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EDINBURG — The regional quarterfinal round of the playoffs was the end of the road for both Edinburg Vela and La Joya High’s 2021 seasons.
The Coyotes dropped their Round 3 series against Eagle Pass in two games, while the SaberCats lost a one-game playoff thriller against Los Fresnos 2-1.
Now, the District 31-6A rival Coyotes and SaberCats will battle in a Region IV-6A quarterfinal three-game series with a spot in the regional semifinals up for grabs.
Game 1 starts at 7 tonight at UTRGV Baseball Stadium in Edinburg. Game 2 will be played at 7 p.m. Friday at PSJA Southwest High School in Pharr. Game 3, if necessary, is scheduled for 5 p.m. Saturday back at UTRGV Baseball Stadium.
“La Joya has a lot of tradition and a lot of pride in what they do,” Edinburg Vela head coach Jaime Perez said. “I know they’re going to come out in attack mode, as are we. At times, you have to take their best punch and if you’re wobbly, hopefully you don’t fall down. You have to be able to stay on your feet and rally behind it and hopefully you can overcome that and come out with a W.”
The Coyotes (19-10-1, 11-5) and SaberCats (24-8, 13-3) split their season series, with each team winning on the other’s home field during district play.
“They have a good program going over there. Both games were close,” La Joya head coach Mario Flores said. “They know Vela is a good opponent. I think we’ve been getting hot at the right time and I think we’re in for a good series.”
La Joya finished as District 31-6A’s No. 3 seed and swept Weslaco High in the bi-district round before eliminating San Antonio Stevens 5-2 in a one-game playoff last weekend. It’s the Coyotes’ second straight appearance in the regional quarterfinals.
“We knew what it takes to get here so we came back with the same confidence, same intensity, but we’re trying to take this run deeper,” La Joya shortstop Alex Guajardo said.
Meanwhile, No. 2-seeded Edinburg Vela is coming off a pair of playoff sweeps of San Benito in Round 1 and Laredo Alexander in Round 2. The SaberCats’ appearance in this year’s regional quarterfinals is their fourth straight, not counting the 2020 season, which was canceled due to COVID-19.
“We just have to believe in each other. Nothing changes — it’s just another game for us no matter how big the stage is,” Edinburg Vela senior and UTRGV signee Rudy Gonzalez said.
Tickets for Game 1, 7 p.m. tonight at UTRGV Baseball Stadium in Edinburg, are available at utrgvtickets.universitytickets.com. Tickets for Game 2 at 7 p.m. Friday at PSJA Southwest High School in Pharr will be available Friday morning, according to La Joya ISD. Game 3 tickets, if necessary, will be available following Game 2.
WALK-OFF WINNERS
La Joya’s playoff series clinching victories in the bi-district and area rounds both came in walk-off fashion.
The Coyotes loaded the bases during the bottom of the seventh of Game 2 against Weslaco High and a walk brought in the game-winning run for a 2-1 win.
Trailing 2-1 during the bottom of the seventh of a one-game playoff against San Antonio Stevens, the Coyotes loaded the bases and Hugo Cantu cleared them with a walk-off grand slam.
“There’s going to be on and off days, but you have to persevere and keep going and finish the game off the way we have been. We come through with our bats late in the game and that’s helped us in Rounds 1 and 2,” La Joya senior center fielder Eliab Gonzalez said.
‘BAMA BOUND
A day prior to his walkoff grand slam against San Antonio Stevens in the area round, Cantu and a group of La Joya ISD students were honored for their academic achievements.
A basketball and baseball standout, Cantu was recognized for receiving a full-ride presidential scholarship to attend Alabama after graduation.
“Hugo’s a hard-worker in whatever he does. He’s been showing it academically in the top of his class, and basketball he puts in the work while still working at baseball,” Flores said. “He’s always trying to improve and he’s showing it with his bat. He’s the first one here, last one to leave, always wants batting practice and it shows.”
GROWING UP QUICK
The SaberCats have a small senior core of starters in Rudy Gonzalez, Nolan Ryan Salinas and David White, while the majority of the rest of the lineup and pitching staff is made up of underclassmen. That hasn’t stopped Edinburg Vela from keeping its playoff tradition alive.
“They’ve grown up in front of our eyes. They’ve embraced the challenge of getting better everyday,” Perez said. “They have a business-like approach in coming to the office everyday. They don’t take anything for granted. They make every rep count. They know what the ultimate goal is and understanding that, they come out here eager to learn and get better, and I think that’s what’s separating these young guys right now.”
The SaberCats enter Round 3 as winners of 16 straight games.
“Our camaraderie has really come along since the beginning of the season. It took a little while for us all to click, but once we all clicked, that’s when we started rolling. We all started getting runs, timely hits, pitching well and playing good defense,” White said.
PLAYING FOR PEREZ
While the SaberCats took care of business in their bi-district and area round series, they had to do so without Perez in the dugout or on third base due to an illness. He has since recovered and rejoined the team in time for preparation for their matchup against La Joya. Perez credited his staff for keeping the SaberCats focused on the task at hand.
“Him being out was a little heartbreaking, but the coaching staff stepped up and produced,” Salinas said. “There wasn’t a day that went by that we didn’t think about him. Everytime we would play, we went out there and played for him.”
“We all just stuck together and never lost focus. The coaching staff got us prepared and we did it for him,” White said.
