With playoff spots in high demand, the Rio Hondo Bobcats baseball team is fighting for its piece of the pie.
With the Zapata Hawks almost assured the top seed with a 10-1 record, seeds 2-4 are up for grabs with five teams vying for three spots.
But if the Cats hope to clinch a postseason berth, they’ll need pitcher Christian Garza to keep up the solid work he’s been doing.
He has a record of 4-4 with a 1.76 ERA and has 36 strikeouts on the season through 51.2 innings of work.
For his performance this season, Christian Garza is the Valley Morning Star boys Player of the Week.
“Christian did a wonderful job in a pitcher’s duel against a tough La Feria pitcher recently,” said Rio Hondo head baseball coach Sergio Gonzalez. “He stayed nice and composed after a game delay due to the lights and losing the lead late in the game. But he battled for eight innings and picked up a key win to help us stay alive and well in the playoff race.
“Christian has developed a fine routine getting his running in on a daily basis and working on his pitches in the bullpen. He’s been improving with every start this season by keeping his emotions under control. He loves to compete and his success is the direct result of being a disciplined pitcher.”
As of now, Zapata is in first place in District 32-4A with a 10-1 record followed by Grulla (7-4), Rio Hondo (6-5), Progreso (6-5), Raymondville (6-5), and Port Isabel (5-6).
The Bobcats have three district games remaining on their schedule with a contest against Hidalgo today, a home game against Zapata on Tuesday and they close out the regular season at Port Isabel next Friday.
