McALLEN — McAllen High seniors Caleb Killian and Damian Cortez met for the first time during eighth grade after playing together on the same summer baseball team.
The pair clicked instantly, Cortez said, with the duo continuing to share the diamond for the next four years as part of the Bulldogs baseball team.
“He was my double-play partner,” Cortez said. “I was a shortstop, and he was second base. When you have that relationship with the shortstop and second base, you just click. We were throwing partners and hitting in the cages together.”
Cortez and Killian helped the Bulldogs dominate while donning the purple and gold, collecting a 66-19 overall record with the duo on the field.
They talked about making it to the next level during that time, dreaming of signing to compete in the collegiate ranks.
Now, those dreams are a reality, as Cortez and Killian signed their national letters of intent to continue their academic and baseball careers Tuesday at the McAllen High Auditorium.
“This is something I’ve dreamt about since I can remember, since I began playing,” Killian said. “So, it felt great to sign. I’m just really glad to be going to the next level.”
“It’s a mix of emotions,” Cortez said. “My friend, Caleb Killian, just signed. He’s the reason I came to McHi. This is something we talked about for sure. I initially tried to get him to Brookhaven. But OLLU is a great program. It’s just pretty cool we’re both signing.”
Cortez takes his talents to Brookhaven College, an NJCAA Division III university that plays in the Dallas Athletic Conference.
Meanwhile, Killian is set to play at Our Lady of the Lake University, an NAIA university that competes in the Red River Athletic Conference.
Cortez joins the Bears following a dominant senior season, recording a .407 batting average with 20 RBIs. Still, his defensive efforts are what made Cortez a star on the field, earning District 31-5A Co-Defensive Player of the Year at shortstop with a .907 fielding percentage.
Bulldogs’ head baseball coach Eliseo Pompa said Cortez’s willingness to stay late and work despite not having a vehicle to commute to and from practice is what has gotten him to the next level.
“He had a heck of a year this year,” Pompa said. “At one time, he was our leading hitter. He was the co-defensive player of the year for our district this year. He made some plays for us. I’m real proud of him simply because he had some trouble commuting back and forth since he didn’t have a vehicle but somehow, he managed to be there when we needed him.
“The culmination of his success was his senior year. He’s a young man that always wanted to stay afterwards and work on his fielding and bunting. You don’t get too many kids like that anymore.”
Killian finished his senior season with a .363 batting average, 27 RBIs, 2 home runs and a team-leading 40 runs scored, earning First Team All-District at second base.
While Killian played primarily at second base during his time with the Bulldogs, he also spent time at left and right field, as well as behind the plate as the catcher.
“He was an all-around athlete,” Pompa said. “He was our spark plug. He was our leadoff. He created a lot of havoc for any team we played. He’s a tough kid. He’s always willing to help out. He’s a team player. That’s one thing we noticed about him. I think this is why he’s going to be very successful.”
The signings by Killian and Cortez mark the fourth and fifth signings by Bulldogs’ baseball players this year, joining pitcher Tristan Cavazos, outfielder Ethan Whatley and catcher Chris Bernal.
Killian intends to major in communications while at OLLU, while Cortez plans to pursue a career in physical therapy at Brookhaven.