MISSION — Sharyland High secured a win on Senior Day and clinched at least a share of the District 31-5A championship by defeating crosstown rival Sharyland Pioneer 11-1 in six innings Tuesday at Sharyland High School.

The Rattlers (23-4, 15-2) will have to defeat state-ranked Sharyland Pioneer (24-4-1, 14-3) for the second time in four days in Game 2 on Friday in order to win the 31-5A title outright, while the Diamondbacks can claim a share of the district championship with a bounceback win against the rival Rattlers.

Game 2 between the Diamondbacks and Rattlers is set for 7 p.m. Friday at Sharyland Pioneer High School in Mission.

“I think our guys came out hungry tonight,” Sharyland head coach Austin Bickerton said. “They’re a great team over there. They’re very well-coached with Coach (Adrian) Leal. I know they’re going to be ready, but I got to give it to my guys, man. They came out — couple pings here and there — but they played almost a complete game for us.”

The Rattlers run-ruled the Diamondbacks with an RBI single by senior Cole Gerlach with one out in the bottom of the sixth inning. Gerlach started at pitcher for Sharyland and shut down the Diamondbacks with one earned run off four walks, three hits and seven strikeouts across six innings.

The Rattlers broke open the game with a five-run second inning and never looked back. Freshman Santiago Soto finished with four RBIs on 2-for-4 hitting. Gerlach drove in a pair of runs, and Horacio Garza and Fernie Hinojosa had one RBI each. Diego Diaz went 1-for-1 with three walks and three runs.

“Our team came together knowing district is on the line and playing against our rivals. Our lineup helped me be comfortable on the mound, those bats played a big part in keeping me confident and throwing a good game today,” Gerlach said.

The Diamondbacks committed five errors, which put them in a hole as the Rattlers continued to apply pressure by putting the ball in play.

Pioneer prevented the shutout with an RBI single by David Cavazos in the fifth.

The Diamondbacks will look to put this one behind them and focus on their opportunity to bounce back at home Friday night.

“The difference was they made the routine play and we didn’t. We had trouble with self-discipline today, and that was the difference,” Pioneer head coach Adrian Leal said. “The message is very simple — if you buy in and do the little things right, you’re going to have success with the talent that we have. So we need to find a way to buy in, even when things aren’t going our way, stay with the game plan and do the little things right.”

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LA JOYA — The La Joya Palmview Lobos exploded with a six-run fifth inning to take down the Roma Gladiators 7-3 in District 30-5A action Saturday at La Joya Baseball Complex.

The victory by the Lobos (21-7, 10-2) keeps them tied for first in district with Rio Grande City entering the final week of the regular season. The Gladiators (17-12, 8-4) already have secured their spot in the playoffs and still have an outside shot at sharing a district title, but they’ll need help to do so.

“I told the guys, ‘If we keep our composure and play the way we know how, we can be victorious,’ because we know Roma is a tough team and they wanted to win to stay in contention for the district title,” Palmview head coach Manuel Garcia said. “We got to take care of business next week. As I just told them right now, we have not won anything yet, we still have to play two more games.”

Palmview’s six-run fifth inning began with Renzo Tamez being hit by a pitch and a Mateo Garcia walk. Third baseman Gael Gonzalez followed with an RBI single to left field, and Josiah Gonzalez tripled to drive in another two runs. Tony Villarreal singled to bring him in, and designated hitter Ezie Puente capped the inning with a two-run home run to left field for a 6-2 lead.

“We were hitting the ball hard but just hitting it to them. In the fifth inning, the opportunity came and we took it. It wasn’t by surprise, we knew we were going to get on them quick and we executed,” Gael Gonzalez said. “It just shows the hard work every day in practice. This isn’t our first rodeo. It’s not all about one person on this team, we can all step up and do our job.”

Roma struck first on a two-run double to center field by Ricky Ruiz during the top of the first.

“The difference in today’s game is they hit the ball well and put the ball in play. We struck out about 10 times, and they did a good job of putting the ball in play,” Roma head coach Hector Ochoa said.

After surrendering the two early runs, Palmview’s Mateo Garcia was on point for the final six innings as he finished with a complete-game performance with nine strikeouts, six hits and one walk across seven innings. He also went 2-for-3 with a walk.

“Everything was working — off-speed, fastball, just trying to keep them off-balance, trying to keep us in the game and keep us close,” Mateo Garcia said.

If the Lobos can win their next two games, they’ll win their second consecutive 30-5A championship.

Palmview and Laredo Cigarroa will play Game 1 of their District 30-5A series at 5 p.m. Thursday in Laredo. Game 2 is scheduled for 5 p.m. Friday at Palmview High School.

“We’re taking it one game at a time because they were playoff contenders themselves,” Coach Garcia said. “They want to eliminate us from getting that district trophy, so they’re going to be a tough team because they got nothing to lose and everything to gain.”

Meanwhile, Roma moves on for a rivalry series against Rio Grande City. The Gladiators can play spoiler with one or two victories against the Rattlers next week. Game 1 is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday in Roma. Game 2 is set for 7 p.m. Friday in Rio Grande City.

“We have to compete — put the ball in play, hit the ball, play fundamental defense and just go from there. Rio’s a hot team right now and I know they’re going to come out looking for the district title as well, but we’re not going to let up. It’s a rivalry game and the kids are going to be excited, I know the community is excited for that game and we’re just going to bring it,” Ochoa said.

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EDINBURG — The UTRGV Vaqueros are set to return home to UTRGV Baseball Stadium this weekend following a seven-game road swing and are inviting some furry friends to the ballpark to check out the action.

UTRGV hosts Abilene Christian for a three-game Western Athletic Conference series beginning at 6:30 p.m. tonight.

Game 2 of the series, scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Saturday at UTRGV Baseball Stadium in Edinburg, is dubbed “Bark in the Park”, which invites fans to bring their dogs to catch the Vaqueros live. The first 200 dogs in attendance will receive a UTRGV bandana. More information regarding UTRGV baseball’s “Bark in the Park” event can be found below.

Tickets can be purchased at UTRGVTickets.com.

FIVE DOWN, FIVE TO GO

The Vaqueros (20-15, 7-8 WAC) are at the midway point of conference play with five series down and five to go. UTRGV, which is tied for seventh in the WAC standings with Seattle at 7-8, has conference matchups remaining against third-place Abilene Christian, fourth-place Texas Arlington, 10th-place Sacramento State, second-place Grand Canyon and fifth-place Stephen F. Austin.

UTRGV has built some momentum recently as winners of eight of its past 11 contests, including a back-and-forth 15-12 victory against Incarnate Word on Tuesday in San Antonio.

The Vaqueros will look to stay hot against Abilene Christian (24-12, 9-6) this weekend.

While the Vaqueros have turned up the heat recently, UTRGV first baseman Brandon Pimentel has been on fire.

Pimentel, who was named to the Bobby Bragan National Collegiate Slugger Award watch list in the preseason, is riding a 13-game hitting streak with a .448 batting average, eight home runs, 25 RBIs and 19 runs scored during that span. He earned national player of the week and WAC hitter of the week honors April 10.

Last season, the El Paso native hit .377 and finished with 12 home runs and 47 RBIs in 58 games, all team highs for the Vaqueros.

This year, Pimentel leads UTRGV in batting average at .369, home runs with 10, RBIs with 38 and on-base percentage at .472. He also ranks third on the team in hits with 48 and fourth in runs scored with 27.

Pimentel’s 10th home run of the year came last Sunday against Utah Valley and made him the first player in program history to have multiple 10-plus home run seasons.

His 22 career home runs as a Vaqueros player ranks second all-time and puts him only behind UTRGV Hall of Famer Mitchell Moran (1981-83), who hit 27 home runs.

BARK IN THE PARK

Rules for Saturday’s game include the following, according to a UTRGV news release.

Fans can bring their dogs to the game. Dogs get in free. Dog owners must purchase tickets. The first 200 dogs in attendance will receive UTRGV bandanas.

Yaqui Animal Rescue and Canines in Action Academy, LLC, will offer information and programming during the game.

After purchasing tickets, owners should check in with their dogs at the far-left gate at the front of UTRGV Baseball Stadium. Owners then will be asked to complete an attendance waiver. Dogs only will be allowed inside the park with a completed waiver, which includes proof of up-to-date vaccinations. A maximum of one dog per person is permitted.

The left field side of the stadium will be dedicated for dogs and their owners. Dogs must always remain on leash.

Owners are permitted to bring water bowls for their dogs, but dog food is prohibited. Water will be served community style in the dog play area.

Owners must clean up after their dogs. Poop bags will be provided upon arrival to the stadium and will be available inside the stadium. All full poop bags should be thrown in a trash can. Violators of these rules will be asked to leave the UTRGV Baseball Stadium immediately.

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Los Fresnos and Lyford are the only Rio Grande Valley teams yet to suffer defeat in district play entering the final days of the Texas high school baseball regular season.

The Falcons (22-6-1, 7-0) have District 32-6A in a stranglehold and already have clinched at least a share of the district title and the No. 1 seed. A Los Fresnos win Friday against San Benito secures an outright championship.

The Bulldogs (18-7) have won eight straight games and are 6-0 in 32-3A. They’ll close district competition with a game against Monte Alto on Friday and a showdown at home against Rio Hondo (25-1, 6-1) next week with the district championship on the line.

La Joya High created a possible co-district championship scenario in District 31-6A with an 11-4 win over PSJA High on Tuesday. The Coyotes (16-12-1, 6-1) and Bears (17-8, 6-1) are now tied for first in 31-6A. PSJA High closes out district play against Edinburg North, Mission High and Edinburg High, while La Joya faces Edinburg High, Edinburg Economedes and Mission High.

La Joya Palmview and Rio Grande City are tied for the lead in District 30-5A with 9-2 records, and Mission Veterans and Roma still have a shot at 8-3 with three games remaining. Palmview has a chance to win back-to-back district championships and takes on Roma on Friday and Laredo Cigarroa twice during the final week. Meanwhile, Rio Grande City can earn a share of the title if the Rattlers can take care of business against Cigarroa on Friday and two games against Roma next week.

Sharyland Pioneer (24-2-1, 14-1) is in the driver’s seat to repeat as District 31-5A champion, but the Diamondbacks will have to fend off their rival down the street — Sharyland High (21-4, 13-2) — in order to make it happen. The two Sharyland schools are set to collide for two games next week to cap the regular season.

Two-time defending District 32-5A champion Weslaco East (22-3, 14-1) has an opportunity to three-peat if it can win out against Donna High and Brownsville Lopez. Brownsville Veterans and Harlingen South are right on the Wildcats’ tail at 13-2 and 12-3 in district.

Hidalgo (13-8-1, 8-1) and Zapata (17-5, 8-1) appear headed for a district title game between the two teams tied for first in 32-4A on the final day of the regular season. Zapata edged Hidalgo 1-0 in their first meeting. Game 2 between the Pirates and Hawks is scheduled for April 28 in Hidalgo.

STATE RANKS

Sharyland Pioneer and Weslaco East continue to represent the Rio Grande Valley as the area’s only state-ranked teams in both the Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association Poll and Texas High School Baseball’s 5A top 25.

The latest THSBCA poll, released April 17, has the Diamondbacks (24-2-1, 14-1) at No. 7 and Weslaco East (22-3, 14-1) at No. 10. Texas High School Baseball’s top 25 features Weslaco East at No. 7 and Sharyland Pioneer at No. 9.

UPSET ALERT

Two state-ranked RGV baseball teams suffered upset losses last week.

Edcouch-Elsa stung state-ranked Weslaco East 7-6 in nine innings last Friday, ending a 22-game winning streak in District 32-5A competition by the Wildcats that dated to March 29 of last year. The victory helped the Yellow Jackets’ chances at qualifying for the postseason with three games remaining.

PSJA North added an upset in 31-5A with an 8-4 win over state-ranked Sharyland High last Friday. Although the Raiders’ odds of a playoff spot are low, the takedown of the Rattlers keeps them alive. The loss knocked Sharyland out of this week’s THSB Top 25 poll.

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SAN JUAN — La Joya High handed PSJA High its first loss in District 31-6A action with a dominant 11-4 victory Tuesday at C.V. Cain Field in San Juan.

The win by the Coyotes (16-12-1, 6-1) creates a tie with the Bears (17-7, 6-1) for the No. 1 seed in District 31-6A.

The Bears jumped ahead early with three runs during the bottom of the first.

PSJA’s Charlie Zamaripa led off with a solo home run to left field, and Vinny Cano and Diego Gomez drove in two more runs with RBI singles.

It was all Coyotes after that, however.

Coyotes pitcher Hunter Morales pitched six innings and didn’t allow another run after surrendering three in the first. He finished with five strikeouts across six innings.

La Joya’s Alex Guajardo finished 5-for-5 with one RBI and two runs. Homer Munoz went 3-for-5 with five RBIs, including a three-run shot to left field during the top of the third that tied the game at 3. Lucas Zambrano added two RBIs and two runs on 2-for-4 hitting.

PSJA will look to bounce back against Edinburg North at 7 p.m. Friday at Edinburg North High School.

La Joya moves on to face Edinburg High at 7 p.m. Friday at La Joya High School.

DISTRICT 31-5A

SHARYLAND PIONEER 8, EDINBURG VELA 4: At Mission, Dannel Marrero and Andy Chapa combined for five hits and seven RBIs to lead the Diamondbacks (24-2-1, 14-1) over the SaberCats (17-9, 11-4) at Sharyland Pioneer High School.

Pioneer pitcher Rene Vela threw six innings, allowing two earned runs off five hits and two walks while striking out 10.

Edinburg Vela’s Ryan Botello led the SaberCats with two hits. Bobby Garcia finished 1-for-3 with one RBI.

The SaberCats and Diamondbacks will play Game 2 of their series at 7 p.m. Friday at Edinburg Vela High School.

SHARYLAND HIGH 14, McALLEN HIGH 7: At McAllen, the Rattlers teamed up for 19 hits to score 14 runs against the Bulldogs at McHi. Alejandro Islas went 4-for-5 with four RBIs and four runs, Homer Garcia added three RBIs off four hits and Fabrizio Salinas and Santiago Soto drove in two runs each.

Cole Gerlach secured the win with nine strikeouts in six innings.

Diego Garcia led McHi offensively with three RBIs.

The Rattlers and Bulldogs will play Game 2 of their series at 7 p.m. Friday at Sharyland High School in Mission.

PHARR — The PSJA ISD school board unanimously approved the hiring of J.J. Leija to be the next head football coach and athletic coordinator at PSJA Southwest during a school board meeting Monday evening.

Leija brings head coaching experience to Southwest and has served as co-defensive coordinator at Edinburg Vela for the past three seasons.

The position at PSJA Southwest opened in February after former head coach and athletic coordinator Abel Estrada was reassigned. The Javelinas posted back-to-back 1-9 seasons during his two-year tenure.

Leija, an Edinburg High alumnus, previously served as head coach and athletic coordinator at Edinburg High for five years from 2016-2020. During that time, the Bobcats qualified for the playoffs three seasons in a row with an overall record of 27-21. Leija was reassigned by Edinburg CISD following the 2020 season after an on-field incident involving former Edinburg High football player Emmanuel Duron striking a referee during a game.

Leija was the defensive coordinator at La Joya Palmview prior to taking over the head coaching position at Edinburg High, and has been co-defensive coordinator at Edinburg Vela for the past three seasons. He also held the defensive coordinator position at PSJA North during the late 2000s with coaching stops at Edinburg Economedes and La Joya High.

PSJA Southwest began competing in varsity football in 2012 and has gone 29-79 in 11 years. The Javelinas have qualified for the playoffs one time in program history in 2020.

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MISSION — Rio Grande City and Mission Veterans entered their District 30-5A matchup in a four-way tie for the top spot in their league standings.

The Rattlers defeated the Patriots 5-2 on Friday at Mission Veterans High School to make it a three-way tie entering the final two weeks of the regular season.

Rio Grande City (18-7, 8-2) is now tied for first with La Joya Palmview (18-7, 8-2) and Roma (17-8, 8-2). Mission Veterans drops to fourth in 30-5A at 7-3 and 14-12 overall.

“I told them, ‘It’s in your hands. You guys want it, you guys take it,’ and they’re taking it,” Rio Grande City head coach Hiram Lopez said. “These kids are one humble group. They’re staying hungry, they want to win that district title and this game was a big game for them.”

Rio Grande City pitcher Paul Bazan and his defense kept Mission Veterans off the board for the first five innings to take a 5-0 lead entering the sixth. Bazan finished with two earned runs off three walks and seven hits to go with six strikeouts. He helped his cause with a two-run home run during the top of the third.

“On the offensive side, I was just ready to jump on the fastball, take it as far as I could to help my team out,” Bazan said.

Mission Veterans responded with a two-out rally during the bottom of the sixth as Rey Martinez and Ethan Garza drove in a pair to cut into Rio Grande City’s lead.

Austin Bazan and Deandre Rodriguez finished with one RBI apiece for the Rattlers.

The win clinches a playoff spot for Rio Grande City, but it has its sights set on winning a district title with four games remaining in the regular season.

“We just want to keep up the same intensity. We’re the scariest team in the district right now, and we’re going to push the pedal to the metal and give it our all,” Paul Bazan said.

Rio Grande City moves on to a two-game series against Laredo Cigarroa beginning at 6 p.m. Tuesday in Laredo. Mission Veterans will look to bounce back against Laredo Nixon at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Mission Veterans High School.

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PHARR — McAllen High’s boys and girls 4×100 relay teams turned on the burners to capture a pair of district titles in their respective events at the District 31-5A meet Thursday at PSJA Stadium.

McHi’s girls went on to blow their competition out of the water with 197 points to win the District 31-5A girls team championship. Sharyland High’s girls won second with 97 points, and Edinburg Vela took third with 87 points.

Sophia Flores was part of McHi’s first-place finishing 4×100 and 4×400 relay teams, and also won gold in the 100-meter dash with a time of 12.74.

McAllen’s Sophia Flores crosses the finish line in first place as she competes in the 100 meter dash during the 31-5A/6A District track meet at PSJA Stadium on Thursday, April 13, 2023, in Pharr. (Joel Martinez | [email protected]) Joel Martinez

Ecklyn Vaden, Flores, Dariana Luna and Katelyn Vaden ran a 49.34 in the 4×100. Flores, Katelyn Vaden, Elizabeth Sandoval and Yaneli Rocha ran a 4.00.60 in the 4×400.

“Our team was really good today. We all worked so hard, and I’m so glad we won district,” Flores said.

Sharyland Pioneer’s boys finished fourth at last year’s district meet and used it as motivation to win this year’s 31-5A boys team championship with 132 points. Edinburg Vela finished second at 108, and McHi was right behind with 103 points.

Sharyland Pioneer’s Ryan Servantes (1) competes along side McAllen Memorial’s Ayden Grandos (20) and others in the 800 meter run during the 31-5A/6A District tract meet at PSJA Stadium on Thursday, April 13, 2023, in Pharr. (Joel Martinez | [email protected]) Joel Martinez

Pioneer’s 4×400 relay team of Gabriel Halbritter, Philip Syer, Leo Espinoza and Austin Saenz needed to finish ahead of Edinburg Vela and McAllen High’s relay teams in order to win the boys team title, and they took care of business by running a 3:25.64 for first place in the meet’s final event.

“We came out of the field events tied with Edinburg Vela and we knew it was going to be a battle, then McHi started creeping up there, but the kids just rallied and came together,” Pioneer boys track head coach Marcelino De la Fuente said. “It came down to the 4×400 like it should and we had the best one coming in, so they stepped up and every kid played a part. It was awesome.”

McHi’s Zachary Hernandez also won district championships in the 100 and 400, as well as in the 4×100 with teammates William Hawk, Leo Salinas and EJ Ramirez to go 3-for-3 in gold medals in his respective events. McHi’s 4×100 relay team finished second during the district prelims Tuesday but turned things up a bit to win first in the finals.

McAllen High’s Zachary Hernandez (4) competes in the 100 meter dash during the 31-5A/6A District track meet at PSJA Stadium on Thursday, April 13, 2023, in Pharr. (Joel Martinez | [email protected]) Joel Martinez

“Last year, I came out here hoping to strike an individual gold and unfortunately I wasn’t able to, so this year was redemption season,” Hernandez said. “I had to come out here and make up for it, trusted in our practices, in our training and it paid off.”

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PHARR — Edinburg North’s boys dominated and Edinburg Economedes’ girls delivered late to lift their respective teams to win district championships at the District 31-6A track and field meet Thursday at PSJA Stadium.

The Cougars’ boys won the district title with 167 team points. Mission High finished second with 118 points, and La Joya High took third with 111 points.

Edinburg North’s Isaac Vidaurri looks back after crossing the finish line in first as he competes in the 200 meter run during the 31-5A/6A District track meet at PSJA Stadium on Thursday, April 13, 2023, in Pharr. (Joel Martinez | [email protected]) Joel Martinez

Edinburg North’s Keyshawn Garcia won district titles in the 400- and 800-meter-runs and was part of a group of three Cougars to take first, second and third in the 1,600-meter run as Alexis Rodriguez (4:25.89) won the district title, Garcia took silver and Alexis Garcia won bronze.

“All that work has paid off. We tried to come back and triple it from basketball, football, to track and soccer, we’ve been working really hard for this,” Keyshawn Garcia said.

Edinburg Economedes’ girls team was crowned District 31-6A champion with 142 points, narrowly edging Edinburg High at 138.5 and La Joya High in third at 114.5.

Edinburg Economedes’ Herminia Corado competes in the 100 meter hurdles during the 31-5A/6A District track meet at PSJA Stadium on Thursday, April 13, 2023, in Pharr. (Joel Martinez | [email protected]) Joel Martinez

The Economedes 4×400 relay team of Herminia Corado, Christina Herrera, Alina Rocha and Francesca Alvarado pulled through in the meet’s final race to win a district title with a time of 4:06.09 and secure the team championship.

“We have a small team, and they all did what they needed to do today and they showed it at the end. They really wanted it,” Economedes girls track head coach Veronica Vasquez said. “They’ve been working really hard. We’ve had a really tough season and all of them are doing multiple events, so it was tough, but we came through.”

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EDINBURG — Edinburg Vela head coach Jaime Perez has won over 200 games, 29 in the playoffs and 13 playoff series victories during his nine years leading the SaberCats’ baseball program. But it’s his most recent victory that saved his life.

During the 2022 postseason, Perez was forced to miss Edinburg Vela’s first two playoff series due to illness. Two months later, he was diagnosed with Stage 3 colorectal cancer.

“When I got diagnosed, I asked God for one thing, ‘Let me start my season and let me go as far as I can go before these life-altering changes are coming.’ What I’m going to go through is going to be life-altering for me, but for me to live, I have to do this,” Perez said during a March 15 interview. “The No. 1 thing is I’m going to live and I’m going to beat this thing.”

Edinburg Vela’s baseball coach Jaime Perez during a baseball game at Edinburg Vela high baseball field Wednesday, March 15, 2023, in Edinburg,Texas. (Delcia Lopez | [email protected]) Delcia Lopez

Perez underwent chemotherapy and was scheduled to undergo surgery April 13 in Houston. He planned to step away from coaching the SaberCats for the remainder of the season while in recovery.

Perez coached what he thought would be his final game of the year last Friday, a 3-2 win in extra innings over McAllen Rowe. After the game, the SaberCats team and community came together on the Edinburg Vela baseball field in prayer for Perez as he prepared for surgery.

His oldest son, Jaime “Mito” Perez Jr., who played at Vela from 2018-21 and is currently a sophomore catcher for the Tarleton baseball team, happened to be in town with the Texans the same weekend as they faced UTRGV for a three-game Western Athletic Conference series.

Edinburg Vela head baseball coach Jaime Perez receives a hug from his son Tarleton catcher and former Edinburg Vela baseball player Jaime Perez Jr. after a University of Texas Rio Grande Valley WAC game against Tarleton at the UTRGV Baseball Stadium on Saturday, April 1, 2023, in Edinburg. (Joel Martinez | [email protected]) Joel Martinez

In last Sunday’s series finale against UTRGV, the younger Perez hit a three-run home run with Coach Perez and family in the stands. The home run was the second of Mito’s career and an emotional moment for the family as he flashed the “I love you” hand gesture towards them as he rounded third base during his home run trot.

“When he hit that home run, it was overwhelming. What a special moment, not just for me, but for my family,” Perez said. “A lot of family and friends were there, they got to experience it with us. My wife is Mrs. 24/7. She’s my rock and I couldn’t do it without her. Watching Mito hit that home run, what a great feeling.”

After the game, Coach Perez prayed with his son and four former Edinburg Vela baseball players who are currently on the UTRGV baseball team — RJ Ochoa (2017), Nico Rodriguez (2019), Isaac Lopez (2020) and Rudy Gonzalez (2022).

Edinburg Vela head baseball coach Jaime Perez poses with Former Edinburg Vela players left ot right, Nico Rodriguez, RJ Ochoa, Jaime Perez Jr., Rudy Gonzalez, and Isaac Lopez after a University of Texas Rio Grande Valley WAC game against Tarleton at the UTRGV Baseball Stadium on Saturday, April 1, 2023, in Edinburg. (Joel Martinez | [email protected]) Joel Martinez

“This man is a legend and I am blessed to call him my father,” Mito Perez said during the series against UTRGV. “He has taught all of us to do the little things right and respect the game no matter what. He’s a father figure to many and many love him. You’re gonna beat cancer, pops.”

A day after seeing his son hit a home run in his return to the Rio Grande Valley, Coach Perez was in Houston for pre-operation testing in preparation for his scheduled surgery. On Tuesday, he received news from his doctor.

“The doctor’s exact words were, ‘I can’t explain it, but there’s nothing there.’ I’m a walking testimony of his grace and his mercy — I’m cancer-free,” Perez said. “There are no signs but a scar. There is no cancer in my body whatsoever. My blood tests came up negative. The CTs and MRIs came up zero cancer. I’m really, really blessed. I’m blessed that I don’t have to go through this life-altering surgery. I’m very grateful. It’s a second chance at life.”

During his time leading the SaberCats, he’s helped send more than a dozen players onto the next level to play college baseball. The four former Vela players and current Vaqueros took turns describing Coach Perez. Each time, common words came up — father figure, an inspiration and teacher of hard work.

Edinburg Vela head baseball coach Jaime Perez talks with former Edinburg Vela baseball players now playing for the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley after their WAC game aagainst Tarleton at the UTRGV Baseball Stadium on Saturday, April 1, 2023, in Edinburg. (Joel Martinez | [email protected]) Joel Martinez

Perez’s middle and youngest sons, Izzy and Augie, are currently in high school and junior high. Izzy Perez said the support from family, friends and the baseball community helped uplift his father during his battle with cancer.

“We just had to be here for him, help him out and put everything in God’s hands and God worked his magic,” he said. “The support has been crazy. I want to thank everybody that’s supported my dad and helped him through his struggle. He’s had so many family and friends that have helped us out.”

Perez now plans to rejoin the Edinburg Vela baseball program and will be back on the diamond and in the dugout next week to lead the SaberCats in their pursuit of a ninth-consecutive playoff berth.

“I feel amazing. I’m with my family, my boys. I’m in a really, really good situation right now,” he said. “I just thank God everyday I get to come out to my place of peace. My home is the baseball field. That’s where I love to be.”

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