BY NATE KOTISSO | STAFF WRITER
RIO GRANDE CITY — The District 31-5A title ran through one city in 2016 and 2017: Mission.
The Sharyland Pioneer Diamondbacks went 12-0 and 16-0 in the two seasons, respectively, to capture the district crowns outright. But the 2018 season has brought more instability at the top and middle of 31-5A. A two-team race for the final playoff spot last season is a three-team race for fourth place this season. While Pioneer was the clear favorite to win the district the last two years, the Diamondbacks now have two worthy clubs running stride for stride in the district title race heading into the final week of the regular season.
Rio Grande City is very much in the hunt. Other teams in the district have had to deal with losing key pieces to graduation last year, but Rattlers coach Nicole Smedley has benefitted in part from two juniors, Dana Gonzalez and Natalie Rios, who are three-year starting lettermen.
Gonzalez is in charge of jump-starting the Rattlers offense as their leadoff hitter. She has 26 hits in her last 52 at-bats.
“Every time I go up to bat, I’m thinking I’m going to get a base hit,” Gonzalez said. “That’s all I think about. If I get on (base), I’m helping the team.”
Gonzalez’s discipline at the plate and on the basepaths are big reasons why Smedley moved her into the leadoff spot last season. She has 17 stolen bases, 11 walks and one strikeout since the beginning of district play.
“She gets on, but she has a good stick, as well,” Smedley said. “When she gets on, you feel confident with her on the bases. She’s quick like a firecracker. It almost feels like we’re going to bring her home as soon as she gets on. That’s why the leadoff role suits her so well.”
Gonzalez is the Rattlers’ shortstop after starting in center field during her freshman year.
“I had been used to the longer throw (in the outfield), and so I’ve had to adjust to shorter throws to first base,” Gonzalez said. “You have to have quicker reflexes with ground balls, but I think I’ve adjusted pretty well.”
Rios and Gonzalez have known each other since they were both 6 years old, and they’ve always been close. They once played on the same RGV Thunder travel ball team before Rios went on to the Thunder’s White team and Gonzalez to the Thunder’s Red team.
Rios played alongside Gonzalez in right field during her freshman season and was asked to move to second base this season, reuniting with Gonzalez in the middle of the infield.
“It’s great that we worked together on defense before,” Rios said. “We used to call out to each other who would take fly balls, and now we communicate on who’s going to cover the bag or who’s going to take a grounder. It’s something that not a lot of teams can say they have, two players who played next to each other in the outfield and infield.”
Rios has occasionally gone behind the plate as the backup catcher midway through several games this season.
“With the Thunder, I had played catcher for a couple of years,” Rios said. “I told Coach when I was a freshman that if she ever needed a catcher, I’ll be here. Coach needed someone to step up, and I was happy to step up for her. It’s for whatever our team needs.”
“Natalie understands the game, and that’s what has made hers a smooth transition, as well,” Smedley said. “I’ve always known that, if I needed to, I can put her behind the plate. She’s stepped up and did it, no questions asked.
“I’m very fortunate as a coach that, when we make changes, the girls are very receptive to them. If you can’t go where the team needs you, then we don’t need you. But the girls accept it. They love playing and they’ve given all they had.”
Rio Grande City (17-9, 11-4) sits in third place in the district, with Sharyland Pioneer (15-8) and Mission Veterans (14-8) tied for first place with identical 11-3 district records. The Patriots hold a tiebreaker over the Diamondbacks after sweeping the season series, but they have only a 1-1 split against the Rattlers.
Rio’s regular-season finale won’t come until Friday, so they’ll have to wait out Tuesday to see if their hopes for a district championship are still in play.
“We still have a lot of work to do,” Smedley said. “We need to be ready to take on the challenges and pressures of the bigger games and handle them. That’s our biggest obstacle right now.”