The Rio Hondo Bobcats joined a group of five Class 4A-6A high school softball teams across the Rio Grande Valley to earn spots in the Texas Girls Coaches Association statewide rankings entering the final week of the regular season.
Rio Hondo (13-0), the Valley’s lone remaining unbeaten team on the softball diamond, made its debut in the TGCA’s Class 4A Top 25 poll at No. 25 this week after dominating district play to this point.
The Bobcats, the first RGV team in 4A to earn a statewide ranking this season, have rolled through District 32-4A, tallying an 8-0 record against district competition and clinching the outright district title with a 5-2 victory at Port Isabel on Friday.
Rio Hondo will look to culminate a perfect regular season this week, when the Bobcats host Raymondville at 6 p.m. Tuesday and travel to Hidalgo for their final district game at the same time Friday.
Mercedes (13-4) continued its ascent in the TGCA Class 5A poll, climbing two spots to No. 14 overall this week.
The Tigers, who earned the RGV’s only spot in the 5A statewide rankings for the third straight week, made their fourth consecutive appearance in the poll after securing the outright District 32-5A title, the program’s 12th district championship.
Mercedes threw a no-hitter as part of a 10-0 home win over Brownsville Lopez on Friday to improve to 10-0 against 32-5A teams this season and clinch the district championship.
The Tigers are set to wrap up their regular season with district games at Donna High at 6 tonight and at home against Weslaco East at the same time Friday.
PSJA North (23-1) retained its spot as the Rio Grande Valley’s highest-ranked 6A team by claiming the No. 7 spot in the TGCA rankings for the second consecutive week.
The Raiders seized the District 31-6A championship this past week with a 1-0 walkoff win over Mission High on Tuesday to bring its regular season to a close.
North will enter the postseason as the Valley’s only one-loss team in Class 5A or 6A. The Raiders will have a week off before facing the fourth seed from District 32-6A, likely the San Benito Greyhounds, in the bi-district round of the 6A playoffs.
Los Fresnos (16-2) re-entered the statewide rankings this week at No. 18 after a week-long absence from the 6A poll. The Falcons last appeared at 11th overall in the statewide rankings two weeks ago.
Los Fresnos secured a 3-2 victory over Weslaco High on Tuesday and a 24-0 blowout win over Donna North on Friday to lock down District 32-6A’s second seed heading into the playoffs.
The Falcons face Harlingen High in their regular-season finale Friday and can earn a share of the district title with a win over the Cardinals and a Harlingen South loss to Brownsville Hanna.
Los Fresnos will take on Edinburg North, the third seed from District 31-6A, next week in the bi-district round of the 6A playoffs.
Harlingen South, meanwhile, dropped out of the statewide rankings after holding the No. 22 spot last week following a 5-4 loss to San Benito.
The Hawks, who sit one game ahead of Los Fresnos in the district standings, have secured 32-6A’s top playoff seed and at least a share of the district title by virtue of sweeping the Falcons in two regular-season meetings.
Edinburg Vela (15-3) also made its return to the 6A poll this week by clocking in at No. 21 overall.
The SaberCats have locked up District 31-6A’s second seed after returning from a program-wide quarantine to top crosstown rival Edinburg Economedes 16-3 and Mission 6-5 in a pair of games Wednesday and Thursday.
Vela will battle former 31-6A foe Weslaco, the third seed from 32-6A, in the bi-district round of the playoffs beginning next Thursday.
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