DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

John Henry Gonzalez celebrated his graduation from Edinburg High School last weekend. By this weekend, he could choose to become a professional baseball player.

Gonzalez, a 5-foot-10, 210-pound flame-throwing right-handed pitcher, is expected to be taken in the 40-round Major League Baseball draft that starts with rounds 1 and 2 on Thursday, continues Friday and finishes Saturday. He is one of two Rio Grande Valley high school players that could be selected, along with Brownsville Veterans Memorial’s Fred Villarreal.

Gonzalez is a power arm. He topped out at 93 miles per hour in 2016 and averaged 90-91 miles per hour on his fastball. He went 9-0 with a 0.89 ERA and 109 strikeouts to 31 walks in 63 innings. For his career as a Bobcat, he went 21-3 with a 0.74 ERA and 261 strikeouts in 152.1 innings.

Gonzalez signed last fall to continue his career at Texas Tech after verbally committing to the program as a junior. But depending on how early he is drafted, he could end up wearing the colors of a MLB team instead of the Red Raiders.

“It’s about what will be best overall,” Gonzalez said. “Already I have that full-ride scholarship. But if where I’m taken is a fit and it’s high enough for me, where I know I can work through the system … that’s what’s important. Money is half and half, and that would be more for my family and a luxury to help them out after carrying so much weight on their shoulders in what they’ve done for me. Money is something, but it’s not all I’m worried about in this process.”

If Gonzalez chooses to bypass going pro to play for the Red Raiders, he will not be eligible to be drafted again until after his junior season.

“If he doesn’t get drafted high, which we feel is the top 10 rounds, he’ll be going to Texas Tech,” said Gonzalez’s father, John. “It’s about the dollar amount. Then you have scouts tell you don’t worry about the dollar amount, it’s about the opportunity. Just to get drafted, no matter where, is an honor. So there are things to think about. It’s not going to be an easy decision.”

Marcos Tovar Jr., in his third year as an associate scout with the Tampa Bay Rays, started watching Gonzalez two years ago. Since then, Tovar and area scout Pat Murphy have paid close attention to him.

Tovar, who lives in Mercedes and covers the area for the Rays, said he saw Gonzalez about 8-9 times this season. Gonzalez said the Rays have been his primary suitor. Discussions have taken place in regard to money and draft slot.

John Gonzalez said the Rays have talked contractually about a base sum of $120,000 to cover college. Gonzalez’s Texas Tech scholarship accounts for the full $15,000 per semester.

“He’s got good arm strength, a good build,” said Tovar, who has also been an associate scout with the Houston Astros and Arizona Diamondbacks. “His velocity is good right now. He shows a lot of composure on the mound. Those are the important parts we found interesting in him. But he’s also a great kid off the field, and that’s a major point for us in looking at a kid.”

Gonzalez said the San Francisco Giants, New York Mets and Washington Nationals have also expressed interest. He also received phone calls from the Colorado Rockies and text messages from the Miami Marlins. The Rays and Houston Astros have visited the Gonzalez’s’ home.

“I’ve had serious talks with the Rays, but you never know,” Gonzalez said. “I know it’s open. There have been guys who have been drafted by teams that never even talked to them. Anything can happen, and it’s something else that’s not in my control.”

Gonzalez said Texas Tech has maintained a prominent presence during the last few weeks. He has received countless text messages from coaches celebrating each win as the team continues its postseason run to the NCAA Super Regionals.

Gonzalez said he has the best of both worlds: either he is drafted and turns pro, or he elects to go to college for a few years and play for one of the nation’s top programs.

“It’s a crazy thing to be able to get drafted out of high school,” Gonzalez said. “It’s a nervous time, not just for myself but my family. It’s been hectic. A lot of people talk about college in high school, and it’s a good thing to have that as a fallback. So I’m not worried about what happens.”

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DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

Two Rio Grande Valley high school baseball players will participate in the Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association All-State All-Star game later this month, while many more Valley kids will be playing in the RGV All-Star game in La Joya.

Hidalgo’s Mike Alvarez will play for the THSBCA South all-stars in the Class 2A-3A-4A All-Star Game at noon on June 18. Brownsville Veterans Memorial’s Fred Villarreal will play for the South all-stars in the Class 5A-6A All-Star Game at 4 p.m. later that same day.

Both games are at Dell Diamond in Round Rock.

“I was happy, thrilled,” Alvarez said. “I thought Coach (Karlos Carrasco) was playing around when he told me at first. I tried my best all season. We didn’t accomplish what we wanted as a team, but I gave my all.”

Alvarez, who will continue his baseball career at Midland Junior College, hit .530 with 30 RBIs and two homers and had 16 walks to 5 strikeouts. Alvarez had a .610 on-base percentage for the co-district champion Pirates.

“I want to go out there and compete,” Alvarez said about playing in the all-star game. “It’s the top talent in the state, so it will help me get ready for college.”

Villarreal, a University of Houston signee, went 11-1 with a 0.50 ERA and 124 strikeouts to seven walks in 69.1 innings for the Chargers this season. Villarreal had four no-hitters and one perfect game.

For the RGV game, 6 p.m. on June 25 at the La Joya ISD Complex, Mission Veterans Memorial’s Casey Smith and Edinburg High’s Robert Valdez will coach the West all-star team, which features players from Roma to Alamo. Harlingen High’s Bryan Aughney, Brownsville Hanna’s Eddie Garcia and Port Isabel assistant coach Barton Bickerton will lead the East.

The game is for senior baseball players.

Edinburg Vela had the most selections named to the West team with three players. Brownsville Veterans Memorial had the most selections named to the East, with five.

RGV WEST ALL-STARS

Anibal Leal, La Joya High

Bryan Cantu, Mission High

Luis Talancon, McAllen Memorial

Jovani Favata, McAllen High

Rigo Sanchez, McAllen High

Jake Weaver, McAllen Rowe

Esteban Peña, La Joya Palmview

Cesar Rosales, La Joya Palmview

Gil Falcon, Edinburg North

John Henry Gonzalez, Edinburg High

Matthew Treviño, Edinburg High

Gabriel Amaya, Edinburg Economedes

Michael Gonzalez, PSJA Memorial

Rogelio Martinez, PSJA North

Andrew Castaneda, PSJA High

Johnny Davila, Edinburg Vela

Elijah Reyna, Edinburg Vela

John Treviño, Edinburg Vela

Aaron Rodriguez, Valley View

Alonso Armendariz, Rio Grande City

Vicente Contreras, Sharyland High

Michael Alvarez, Hidalgo

Daniel Espinosa, Hidalgo

Jacob Villarreal, Zapata

Abel Guerra, Falfurrias

Alternates: Robert Valdez, Edinburg High; Israel Perez, Mission High; Juan Salinas, Roma

RGV EAST ALL-STARS

David Anaya, Brownsville Veterans Memorial

Alec Buitron, Brownsville Hanna

Kristian Estevanes, Weslaco High

Ismael Gaitan, San Benito

Isaac Galpin, La Feria

Alec Garza, Harlingen South

Josue Garza, Rio Hondo

Jonathan Garza, Port Isabel

Baltazar Guzman, Brownsville Veterans Memorial

Ulises Hernandez, Weslaco High

Javier Hernandez, Port Isabel

Jacob Martinez, Edcouch-Elsa

Jason McClenahan, Weslaco High

Nick Montemayor, Los Fresnos

Santiago Moody, Brownsville Veterans Memorial

Marky Ordoñez, Brownsville Lopez

Joseph Partida, San Benito

Trey Ramirez, Donna High

Jose San Roman, Progreso

Manny Sanchez, Santa Rosa

Noe Solis, Brownsville Veterans Memorial

Axel Vazquez, Donna North

Freddy Villarreal, Brownsville Veterans Memorial

Jaedon Wynn, Harlingen High

DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

ZAPATA — Edinburg High threw ace John Henry Gonzalez and won Game 1 of its Class 6A regional quarterfinal series against Laredo Alexander on Thursday. Alexander threw ace Sergio Macias in its Game 2 win Friday.

So Game 3 on Saturday came down to whoever had the most left in the tank. That was Alexander.

Edinburg High had the lead twice and threatened late, but Alexander pulled away with the 8-4 Game 3 win at Zapata High School to advance to the regional semifinals next week.

It was the second consecutive trip to the third round of the playoffs for the Bobcats, who finished 19-11-2.

“What can we say? It never ends the way we want it to end unless we get to the big tournament in June,” Bobcats coach Robert Valdez said. “We did the best we could. It’s a sad day to let this season come to a close, but by no means is it a letdown.”

With sturdy pitching from sophomores Marcelo Perez and Andres Santos and consistent hitting all throughout the lineup, Alexander — returning five starters from last year’s state semifinalist — took advantage of shaky outings from Bobcats starter Jaime Cansino and reliever Josh Aguirre.

The Bulldogs (24-8) compiled 12 hits and struck out just twice. Bobcats pitching did not record its first strikeout until No. 9 hitter Luis Lopez went down swinging with one out in the fourth inning.

Alexander’s top hitting duo, seniors Aldo Buendia and Sergio Macias, combined to go 4-for-7 with two RBIs, setting the table for the Bulldogs at the top of the lineup.

“We were on it,” Bulldogs coach Fernando Lemus said. “Today we just managed to put the ball in play. We were hitting line drives, we weren’t putting the ball in the air. Those are three excellent pitchers we saw this weekend, but today we were just on it.”

Edinburg High managed six hits and had its opportunities for more. The Bobcats loaded the bases with no outs in the third inning and only came away with a run via fielder’s choice. They also stranded two runners in scoring position in the fifth inning.

“We may have been tight under pressure at times,” said Gonzalez, who went 0-for-2 with two walks, including an intentional pass. “We have some guys in this lineup that aren’t as experienced as others, but we never stopped fighting. This team just kept pushing through and pushing through, from day one. I’m proud of this team.”

Edinburg High was in the playoffs for the eighth straight season. The Bobcats graduate 13 seniors who helped establish a winning tradition for Valdez. Among those departing are program leaders Gonzalez, Aguirre, Matthew Treviño and Daniel Solis.

“Our kids fought, and we’re not making any excuses,” Valdez said. “Alexander is a good ballclub. They executed and we didn’t. But I’m proud of our kids, of where we started and where we’ve gotten to.

“These outgoing seniors, they’ve laid the foundation for us.”

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DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

SAN JUAN — Edinburg Vela baseball practices the last few weeks have centered on details. It could be adjusting a step toward a base here, or fixing an arm angle there.

It’s the SaberCats’ approach that has Vela coach Jaime Perez feeling like his team is where it needs to be going into this weekend’s Class 5A regional quarterfinal series against No. 1-state ranked Calallen.

“We’re getting closer to peaking,” Perez said. “We still haven’t gotten there. We’ve had guys here and there carry us. A group here and there. But not the whole team at once. It looks like we’re getting close.”

Vela (18-8-1) is in the third round of the playoffs for the first time in the program’s three years. The SaberCats survived Donna North in the bi-district round and nemesis Victoria East — which ousted Vela in the area round last season — last weekend.

Vela fell to the Titans 17-2 in Game 1 before rallying to win 10-0 in Game 2 and 5-2 in Game 3.

“Last year, playing against Victoria East, it was kind of intimidating,” senior John Treviño said. “Big crowds, the intensity, how crazy everything is. It got to us. This year, it doesn’t. We’re a lot more comfortable in big games.

“Now we’re facing the No. 1 team in the state and we don’t see them as a scary opponent. They’re just another team. They’ve still got to hit the ball and throw strikes like we do.”

Talent-wise, the SaberCats have all the pieces. Senior Johnny Davila is the ace, boasting a 7-1 record and 0.44 ERA. Offensively, Davila and Elijah Reyna have combined for 41 stolen bases. Six SaberCats hit .407 or better, led by postseason hero R.J. Ochoa (.486).

The difference for this year’s SaberCats is experience. With that comes an appreciation of the minutiae.

“We lost a lot of close ballgames last year that we’re winning this year,” Davila said. “We’re sound in details now. We’ve paid attention to the little things, and that’s helped us tremendously. From bunting to stealing bags, all those crucial things that played a part in us losing ballgames last year, we’ve corrected and able to pull through in big situations.

“We’re not going to take no for an answer and I think it shows whenever we play.”

In his second year of the helm of the SaberCats, Perez has asserted himself. He is more demanding of players in pursuit of consistency.

Last year was about setting a foundation of discipline and winning. The SaberCats were successful in doing so. This year, it’s about having something to strive for.

Last week, heading into the Victoria East series, Perez’s buzzword for his team was “flawless.” The SaberCats weren’t, but they had something to shoot for en route to winning. This week, the buzzword is “belief.”

“Last year, Coach was in his first year and he was adjusting to us and we were adjusting to him,” Treviño said. “This year, there’s more of a connection. He’s a lot tougher on us. Last year, he was just trying to get his feet wet. This year, expectations are greater.”

Mentally, the SaberCats are as sharp as they’ve been all season. Physically, they continue to get better, starting with Davila.

Davila, an athlete’s athlete, focused more on baseball this season. A standout on the football field and track, he knew he’d be asked to do more on the baseball field. So, whereas baseball took a backseat to football and track last season, Davila put baseball at the forefront of his priorities this year.

He worked more on pitching — his slider has improved considerably and he has better control with pitches — and understood that as he went, the team would go. After a subpar pitching effort as a junior, Davila’s refocus and commitment has enabled him to become one of the top pitchers in the Valley.

“I knew I was going to be a bigger part of this team, mostly because I’m a senior and that’s the role we step into naturally,” said Davila, who’s also hitting .407 with 23 RBIs and four triples. “I knew I had to be ready to lead this ballclub.”

Once their anchor was set, everything fell in place for the SaberCats. Now comes their greatest challenge yet in the 25-2 Wildcats, starting with Game 1 at Texas A&M-Kingsville on Friday night.

“They’re just another team,” Ochoa said. “They put on their clothes just like we do. We have as much of a chance as they do. We’ve worked too hard and believe way too much to go in there scared. We’re going to give it everything we’ve got.”

Or, as Davila put it: “We have nothing to lose and everything to prove.”

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DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

After winning the regional mixed doubles tennis championship last month, Sharyland High’s Sebastian Arizola and Emilia Ramos changed the way they played the game.

Ramos, who had played exclusively on the right side of the court all season, suggested she move to the left side.

“I feel I’m better on the left side, and that worked so much better,” Ramos said. “My left hand is better than my right hand. So we switched and the practices went really well.”

The result was a UIL Class 5A state championship on Tuesday as Arizola and Ramos bested Texarkana’s Aubree Cramer and Cullen Schoen, 6-2, 6-2, at Texas A&M University in College Station. Though the pair was playing its first season as a team, Arizola and Ramos, both seniors, swept two of their three state matches.

“We got here with the mindset we’d do whatever it takes to win,” Arizola said. “We were focused and we knew all we had to do was execute. We trust each other. We know each other will do their part and we won.”

Arizola and Ramos beat Grapevine’s Kali Hamilton and Calum Robe, 6-3, 6-1, in the quarterfinals before topping College Station A&M Consolidated’s Tory Templin and Lily Taylor, 6-4, 5-6, 6-4 in the semifinals on Monday.

“We were playing against Consolidated and they had the whole team and it seemed like half the school there cheering them on,” Sharyland coach Yvette Vela said. “It was a crazy atmosphere. Intense. But we worked through it and the kids fought and they pulled through. I’m just so proud of them.”

This was the second state appearance for Arizola, who competed in boys doubles with Carlos Ramones last year. This was Ramos’ first appearance at state.

“We knew this was a good opportunity to show what the Valley has,” Ramos said. “We were in the state of mind to do anything to win. We gave everything we had.”

In the championship match, everything went Sharyland High’s way. Arizola and Ramos were hardly threatened and were confident coming off the big semifinal win against the hometown A&M Consolidated duo.

“We started strong and we finished strong,” Arizola said. “From the start, we were putting everything away and creating points. Everything was working for us. Our game plan was to attack the net and attack their girl, and we were just aggressive. All of our shots were going and whatever we wanted to do, we did.”

The game seemed to come easy to Arizola and Ramos this week, something they credited to moving Ramos from right to left.

“It was very important,” Ramos said. “On the left side, it’s easier for me to get in and easier to catch balls. In the back, it’s easier for me to hit crosscourt with my backhand. It made a huge difference.”

The state championship is believed to be the first for Sharyland High’s tennis program.

In the Class 5A boys singles finals, Sharyland Pioneer’s Joaquin Delgado fell to Everman’s Angel Palacios, 6-0, 6-0.

“I started off slow,” Delgado said. “I gave my all, but I could have played better. He had a great groundstroke, made very few errors and he was very consistent.”

Delgado, a junior, defeated A&M Consolidated’s Chad Nguyen, 7-6(6), 6-3, in the quarterfinals and McKinney North’s Jordan Brewer 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 in the semifinals. It was a successful rebound year for Delgado, who had his sophomore season cut short during district play after re-aggravating a stress fracture in his foot.

“I was really motivated for this year,” said Delgado, who said he will work to improve his serve during the offseason. “Winning state was the goal. I felt like I really matured as a player and in effort. I just learned I have to start off strong in every match. I have to give it my all each and every match, and that’s about being strong mentally and physically. I’m going to be better.”

Sharyland Pioneer’s boys doubles team of Stevan Guarneri and Gabriel Martin won their Class 5A quarterfinals match against McKinney North, 7-6(5), 6-3, before falling in the semifinals against College Station’s Rohen Sukkawala and Kyle Miller, 6-1, 6-2.

McAllen Memorial’s Jack Wang, a junior, lost his Class 6A state quarterfinals match to Southlake Carroll’s Arman Dave, 6-1, 6-0, on Monday.

The Mustangs’ boys doubles team of brothers Alan and Daniel Magadan won its quarterfinal match against Katy Seven Lakes, 6-1, 6(4)-7, 6-4 on Monday before falling in the semifinals to Southlake Carroll’s Matt Landers and Alec Reusche, 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 later that afternoon.

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DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

LA JOYA — The one win La Joya Palmview needed, with its season on the line, took 9 hours, 15 minutes and two days to complete. But once it was over, and the Lobos won Game 2 to tie its Class 6A area playoff series against Brownsville Hanna, Palmview had conquered its biggest obstacle.

Palmview dismissed Hanna 10-0 in a run-ruled, five-inning Game 3 at the La Joya ISD Complex on Monday after winning the completion of a suspended Game 2, 5-4, in 10 innings earlier that afternoon. The Lobos rallied from a 1-0 series deficit after it fell 4-3 in Game 1 on Friday.

The teams played six innings of Game 2 on Saturday, when it was hosted in La Joya and San Juan, before the game was suspended because of inclement weather. Tied 4-4, the teams played two more evenly-played innings Monday before Victor Flores’ walk-off RBI double with one out in the 10th kept Palmview’s season alive.

“Game 2 was the hurdle,” Palmview coach Rick Garcia said. “Being tied going into the seventh and the time and effort it took. We had to work to get over the hump, and our kids worked. It’s a tough situation, not only winning two games back-to-back, but the way we had to do it and what we had to go through to do it.”

In Game 3, the revived Lobos (20-11-1) jumped on top 3-0 as junior right-hander Leo Perez took care of everything else. Perez, the team’s ace, won Game 2 by throwing four dominant innings of relief and then threw five more in Game 3.

In all on Monday, Perez threw nine shutout innings and surrendered four hits while striking out 11 and walking none in improving his record to 11-1. After throwing 97 pitches in a Game 1 loss on Friday, Perez was held to a 100-pitch total count on Monday. He never reached it, throwing 47 pitches in Game 2 and 43 in Game 3.

“I was feeling great and confident, especially the second game,” Perez said. “That was an intense win, and I just was so amped for Game 3. I knew if we came out with the bats, we’d win.”

The key for the Lobos was rain and lightning. Rain caused unplayable fields Saturday and lightning caused consistent delays, forcing Game 2 to be postponed. That allowed Perez extra rest.

While Garcia elected to use him Monday, Hanna coach Eddie Garcia did not opt to use sophomore ace Noe Guerrero on the same amount of three-day’ rest. Senior Alec Buitron started Game 3 and sophomore Raul Perez was used in relief.

“I’m not going to hurt a sophomore,” Eddie Garcia said. “I used to be a pitcher … a lot of people have different opinions on pitchers and limitations and rest. I never even thought about it. He’s got a bright future. Coaches have different philosophies. Mine is he did his job on Friday, and if we can’t do it in two games, it wasn’t meant to be. No area championship is worth hurting a kid.”

That made Game 2 even more essential, with Eddie Garcia knowing he would not use his ace for Game 3. And that’s why the Hanna coach was adamant about waiting out the weather and trying to finish Game 2 on Saturday before finally agreeing to just wait until Monday once the UIL consented.

“We were flat and it’s the wrong time to do it, but that’s baseball,” Eddie Garcia said of the Game 3 loss. “No excuses. They came back, they won, they did it the right way and that pitcher (Perez) is a beast. They earned it.”

The Lobos had eight hits and struck out just twice in Game 3. Ismael Martinez went 3-for-3 with four RBIs. Perez added a two-run single. Cesar Rosales and Steve Pena also contributed RBIs.

That was enough for Palmview to secure a third straight trip to the regional quarterfinals, this time against Laredo United later this week.

“Game 2 was the big one,” Martinez said. “We didn’t want our season to end, and we knew if we could just get to Game 3 that we liked our chances. It was a tiring process, going from Saturday to Monday, and there were a lot of nerves and anxiety. But we saw their heads go down a little bit after Game 2 and we kept pushing.”

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RGVSPORTS.COM

Edinburg Vela is one of two Rio Grande Valley programs to punch its ticket to the regional quarterfinal of the baseball playoffs, and the only Class 5A program to do so.

Trailing Victoria East 1-0 in their best-of-3 area series heading into Saturday, Vela took Game 2, 10-0, and then won Game 3, 5-2, behind R.J. Ochoa’s two-run bomb in the sixth inning that helped close matters in Corpus Christi.

Sophomore Aaron Galvan improved to 6-4 and earned his third career postseason closeout game by winning Game 3. Senior Johnny Davila improved to 6-1 in taking the dominant Game 2 win with a three-hit shutout. He also went 3-for-4 at the plate to aid his cause.

The SaberCats advance to play No. 1-state ranked Calallen in the next round.

“It was a little bit of everything for us,” Vela coach Jaime Perez said. “We threw a lot of strikes. We got ahead in counts. We gave ourselves a chance. That was the difference. We made the routine plays and we made the extra plays. That defined it for us.”

Freshman Nico Rodriguez threw the 17-2 Game 2 defeat for Vela, which surrendered 14 walks to Victoria East. But the SaberCats rebounded as Perez went to his stalwarts on the mound Saturday to make it to the regional quarterfinal round for the first time in playoff history.

Sophomores Matthew De La Cruz and Jesse Garcia played significant roles offensively, getting multiple hits in each of the wins, in helping Vela get there.

“These kids are resilient when it comes to adversity, and it really showed,” Perez said. “Because of the tough district we’re in (31-5A), which I believe to be the best in the Valley, we were prepared for the pitching we saw.”

The SaberCats had 14 hits in Game 2. In Game 3, they fell behind early before rallying back to tie it in the fourth inning. Ochoa’s shot, his second of the season, was all the separation they needed.

CLASS 5A

FLOUR BLUFF 5, MISSION VETERANS MEMORIAL 1: The Patriots were swept by Flour Bluff as ace Noel Vela took the loss in Kingsville.

Mission Vets finishes its season with a 24-9 overall record.

DENNIS SILVA | STAFF WRITER

SAN JUAN — Trailing 1-0 in its best-of-three Class 6A area playoff series against Brownsville Hanna, La Joya Palmview saw its two-run lead disappear as Hanna stormed back to tie the game at 4 at Cain Field.

Then, everything came to a halt. Again.

For the second time in as many hours on Saturday, Game 2 was postponed because of inclement weather after the game started in La Joya and continued in San Juan. The game was scheduled for a second re-start at 9 p.m., but lightning struck within 20 miles of the field and it was called off. That would have set the game back another 30 minutes, and instead Hanna coach Eddie Garcia agreed to resume matters at 6 p.m. Monday at the La Joya ISD Complex. Game 3, if Palmview wins, will be 45 minutes after Game 2.

“We weren’t going to be waiting back and forth and taking the kids in and out,” Rick Garcia said. “It’s not right. They can be hurt. He (Eddie Garcia) finally agreed that we can’t be waiting every 30 minutes. The courtesy he gave us is we’ll play Monday, and if it’s meant to be for either team, it’s meant to be.”

Game 2 will resume at the top of the seventh inning.

A rapid downpour caused the series to be moved initially from the La Joya ISD Complex. After a 90-minute hiatus to transport to and from, the teams played one inning at Cain Field before lightning struck and a tornado warning was issued for Hidalgo County. The series came to another stop around 6:15 p.m.

At that point, the teams had the opportunity to either suspend play until Monday or wait out the weather. Rick Garcia wanted to play Monday. Eddie Garcia was adamant about waiting and finishing.

At 6:45 p.m., the teams left to go eat with the idea to resume play at 9 p.m., but a lightning strike put those hopes to rest.

“It’s definitely frustrating,” Eddie Garcia said. “You wake up at 7 in the morning with one goal in mind and you’re so close and we can’t get it done because of Mother Nature. Hey, whether it’s today or Monday, if it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be. That’s the way I see it, that’s the way the kids see it.”

Momentum was on Hanna’s side. Not only do the Eagles have the 1-0 series lead, they scored two runs in the sixth inning to tie the game.

Moving the game to Monday allows both teams to continue the series with the availability of their No. 1 pitchers, each of whom threw Game 1.

“They’re on three days’ rest, and that’s not bad to have the best of both teams going at it to see who wants it more, if we go to a Game 3,” Rick Garcia said. “It also benefits us because we play Monday and we resume that one inning, maybe I bring our ace (Leo Perez) in to pitch that inning (and extend the series).”

In Game 2, Lee Alonzo and Cesar Saldana contributed two-out RBI singles to put Hanna ahead 2-0 in the first inning. Palmview’s Cesar Rosales had a two-out RBI single later in the frame, and the Lobos scored two more runs on passed balls and got a sacrifice RBI from Ismael Martinez in the fourth to go ahead, 4-2.

The Eagles scored two more two-out runs in the sixth to knot it up, and that’s where the game stood heading into the seventh.

“Our kids were ready,” Rick Garcia said. “It’s a tied ballgame, but we’ve been in these situations before. Our kids were down and they’ve responded. We can’t control the weather. It’s baseball and you just see what happens.”

While Eddie Garcia did not get what he wanted Saturday, his team will have another shot at securing an area championship on Monday.

“Like we’ve been doing all year, these guys have stayed focused,” Eddie Garcia said. “It’s a routine and it has to continue. We have to respect the game, and the situation we’re in, 4-4 in the top of the seventh with an area championship on the line … they’re learning. They’re experiencing that nothing is given and they’re going to have to earn it. They’re going to have to work for it, and hopefully we can.”

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DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER

SAN JUAN — Three errors produced runs. A bad bunt toward third base dismissed a runner in scoring position. Blown opportunities, like the bases loaded with one out, were far too plenty.

Youth finally got the best of PSJA High on Friday night as the Bears fell to Corpus Christi Moody 6-0 in their Class 5A area playoff at Cain Field. With a starting lineup consisting of two freshmen, a sophomore and just three seniors, PSJA High committed four errors and stranded 11 runners — six in scoring position — to give the Trojans all the help they’d need in advancing to the third round.

The Bears finished the season 21-9 and looked nothing like the upstart ballclub that had surprised many en route to District 32-5A and bi-district championships.

“There were jitters,” Bears coach Marco Guajardo said. “I had some of the young guys come up and tell me they were nervous. It’s a big crowd. It’s Moody. But this is what it’s about. We’re going to play in a lot of games like this, hopefully, in the future.”

Three of the Bears’ errors were by freshmen. Three of the Trojans’ runs were unearned.

“We got the defense moving, whether it was hit-and-runs or drag bunts,” Moody coach Joe Curiel said. “Whatever it takes. We had to put pressure on them. They made the miscues, and we capitalized.”

The Bears were as tight offensively as they were defensively. Every inning, PSJA High stranded at least one runner in scoring position. The Bears had no trouble getting on base, but had headaches bringing runners home.

Marcus Cantu (9-2) pitched a complete game for the win, but Moody’s ace wasn’t dominant. Cantu struck out four, walked five and surrendered five hits. Still, he finished innings, mostly by delivering an in-and-out cutter that left Bears hitters frustrated.

“We did too many uncharacteristic things, whether it was all the errors or leaving guys on base,” Guajardo said. “You can’t do that against a team like this. I hope it’s a learning experience to my young guys.”

Senior Andrew Castaneda threw a complete game for the Bears, striking out six and walking five. He allowed eight hits in his career finale.

“Andrew pitched good enough and he kept us in it,” Guajardo said. “He was doing well, and it wasn’t his fault. We made mistakes and we didn’t come up with the big hits.”

Curiel knew little else about the Bears other than they were a good hitting team. He said he could tell by their swings.

And while it seemed like the senior-laden Trojans (22-5) went by the book in regard to how to take advantage of a young team in a big game, Curiel said his team wasn’t concerned about PSJA High.

It was concentrating on “playing the game.”

“We don’t consider that team young,” Curiel said. “In the playoffs, everybody’s hungry, especially when you play Moody High School. Everybody’s going to come out with their best. We were going to put pressure on them. A one-game series, it’s all or nothing.

“We have confidence that our guys will come out here and play the game. We played hard, Marcus was throwing strikes and our defense made the fundamental plays.”

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RGVSPORTS.COM

Edinburg High dominated Del Rio 10-0 in five innings in their Class 6A area play-off Friday night in Laredo to earn a ticket to next week’s regional quarterfinals.

The Bobcats, making a return trip to the regional quarters, scored nine runs in the fifth inning, highlighted by a three-run bomb by senior John Henry Gonzalez. Edinburg High also scored two runs on errors and had 12 hits total.

Edinburg High advances to play Laredo Alexander in next week’s third round of the playoffs. The Bulldogs swept Los Fresnos on Friday to earn a trip to the regional quarters for the sixth straight season.

The Bobcats are 18-9-2.

CLASS 5A
Calallen 2, Valley View 0. At Edcouch, the Tigers fell short in a valiant effort against No. 1 state-ranked Calallen.

Valley View finishes its season 17-9-2.

Flour Bluff 7, Mission Veterans Memorial 5. At Kingsville, Flour Bluff took a 1-0 series lead by scoring five runs in the fifth inning to overcome an early four-run deficit against the Patriots.
Game 2 is today at 1 p.m. at Texas A&M-Kingsville.

Victoria East 17, Edinburg Vela 2 (5): At Corpus Christi, the SaberCats fell to trail 1-0 in the best-of-3 series.

Game 2 is today at Cabaniss Field.