BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER
RIO GRANDE CITY — Last year, Rio Grande City finished the district season 12-4 and went to the area round of the playoffs.
After an offseason during which six seniors walked the aisle at graduation, some thought 2018 might be a down year for the Rattlers.
“I hate the term rebuilding,” RGC coach Roque Cortinas said. “Everybody was telling us it’s a rebuilding year. There is no such thing as a rebuilding year. … Rebuilding year, that is the easy way out. That’s like me saying I am going to relax a little bit, and let’s wait until next year. No, we are here to compete every year.”
The Rattlers (14-6-1, 5-2 in District 31-5A) are young. They are carrying five freshmen.
Despite that, they have been on a tear, winning seven of their last eight games.
Last year, the quiet No. 2 pitcher for the Rattlers, Osbaldo Perez, learned how to be dominant.
This year, the junior has taken his game to the next level. The ultra-accurate righty has been unstoppable this season.
“I don’t think there is anybody better in our district right now,” Cortinas said. “Last year, Baldo was able to be that No. 2 guy. He is kind of a quiet guy, so he can get overlooked at times. But this year, he has really stepped into that No. 1 role, and he has been lights out.”
Perez is 5-1 with a 1.83 ERA. In 38 1/3 innings, he has struck out 44, walked six and allowed 10 earned runs. The 164 batters he has faced are hitting .232 against him.
Perez has been a workhorse, pitching every district game during the tournament season, thanks to 31-5A’s wonky schedule.
“It is tiring,” Perez said. “I have been running a lot, because I need to be ready for every game.”
Perez has had the pitching side covered, but the Rattlers do have other arms. Mike Ramos is one the team’s many standout freshmen.
“He is a kid who doesn’t really get rattled by big games,” Cortinas said. “He is used to playing under pressure. We are really counting on him down the stretch to get some more innings.”
Ramos has a 2.96 ERA and has fanned 30 in 23 2/3 innings pitched.
Ramos’ father was a Rattler in the class of 1992. He played quarterback with a little baseball and wore No. 10. Right now, Ramos wears 11, but he can’t wait to get his hands on that No. 10 jersey. Ramos said his father helped him learn the game and has always been supportive of him.
Also available to pitch are junior Saul Garcia and freshman Eddie Garza — one of the two Garza twins, along with Emmanuel. Both have been on fire at the plate this year.
Two of the seniors on the team, outfielders Jason Perez and Jeremy Gorena, have embraced a leadership role along with Osbaldo Perez to help the younger players integrate into the team.
“We have a good combination of both younger guys and experience,” Cortinas said. “There was a little gap, because of the age difference. Some of them had never played together before, but once the season got here and they all got to know each other, they started to bond. It has been great to see these freshman hanging out with the older guys, even away from baseball.”
Everything has fallen into place for another playoff push for the Rattlers. The young guys are getting comfortable at the varsity level, the older guys have taken their game to the next level, and the chemistry on the team is very high.
One reason for the success of the freshman group is their familiarity with each other.
“We all played together all the time,” Ramos said. “We went to each others’ houses, just played ball all the time. Always together.”
Many in the freshman group have gravitated toward Osbaldo Perez.
“Baldo is a great role model to follow,” Ramos said. “He is a great guy to look up to. He is very positive, and he helps me with anything I need. He tells me what I am doing wrong, and what I am doing right, and what I need to fix.”
Osbaldo Perez first learned to pitch from his father, Eusebio Perez, who played baseball in Reynosa growing up.
To this day, Eusebio still helps Osbaldo. Osbaldo didn’t light it up at the plate last year, so this offseason, he focused on improving his hitting. Eusebio threw Osbaldo batting practice every day. Eusebio would throw 200 balls per day to Osbaldo, and the results have shown.
“He’s having a great year,” Jason Perez said. “He has been very steady for us at the plate. He’s in the four hole. And on the mound, he’s dominating. He’s gotten a lot better since last year.”
Jason Perez has also been an example to the younger players. He was an All-State Academic Team player in football this year. Jason Perez said he has always been an A student, and the recognition was a sign to the team that school is crucial for student-athletes.
“That was a great honor,” Perez said. “I worked super hard in the classroom and on the field. … We need to pass to play, and I think we have all passed this season.”
With the experience of Gorena and Jason and Osbaldo Perez combined with the freshmen who have made an early impact, the Rattlers are in third place in district and just one game back from first place.
“What has been helping us is, we are really balanced,” Cortinas said. “With Baldo on the mound, our pitching is top notch. … Our defense has been helping us out, too, which has been great for our pitchers, because we don’t have to have them strike out 10 every game. They can just get the ball into play, and our defense will take care of the rest.”