Eagles to face San Antonio Johnson Jaguars in Regional Semi-Finals Championship
By: Ricardo E. Calderon
An Exclusive Eagle Pass Business Journal News Story/Copyright 2013
Having defeated the heralded Mission Sharyland High School Rattlers 10-9 at the Region IV Quarter-Finals Baseball Championship on Friday, May 17, 2013, the Eagle Pass High School Eagles have earned the right to play the potent San Antonio Johnson High School Jaguars in the Regional Semi-Finals Championship this week in a best of three series commencing Friday, May 24th, with Game One at the Eagle Pass Independent School District Student Activity Center Baseball Field at 7 p.m. in Eagle Pass, Texas followed with Game Two on Saturday, May 25th, at the San Antonio Northside Independent School District Blossom Athletic Center Baseball Field at 3 p.m. and, if necessary, Game Three will follow 30 minutes after Game Two at the same field.
The Eagles giant win over the previously second-ranked high school baseball team in Texas has awakened and renewed Eagles baseball fever and mania on this U.S.-Mexico border city. The Eagles are only two playoff levels away from returning to the State 5A Baseball Championship at Dell Field in Round Rock, Texas, just north of Austin. The Eagles, however, are taking one game at a time and one series at a time.
The San Antonio Johnson Jaguars defeated the perennial baseball powerhouse San Antonio Churchill Chargers last week in two consecutive games of a best of three series by the scores of 6-4 and 6-3 to clinch the Regional Quarter-Finals Championship and the ticket to play against the Eagle Pass Eagles in the Regional Semi-Finals Championship. The San Antonio Johnson Jaguars enter the Regional Semi-Finals Championship with an overall season record of 22-12-1 and will rely on their standout pitchers Tate Heubner and Jerod Vick. The Jaguars have potent hitters on offense in Nick Mireles, Nick Whitehead, Tanner Wall, Alex Hernandez, and Randy Stuart. The Jaguars are under the direction of Head Coach Gordy Gesell and are peaking during the playoffs and riding momentum after sweeping District 26-5A nemesis Churchill Chargers in the Regional Quarter-Finals Championship.
The Eagle Pass Eagles will depend on their standout pitching staff led by southpaw Devon Torres, right-hander Gilbert Villalobos, right-hander Dillon Elguezabal, and relief right-hander Chris Perez. Torres and Villalobos combined to defeat the mighty Mission Sharyland Rattlers 10-9 in the Regional Quarter-Finals Championship last week. On offense, the Eagles are led by standout freshman clean-up hitter Mando Lopez, Eric Gonzalez, Devon Torres, Diego Gaona, Juan Lopez, RJ Ruiz, Jacoup Roiz, Javy Cardona, and Kevin Chisum. The Eagles enter the Regional Semi-Finals Championship with an overall season record of 23-10-1 and rely on a total team effort to win high profile games. The Eagles are under the direction of Head Coach Reynol Mendoza and Assistant Coaches Henry Silva and Heriberto Roiz.
All Eagle Pass Eagles baseball fans are invited and encouraged to attend the Eagles Regional Semi-Finals Championship series against the San Antonio Johnson Jaguars and support them to victory. A sold-out, packed EPISD SAC Baseball Field is expected this Friday, May 24th, as Eagles playoff baseball returns to Eagle Pass, which may be the last game the Eagles play at home this season as they battle the state’s best high school baseball teams in the playoffs.
The Eagle Pass Business Journal congratulates the Eagle Pass Eagles on their historic Regional Quarter-Finals Championship against the heralded Mission Sharyland Rattlers last week and wishes the Eagles the best of luck against the San Antonio Johnson Jaguars in the Regional Semi-Finals Championship series this week. Go Eagles Go! Beat the Jaguars!
