MISSION — Diego Diaz has represented Mexico in the Little League World Series, was part of Sharyland ISD’s first junior high baseball teams, has been a key player for Sharyland High for the past three years and now he’ll take his game to the next level.
Diaz signed a National Letter of Intent to play college baseball on scholarship at Texas at San Antonio on Wednesday at Sharyland High School surrounded by family, friends and coaches.
“This means all the hard work has paid off. It’s just trying to make my parents proud, my whole family proud and doing what I can to be successful,” he said. “I started baseball before I started school at 3 years old. I grew up loving the game and it just made me want to play more and more, and now here I am.”
Diaz is a four-year starter with the Rattlers. He was named District 31-5A’s Offensive Player of the Year as a junior with a .407 batting average, 44 hits, 38 runs scored, 21 RBIs and one home run. He also posted a .929 fielding percentage last season.
“This program, I think it’s the best in the Valley. It’s top-notch, and definitely a big part of my career process and everything that’s happened,” Diaz said.
UTSA is getting a quick-learning athlete when Diaz eventually shows up on campus. He showed how fast he can pick things up when he joined the Sharyland High football team during Week 3 of the 2022 regular season.
The Rattlers suffered multiple injuries to their skill players on offense, and Diaz decided to give football a go and played a big role for the team. He went on to be named District 16-5A DII’s first-team kick returner with five returns for 151 yards and one kickoff return for a touchdown on a 92-yard runback. He also posted seven carries for 45 yards and a touchdown, and four catches for 44 yards and three tackles.
“They’re getting a hustler and hard worker. Being a little bit on the smaller side, I have to work twice as hard as everyone, so I’m going to give it everything I got every single day,” Diaz said.
“He’s the definition of an athlete and hard worker,” Sharyland High assistant coach Bryan Valencia said. “He works hard every single day, and he’s a true captain. On the field and off the field, he’s a smart guy and we love him a lot.”