BY SAUL BERRIOS-THOMAS | STAFF WRITER
Sharyland High is officially in the playoffs. For many of the sophomores and junior who make up the majority of the roster, this will be their first trip to the postseason.
Sharyland coach Barton Bickerton is the only coach most of them have known at Sharyland, and he has the Rattlers’ young core ready for a playoff push.
So when the Rattlers clinched a playoff berth with a win against Laredo Nixon on Friday, they didn’t bring any more celebration than they normally do.
“It was business as usual,” Bickerton said. “We have been on the verge here for a while, and we were up 10-1 at one point. The kids took it kind of businesslike. And now, we are just getting ready for the next one.”
This year, the Rattlers have been playing well together.
“This isn’t the Sharyland High team that you are used to,” Bickerton said. “In the past, we have always had one or two superstars that could kind of carry us. This team, one through nine, is solid.”
The team’s one true superstar coming into the year was junior pitcher Lalo Salinas. He suffered an injury after his second start and has been out ever since. Bickerton said Salinas is close to being able to play, and he hopes to get Salinas a few innings on the mound before the postseason, if possible.
Bickerton’s point is exemplified by how the Rattlers responded to the loss of Salinas. It hasn’t been any one guy on the mound. Sharyland’s effort has been by committee, and yet, the pitching has still been a net plus.
Two young arms, junior Ivan Alvarez and sophomore Andy Lozano, have been the biggest bolsters to the rotation. Lozano hadn’t pitched before this year, and Alvarez was used very sparingly last year. Alvarez has a 2.68 ERA through 34 innings, and Lozano is at 3.00 through 39 2/3. Alvarez (28) and Lozano (26) lead the team in strikeouts, but that isn’t necessarily their strong suit.
“We just ask them to throw strikes,” Bickerton said. “The key to this team has been our defense. So, even if our pitcher gets hit, we have the defense backing them up and turning those into outs.”
Before the season, Sharyland may not have had a wide variety of stars, but one has certainly been born this year in sophomore center fielder Pepe Contreras.
“He’s been unbelievable this year,” Bickerton said. “He is one of those guys that if he puts it in play and on the ground, he has about a 90 percent chance of being safe, just because of how fast he is. And then he gets on, he almost always can get to third on his own.”
Contreras is batting .456 on the year, which leads the team. He also leads the team with 33 runs, 41 hits, a .524 on-base percentage and 18 steals.
“He has really saved us in the outfield,” Bickerton said. “He is a beast in center field, with his speed.”
The Rattlers are pretty well locked in to the No. 2 seed, according to Bickerton. They face Mission Veterans at 7 tonight before closing out the year at Rio Grande City.
“We are pretty much where we need to be,” Bickerton said. “We know what we need to do to win.”