Only have a minute? Listen instead
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

SAN JUAN PSJA High’s first tournament of the year ended with the Bears hoisting the Laredo Border Olympics trophy after defeating Eagle Pass 3-2 in the championship game at Veterans Field in Laredo.

“It was a tournament but it felt like a playoff environment,” PSJA left-handed pitcher Austin Flores said.

After dismantling Harlingen High with a bi-district sweep that included 17-0 and 3-1 victories last weekend, the Bears will collide with Eagle Pass at Veterans Field in Laredo once again this time in the Region IV-6A area playoffs for a best-of-three playoff series.

The series begins at 7 tonight. Game 2 will be played at 11 a.m. Saturday, with Game 3, if necessary, 30 minutes after the conclusion of Game 2. All games will be played at Veterans Field in Laredo.

PSJA High head coach Marco Guajardo said his team and Eagle Pass played a good game at Veterans Field once already, making it an ideal neutral location for their second round series.

“Those guys are always tough and well-coached. They always do the right things and are always on top and we knew eventually we might face them again,” he said. “It’s going to be a matter of who gets it done. I think we’re pretty well-matched, it just comes down to who’s going to come out and play.”

PSJA High’s Orlando Castillo (1) congratulates teammate Petey Ramos (5) after scoring a run against PSJA North in a District 31-6A game at PSJA North High School on Wednesday, March 16, 2022, in Pharr. (Joel Martinez | [email protected])

The District 31-6A champion Bears hold a 27-3-1 record overall and cracked the Texas High School Baseball Association’s top 10 Class 6A rankings before dropping a game against Edinburg Vela.

After suffering first-round playoff exits in 2019 and 2021 (there was no 2020 postseason due to COVID-19), this year’s group ofBears were determined to break through to the area round.

PSJA High pitchers Flores and Vinny Cano have been lights out all season. During the bi-district round, the junior left-hander Flores threw a complete game shutout while scattering two hits, six walks and 12 strikeouts over six innings. Cano, a 6-foot 3-inch sophomore left-handed pitcher, followed with seven innings of one-run ball in Game 2, allowing five hits and three walks while striking out five.

“They’ve taken charge and they know they have a good defense behind them. Austin has taken the bull by the horns and he’s been automatic,” Guajardo said. “He’s had a couple outings here and there, but he gets out of it because he’s mentally tough. Vinny, as a newcomer and sophomore, he’s got so much good stuff the angle with his height and how he throws the ball. He knows what he’s got behind him and he’s got a lot of confidence and has been really tough for us.”

PSJA’s offense has been just as potent as its pitching. The Bears have scored 10 or more runs in 14 of 31 games this season.

“Putting up that many runs gives us a lot of confidence and builds energy and momentum going into the second round. We just need to feed off of that at the plate,” senior third baseman and UTRGV signee Viggo Lopez said.

“We’re blessed to have the lineup and the guys that we have. It’s a privilege,” junior catcher Julius Ramirez said. “You have a guy behind you that you know can come up behind you and lift you up.”

PSJA High’s Julius Ramirez (23) bats against PSJA North in a District 31-6A game at PSJA North High School on Wednesday, March 16, 2022, in Pharr. (Joel Martinez | [email protected])

Eagle Pass (19-14, 9-3) earned its way to the area round by winning its three-game series against San Antonio Harlan 2-1. The Eagles finished as District 30-6A’s No. 2 seed.

With one win over Eagle Pass, albeit in late February, PSJA High needs two more wins over the Eagles to advance to the regional quarterfinals.

“We need to focus on the little things, not let anything get to our head and play our game the way we’ve been doing all season,” Flores said.

[email protected]