Rattlers tiptoe postseason ledge
On the final day of the Texas high school baseball season, five Big 7 teams are entrenched inside the top four of their respective districts. The Sharyland Pioneer Diamondbacks and Palmview Lobos will move on as top seeds. At the same time, the La Joya Coyotes, Mission Eagles, and Mission Veterans Memorial Patriots will all be top four seeds. Yet, in a stunning turn of events, perennial powerhouse and last year’s 31-5A district champions are currently on the outside looking in. The Sharyland Rattlers will play for their playoff lives as they take on the Diamondbacks juggernaut tonight at Sharyland Pioneer High School in what figures to be the most intense, dramatic game of the year—a fitting way to cap off the final day of the regular season.
Here’s a brief overview of how each Big 7 Team is currently doing and who they’ll face in the postseason.
District 31-5A:
Progress Times Photo by Joe Vela.
Sharyland Pioneer Diamondbacks 15-1 (23-4 overall)
Sharyland Rattlers 10-7 (16-10-2 overall)
The 31-5A District Champion Sharyland Pioneer Diamondbacks won their 11th straight game after defeating the Sharyland Rattlers Tuesday night at Sharyland High School by a final score of 5-1.
The Diamondbacks struck the initial blow when first baseman Micahel Lugo smashed a two-run home run to put them up 2-0.
“The first pitch I saw, I knew it was mine, and I did what I had to do,” Lugo said
A Rattler rally in the bottom of the fourth inning, led by the top of their lineup, eventually scored one after a Santiago Soto double to right field scored Alejandro Islas.
Despite the Rattlers’ resistance, clutch defense, and timely hitting from Lugo, Diego Dominguez, Erick Garza, and David Cavazos were too much to handle. With the game outcome hanging in the balance at 3-1, the Diamondbacks held the Rattlers scoreless and scored two runs in the top of the sixth inning to ice the game.
“Before the season, we were unranked, and it lit a fire under us. To be able to beat them at their home field is something special after last year when we got run-ruled here. We came out and punched them in the mouth. Hopefully, we get them again on Friday [tonight],” Garza said
With Tuesday’s win, the Diamondbacks secured their fifteenth district win ahead of their final district game against their crosstown rival tonight. The Diamondbacks will face District 32-5A’s fourth-place team, the Brownsville Lopez Lobos, in the first round of the UIL State Playoffs next week.
Progress Times Photo by Joe Vela.
“We understand they’re fighting for a playoff spot, but we ourselves are working on our postseason right now…I was really proud of the way they came out. Isaac threw a really good game. Lugo got us started with a two-run home run, and I think it was just an overall clean defensive game. I’m very proud of the way they came out,” head coach Adrian Leal said when asked to reflect on his team’s recent victory.
With the loss, the Ratters are now in fifth place, tied with fourth-place teams McAllen Nikki Rowe and McAllen Memorial, with one final game against the Diamondbacks tonight at Pioneer High School. Because the Mustangs and Warriors own tiebreakers over the Rattlers, the Rattlers must win tonight and have either of those teams or the McAllen Bulldogs lose to have a shot at the postseason.
“As far as I know, it’s up in the air for anything. Our main focus is just to win Friday. That’s our biggest goal. I can’t tell you about any other team… we just gotta win Friday [tonight],” Rattlers’ head coach Austin Bickerton said when asked about his team’s playoff chances.
District 30-5A:
La Joya Palmview Lobos, 12-1 (25-3-1 overall)
Once the La Joya Palmview Lobos wrap up the district championship later this week, they will be the top-seeded team from District 30-5A heading into the postseason. The fifth-place Roma Gladiators postponed the Lobos’ celebration after narrowly defeating them on a Horacio Gomez walk-off hit in the bottom of the 7th inning, with the game tied at 4-4. The loss ended the Lobos’ 15-game win streak and spoiled their hopes for an undefeated district championship.
Yet, with one of Texas’ best pitching staffs and lineups paired with an arsenal of five-tool players like Mateo Garcia, Joe Cerda, Jorge Garza, and Josiah Gonzalez, The Lobos should quickly return to form.
The Lobos will finish their district campaign on the road tonight in Roma, where they’ll face the Laredo Cigarroa Toros. In the first round of the UIL State Playoffs, the Lobos will face the fourth-place team from the highly contested and undecided District 29-5A.
Mission Veterans Memorial Patriots, 9-4 (17-8-2 overall)
The Mission Veterans Memorial Patriots are currently third in the district standings behind the Rio Grande City Rattlers, with only one game remaining in their district schedule. After losing consecutive games to the Rattlers and the Laredo Nixon Mustangs, the Patriots bounced back with two dominant wins over the Mustangs and the Laredo Martin Tigers.
In those contests, the Patriots outscored their opponents 21-7. Senior Robert Ramos pitched a complete game shutout in their Tuesday night win over the Tigers, allowing only three hits. Jeremiah Vela, Ryan Guerra, and Ezequiel Sepulveda led the Patriots lineup with five combined hits and four RBIs.
The Patriots will host the Tigers in their final district game tonight at Mission Veterans Memorial High School. They will vault to the second seed with a win and a Rio Grande City loss. However, if the Patriots and Rattlers both win, the Patriots will remain in third. The Patriots would then await District 29-5A’s third-place team once their standings finalize tonight.
District 31-6A:
La Joya Coyotes, 7-2 (16-12-1 overall)
After losing their second game to bitter district rival PSJA High, the La Joya Coyotes recovered with resounding victories over the Edinburg Bobcats and Edinburg Economedes Jaguars. The Coyotes outscored both opponents in those contests by a combined 18 runs.
Homer Munoz, Matthew Ortiz, and Ivan Marron Jr. led the Coyotes in those contests with seven hits and 10 RBI combined.
The Coyotes will face the third-place Mission Eagles tonight at Mission High to solidify their second-place hold. Then, the Lobos will face off against District 32-6A’s third-place team, the San Benito Greyhounds or Harlingen High Cardinals. The Coyotes defeated the Cardinals earlier this season by a score of 13-4 but lost to the Greyhounds 3-2.
Mission Eagles 4-4 (11-16 overall)
The Mission Eagles are locked into the playoffs as District 31-6A’s third seed. The Eagles are currently .500 in district play, with only one district game remaining against the La Joya Coyotes tonight in Mission. Like they have all season, the Eagles will rely heavily on the trio of Andrew Garza, Ivan Muniz, and Jeremy Aleman. A win will put the Eagles over .500 in district play for the time since the 21-22 season. A win would surely boost the confidence of the Eagles heading into the postseason, where they will face either the San Benito Greyhounds or Harlingen Cardinals, two teams that beat the Eagles earlier this year.