Two Rio Grande Valley baseball programs rank among the best in the state, according to the latest Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association (THSBCA) Top 10 Poll.

The Sharyland Pioneer Diamondbacks are the No. 5 team at the Class 5A level in Texas, according to the poll, as they’ve raced out to an 11-1 overall record two-and-a-half weeks through the regular season. The Diamondbacks have won 10 straight games and already picked up victories against Corpus Christi Calallen, Harlingen High and Harlingen South.

As a team, Pioneer boasts a .387 batting average, a .509 on base percentage and 67 stolen bases, while surrendering just 2.54 earned runs a game. Juniors Juan Rivera and Oscar Serna have combined to drive in 25 runs for the dynamic Pioneer offense, while pitcher David Lopez has a 4-0 record, a 1.22 ERA and 39 strikeouts in four starts.

Sharyland Pioneer is slated to play in the South Texas Showdown baseball tournament this weekend before resuming District 31-5A play against McAllen High at 2 p.m. Tuesday at McHi.

The La Joya High Coyotes rank just outside the top 10 in the receiving votes category at the Class 6A level in the latest THSBCA poll.

La Joya sits alone atop the District 31-6A standings with a 4-0 record. The Coyotes’ most notable win of the 2021 season so far was a 5-1 takedown of defending 31-6A champion Edinburg Vela on Feb. 27. The Coyotes are batting .296 as a team with 24 hits and 20 runs scored through four games, but their pitching and defense is what has separated them from other competition. La Joya has given up just three runs this season and holds a 0.70 earned run average as a team. Angel Solis and Hugo Cantu combined to pitch a shutout of PSJA North in a 4-0 win March 2.

Next for the Coyotes is a 31-6A matchup against Edinburg High at 7 p.m. Friday at La Joya High School.

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