

“All the guys, we do what we have to and if one guy is hot, we have to know when to share the ball and where the hot hand is,” Avelar said. “The ball finds momentum so we just move it around and get guys looks. Sometimes guys do more than others, but we all work as a team to get those guys where we need to be.”

Brownsville Pace’s Tyler Rudder scored a team-high 15 points with eight boards. James Quinones chipped in with nine points and five rebounds.

“We came in here and knew we needed to play our best game yet. They’re a tough team and district champs for a reason. All I asked for is 100% effort and we got that,” Brownsville Pace head coach Jose Luis Ramirez said. “I’m proud of my boys, and I wish Vela the best along the way as they move on. It stings that we lose because we’re competitors and we hate losing more than we love winning, but I guarantee you I’m so proud of my boys.”

Edinburg Vela’s JP Olivarez finished with nine points and dropped four dimes. Sam Sepulveda scored six points, and Jonathan Campos had five points and six rebounds.

The SaberCats will face Flour Bluff in Round 2. The Hornets (25-10, 8-2) defeated Laredo Martin 47-28 in the bi-district round to set up the meeting with Edinburg Vela. Game details are to be determined.

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LA JOYA — Brownsville Hanna and La Joya High entered the fourth quarter of their Region IV-6A bi-district playoff matchup even on the scoreboard Monday night.

The Eagles pulled ahead late and fought off a furious Coyotes rally to hang on for a 53-50 victory at La Joya High School to send Hanna into the area round of the playoffs for the first time since 2015.

The Eagles (29-10, 8-2) will face the winner of San Antonio Brennan and Laredo United South in the area round. Game details are to be determined.

La Joya High, which won a share of the District 31-6A championship, ends its season at 25-13 overall.

“I think we just played great defense, we got after it and did a hell of a job. I’m happy for my boys,” Hanna head coach Fermin Lucio said.

La Joya High’s Ethan Moya had a chance to tie the game with a last second 3-point attempt that missed as time expired.

Hanna seniors Kevin Flores and Ricardo Roman Jr. combined to score 34 points and pull down 15 rebounds. Roman showed emotion with some tears after the victory.

“This win means a lot. We knew coming into the playoffs, it was going to be rough, but we stuck together as a family, as a team, and we won as a team. We’re just happy that we won,” he said.

“We all stayed together. Everybody made mistakes, but we lifted each other up and kept going hard and pulled out a win,” Flores said.

Moya led the Coyotes with a game-high 23 points, 17 of which came during the second half. He finished with seven rebounds, two steals and three blocks.

La Joya’s Jon Cortina scored all 11 of his points during the first half. Arian Quintanilla scored nine points and grabbed nine boards.

The Coyotes came out firing on all cylinders with a 15-8 lead after one quarter and four made 3-pointers during the first half.

The Eagles answered with a 17-point second quarter sparked by the mid-range game of Roman. He finished with 22 points and eight rebounds, while Flores finished with 12 and seven boards.

Hanna’s Emiliano Hernandez finished with six points, Manrique Cantu and Beto Galarza had four and Jordan Matamoros added three.

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Opening day has arrived for high school baseball teams across Texas, and five Rio Grande Valley teams are beginning the 2023 season ranked among the top squads in the state, according to Diamond Pro/Texas High School Baseball’s Preseason Top 20 rankings.

Weslaco East opens the year as the No. 11-ranked team in Class 5A after putting together one of the best seasons in program history in 2022. East brought home the District 32-5A championship and went 25-6 on the season. The Wildcats also have seven returners back to lead this year’s team.

All-State honorees Alexander Solis and Antonio Balboa give Weslaco East two workhorses on the mound and lethal batters at the plate to lead the way.

Sharyland Pioneer is coming off its second regional final appearance in three seasons and starts its 2023 campaign as the No. 14-ranked team in Class 5A.

The Diamondbacks return six starters and will rely upon a young pitching staff that received plenty of experience last season with Josh Cuellar, Isaac Lopez, Ruben Lopez and Rene Vela back. Catcher David Benitez, infielder Andy Chapa and first baseman Santiago Ortiz will lead the Diamondbacks’ offense. Former McAllen Rowe head coach Adrian Leal is now the head coach at Pioneer and will look to build off last year’s 33-win team.

In Class 5A’s Next 10 category, in alphabetical order, are Brownsville Veterans and Sharyland High.

The Chargers went 27-6 overall last season and defeated Sharyland High in bi-district action to advance to the area round. Juan Garcia, Carlos Garza and Jason Villarreal will be key to Brownsville Veterans’ success in 2023.

The Rattlers bring back six starters led by Texas at San Antonio signee and 31-5A’s reigning offensive player of the year Diego Diaz. Sharyland High finished 23-8-2 last season.

At the Class 6A level, PSJA High falls in the Next 10 category as the Bears return seven starters from last year’s District 31-6A championship team that finished with a 28-5-1 record overall with an appearance in the area round. The Bears will be led by starting pitchers Vinny Cano and Austin Flores, who will be backed by a deep and dangerous lineup at the plate with Diego Gomez and Julius Ramirez leading the charge.

Note: RGV baseball schedule and scores can be found at RGVSports.com.

Twitter: @bybryanramos – Email: [email protected].

EDINBURG — Three games, 30 runs, zero errors, and most importantly, three wins.

The UTRGV baseball team opened its 2023 season by sweeping Houston Christian with a 10-4 victory in Sunday’s series finale at UTRGV Baseball Stadium in Edinburg. The Vaqueros (3-0) topped the Huskies 10-0 in Game 1 on Friday and 10-6 in Game 2 on Saturday.

“Anytime you can sweep, you’ve got to enjoy it because it’s so hard to win three games in a row against somebody,” UTRGV head coach Derek Matlock said. “That team’s a good ball club. They had some injuries and they’ll be back, so it’s a good start. We just got to do a good job of getting better at the things we did wrong. I thought we had an unbelievable defensive weekend. That’s what this ball club has to be — we have to be outstanding on defense and throw a lot of strikes, let that offense go to work and we’ll be in every game.”

The Vaqueros scored the game’s first three runs only to see the Huskies pull ahead with the next four during the fourth and fifth innings. From that moment on, it was all UTRGV.

The Vaqueros scored two runs during the bottom of the fifth, one run during the sixth and four more during the seventh to secure the 10-4 final.

University of Texas Rio Grande Valley’s Damian Rodriguez (1) rounds third base on his way to home plate against Houston Christian in a game at the UTRGV Baseball Stadium on Sunday, Feb.19 2023, in Edinburg. (Joel Martinez | [email protected]) Joel Martinez

Right fielder Montclair Cain went 3-for-4 with two doubles, one walk, one run and three RBIs. Edinburg Vela alumnus and catcher RJ Ochoa went 2-for-3 with one walk, three RBIs and one run.

“We had a good plan going in and we all looked good. Hopefully we can carry it over, keep swinging the bat and catch more ‘Ws’,” Ochoa said.

Center fielder Zerek Saenz scored three runs on 2-for-4 hitting and second baseman Isaac Lopez added two hits and one run. Designated hitter Roberto Gonzalez and first baseman Jacob Sanchez, a PSJA High alumnus, had one RBI each.

University of Texas Rio Grande Valley infielder Erick Martinez (3) celebrates with teammate Jacob Sanchez (16) after defeating Houston Christian in a game at the UTRGV Baseball Stadium on Sunday, Feb.19 2023, in Edinburg. (Joel Martinez | [email protected]) Joel Martinez

The Vaqueros were without Preseason All-WAC selection Brandon Pimentel, who was also named to the Bobby Bragan National Collegiate Slugger Award Watch List, due to injury.

He did have one at-bat, an intentional walk, but the Vaqueros’ offense didn’t slow down with 10 runs for the third straight game to open the season. Pimentel is 3-for-4 with two RBIs, two runs and four walks to start his year.

Cain finished opening weekend 5-for-11 with six RBIs, five runs scored, four doubles and three walks. While the graduate student from Waco, Cain, is off to a hot start offensively, he credited UTRGV’s defense for helping shut down the Huskies with no errors on the weekend.

“We pride ourselves on having a good defense and our two guys up the middle in our infield do a great job. They’re making tough plays left and right and I thought our outfield did a good job of tracking balls down,” he said.

Alex Verdugo (1-0) earned the win with 2.2 innings pitched and three strikeouts while it was a one-run game during the fifth and sixth innings. Starter Colten Davis pitched four innings, allowing three runs, three hits and three walks while striking out four. Ruben Gonzalez and Bobby Loya both pitched scoreless innings to close the game for UTRGV.

University of Texas Rio Grande Valley’s Alex Verdugo (29) pitches against Houston Christian in a game at the UTRGV Baseball Stadium on Sunday, Feb.19 2023, in Edinburg. (Joel Martinez | [email protected]) Joel Martinez

Matlock said Verdugo did a good job of coming in a close game and shutting the Huskies down and liked what he saw from the freshman Ruben Gonzalez.

Next for UTRGV is five games against Central Michigan beginning at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. The Vaqueros will play the Chippewas (2-1) in a double-header at 3 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. Sunday, all at UTRGV Baseball Stadium in Edinburg. Tickets can be purchased at UTRGVTickets.com.

The games are also available to stream online at ESPN+, ESPN’s streaming service.

Twitter: @bybryanramos – Email: [email protected]

The UTRGV women’s basketball team fell 89-86 to the Utah Tech Trailblazers on Saturday at Burns Arena in Utah in a Western Athletic Conference game that featured seven ties and five lead changes.

UTRGV (9-16, 3-11 WAC) had five players score in double figures with sophomore Iyana Dorsey leading the way with 26 points, on 7-of-17 shooting. Junior Mele Kailahi scored 14 points with three rebounds and two steals. Freshman Charlotte O’Keefe scored 14 points with eight rebounds and two assists. Junior Tiffany McGarity added 13 points with four rebounds.

Utah Tech (16-9, 8-6 WAC) was led by Breaunna Gillen, who scored 24 points with six assists and seven rebounds. Emily Isaacson scored 22 points with five rebounds. Amber Kartchner scored 15 points with five rebounds and five assists and Maggie McCord chipped in with 15 points.

The Vaqueros came out of the gates and scored the first six points of the game as O’Keefe knocked down a jumper, Ogayemi made a layup, Kailahi made a pair of free throws to give them the 6-0 lead. The Trailblazers answered with a 12-2 run before a three-pointer from junior Arianna Sturdivant made it 12-11 with 2:37 left in the first quarter.

In the second half, the Vaqueros took the lead with a 19-3 run that featured four three-pointers from Dorsey as they took the 57-42 lead. Utah Tech answered with a 9-2 run but UTRGV held off that run with a run of their own as buckets from Kyle, O’Keefe, and a pair of free throws from Ogayemi made it 65-41 with 2:37 left in the third quarter.

The Trailblazers cut the Vaqueros lead to 68-64 by the end of the third. Both teams exchanged buckets to start the fourth but after a pair of free throws by Dorsey, but the Trailblazers put together a 7-0 run to regain the 77-74 lead with just over four minutes to play.

Dorsey converted on a three-point play to tie the game at 77-77. A few minutes later, Dorsey knocked down a pair of free throws to tie the game at 82-82 but Utah Tech put together another 7-0 run to regain the lead for good.

The Vaqueros will be back in action at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday when they host Tarleton at 6:30 p.m. at the UTRGV Fieldhouse in Edinburg. Tickets are on sale now at UTRGVTickets.com.

EDINBURG — The UTRGV baseball team had a grand opening to its 2023 season as the Vaqueros blanked the Houston Christian Huskies 10-0 in seven innings Friday at UTRGV Baseball Stadium in Edinburg.

Game 2 between the Vaqueros (1-0) and Huskies (0-1) is set for 6:30 p.m. today with the series finale scheduled for noon Sunday at UTRGV Baseball Stadium in Edinburg. Tickets can be purchased at UTRGVTickets.com. Both games are also available to stream online on ESPN+, ESPN’s streaming service.

Friday night starter Jesus Aldaz and former Edinburg Vela pitcher Nico Rodriguez combined to pitch seven innings of shutout ball to lead the Vaqueros past the Huskies.

Aldaz (1-0) threw five innings and allowed two hits and one walk while striking out six. Rodriguez entered in relief during the sixth inning and surrendered one hit with three strikeouts.

“Our lineup has a chance over time to go get you and I thought that’s where we did a good job, but it all started with starting pitching, putting up a bunch of zeroes, letting our offense stay in it,” UTRGV head coach Derek Matlock said.

Eight different Vaqueros recorded hits against Houston Christian, breaking the game open during the fifth inning.

UTRGV plated five runs during the fifth with RBIs from center fielder Zerek Saenz, second baseman Isaac Lopez, first baseman Brandon Pimentel, third baseman Jacob Sanchez and catcher Steven Lancia.

University of Texas Rio Grande Valley’s Jacob Sanchez (19) reacts after crossing homeplate in the fifth inning against Houston Christian in a in the first of a three game series on Friday, Feb.17 2023, in Edinburg. (Joel Martinez | [email protected]) Joel Martinez

After tacking on three more runs during the sixth, Montclair Cain knocked in a two-run, walkoff double to end the game early.

“I think towards the beginning of the game, we were a little anxious — Friday night, opening night. We had a team meeting in the dugout, and the message was to slow down and just see the ball,” Lopez said. “Zerek started off hot, I came in back after that and it was wheels rolling.”

The Edinburg Vela alumnus Lopez finished 2-for-4 with one RBI, one walk, one stolen base and three runs scored. PSJA High grad Jacob Sanchez had one RBI and scored twice. Cain went 1-for-3 with three RBIs, one walk and one run scored. Pimentel tied a career high with three walks.

The No. 6 jersey of former Pan American baseball player Jody Ramsey was retired before the game. Pan American No. 6 jerseys were also presented to Ramsey’s family in attendance.

A student-athlete at the time, Ramsey died tragically in an electrical accident during the construction of the baseball stadium being built on the Pan American campus in 1973. Ramsey’s No. 6 now has a permanent spot on the wall in left field, next to the No. 44 of former coach Al Ogletree.

Past University of Texas Rio Grande Valley player Jody Ramsey number 6 is displayed after being retired before a game against Houston Christian in a in the first of a three game series on Friday, Feb.17 2023, in Edinburg. (Joel Martinez | [email protected]) Joel Martinez

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The UTRGV men’s basketball team picked up a 77-76 win against Grand Canyon on the road Wednesday to improve to 13-14 overall and 5-10 in Western Athletic Conference play.

The Vaqueros were scheduled to face New Mexico State at 8 p.m. Saturday, but New Mexico State suspended the remainder of its 2022-23 men’s basketball season Feb. 12 after allegations of hazing within the program came to light, resulting in the firing of first-year head coach Greg Heiar.

The WAC ruled each of New Mexico State’s six remaining games against conference opponents, which includes UTRGV, Abilene Christian, California Baptist, Grand Canyon and Tarleton, have been deemed forfeits in regard to conference standings and seeding for the WAC men’s basketball tournament.

Each of the listed New Mexico State opponents have immediately received corresponding conference wins in the WAC standings and will be credited with the equivalent value of a home win for each remaining game against New Mexico State in the WAC resume seeding system, according to a news release from the WAC.

“While there is no perfect solution to this unfortunate situation, I believe we landed in the right place,” WAC commissioner Brian Thornton said in the release. “I applaud our athletic directors for working collaboratively with our staff to reach this decision.”

New Mexico State is the defending WAC men’s basketball champion and earned a berth to the NCAA Tournament last season, when the Aggies defeated Connecticut in the first round of the tourney.

As of Feb. 13, UTRGV is the No. 11-team in the WAC men’s basketball resume seeding system. The top 12 teams qualify for the 2023 Hercules Tires WAC Men’s Basketball Tournament on March 6-11 in Las Vegas.

The hazing allegations within the New Mexico State men’s basketball team come months after a Nov. 19 shooting incident on New Mexico’s Albuquerque campus that left New Mexico State basketball player Mike Peake with a gunshot wound and New Mexico student Brandon Travis dead. New Mexico State stated the hazing allegations had nothing to do with the Nov. 19 incident involving Peake.

“The Western Athletic Conference is committed to both the mental and physical well-being of all of our student-athletes. We are saddened and disappointed that hazing continues to be a part of our society at any level,” Thornton said in a Feb. 12 news release.

EDINBURG — Since UTRGV head coach Derek Matlock took over the baseball program in 2017, the Vaqueros have won a Western Athletic Conference regular-season championship, played in a WAC Tournament championship series, won a bevy of individual awards and recognition for its players, and seen record attendance numbers.

The only thing missing, according to Matlock and current UTRGV baseball players, is winning the WAC Tournament and clinching a berth into the NCAA regionals, something that hasn’t been accomplished by the program since 1986 when Al Ogletree was head coach.

“I think the support from the Valley has been outstanding. What they’ve done for us is really a lot more than we’ve done for them,” Matlock said. “We need to get more. We need to win 40 games. We need to get to a regional like Coach Ogletree did. Back in ‘86 was the last year they’ve been in one. We haven’t really got caught slapping ourselves on the back much. We’ve kind of felt like we’ve always kind of underachieved a little bit, and I think that helps us with the drive and fight to get better. We go into every year to win a championship, win 40 games and get in a regional. That’s what we’re going to shoot for and wherever we fall, we fall, and compete where we’re at.”

University of Texas Rio Grande Valley head baseball coach Derek Matlock talks with officials before the start of a series opening game against George Washington at the UTRGV Baseball Stadium on Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022, in Edinburg. (Joel Martinez | [email protected]) Joel Martinez

The road to an NCAA regional begins Friday night for the Vaqueros as they open the 2023 season at 6:30 p.m. against Houston Christian. The three-game series also features games at 6:30 p.m. Saturday and noon Sunday, all at UTRGV Baseball Stadium in Edinburg.

UTRGV will retire the No. 6 jersey of former Pan American baseball player Jody Ramsey prior to Friday night’s game against Houston Christian. Ramsey, a student-athlete at the time, died tragically in an electrical accident during the construction of the baseball stadium being built on the Pan American campus in 1973. The No. 6 jersey hasn’t been handed out since but officially will be retired Friday.

“We’re excited to be able to honor Jody this way,” Matlock said in a UTRGV news release in January. “I’ve heard what a great human being he was in addition to being an outstanding baseball player. This award will allow us to keep Jody Ramsey’s spirit alive while instilling his values within our team.”

In recent years, the Vaqueros have opened seasons with one home series to start followed by a lengthy road trip before returning to play games at UTRGV Baseball Stadium.

This year, the Vaqueros will play their first 11 games of the season on their home field in Edinburg.

Following the three-game series against Houston Christian from Friday through Sunday, UTRGV will welcome Central Michigan for a five-game series beginning Tuesday. The first game between UTRGV and Central Michigan is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday with four games slated for the weekend, including a doubleheader Feb. 24 and one game Feb. 25 and 26. The Vaqueros then host Houston for a three-game series March 3-5.

Single-game tickets can be purchased at UTRGVTickets.com.

AT THE PLATE

UTRGV returns three of its top five hitters in batting average from a season ago in graduate students Brandon Pimentel, Montclair Cain (who went by Brett last season) and PSJA High alumnus and junior infielder Jacob Sanchez.

Pimentel, a preseason All-WAC baseball team selection, hit .377 last season with 12 home runs, 17 doubles, two triples, 47 RBI and 54 runs scored.

Cain batted .370 last season with eight home runs, 41 RBIs, 16 doubles, three triples and 40 runs scored.

“We’re just going to stick to our plans and everything we’ve worked on these past couple months. We’re just excited to get in there and have fun and compete,” Pimentel said.

Returning starters also include Edinburg Vela alum and redshirt sophomore Isaac Lopez, who started at shortstop for the majority of the 2022 season but will slide over to second base this year. Fellow Edinburg Vela alum and graduate student RJ Ochoa is also back and healthy, and will play a key role behind the plate for the Vaqueros this season.

“Wherever they need me, I’ll be ready to practice and play. I’ll play wherever they need me to win games,” Lopez said.

UTRGV’s Isaac Lopez shortstop looks to throw a ball to second during practice at Edinburg Baseball Field April,7,2022 in Edinburg. (Delcia Lopez/The Monitor | [email protected]) Delcia Lopez

PITCHING DEPTH

The opening rotation for UTRGV will be graduate student Jesus Aldaz on Friday, redshirt sophomore lefty Randy Garza on Saturday and graduate student Colten Davis on Sundays, Matlock said. J.C. Ariza is set to pitch Tuesday games during the season. Behind them is a loaded bullpen that will provide depth and competition throughout the season as UTRGV chases a WAC tourney title.

Aldaz, a graduate student from Phoenix, Ariz., has overcome adversity during his college baseball career after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2020 to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow. He’ll now get the ball as the Friday night starter each weekend for UTRGV.

Jesus Aldaz

“It was very difficult because I had (Tommy John surgery) during COVID season, so it was very hard to get treatments and therapy and all that because of scheduling. I definitely had a couple days where I reflected on my baseball career and thought it was over just because with surgeries like that, it’s hard to come back,” Aldaz said. “It’s definitely a blessing to be out here and be able to compete and try to help the guys win. It’s an honor to be back and definitely can’t take this game for granted.”

VALLEY BOYS

This year’s roster includes 11 Rio Grande Valley high school baseball products led by returning starters Lopez, Ochoa and Sanchez.

The new additions to the team include freshman infielder Juan Rivera (Sharyland Pioneer), junior infielder Damian Rodriguez (PSJA North), junior pitcher Nico Rodriguez (Edinburg Vela), freshman catcher Rudy Gonzalez (Edinburg Vela), freshman outfielder Viggo Lopez (PSJA High), freshman outfielder Jorge Zavala (Weslaco East), graduate student pitcher Abanny Garcia (McAllen High) and freshman pitcher Daren Barrera (Edinburg High).

UTRGV’s Jacob Sanchez (19) tags out a Lamar runner after a catch from pitcher Jesus Aldaz (24) at Edinburg baseball field Sunday ,March,27,2022 in Edinburg. (Delcia Lopez/The Monitor | [email protected]) Delcia Lopez

Nico Rodriguez is in his first year with the program after transferring from Kansas State. He’ll be relied upon as a long relief arm out of the bullpen.

“It means everything — just coming back, my family being able to see me, everybody coming out and supporting us,” he said. “The support that UTRGV gets day in and day out, this community is going to come out and support us, and we’re just grateful for the opportunity given to us and hopefully we take advantage of that.”

COACHING STAFF

UTRGV also added three former players to its coaching staff, one of which is another RGV high school baseball product. They’ll join Matlock, assistant coaches Robert Martinez and Kyle Kilgo, and director of baseball operations Michel Matlock. Martinez also serves as recruiting coordinator for the Vaqueros.

Jacob Hirsh played for the Vaqueros as an outfielder from 2018-22 and is now a volunteer analyst with the team. He hit eight home runs, 58 RBIs and stole 15 bases while playing lights-out defensively in the UTRGV outfield.

Ryan Jackson played high school baseball at McAllen Rowe and pitched for UTRGV from 2015-19. He’s in his first season as a volunteer assistant with the program and has coaching stops at Texas Lutheran and Texas A&M International. Jackson’s 15 saves as a closer for UTRGV is the second-highest total in program history.

Chris Mondesi is a graduate student and now a student assistant with the team after suffering a significant shoulder injury during the fall. He played third base for UTRGV last season, making 32 starts while recording 29 hits, four home runs and 20 RBIs.

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EDINBURG — The first meeting between Edinburg Vela and McAllen Memorial ended in an 18-point SaberCats victory Jan. 13 at McAllen Memorial High School.

The Mustangs returned the favor and took the SaberCats down on their home court this time around with a 65-51 win on the final day of the regular season.

The loss didn’t affect Edinburg Vela (24-13, 16-2) winning its second consecutive district championship and the program’s seventh since beginning competing at the varsity level in 2012. McAllen Memorial (27-6, 15-3) finishes as the No. 2 seed in District 31-5A.

“We knew how tough Vela was. They took it to us the first time, so we knew this would be a good, playoff-type-atmosphere battle before going into the playoffs,” Memorial head coach Rick Treviño said. “We did a good job of executing what we wanted to do, for the most part.”

The Mustangs and SaberCats were nearly deadlocked at the half, but McAllen Memorial took advantage of turnovers and turned them into points on the other end. They also were locked in from long range.

Mando Treviño led Memorial with 17 points and five steals. Three more Mustangs scored double figures as Evan McGurk scored 16, Rose Martinez added 14 and Caden Keller chipped in with 10.

“This win was huge for us. We got outhustled the first time, but we hustled the second time and we won the 50-50s,” Mando Treviño said. “We were prepared for them the first time, we just didn’t execute. This time, we made sure we executed and got the result we needed.”

“For us, it was all about getting those 50-50 balls,” Martinez said. “If we see a loose ball, we gotta dive for it and give all our effort to get it and do our best to minimize turnovers.”

Edinburg Vela was led by 14 points apiece from EJ Avelar and Axel Garza. Aiden Lopez added 12 points. Garza also finished with 13 rebounds for a double-double.

“They hit shots and shot the ball well. That’s a well-coached team — Coach T does a great job with them and they hit shots today,” Edinburg Vela head coach Lucio Rodriguez said. “I think we missed a couple fastbreaks early on that could have extended our lead, and we weren’t able to get that lead early on in the first half.”

Playoff details for the Mustangs and SaberCats are to be announced.

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