MISSION — Three letters — B.T.F. — have been the rallying cry for the La Joya Palmview Lobos.
“Believe, trust, faith. That means we believe in each other, we trust in each other and have faith in each other,” sophomore catcher Josiah Gonzalez said.
This year’s Lobos learned to lean on each other quickly as half the lineup earned starting positions as freshmen during the 2020 campaign. Last season, Palmview rolled out a starting lineup featuring a mix of nine freshmen and sophomores.
The Lobos (24-1, 10-0) returned with a renewed fire this year and accomplished two of their goals from the start of the season— win a district championship and go unbeaten in the process.
Now, Palmview is gearing up for a Region IV-5A bi-district playoff test against either Corpus Christi Carroll or Corpus Christi Moody. Carroll and Moody will square off in a District 29-5A play-in game early next week to determine the No. 4 seed and a first-round matchup.
“We didn’t like what we saw last year and it put the fight in us,” junior third baseman Gael Gonzalez said. “We have something to prove out here each and every day. Even if it’s a scrimmage, non-district game, we need to win and find ways to win. At the end of the day, we’re looking to get past that first round and looking to get as far as possible. We’re trying to break that barrier and get past the third round, and we know it isn’t going to be easy.”
The Lobos battled through District 30-5A play while taking the best shot from each league opponent. The closest result was a one-run win over Mission Veterans.
Palmview is riding an 18-game winning streak and is the No. 6-ranked team in Class 5A, according to last week’s Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association top 10 poll. During non-district play, the Lobos earned wins over Edinburg Vela, Los Fresnos and Weslaco High — all Class 6A playoff qualifiers.
“We don’t let that get to our head. We just stay focused and stay working,” junior pitcher Chris Perez said. “We’re just trying to make history and get past the third round and take it as far as we can go.”
The Lobos have only two seniors on the roster in Juan Castañeda and Kevin Martinez. Castañeda (7–0) serves as is Palmview’s No. 1 pitcher and has racked up a team-high 72 strikeouts in 43.2 innings pitched. He’s taken on a leadership role that has helped the young Lobos grow comfortable.
“I just try to be there for these guys and make sure they don’t put their heads down whenever we’re in a bad situation. Anything negative, I just try to talk these guys out of it and keep a positive energy,” he said.
Gael Gonzalez, a team captain, leads the Lobos with a .529 batting average and 26 RBIs, while Josiah Gonzalez is second on theteam hitting at a .523 clip with 18 RBIs. The Lobos also received a boost in recent weeks with key pieces Chris Chapa and Ezie Puente returning from injury.
In order to make program history by reaching the regional quarterfinals, the Lobos know they’re faced with a tough task to open the postseason.
Last year’s bi-district playoff series between Districts 29-5A and 30-5A ended in a clean sweep for Corpus Christi area schools. Even the No. 4 seed from 29-5A, Corpus Christi Carroll, defeated last year’s 30-5A district champion Rio Grande City in a three-game series to move on.
The Lobos are determined to not suffer the same fate.
“One of the toughest districts in the state of Texas is the Corpus Christi district, but we’ve been in situations like that in the past,” Palmview head coach Manuel Garcia said, referring to the Lobos’ 2019 area round victory over Corpus Christi Calallen.“They know how tough the district is and that anybody from 1-4 will play you tough and play to beat you. I tell them they have to continue that tradition that we’re not afraid of facing tough teams as long as we play baseball the way we know how.”
