By MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER
McALLEN — When Ozzy Hernandez first joined McAllen Rowe in 2013, there was hardly any talk of a state tournament appearance.
At that point, the Lady Warriors hadn’t won a district title, and they largely struggled to get past the bi-district round of the playoffs.
Since that time, though, Rowe has been the model of consistency, finishing no worse than second place in district the past four years, including a 30-6A title last season followed by an area-round trip. So as the team prepares for the 2016 campaign, armed with 14 returners (seven of those starters) and eight seniors, they’ve adopted a motto that best encapsulates their season goal — “62-16,” as in June 2, 2016, the start of the UIL state tournament.
“That’s what we work for,” Hernandez said as he prepares for his third season as the head coach. “We have the talent. I truly believe we have the talent and the pitching to get us further in the playoffs.
“We’ve knocked on the door before. I just think it’s time we get in there now.”
For years, Rowe has produced a steady stream of college talent, but never has that materialized into a lengthy playoff run. This year, the Lady Warriors believe it should.
They have three college-bound players, a pitcher-catcher duo that earned All-Valley honors last year and arguably the best outfield in at last four years. With enough firepower across the lineup to blow out teams like they did last year with five mercy victories in district, Hernandez calls it “the most complete team we’ve had.”
Krystal Ramos has seen the process unfold — from first-round exits her first two years to a second-round appearance last season. The Rowe ace was a big part of that success in 2015, pitching all but one inning in district, after backup pitcher and starting first baseman Joscelyn Moncayo tore her ACL. Her return, along with that of catcher Chelsea Boyd, has heightened expectations.
Ramos went 11-1 in district, hurling 68 innings. She surrendered 18 runs (11 earned) while recording 77 strikeouts and a perfect game. A junior now, Boyd is coming off a season in which she earned enough trust from the coaching staff to make her own calls behind the plate. She initially asked for the privilege her freshman year, and was able to make her case by the way she studied scouting reports and made calls that were in line with Hernandez’s thinking.
“She knows how to keep batters off-balance,” Hernandez said. “The pitchers have to throw them, but she’s the one that drives the bus there.”
That Ramos has Moncayo back healthy this year has been an encouraging sign for the Lady Warriors, as they expand their bullpen with junior Odessa Hernandez, a JV pitcher and two others on the JV light team.
For now, the focus is on patching up the offense. During scrimmages, Rowe has shown flashes of its potential, but it has largely been marred by its impatience at the plate and the number of baserunners it has stranded.
The team has missed Yulissa Hinojosa’s steady presence as the leadoff hitter. An All-Valley first-team pick and Southern Arkansas commit, Hinojosa has been ruled out for the year after tearing her meniscus in practice earlier this month.
Already, the team has banded together, determined to play for her, to avenge last year’s second-round exit and to fulfill the potential that has led up to this season.
“I like the fact that they’re not satisfied with that (area-round appearance),” Hernandez said. “They’re not satisfied with just making the playoffs or saying ‘we won district’ or ‘we won the first round.’
“It’s like, why not us? Why can’t we get to the state round?”
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RGVSports.com preseason poll
1, McAllen Rowe
2, Edinburg North
3, Edinburg High
4, Mercedes
5, Los Fresnos
6, McAllen Memorial
7, Brownsville Veterans
8, Edinburg Vela
9, San Benito
10, Mission Veterans