BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER

All three Valley golfers who qualified for state added strokes on Tuesday’s Day 2 to finish outside of medal position.

In the Class 6A tournament at the Legacy Hills golf course in Georgetown, McAllen Memorial junior C.W. Phillips started off with a 72 on Monday’s Day 1, putting him into a tie for 12th. On Tuesday, in the final round, Phillips shot a 76, dropping him to a tie for 21st.

The Class 5A tournament at Wolfdancer Golf Club in Bastrop was a similar story. Sharyland High sophomore Jun Min Lee started off with a 74, and Mission Veterans senior Diego Hernandez posted a 75 in the opening round.

Lee finished with a second-round 79 for a two-day score 153, which was good for a tie for 16th overall.

Hernandez shot a 79 on Day 2, as well. His two-day score of 154 put him into a tie for 24th overall.

In the 6A tournament, Austin Westlake won the team competition with a 572. Plano West came in second with a 579, and Southlake Carroll rounded out the top three with a 591.

Plano West’s Parker Coody took first place with a score of 139. Houston Memorial’s William Moll and Austin Westlake’s Mathew Denton tied for second with 140s. Moll took second place in a playoff.

The 5A winning team was Dallas Highland Park with a 591. Cedar Park followed with a 604, and Lubbock Cooper took third with a 611.

Dallas Highland Park’s Scott Roden and San Antonio Alamo Heights’ Mac Meissner were co-winners with scores of 141. Prosper’s Graham Hutchinson took third with a two-day 144.

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STATE-GOLF SCORES

Boys Class 6A tournament

At Legacy Hills golf club

Georgetown

Final Round

Team scores

1. Austin Westlake, 288-284 — 572; 2. Plano West, 291-288 — 579; 3. Southlake Carroll, 294-297 — 591; 4. Humble Kingwood, 294-298 — 592; Lewisville Marcus, 292-301 — 593; 5. Austin Lake Travis, 300-295 — 595; Houston Memorial, 305-296 — 601; Coppell, 306-296 — 602;League City Clear Springs, 309-306 — 615; Humble Atascocita, 309-317 — 626; Comal Smithson Valley, 314-312 — 626; Dallas Jesuit College Prep, 312-319 — 631.

Individual scores

(x-won second place on playoff hole)

1. Parker Coody, Plano West, 71-68 — 139

x-2. William Moll, Houston Memorial, 68-72 — 140

3. Mathew Denton, Austin Westlake, 72-68 — 140

T4. Damin Strydom, Humble Kingwood, 68-73 — 141

T4. Max Kettler, Southlake Carroll, 69-72 — 141

Valley Finisher

T21. C.W. Phillips, McAllen Memorial, 72-76 — 148

Boys Class 5A tournament

At Wolfdancer golf club

Bastrop

Final Round

Team scores

1. Dallas Highland Park, 294-297 — 591; 2. Cedar Park, 304-300 — 604; 3. Lubbock Cooper (Black), 307-304 — 611; 4. San Antonio Alamo Heights, 304-308 — 612; 5. Boerne Champion, 310-303 — 613; 6. Mansfield Legacy, 314-310 — 624; 7. Granbury, 304-321 — 625; 8. Austin, 318-312 — 630; 9. Magnolia, 321-314 — 635; 10. Lindale, 324-334 — 658; 11. Aledo, 339-320 — 659; 12. Lubbock Cooper (red), 328-337 — 665

Individual scores

T1. Scott Roden, Dallas Highland Park, 70-71 — 141

T1. Mac Meissner, San Antonio Alamo Heights, 73-68 — 141

3. Graham Hutchinson, Prosper, 71-73 — 144

4. Ben Dunne, Cedar Park, 70-75 — 145

T5. Jake Holbrook. Granbury, 71-75 — 146

T5. Cash Carter, Dallas Highland Park, 75-71 — 146

Valley Finishers

T16. Jun Min Lee, Sharyland High, 74-79—153

T25. Diego Hernandez, Mission Veterans, 75-79—154

VALLEY-Baseball playoff schedule

Friday, May 26

Class 6A regional semifinals

McAllen High vs. SA Churchill at Laredo, Game 1, 7 p.m.

Saturday, May 27

Class 6A regional semifinals

McAllen High vs. SA Churchill at Laredo, Game 2, 1:30 p.m. (Game 3, if necessary follows 30 minutes after)

BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER

McALLEN — “I was trying to be all athletic,” McAllen Memorial junior C.W. Phillips said of that fateful day in early September.

Phillips lives next to the McAllen Country Club golf course, and on that day he was trying to get to the course to practice.

“I had my clubs in one hand and my balls in the other hand,” Phillips said. “I tried jumping the fence and next thing you know I’m throwing my clubs, trying to catch myself. I fell on my wrist wrong and just fractured all the bones and stuff.”

Phillips injured his right wrist and was forced to miss three months of his season after playing in just one tournament.

The injury didn’t deter Phillips. On the contrary, he attacked his rehab and recovery with the same intensity that he brings to the golf course. He didn’t play enough tournaments this season to qualify for the Valley leaderboard, but his season average of 74.67 would rank third. He carried that momentum into district, where he won the tournament by six strokes, and regionals, where he qualified for the state tournament today at Legacy Hills golf course in Georgetown.

Phillips made his return to high school golf on Feb. 3 at the Sharyland tournament. The rust showed a little bit on Day 1, when he shot a 78. On Day 2, he proved he was back to full form.

“Once I got back at it, Day 2 I came back out there and I had really good putting and my ball striking was good that day,” Phillips said. “I fired out my best round this year.”

Phillips shot a 66, which ties for the third best round by any Valley golfer this year.

Even after the injury, Phillips didn’t have a completely smooth season.

“I had a family issue in the fall and spring, that kind of took me out of town a lot,” Phillips said. “I wasn’t able to play as much as I wanted to.”

Phillips’ family always lived in a house next to a golf course. That helped him develop his passion for golf at a young age.

“My dad has always played golf, so whenever I was a little kid, I would hop on a golf cart with my dad and go play with his buddies,” Phillips said. “Growing up, watching him play with all of his friends, and I guess that kind of led me into the game. My older brother taught me a lot as a younger kid, also. I just developed a love for the game and it’s been like that ever since.”

Phillips plays golf with his father, Wayne, and his brother, Tony, on a regular basis.

C.W. said he often wins their rounds, but Wayne has had to slowly increase his handicap. Now Tony and C.W. give their dad 20 strokes.

“The first time I ever beat my brother, that one took me a while,” Phillips said. “I think I might have been a freshman in high school.

“My dad, I think I was in like eighth grade or seventh grade the first time I beat him. He wasn’t too happy that I beat him, but I beat him and all his friends, and they didn’t let me play with them for a while after that.”

C.W. and Wayne have formed a tight bond around the game of golf. Wayne and Tony were there for the regional tournament last month in San Antonio, and they will be there again today.

“Having my dad there really helps a lot,” C.W. said. “He’s a really levelheaded guy, and I play golf aggressively. He always kind of just keeps me levelheaded and in more of comfort zone. Being up there and trying to compete for a state championship, it’s good to have my dad there. It kind of gives you a little homely feeling.”

At the regional tournament, Phillips had to fight for his spot at state. He shot a 72 on Day 1, which left him tied for sixth and in danger of missing out on a trip to state.

After the front nine on Day 2, Phillips was still in the mix. He stepped up to the par-3 No. 5.

“(After his first shot), he was probably a good 75 feet away from the hole,” McAllen Memorial coach Celso Gonzalez said. “I said ‘CW, you have to par this one. You can not fall behind at this point in your round, because everybody is right there.’”Phillips was looking at a very difficult shot to set up a par putt. He said the shot was “uphill and broke two different ways.” He gathered his composure and took a swing.

“He put it within 6 inches (of the hole), and let me tell you that was probably the turning point,” Gonzalez said. “He got his confidence, and it was beautiful to see.”

Phillips finished Day 2 with a 71, giving him a two-day score of 143, which was good for fourth overall.

Gonzalez has seen Phillips’ skill grow the last two years. He believes this year was a monumental one for Phillips’ development.

“He’s always been good, he had the skills, but this year we really worked on his mental game,” Gonzalez said. “Now he is putting everything together and he is peaking at the right time.”

Phillips has had a great season despite injuries, family issues, lots of travel and missing high school tournaments. Today he will play for a shot at the state title.

“I’m really pumped,” Phillips said. “It’s something that I’ve been working at all year. … After the injury, I couldn’t play for three months. Coming back, I said, ‘I really want to work at it and see if I can maybe win a couple tournaments and go to state.’ And that’s what I did.”

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BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER

PHARR — The PSJA North Raiders were 7-0 overall and 4-0 in District 31-6A after Week 9 last season.

But things started to fall apart for the Raiders. Injuries plagued PSJA North. The team lost its starting running back and quarterback, along with several key players on the offensive line.

The Raiders lost four games in row and missed the playoffs.

“I don’t even want to think about that,” junior quarterback Randy Reyna said. “It was a sad moment. All we can do is learn from it.”

Coach Marcus Kaufmann said that while many of the injuries were the type you can’t really prevent, he is still trying to focus on ways to keep the team healthy.

“Last year wasn’t so much a toughness thing, because there were ACLs, broken legs, crazy injuries that weren’t nagging type stuff,” he said. “But we worked on a lot of lower body type stuff, some explosion type exercises, to try to strengthen up their joints and see if that helps out on that problem.”

Reyna was, as Kaufmann put it, “thrown into the fire,” after senior starter Darren Fuentes got hurt in Week 7. Reyna became the starting quarterback and finished the season 11 of 33 for 279 yards and three touchdowns to two interceptions. Reyna is likely to be the starting quarterback, according to Kaufmann, and he is preparing for that and trying to improve for his senior year.

“I have been doing my work on and off the field,” Reyna said. “I have been watching film, working out and getting better mentally and physically.”

Reyna will have some good weapons around him. The first one is sophomore Arturo Beltran.

“He can run and catch the ball,” Kaufmann said. “We didn’t do much of it, but he is one of our better running backs, too. So he’s pretty good out of the backfield, running the ball, catching the ball, throwing the ball. And he’s probably one of our top safeties.”

Kaufmann said Beltran is a likely candidate to play on both sides of the ball.

“It means a lot knowing that the coach trusts me to play both ways,” Beltran said. “I’m not going to disappoint him. I’m going to give it my all, 100 percent and just go all out.”

Beltran is an example of the type of player that will define PSJA North’s season. Last year, he showed flashes of potential with seven catches for 118 yards. This year, he will be one of the team’s top targets as a junior.

PSJA North is a team that will run the ball down opponents’ throats, so two important weapons for Reyna will be the running back and the fullback.

Sophomore Eli Lugo will be the fullback, and Kaufmann is excited about his potential.

“He’s a big, strong kid,” Kaufmann said. “Last year he didn’t get too many (carries), he was a sophomore. He’s a junior now, and he’s a lot stronger now and a lot faster. He’s probably going to get about 15-20 (carries) a game.”

Junior Juan Elizando will be the running back. Kaufmann noted he has the potential to “open people’s eyes.”

With so many new faces, Reyna has been trying to step up and be a leader for the offense.

“We’ve been trying to get our minds right, since we are a young team,” Reyna said. “Everybody is stepping up to the plate. We are hungry. We are trying to move the ball down the field. We are an upcoming strong team.”

BIG SHOES

Senior Raudel Alvarez played a huge role on the team last year. He was a starting safety and the quarterback of the defense. He could tell every player where to lineup on any given play. He is graduating, leaving a gapping hole in the secondary and in the team’s leadership.

Alvarez was also a track athlete, and defensive coordinator Will Littleton is also a track coach at PSJA North. With Littleton and Alvarez involved, Marco Salinas jumped at the chance to join them on the track team.

“Raudel mentored him the whole way through,” Kaufmann said. “(Alvarez) actually coached (Salinas) some at the start of spring ball. So, it’s almost like Raudel’s little brother is out there, just telling everybody what to do, lining everybody up, running the show on that side.”

Kaufmann loves the energy Littleton brings to the team. He saw Alvarez feed off of that energy last season. This season, the energy is still pulsing through the secondary.

“Marco feeds off of coach Littleton’s energy,” Kaufmann said. “He’s trying to get that energy in everybody else. You can see it starting to spread.”

WHITE KNUCKLES

The coaching profession is difficult to navigate. Coaches try to hire the best assistants they can, but if those assistants are too successful, they may get a job elsewhere. With so many high-profile openings around the Valley, many coaches were watching the hires. That’s why even though it was Littleton’s first season, Kaufmann was still not sure what would happen at the end of the year.

“I was worried about losing coach Littleton for a while there,” Kaufmann said. “I was pushing for him, but it’s his first year, so I guess he was a little young. We are going to try to get him some more experience under his belt, before someone picks him up. But someone is going to pick him up pretty soon. He is a great coach.”

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PSJA NORTH

Returning starters (O/D): 2/1

Returning lettermen: 25

Key players: SS Marco Salinas, FB Eli Lugo, WR/RB Arturo Beltran, QB Randy Reyna

Coach Marcus Kaufmann, 2nd year at school

2016 record: 7-3, 4-3

BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER

LAREDO — McAllen High junior pitcher Abanny Garcia didn’t find out he would be pitching Game 2 until midday on Friday.

Garcia had started Game 1 of the first two series. Many pitchers may have been affected by the late change, but if anything Abanny was emboldened by it. He dominated in a complete game as McAllen High beat Laredo Alexander 13-1 on Saturday at Uni-Trade Stadium in the Class 6A Region IV quarterfinal.

“They told me a little late, but I was ready either way,” Garcia said.

Garcia went all seven, striking out 8, while allowing one walk, three hits and a run.

“This game was Abanny being Abanny,” junior catcher Nate Quintanilla said. “He’s been throwing the ball really good. So, today he kept it the same as he’s been doing, hitting his spots and doing really good.”

In the fourth inning Garcia noticed an unusual number on the scoreboard. Under the hits column for Alexander the screen showed a zero.

“As a pitcher you don’t really want to think about because then you will jinx it,” Garcia said. “I wasn’t really thinking about it and then they got that one hit, unfortunately.”

Garcia gave up a walk and then a hit in the fifth losing the perfect game and then the no-hitter all in the span of two batters. He struck out two to finish off the inning and preserve the shutout for the moment.

Garcia worked around an error in the sixth to keep Alexander off the scoreboard again. In the top of the seventh freshman Aaron Nixon headed towards the bullpen to start warming up, but Garcia was busy politicking in the dugout.

“He didn’t want to come out,” McAllen High coach Eliseo Pompa said. “We had to keep track of his pitches. We kind of kept looking at his pitch count and trying to decide if he could finish it.”

“I wanted that game,” Garcia added. “I wanted the shutout, but I started getting a little tired. I got runners on base, and they scored one, unfortunately. I just kept my poise and I got the three outs.”

McHi’s offense was poetic, scoring two runs in the second, four in the fourth and seven in the seventh.

“I felt pumped up,” Quintanilla said. “We all felt pumped up. It’s really fun. It’s a good feeling to have and to just keep it going.”

It all started with a leadoff walk from Quintanilla. His brother Roy Quintanilla hit a single and sophomore Rigo Moreno followed with a single to load the bases. For the second game in a row, senior Keola Zamora was hit by a pitch. Friday’s allowed him to eventually come around and score a crucial run. Saturday’s hit-by-pitch forced in a second run for McHi.

“As a pitcher, it always gives you confidence when you get a run or two up on the board,” Garcia said.

In the fourth junior Robbie Maldonado led off with a single. Zamora singled, scoring Maldonado. Senior Victor Valdez singled and Garcia doubled, bringing in Zamora and Valdez. Garcia’s double forced Alexander to pull junior starter Andres Santos. Junior Albert Gonzalez came on in relief, but Nixon hit a single on his first pitch, driving in Garcia’s courtesy runner, senior Andrew Sanchez.

In the seventh it was a free-for-all. McHi had 12 batters come to the plate to combine for five hits and four walks leading to seven runs. Alexander tried two pitching changes in the inning, but nothing could slow the McHi offense.

McHi will face SA Churchill in the Class 6A regional semifinals. Churchill won Game 1, 3-1, on Friday. Lake Travis responded with a 5-2 win in Game 2 on Saturday. Game 3 followed and Churchill won 14-2.

The pitching swap worked out well for McHi this round, but that doesn’t necessarily mean Pompa is going to keep things the same.

“The switch turned out good for us, but we just have to look at who we play and what they have been doing in the last three weeks in the playoffs,” Pompa said.

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BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER

PHARR — On Dec. 20, Michael Evans was named the new head football coach at PSJA Southwest.

Right away, Evans knew he would be bringing a new defense and offense to the school.

Defense has been Evans’ specialty throughout his career. He was a defensive coordinator at Los Fresnos for four years before taking the same role at Brownsville Veterans last season.

The key to making the offensive transition easier for Evans is finding the right quarterback. Evans has used spring football to do just that.

“We have a battle between Greg Bostic and J.Z. Zamora,” Evans said. “Both guys are fighting hard. It’s been a good little battle.”

The pair of seniors has shared time at the starting spot this spring so Evans can see both of them with the first-team offense.

Bostic ran a spread offense at McAllen High before transferring in 2015. Evans’ new offense is also a spread, so Bostic has an edge in that area, according to Evans. But Jose Zamora, known as “J.Z.” to his teammates, is a punishing runner, capable of making unique plays from under center, Evans said.

“It’s been a great battle,” Zamora said. “We both want the position, but we both want what’s best for the team.”

Whoever gets the starting spot will inherit an offense that is looking to get up and down the field in a hurry. The new system is a welcome change. Last year, the team ran a Wing-T offense, which meant the Javelinas threw the ball less than 100 times for the entire season.

“It’s a lot more exciting,” Bostic said. “It involves the quarterback more. It involves the receivers more. It’s not just about the linemen and the running back. It involves everybody.”

Despite the position battle, no animosity exists between Bostic and Zamora. In fact, it’s just the opposite.

“Me and J.Z. have a good relationship,” Bostic said. “I have to say he’s probably my best friend out of the whole team. We get along very well. Whenever he has his head down, I pick it up, and whenever I have my head down, he picks me up.”

Zamora tends to have that effect on people

“My best friend is actually J.Z.,” senior wide receiver/running back Andrew Becerra said.

Bostic might have a slight edge thanks to his experience in a similar system, but that doesn’t mean Zamora will be on the bench the whole season if Bostic is chosen. Evans mentioned the possibility of both quarterbacks playing at points in the season, creating a “one-two punch.”

“I would like it if they did each play a little bit,” Becerra said. “Maybe Greg starts one game and J.Z. starts the next. Or maybe Greg starts a half and J.Z. starts another half.”

HANDY ANDY

Becerra leads the Javelinas returning skill players in both receiving and rushing yards. Evans plans to use that versatility in a vital new role. Becerra is moving to the slot, which gets a lot of looks in Evans’ spread offense.

“I’m starting at slot, but they are going to be putting me in at running back, too,” Becerra said. “Whenever I go in, I’m just going to try my hardest to get good yards and run hard.”

Because of Becerra’s experience last year, teammates are looking to him to be a leader in the offensive huddle.

“He is the one who has more experience,” Zamora said. “He has more pressure on him to teach the new players. He has to be the leader, especially with the impact he had last year.”

Zamora said he has embraced the role and is looking to help teammates pick up the new offense.

“I’m trying to get the team together, because we are a little team,” Becerra said. “There are not as many of us. Overall, I’m trying to keep this team together. Me, Greg, everybody, we all want this offense to click.”

STAFF DIRECTORY

Evans isn’t the only new face on the coaching staff.

Evans added Carlos Longoria as the offensive coordinator. Longoria was a head coach at Rio Grande City for five seasons before being reassigned in 2015.

Evans also added David Duty as the special teams coordinator and offensive line coach. Duty was the head coach at Hidalgo for the past two seasons.

Evans said the goal was to find coaches who could help the team right away.

“They were just coaches I saw as good hires,” Evans said. “They are the best people I could find.”

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PSJA SOUTHWEST

Returning starters (O/D): 4/4

Returning lettermen: 19

Key players: WR/RB Andrew Becerra, MLB Joaquin Perez Jr., QB Greg Bostic, QB J.Z. Zamora

Coach: Michael Evans, 1st year at school

2016 Record: 4-6

BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER

LA JOYA — McAllen High had started junior ace Abanny Garcia in Game 1 of its previous two playoff series, but in Game 1 of the Class 6A Region IV quarterfinals against Laredo Alexander on Friday at the La Joya Sports Complex, senior Ramiro Maldonado got the ball.

“Usually what they (Alexander) like to do is they go with their No. 1 pitcher in Game 2,” McHi coach Eliseo Pompa said. “That’s the way they have been playing it in all of their series.”

Alexander went against its pattern and started its ace, TCU commit Marcelo Perez, in Game 1. The strategic decisions from both teams played out to perfection for McHi.

Maldonado was dominant, going 6 2/3 innings with six strikeouts, three walks, three hits and one run allowed. His performance led McAllen High to a 6-1 win over Laredo Alexander.

“I felt great throughout the seven innings,” Maldonado said. “I usually don’t get the start in Game 1, but tonight I stepped on the mound with a strong approach, and I did my job.”

Perez, meanwhile, fell apart early and gave McHi a huge edge.

In the bottom of the second, Perez walked two batters and hit another to load the bases. Sophomore right fielder Rigo Moreno drew a walk to force in a run. That brought up the top of the order in senior second baseman Keola Zamora, who fell behind in the count 1-2. The fourth pitch of the at-bat was an outside fastball, and Zamora hit a laser down the right-field line that initially scored two. The throw into the infield was off target, allowing the third runner to score and Zamora to move to second.

“That hit felt really good,” Zamora said. “We needed those runs to give support to Ramy.”

The run support was a huge help for Maldonado.

“It pumped me up to keep on going,” Maldonado said. “These guys, I know they have my back. I trust them 100 percent.”

The four-run lead was all Maldonado needed, as he went to work, shutting down Alexander.

In the bottom of the fifth, Zamora again sparked the McHi offense. He got ahead in the count 2-1 and reached base safely on the fourth pitch of the at-bat, this time being hit by the pitch.

Senior center fielder Victor Valdez reached base on a sacrifice bunt when the Alexander first baseman hit Valdez with the throw. Garcia hit a single to right field, driving in Zamora, and freshman third baseman Aaron Nixon drove in Valdez on an almost identical single.

To that point in the game, Garcia and Nixon were both 0 for 2.

“We knew they would come through,” Pompa said. “They’ve come through in crucial situations all year. When we really need something, they come through for us.”

Maldonado was at 93 pitches through six innings (the limit is 110), but he wanted to close out the game. He came out for the top of the seventh and got a quick out. Alexander sophomore shortstop Joel Hinojosa hit a single, and senior pitcher Kike Coronado sacrificed him to second. Maldonado was at 105 pitches when Perez came up to bat. Maldonado got ahead 1-2, but Perez fouled off a pitch before hitting a double to drive in Alexander’s lone run and end Maldonado’s night. Nixon came on to close out the game with a strikeout.

McHi faces a quick turnaround, as Game 2 is at 1 p.m. today at Uni-Trade Stadium in Laredo. If needed, Game 3 will be played 30 minutes after the conclusion of Game 2.

McHi enters Game 2 with Garcia ready to go, while Alexander will be throwing its No. 2 pitcher.

“It’s a big relief, because now we are going with our ace tomorrow in Game 2,” Zamora said. “We have a lot of confidence in him, and we have his back.”

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BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER

HIDALGO — With the game tied at 3 in the top of the fourth inning, thing started to unravel for the Hidalgo Pirates.

Robstown used aggressive base running to turn a single and a walk into men on second and third with no outs. Robstown pitcher Jacob Garcia fell behind 1-2 at the plate but dug in and started battling. He fouled off pitch after pitch until on the seventh pitch of the at-bat, the offering from senior Samuel Jimenez sailed to the backstop. The runner at third scored and the runner at second advanced 90 feet. Garcia walked on the tenth pitch of the at-bat.

“I felt tired,” Jimenez said. “I was out in the fifth inning with 110 pitches, and that’s not good.”

Hidalgo lost Game 1 of a Class 4A Region IV quarterfinal series against Robstown, 6-3.

The Pirates would nail the runner coming home, but Garcia’s courtesy runner, Julian Salinas would come around to score, giving Robstown a 5-3 lead.

Hidalgo stranded runners at second and third in the bottom of the fourth.

In the fifth inning, Jimenez led off with a single. Third baseman Luis Rosales followed.

“All we were trying to do was get in scoring position,” coach Karlos Carrasco said. “We were still kind of in the game. I sent the sign for a bunt.”

Rosales’ bunt rolled into no man’s land between third base and the mound. The Robstown third baseman, Austin Kwiatkowski, fielded the ball, but didn’t have a throw at either base. Jimenez broke for third, seeing that the base was uncovered, but Kwiatkowski beat him to the bag and made the tag. The out was devastating and effectively ended the Pirates rally.

“I was thinking that the third baseman would throw the ball to first,” Jimenez said. “That’s a mental error. That turned the game.”

“I think he was trying to overdo it,” Carrasco said. “I did not send him. My hands were up. … I know he’s trying to be aggressive, but at this point you can only do so much.”

The Pirates capitalized on Robstown’s errors early, scoring two runs in the bottom of the first on three errors and a walk, but it was Robstown who took advantage of errors at the end to win the game.

“We just kind of gave up, and we couldn’t recover well,” Carrasco said. “We couldn’t bounce back from one little thing. I still like the fight that our kids had. We still tried to come back, but at this level, every inch counts, and we couldn’t fight for that inch. Hats down to Robstown. They played good baseball out there. They took advantage of the chances we gave them.”

The game was back and fourth early. After Hidalgo scored two in the first, Robstown answered with three runs in the second. In the bottom half of the inning, Hidalgo used a pair of doubles from second baseman Raul Robles and shortstop Dylan Dougherty to even the game at 3.

Robstown tacked on an insurance run in the sixth, when center fielder Jose Molina reached on a hit-by-pitch and came in to score on a wild pitch.

Robstown gave Hidalgo fits on the base paths. In all, Robstown swiped eight bags and was only caught stealing once.

“They are fast, and we knew they were fast,” Carrasco said. “They are good at doing that. We did catch them, once or twice. We just had some bad throws to the bases.”

The Pirates are eager for Game 2 at 7 tonight in Robstown. Robstown was very vocal throughout the game, and the Pirates didn’t enjoy listening to their opponents.

“We need to get revenge tomorrow,” Jimenez said. “They were bothering us. Tomorrow we are going to beat them. We have to.”

“We need to come out tomorrow and be prepared to get the win,” Rosales added. “We need to get serious and come back better than today.”

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VALLEY-BASEBALL SCHEDULE

Regional quarterfinals

Thursday, May 18

Game 1

Class 4A

Hidalgo 6, Robstown 3

Sinton 4, Zapata 1

Friday, May 19

Game 1

Class 6A

McAllen High 6, Laredo Alexander 1

Game 2

Class 4A

Hidalgo 7, Robstown 3

Zapata 2, Sinton 1

Saturday, May 20

Game 2

Class 6A

McAllen High 13, Laredo Alexander 1

Game 3

Class 4A

Robstown 8, Hidalgo 1

Zapata vs. Sinton at Freer, 5 p.m.

BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER

HIDALGO — On May 8, 2013, Hidalgo coach Karlos Carrasco made his mark on the school.

Carrasco was in his first year as coach of the Pirates, and they were facing a Game 3 against Robstown in the Class 3A Region IV quarterfinals. Robstown was ranked 10th in the state by the Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association. Hidalgo jumped on Robstown, scoring three runs in the first inning. The Pirates ballooned the lead to 6-0 in the third inning and cruised to a 10-4 victory.

Now, Robstown and Hidalgo will face each other again in the Class 4A Region IV quarterfinals.

Hidalgo (18-13, 11-3) has not faced Robstown (23-6-1, 11-3) in the playoffs since that series in 2013, but the two teams met earlier this year at the Mira’s Classic Tournament at Tuloso-Midway.

Robstown won 11-2 in the tournament game, but the Hidalgo team preparing for Game 1 at 7 tonight in Hidalgo is a lot different from the one Robstown faced on March 3.

The biggest difference is the emergence of senior pitcher Samuel Jimenez.

“As a freshman, he didn’t have a lot of confidence,” Carrasco said. “He didn’t pitch much. He was just a position player. When he started pitching, he started coming around a little bit more. Of course, he has had his struggles. Last year, he didn’t win a lot of baseball games. Not because he couldn’t do it, it was just there were a few innings where he would give it up really easy. It was kind of tough on him. He took it really hard. This season, he came in saying, ‘This year, I’m going to do it.’ He’s been great all year for us.”

Jimenez is 7-3 this year with a 2.30 ERA and 74 strikeouts. In his 14 postseason innings, he has allowed one run, which was unearned, struck out 15 and given up only one walk.

The biggest motivation for improvement for Jimenez was a game last season that still irks him. Jimenez went to the mound at home in Game 1 of the team’s bi-district series against Orange Grove. He only managed to go five innings, allowing 11 hits and six runs.

“In the first round last year, that loss didn’t sit right with him,” Carrasco said. “It left a bad taste in his mouth.”

“Last year, he didn’t have that much confidence in himself,” senior shortstop Dylan Dougherty said. “That first round loss made him work a little bit harder, and this year he is a freaking caballo (horse) out there.”

Jimenez remembers the feeling when he stepped onto the field for that Game 1.

“I was so scared,” Jimenez said. “This year, I have a lot more confidence. I am focused on going out there and doing my work for the Hidalgo Pirates.”

Jimenez’s four-pitch mix allows him to work deeper into games and face the lineup a second and third time. By throwing two complete games this postseason, Jimenez has saved other arms for critical moments when Carrasco might need to play the matchups.

“It’s great, man,” Carrasco said. “What more could you want? We don’t have to use a lot of pitching. We do have the arms, but these guys have really taken the load here. To be able to come through like that, they have been throwing a lot of strikes, and they have been very consistent all year. It’s a big plus for us.”

Carrasco has gotten similar resiliency from Raul Ortiz and Luis Rosales, the other two Pirates who have gotten starts this postseason. Hidalgo has only needed an inning and a third of bullpen relief this postseason.

Jimenez hasn’t just been a dynamo for the Pirates on the mound. In this postseason alone, Jimenez is averaging .389 with 9 RBIs, two runs scored, a triple and a home run.

Jimenez’s biggest at-bat of the postseason came against Somerset in Game 3 of the area round. Hidalgo was ahead 2-0 in the fourth inning.

“We got the bases loaded, and Samuel was up,” Carrasco said. “We said they either walk in a run, or they face him. They pitched to him. He hit a shot into left-center. He took the double. Well, they overthrew the second baseman, so he goes to third, and I saw there was nobody covering, so I sent him. It was a bang-bang play at home, but he had an inside the ballpark home run with the bases loaded.”

The Pirates scored seven runs in the inning to put away the game and the series.

That’s been the Pirates modus operandi all season: when they start hitting, they are hard to stop. Dougherty is hitting .412 this postseason, right fielder Gus Sanchez is at .462 and first baseman Ezequiel Reyes is hitting .385.

The Pirates haven’t forgotten about that drubbing at the hands of Robstown earlier this season.

“We are focused on revenge,” Dougherty said. “They 10-run ruled us in the tournaments the last two times we played them.”

“That team is really good,” Jimenez added. “But we can beat them. We are going to do our work and get to the next round.”

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