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McALLEN — McAllen Rowe got punched in the mouth in Game 1 of its Region IV-5A area playoff series against Corpus Christi Carroll last Thursday, falling 12-2 in five innings on the road.
“We talked about what happened in Game 1. When somebody punches you in the mouth, there are two things you can do: you can punch back or you can fold,” Rowe head coach Adrian Leal said.
Rowe fought back by winning Games 2 and 3 to punch its ticket to the Region IV-5A quarterfinals for the first time in 20 years.
“We got hit in the mouth and I took it personally,” senior second baseman Ivan Salinas said. “People were talking about us getting swept. We came into our house, gave them some of their own medicine. We came into Game 3 and showed them what the Nikki Rowe Warriors are about.”
“What helps us is we have a good core of seniors and they’re strong character guys. The seniors really led us in that regard and I was really happy with the way our team responded mentally in Games 2 and 3,” Leal said.
Rowe is now set to face Corpus Christi Ray in the regional quarterfinals beginning at 6 p.m. Thursday. Game 2 is scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday, with Game 3, if necessary, at 2 p.m. Saturday. All games will be played at Falfurrias High School.
The Warriors are two weeks removed from winning a share of the District 31-5A title after posting a 14-1 district record while going 26-7 overall.
For Rowe’s seniors, the road to the top didn’t come without a couple speed bumps. The group finished their freshman year at the bottom of their district with a 2-12 record in league play.
“Looking back on it, we’ve always dreamed of winning a district title and going on a playoff run. We always just preached it, talked about it, and I knew it was going to happen one of these years because we had the talent to do it,” senior shortstop and UTRGV signee Jorge Melendez (.329 avg., 28 hits, 14 RBIs, 8 doubles) said. “We just had to put the pieces together and make it work.”
Salinas leads Rowe with 35 hits and a .368 batting average to go with 20 RBIs and 20 runs. Senior pitcher and utility player Ruben Campos has a team-high 22 RBIs and a 5-0 record on the mound with a 2.84 ERA. Junior Nathan Charles leads the Warriors with a .397 average, 31 hits and 16 runs, while sophomore Ben Leon ranks second with a .388 batting average, 19 RBIs and 17 runs. Freshman Javier Garcia has pitched a team-high 43.1 innings with a 0.97 ERA and 55 strikeouts.
The Warriors also know what it’s like to win in Falfurrias — the same location as their Game 3 area victory over Corpus Christi Carroll by a score of 6-2. This time, however, they’ll be facing the Corpus Christi Ray Texans, the No. 1 team in Class 5A, according to the latest Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association top 10. The Texans (32-3, 16-0) swept Laredo Martin in Round 1 before taking down Brownsville Veterans in two games in Round 2.
After fighting their way back from a 1-0 series deficit in the area round, the Warriors are determined to keep their playoff run alive.
“You got to fight, survive and advance. You can’t give up,” senior first baseman Jacob Torres (.329 avg., 25 hits, 13 RBIs, 2 HR) said. “No matter what, you have to fight til the end. We’re feeling confident, but we have to push through and keep rolling.”
BROTHERHOOD
The Warriors’ roster includes three sets of brothers — senior Ruben and junior Ramiro Campos, senior Chris and freshman Nick Hartman, and freshmen twins Javier Garcia and Zavier Garcia.
During Rowe’s Game 2 win, Ruben started the game pitching the first five innings before being relieved by his younger brother Ramiro. They two brothers teamed up to secure the win, giving the Warriors another day to battle together.
“We have a lot of fun together. It’s like a band of brothers,” Ruben Campos said. “We just enjoy ourselves and leave it all on the field. … We just all put our heads down. We knew this moment would come and we made sure to be prepared.”
