Baseball was a bright spot for Rio Grande Valley sports. The proof is in the 15 Valley athletes who earned All-State honors from the Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association.
Edinburg Vela’s Ramsey Amador and Sharyland Pioneer’s Jacob Rosales were named to the Class 5A-6A Elite Team and will participate in the 46th annual THSBCA All-Star game at Dell Diamond in Round Rock.
The game is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday.
Amador had a .467 batting average, crossed the plate 31 times, drove in 38 runs and hit four home runs. The SaberCats shortstop also had a 1.62 ERA, a 1-0 record and two saves with 26 strikeouts in 17 1/3 innings of work.
Rosales led the Diamondbacks to the final four in 5A as the shortstop/pitcher hit .400 with 47 runs, 35 RBIs and was 43 for 43 on stolen bases. On the mound, Rosales went 9-4 with a 1.87 ERA and struck out 105 batters in 78 2/3 innings.
Sharyland Pioneer had three more athletes named to the 5A All-State team as Evan Maldonado and Johnny Lugo were selected second team all-state, and Juan Rivera earned a third team nod.
Maldonado earned a spot as a second team shortstop as he finished with a .402 average, 45 RBIs, 36 runs and two home runs. Lugo went 10-0 as a starter, earning a second team pitcher slot. Lugo had a 1.54 ERA and six complete games, two saves and 61 strikeouts on the year. Rivera, a freshman, hit .457, had 23 runs, 21 RBIs and 13 stolen bases to go with his .519 on-base percentage and .597 slugging percentage.
La Joya Palmview’s Jonathan Martinez was placed on the 5A first team. The junior pitcher went 9-1 in 14 starts with a 0.62 ERA and 93 strikeouts in 78 2/3 innings.
Two Sharyland High players earned All-State honors as Martin Vazquez and Abraham Alvarez represented the Rattlers.
Vazquez was named the first team first baseman. The junior led the Sharyland High offense with his .418 batting average, 39 RBIs and seven home runs. Alvarez, a catcher, hit .383 and had 30 RBIs and two home runs to go with his 1.000 fielding percentage.
Edinburg Vela’s Nico Rodriguez gave the SaberCats a second 6A all-state honoree as the Kansas State signee went 12-1 as a starter with a 0.64 ERA and 121 strikeouts in 13 appearances.
McAllen High’s Aaron Nixon and Hector Garcia were placed on the 6A all-state second team. Nixon, a pitcher, went 7-2 as a starter with a 1.08 ERA and 137 strikeouts. Garcia, a first baseman, had a .429 batting average and drove in 38 RBIs with seven home runs. The junior also had a .519 on-base percentage and .800 slugging percentage.
Mission High senior second baseman Andy Martinez gave the Eagles one member on the all-state list as the UTRGV signee was placed on the second team.
Weslaco High’s Axel Camarena was voted to the 6A all-state third team. The senior hit .462 and had 27 RBIs, 38 runs and one home run with an on-base percentage of .578 and slugging percentage of .692.
Rio Hondo’s Cross Gonzalez was named to the 2A-3A-4A South Elite Team, while Hidalgo pitcher Sammy Salazar earned a spot on the 4A all-state third team.