The UIL High School baseball playoffs have finally arrived after months of anticipation. With a long and challenging regular season behind them, six Big 7 baseball teams will compete this weekend in the first round of the 2024 UIL State Playoffs for a bi-district championship. The state-ranked Palmview Lobos and powerhouse Sharyland Pioneer Diamondbacks lead the way as prohibitive favorites, while the La Joya Coyotes, Veterans Memorial Patriots, Sharyland Rattlers, and Mission Eagles all face staunch competition. Their journeys have all been different up until this point. Now, every team’s focus is simple: Win or go home.
Here’s a district-by-district preview of their first-round matchups:
Note: some Game 1 results were not available at the time of printing
District 31-5A:
Sharyland Pioneer Diamondbacks 15-2 (23-5 overall)
The Sharyland Pioneer Diamondbacks won the 31-5A District Championship by four games and had won eleven consecutive games heading into their final regular season matchup last Friday night. But a last-gasp effort from the Sharyland Rattlers spoiled the Diamondbacks’ senior night and sunk their hopes of a series sweep as they lost 14-5. Before that defeat, the Diamondbacks looked nearly unbeatable. Yet, the Diamondbacks still won 15 of their final 17, outscoring their opponents by 97 total runs.
Senior sluggers Rene Vela and David Cavazos have carried a Diamondbacks’ lineup that doesn’t feature a single player batting under .298. On the mound, Vela and junior Ruben Lopez have combined for 13 wins and 94 strikeouts on the season. The Diamondbacks have an 86% stolen base win rate and a .949 collective fielding rate. They execute and rarely make mistakes. This year, The Diamondbacks will look to improve on their 22-23 season, where they lost a close three-game series to the Palmview Lobos in the Area round.
Sharyland Rattlers’ Alejandro Islas working the mound during last Tuesday’s game against crosstown rivals Pioneer Diamondbacks. Progress Times photo by Joe Vela.
The Diamondbacks face the Brownsville Lopez Lobos tonight at Pioneer High School in game one of the three-game series. Game two will be played tomorrow at Brownsville Lopez High School, and game three will follow 30 minutes later, if necessary.
Sharyland Rattlers 11-8 (17-11-2 overall)
The Sharyland Rattlers enter their bi-district round series having lost two of their last three games. However, their one win decided their playoff fate and catapulted them above the McAllen Rowe Warriors. A seeding loss to the McAllen Memorial Mustangs handed them District 31-5A’s final playoff spot and a first-round playoff date with the Brownsville Veterans Memorial Chargers, District 32-5A’s top dog.
Earlier this year, the Chargers accumulated 10 hits and handily defeated the Rattlers in five innings by a final score of 6-0. Chargers’ ace Alfonso Bueno struck out four while only allowing three total hits. The pre-season loss wasn’t the Rattlers’ best moment, but immediately after that, the Rattlers went 8-1 in their next nine games and earned a state ranking.
Although the Rattlers faltered during district play and were unsure of their playoff fate until the final day of the regular season, their collective talent is undeniable.
The Rattlers, led by Cisco College signee Alejandro Islas, boast a .313 team batting average and a .417 slugging percentage. They’ve scored 149 runs and stolen 91 bases. Islas, third baseman Santiago Soto, second baseman Fabrizio Salinas, and right Fielder Homero Garcia lead the explosive Rattlers lineup and will be instrumental to the Rattlers’ postseason success, especially since they have struggled with run production. If the arms of Islas, Salinas, and Sergio Ibarra hold up, the Rattlers should have a strong chance of advancing.
The Rattlers will play the Chargers in game two of their Bi-District series tonight at Sharyland High School. If necessary, game three will be played at Brownsville Veterans Memorial High School tomorrow at 3 pm.
District 30-5A:
La Joya Palmview Lobos, 13-1 (25-3-1 overall)
The La Joya Palmview Lobos enter the 23-24 UIL State Playoffs fresh off, winning their third consecutive district championship. The Lobos are 35-3 in district play in that same timeframe. This year’s Lobos squad has been one of the best baseball teams in South Texas and arguably the best in the RGV.
Palmview Lobos’ Joe Oscar Cerda picks up some dirt on a third base slide during last Tuesday’s win against La Joya Juarez Lincoln Huskies. Progress Times photo by Joe Vela.
The Lobos are led by upperclassmen Mateo Garcia, Herminio Gonzalez, Joe Cerda, Jorge Garza, Josiah Gonzalez, and Jaxzel Cantu. Garcia and H. Gonzalez have combined for 15 wins and 103 strikeouts on the season. Combined with sophomore Joseph Martinez, the Lobos have the best pitching staff in the RGV. Not to be outdone, the Lobos lineup has driven in 183 runs on 218 hits, giving them a collective .318 average. They might be the most complete Big 7 team in the playoffs.
Last year, Leander Rouse swept the Lobos in the Regional semifinals, depriving them of the opportunity to compete for a spot in the state tournament. This year, the Lobos will look to correct that misstep as they begin their playoff journey vs the Victoria West Warriors tonight. Game two will occur tomorrow at 4 pm at San Diego High School. Game three will follow 30 minutes later, if necessary.
The Lobos have a challenging task ahead of themselves, but Head Coach Manuel “Ricky” Garcia feels they’ll emerge victorious as long as they “play as one” and stick to their core values of “belief, trust, and faith.”
Mission Veterans Memorial Patriots, 10-4 (18-8-2 overall)
After a slow seven-year return to the upper echelon of RGV baseball, The Veterans Memorial Patriots are ready to seize the moment. For the first time since 2017, the Patriots won 15 games in back-to-back years. Last year, they finished third in the district standings behind Palmview and Rio Grande City. Still, this year, they finished second behind the Lobos thanks to a tremendous defensive infield and an MVP caliber season from pitcher and utility player Jahziel Trevino.
Trevino is batting .379 with 22 RBI and only two strikeouts. He has a 7-2 record with 44 strikeouts as a pitcher. Juniors Chris Ramos and Jeremiah Vela have chipped in run support by combining for 67 hits and 50 RBI. The Patriots aren’t terrible at supporting Trevino on defense, either. The Patriots have a .940 team fielding percentage with only 37 errors in 617 chances.
The Patriots are riding a three-game winning streak into their first-round playoff series with Victoria East. In those three games, the Patriots outscored their opponents by 19 runs. The Patriots have their work cut out against the Titans, but head coach Ben Gonzales is solely focused on seeing his team “execute.” We could witness an all-Mission area matchup between them and the Pioneer Diamondbacks if they do.
All games between the Patriots and Titans will occur in Robstown, Texas, starting tonight at 5 pm. Games two will be played at 11 a.m. tomorrow and game three will take place following game 2, if necessary.
District 31-6A:
La Joya Coyotes, 8-2 (17-12-1 overall)
Despite losing two close games to the PSJA, the Coyotes dominated the rest of their district competition, outscoring their opponents in their 8 wins 94-19. The Coyotes are led by seniors Lucas Zambrano and Homer Munoz. Zambrano is batting .430 with nine stolen bases, 40 hits, and 24 runs scored. Munoz’s power at the plate has been undeniable. He has 41 hits, 26 RBI, and 6 home runs for the season. Their offensive production will be crucial for the Coyotes to advance.
If the Coyotes have any designs on the Area round, they must support junior pitcher Hunter Morales by manufacturing runs and playing tough defense. The Coyotes’ ace has been consistent. Morales struck out 54 batters while only allowing 28 hits in nine appearances.
La Joya Coyotes’ Hunter Morales’ windup during the matchup against the Palmview Lobos. Progress Times photo by Joe Vela.
In search of redemption after last year’s one-and-done postseason, the Coyotes will face the San Benito Greyhounds in the first round of the playoffs. The Lobos are 2-1 against the Greyhounds in their last three meetings. This year, the Lobos lost a one-run game to the Greyhounds before demolishing them 13-3 in late March.
Head Coach Mario Flores feels the key to victory will be playing “good situational baseball” and “being selective at the plate.”
The Coyotes will play the Greyhounds in game two of their first-round series tonight at San Benito High School. If necessary, the two teams will face each other again in La Joya tomorrow at 3 pm.
Mission Eagles 4-5 (11-17 overall)
After losing 14-1 to the La Joya Coyotes last Friday night, the Mission Eagles dropped to below .500 in district play but still secured the fourth seed. Andrew Garza, Jeremy Aleman, and Ivan Muniz have been crucial to the Eagles’ success this season, but the Eagles will need to rely on others to advance against the Weslaco High Panthers. Players like Efrain Garza, Josiah Avila, and Jose Alvarez will need to chip in with security runs and precision fielding.
The Eagles are 0-2 this year against the Panthers, who outscored them by a combined score of 21-0. Although the Eagles were not victorious against the Panthers in the regular season, they’re in the second season now and know their opponent very well.
“In order for us to come away with a series victory, we will need to play good situational baseball, pitch well, and put some good at-bats together by making good swing decisions at the plate,” head coach Leo Salinas Jr. said about his team’s chances against the Panthers.
The first game of their best-of-three series was played last night at Mission High School. Game two is tonight in Weslaco at 7 pm. If necessary, game three will be played tomorrow at noon, also in Weslaco.