DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER
MISSION — Few things are a given in the playoffs. But as its best-of-three Class 5A bi-district series against Edcouch-Elsa starts up at home tonight, Sharyland High’s baseball team is pretty much guaranteed this: Mario Vela will steal a base and score a run in each game.
Write it in pen.
According to MaxPreps, the senior shortstop is Class 5A’s state leader in stolen bases and runs scored heading into the playoffs. Vela has stolen 32 of 33 bases and scored 31 runs in 23 games.
How does he do it? Through a lot of attention to detail.
“The first thing is to get on base, by a hit, walk, an error, whatever,” Vela said. “The next thing is how can I steal? That means paying attention to the pitcher’s first movement. His push. That means getting a good jump and be quick. Just be quick.”
It’s a process, and one that starts with a simple premise. Get on base.
Vela, the Rattlers’ lead-off hitter, has a .584 on-base percentage. No. 2 hitter Lance Madden is at .494, and No. 3 hitter David Becerra, also 5A’s state leader in RBIs with 36, is at .402.
“One of the things I always tell these guys is you can’t steal first base,” Rattlers coach Junior Martinez said. “You’ve got to get on. As a team, we have 75 stolen bases, but we’ve got guys who get on base. That means being patient and it means situational hitting.
“Get guys on and move them over any way we can.”
Once they get on, the Rattlers are lethal. Aside from Vela, Madden has 18 stolen bases and Becerra and Jorge Maldonado have eight apiece.
“Speed kills, and it does in this lineup,” Martinez said. “It’s a luxury to have this much speed. You put this much pressure on any team … they can’t pitch around guys. The stolen bases, the RBIs … you don’t get those if you don’t have guys who, one, get on base, and, two, do something with it once they get the opportunity.”
Stealing a base means the player at-bat has to be patient. That means falling into a hole early to take pitches.
It’s not an ideal situation for a hitter, but it gives the pitcher more to think about while letting the teammate on base evaluate a potential base-stealing situation.
“Sometimes Lance is already in the hole (0-1 or 1-2 count) because he’s taking pitches,” Vela said. “That’s tough, and it’s unselfish. But he knows he’s fast, and even if he hits a low ground ball, he will still get on base with his speed.”
The Rattlers enter these playoffs at 19-4, co-district 31-5A champions. There is a different feeling around the ballclub in Martinez’s second year at the helm.
Since the first games of the season, there’s been a stronger focus and even a sense of urgency. A hunger to get this program deeper into the playoffs like it’s accustomed to.
“I don’t look at the stats,” Vela said. “I just want to be the best, and I want my team to be the best. If we do the little things, the big things will take care of themselves.
“We’re a very united team right now.”