LA JOYA — McAllen High senior Tristan Cavazos didn’t have to look far for pitching role models.
He witnessed former Bulldogs pitchers Abanny Garcia, a UTRGV signee coming out of high school, and Aaron Nixon, who just wrapped up his freshman season as the closer for the Texas Longhorns, sustain high levels of play during their days on the McHi mound.
Seeing their success up close drove Cavazos to follow in their footsteps as the next dominant arm out of McHi.
“You couldn’t ask for better teammates and mentors,” he said.
Cavazos, The Monitor’s 2021 All-Area Baseball Player of the Year, posted a .438 batting average with 33 RBIs, an 8-3 record with 96 strikeouts as a starting pitcher and earned multiple crucial wins against state-ranked Rio Grande Valley teams to lead McHi to a district title and the area round of the postseason.
McHi moved from Class 6A to 5A in the latest UIL alignment and were placed in District 31-5A along with Sharyland High and Sharyland Pioneer, two RGV powers.
Cavazos pitched all four games against the Sharyland schools and went 3-1, leading the Bulldogs to the 31-5A title with a 13-1 record.
He avenged his lone loss, to Pioneer, with an impressive outing during their second clash. The Diamondbacks happened to be the district leader and No. 3-ranked team in the state at the time, according to the Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association poll.
“I went into the game with trust in myself and my team that we were all going to play to our peak abilities. What gave me an advantage on the mound was my teammates, especially our catcher, Chris Bernal, who took charge behind the plate and helped control the game with his strategic pitch calling,” he said. “Caleb Killian, Ethan Whatley, Noah Villarreal, and Damian Cortez gave me confidence in our defense that helped to relieve some of the pressure on the mound and win (big) games.”
Bernal, a Texas State signee, credited Cavazos’ control as the secret to his success.
“He hits his spots really well. He has good off-speed and that really helped him through this year,” Bernal said this season. “He holds himself well wherever they hit or don’t hit, he keeps his composure.”
Now, Cavazos is headed to play for Texas A&M-International in Laredo, a Division II school. He’ll be teammates with Garcia, who has mentored Cavazos the past few years.
“He’s helped a lot with my pitching, helping me stay controlled and focused and helped me develop as a player,” he said. “I’m looking forward to being surrounded in a new environment and seeing what I’m capable of.”
