By EDWARD SEVERN, Staff Writer
Lyford had a season to remember, earning a District 31-3A championship and a trip to the Region IV semifinals.
A big part of Lyford’s success was because of Mia Wetegrove, the Valley Morning Star’s 2022 All-Star Softball Most Valuable Player.
Wetegrove will not take all of the success. She is quiet, humble and keeps her head down. At the first chance she has, she will compliment her teammates.
Alyssa Garcia, Mikaela Lopez and Hailey Pena were important players, too. Removing any one of them from the team would result in a dropoff.
“You have to have a great pitcher in any softball or baseball program,” Lyford coach Albert Garza said. “If you do not have the pitching you are not going to go far, and Mia (Wetegrove) is going to be strongly missed.”
Going into the final series against Hallettsville, the Class 3A state champion, the senior hit nine home runs and drove in 42 runs with a .561 batting average. In the circle, she picked up 12 wins and struck out 116 batters with a 1.48 ERA.
“It is a great honor because I have worked hard for this since I was 3 years old,” Wetegrove said. “This shows that when you put in hard work, it pays off.”
Wetegrove said her favorite moment was beating Santa Gertrudis, the Lady Bulldogs’ playoff goliath the past few seasons.
“It felt like a big relief,” she said. “I played with Alyssa Garcia all of my life, and the way she looked at me when we won was like we finally did it. That was something we all wanted so bad.”
Offensive Player of the Year
Emily Delgado, San Benito
Delgado was at the heart of the Lady ’Hounds’ lineup and came through when her team needed her.
“It is a great feeling, I am honored,” she said. “I am blessed to be the offensive player of the year.”
Delgado said her favorite hitting performance came against Weslaco High. Delgado went 3-for-4 at the plate and hit two home runs.
“Without her, I do not think we would have had the success that we had,” San Benito coach Elias Martinez said. “She was clutch, both offensively and defensively.”
Martinez also said Delgado showed tremendous leadership. In tight games, the junior was always calm. Martinez said Delgado’s calmness allowed her to come through time and again for the team.
“I think this year, I found my zone,” Delgado said. “We practice a lot of hitting, and I got really comfortable in my swing.”
Martinez and Delgado teamed up last weekend in an all-star game at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio. Delgado received MVP honors for her performance.
Delgado’s batting average was .500 this season. She drove in 47 runs on 47 hits and hit four home runs. Delgado is also the Lady ’Hounds’ best pitcher.
“I hope next year we can just put it together, get comfortable together and go far,” she said.
Co-Defensive Players of the Year
Janyssa Ramos and Iliana Saucedo, Harlingen South
Ramos and Saucedo were South’s one-two combination in the circle.
Ramos, a lefty, would start for South and then Saucedo, the righty, would come in and finish things off. Ramos said that strategy was a big part of the program’s success the past few seasons.
“I am excited to get the award,” Ramos said. Ramos will be headed to Texas A&M Kingsville to continue her career next season.
Ramos and Saucedo both said they enjoyed complementing each other and are grateful for being a part of the program together.
“I work really hard,” Saucedo said. “To get superlatives like this just shows that all of my hard pays off.”
When Saucedo was not pitching, she played center field. Against San Antonio Brennan in the playoffs, Saucedo made two diving plays. She said those were two defensive plays that stood out the most for her this season.
Ramos said her best performance was in the circle against La Joya. The Lady Hawks lost the first game 1-0 while Ramos was at prom, but the senior returned to help lift South to a bi-district playoff victory.
“They are two seniors that knew how to lead and knew their role on the team,” South coach Joey Rios said. “Janyssa would go as long as she could for us, then would make that switch when they got comfortable and Iliana was able to come in. Having that combo was amazing.”
Ramos struck out 106 batters and finished with a 1.90 ERA. Saucedo struck out 96 batters with a 1.15 ERA. Ramos was named first-team all-district as a pitcher.
Saucedo, last year’s VMS All-Star MVPalso hit 12 home runs this season. Saucedo received District 32-6A’s Defensive Player of the Year honors.
Newcomer of the Year
Lexi Sandoval, Harlingen South
Harlingen South finished in third place in District 32-6A, a very tough district, and picked up a bi-district playoff victory. They did it with the freshman Sandoval batting cleanup.
“It took a lot of hard work to get here, but I achieved it,” Sandoval said. “Practice every day, pushing myself, it took a lot of mental ability for me to do it.”
Sandoval ended the season with a .427 batting average, with eight doubles, three triples and 19 RBIs. She also stole 10 bases. The freshman also saw some time in the circle. In 32 innings, she struck out 49 batters.
South head coach Joey Rios said Sandoval’s ability to play multiple positions and her hitting skills were the reasons she achieved her goal of making varsity and receiving ample playing time.
“We turn in a goal card, and one of her main goals was to make the varsity and start,” Rios said. “She chipped away, and once she got that opportunity she took it by the horns and ran with it.”
Sandoval said the mental aspect of varsity was one of the harder things to overcome.
“Going out and playing with big crowds and people watching was a lot to handle,” she said. “I got through it.”
Sandoval is ready to use the experience she learned this year as a foundation for her career at Harlingen South.
Coach of the Year
Albert Garza, Lyford
It was Lyford’s first year with Garza, but the head coach was no stranger to the program and the team. Garza coached most of the girls in some capacity from a young age, and his daughter, Hannah Garza, was on the team the previous season.
Garza helped lead the Lady Bulldogs to a District 31-3A championship and a trip to the Region IV semifinals, losing to eventual state champion Hallettsville.
“I thank the good Lord for the opportunity to coach,” Garza said. “I wake up every day, and I bless Him him first. Having a good group of girls to put me where I am at now.”
Lyford played above its classification in non-district play. The Lady Bulldogs beat Mission High, Harlingen High, La Feria and McAllen Rowe, tied Harlingen South and, before the playoffs, went toe-to-toe with San Benito, losing 7-6.
Garza is ready for next season after this year’s team set the bar high. Lyford tied its deepest playoff run in school history and finished the season ranked 20th in the state.
“I had a lot of young girls, they know what is expected,” he said. “It starts now, in the offseason.”