Eagle Pass Eagles face nemesis Sharyland Rattlers in Bi-District Championship

By: Ricardo E. Calderon, Copyright 2014, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc.

The mighty Eagle Pass High School Eagles will face their perennial baseball nemesis Mission Sharyland High School Rattlers in a best of three series in the Bi-District Championship this Friday and Saturday, May 2-3, 2014, at the beautiful UniTrade Baseball Stadium in Laredo, Texas, setting a re-match of last year’s Regional Quarter-Finals Championship.

The Eagles finished in second place in District 29-5A this year with a 10-2 district record and 18-9-1 overall season record, earning the right to participate in the state baseball playoffs.

Game One of the Bi-District Championship will be on Friday, May 2nd, at 5 P.M. at the UniTrade Baseball Stadium in Laredo, Texas. Game Two is scheduled for Saturday, May 3rd, at 2 P.M. also at UniTrade Baseball Stadium in Laredo and Game Three, if necessary, is scheduled on Saturday, May 3rd, at 5 P.M. at UniTrade Baseball Stadium in Laredo.

The Eagles are led by their pitching corps of senior ace right-hand hurler Chris Perez, southpaw Carlos Barrera, right-hander Tony Galvan, and relief pitchers Julian Castaneda and Isaac Ramirez. On offense, the Eagles will rely on standout hitters R. J. Ruiz, Diego Gaona, Mando Lopez, Eric Gonzalez, Olexis Gutierrez, Alex Martinez, Kevin Chisum, Joey Soto, Jacob Roiz, and others.

Last year, the Eagles upset the then second state-ranked Sharyland Rattlers in a one-game winner take all Regional Quarter-Finals 10-9 in the bottom of the eighth inning with a bases loaded, two-out balk by Rattlers pitcher Pancho Martinez against Eagles second baseman R.J. Ruiz, scoring pinch runner Alex Martinez with the game winning run to send the Eagles into the Regional Semi-Finals against the San Antonio Jaguars. The Eagles went on to also upset the Johnson Jaguars in the Regional Semi-Finals Championship in a best of three series at Alice, Texas advancing to the Regional Finals Championship against the San Antonio O’Connor Panthers.
The Eagles fell to the O’Connor Panthers 3-2 in a memorable baseball game, falling one game shy of reaching the state championship baseball tournament for a fifth occasion in the storied history of Eagles baseball.

The Eagles are under the direction of Head Coach Reynol Mendoza while the Rattlers have a new Head Coach under former Assistant Coach Junior Martinez.

The Eagles re-match with the Sharyland Rattlers this week in Bi-District promises to be an exciting playoff series as the Rattlers will seek to avenge their upset loss from last year at the hands of the Eagles while the Eagles will seek to qualify for a fifth trip to the state championship tournament one game, one series at a time.

Eagle Pass baseball aficionados are encouraged to travel to Laredo this week and support the Eagles to victory against their perennial nemesis Sharyland Rattlers in the Bi-District Championship.

The Eagle Pass Business Journal wishes the Eagle Pass Eagles all the best in their Bi-District Championship against the Sharyland Rattlers this Friday and Saturday, May 2-3, in Laredo. Go Eagles!