LA JOYA — They’re no recording studio, but the La Joya High baseball team has been churning out hits like a factory this season.
Each time the aluminum meets the leather, it’s a continuation of the sweet symphony the Coyotes (21-2, 16-0) have been writing during the 2021 season, which has resulted in winning the District 31-6A championship and back-to-back sweeps to open the state playoffs.
“Once someone starts hitting, it’s like a chain reaction,” senior right fielder Mario Salinas said.
The Coyotes hope to stay hot at the plate as they begin their next challenge — a Region IV-6A quarterfinals three-game series against Eagle Pass. Game 1 is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday at Veterans Field in Laredo. Game 2 is set for 1 p.m. Saturday at Veterans Field, with Game 3 to follow 30 minutes after the conclusion of Game 2, if necessary.
“We’re going in with the same confidence we’ve had the first two rounds. We’re trying to play as hard as we can, leave it all on the field and give it all we got,” said Salinas, who’s scored 27 runs to go with 23 RBIs.
During the regular season, the Coyotes posted double-digit hits in seven of their 19 games.
After two rounds in the 2021 playoffs, the Coyotes have recorded double-digit hits in three of their four games.
In two close-out games against Weslaco High and San Antonio Stevens, they tallied 17 and 18 hits, respectively.
“It shows our team isn’t just pitching, it’s hitting as well. People never knew our hitting was this good, that we actually rack like we do. But we’ve shown people we can pitch and we can hit,” senior pitcher and center fielder Angel Solis said.
They’re also batting at a .389 clip as a team in the playoffs, above their .371 average during the regular season. Solis is second on the team with a .469 average and 20 RBIs.
La Joya baseball coach Mario Flores attributes the laser-focused approach at the plate to the work his team puts in, and not just in practice.
“The kids have been working hard all year. They’re determined,” Flores said.
Before and after practice, the Coyotes can be found taking extra cracks in batting cages.
It’s the dedication that has pushed this group into Round 3 of the playoffs for the first time since La Joya ISD split La Joya High into three schools in the late 2000s.
“It’s important for us, especially for us seniors since it’s our last ride. We want to leave a legacy and be a memorable Coyote forever,” said left fielder Salvador Lopez, La Joya’s leading hitter with a .493 average.
For senior shortstop Alan Delgado, Coyote baseball runs in the family. He watched his older brother Jose Delgado suit up in the red and white before him. Now batting .429 with a team-high 33 runs and 18 RBIs, it’s his turn to carry the torch.
“My older brother has been training me since freshman year, and I’ve paid attention and have done what he’s taught me,” Delgado said. “Ever since our freshman year, we’ve wanted to go on a deep run, and we’re doing it, but we’re planning on going even deeper.”
Standing in between the Coyotes and Round 4 are the Eagle Pass Eagles (20-10-1, 9-3). Eagle Pass, the No. 3 seed from District 29-6A, advanced to the regional quarterfinals by taking down Harlingen 2-1 in a thrilling three-game series in San Antonio last weekend.
Now, the La Joya High Coyotes and Eagle Pass Eagles are set to lock horns for a three-game series beginning Friday. The winner moves on to next week’s Sweet 16.
“They’re a good ball club and they’ve gone deep in the playoffs before,” Flores said. “They’re a good team and we’re going to have to play good ball to beat them.”
