Rio Grande Valley baseball teams spent the 2019 postseason putting the Valley on the map, highlighted by the Sharyland Pioneer Diamondbacks qualifying for the UIL state tournament. But the Diamondbacks weren’t the only ones earning respect for the RGV. Four programs finished ranked in the DiamondPro/Texas High School Baseball Top 25 Rankings.
Sharyland Pioneer just finished putting its name in the Valley baseball history books as the first RGV team to qualify for the state tournament since Harlingen South in 2007. The Diamondbacks’ appearance in the final four earned Pioneer the No. 4 ranking in Class 5A in Texas baseball, finishing with a 37-9 record.
After getting past Brownsville Lopez in a one-game playoff in the first round, the Diamondbacks faced No. 12 Corpus Christi Veterans (33-5-1) in the second, No. 19 Rio Grande City in the third, No. 8 Boerne-Champion (35-7) in the fourth, No. 6 Sharyland High in the fifth, and finally No. 2-ranked Georgetown (40-5-1) in the 5A state semifinal.
The Sharyland High Rattlers finished as the No. 6-ranked team in 5A after advancing to the Region IV final against Sharyland Pioneer in arguably the most significant All-RGV postseason series in Valley history.
The Rattlers took down Edcouch-Elsa, Corpus Christi King, La Joya Palmview and No. 17 Kerrville Tivy (30-13) on their way to the fifth round, ending with a 34-8 overall mark.
The Rio Grande City Rattlers broke through into the third round and earned the No. 19 ranking in 5A after finishing the year 24-12-1. The Rattlers swept their first round opponent, Valley View, setting up a matchup with No. 25-ranked Gregory-Portland (30-4). At the time, the Wildcats were the No. 9 team in the state. That, however, was before RGC eliminated Gregory-Portland in three games to advance to face No. 4 Sharyland Pioneer in the third round.
Sharyland Pioneer, Sharyland High and Rio Grande City gives District 31-5A baseball three teams in DiamondPro/Texas High School Baseball’s Top 25 in 5A.
Edinburg Vela was the only Valley team to finish in the Top 25 in the 6A rankings, as the SaberCats completed their 2019 campaign as regional quarterfinalists with a 27-6-2 record. Edinburg Vela swept Harlingen South and McAllen High in Rounds 1 and 2 before falling to No. 8 Laredo Alexander in three games in the regional quarterfinals. The SaberCats also finished 12-0 in District 31-6A.
All four of those Valley teams will return key pieces with playoff experience in 2020.