DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER
First-year PSJA North baseball coach Rene Soza knows the struggles his team is enduring won’t last.
Still, that thought doesn’t make the team’s current state (3-11 overall, 1-3 District 31-6A) any easier to deal with.
“They’re still having problems adjusting as far as picking up signals, fundamentals,” Soza said. “Giving up too many runs. We’re losing games in one inning.
“We’re not finishing games and we’re not playing the way we should be playing.”
Soza is a no-nonsense coach who prioritizes the basics of the game. “I’m a foundation man,” he said.
He’s also a winner. He spent the last two seasons as an assistant at Hidalgo, lending a big hand in the Pirates’ deep trips into the playoffs. The previous seven years, Soza built Valley View from an afterthought into a district champion.
Soza has a career 102-56 record. Now he attempts to turn around a ballclub that went 9-18 last year.
“We’re still figuring out who can play and who can’t,” he said.
The highlights include sophomore centerfielder Brandon Romo and freshman utilityman Andy Gonzalez. Soza has a good freshman class, but has elected to keep them at the lower levels. He’s willing to shortchange short-term goals for long-term success.
If his players are willing to learn, Soza said, they will be fine. It’s the little things, like understanding that pitch count in an at-bat will determine pitches, or getting kids to stop sitting on ground balls.
“It’s about breaking losing habits,” Soza said. “It’s about knowing how to play baseball.”
DEFENSIVE ‘DOGS
Through 14 games, McAllen High has relied upon pitching to establish itself as a district title contender once again.
“We’ve been playing pretty good defense,” coach Eliseo Pompa said. “Our hitting has not been up to par. Fortunately, we’re taking advantage of things other teams have given us.”
The Bulldogs, while hitting .277, have kept the errors low and made the most of opponents’ miscues. They move guys on the bases and capitalize on wild pitches and passed balls.
The bats will come around, Pompa said, for a team mostly of seniors and sophomores. For now, he’ll keep going to a deep arms corps, led by emerging junior lefty Eli Rodriguez and including freshman Roy Quintanilla and sophomores Victor Valdez, Kike Rodriguez and Rigo Sanchez.
The Bulldogs boast a 1.97 ERA with just 37 walks and 35 hits given up in 60.1 innings. Once the hitting comes around, look out.
“Right now, it’s just mental at the plate,” Pompa said. “Some of the kids are trying too hard. But we still have guys who can hit. The talent is there.”
ROUGH GO
It’s been a trying start to the season for Mission High.
The Eagles have just two seniors and are inexperienced despite returning eight players from last year’s lineup. The result? A buffet of heartbreak.
Mission is 2-10, but has lost five of those games in extra innings. Pitching has kept the team competitive.
“It hurts when you lose like this,” coach Rick Lozano said.
Take Tuesday’s 6-5 loss in 10 innings to La Joya. The Eagles were ahead 5-1 at one point before collapsing. They left 15 runners on base.
“We just can’t hit the ball,” Lozano said. “We don’t take good at-bats. We swing at bad pitches, can’t put a bunt down. Nobody can get a hit when we need it.”
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RGVSPORTS.COM H.S. BASEBALL TOP 10 POLL 3.26.15
Rank, Team Record Previous
1, Brownsville Veterans Memorial 10-0-2 5
2, Mission Veterans Memorial 13-4 4
3, Sharyland High 12-2 3
4, Edinburg North 10-2-2 7
5, Edinburg High 9-2-1 6
6, McAllen High 12-2 NR
7, Hidalgo 9-4-1 1
8, La Joya Palmview 8-2 2
9, Weslaco High 7-4 8
10, Los Fresnos 10-4 NR