Eagle Pass Little League Baseball 12 & Under All-Stars Clinch Texas West Sectional Championship, Advance to State Championship
By: Ricardo E. Calderon, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2025
The Eagle Pass Little League Baseball 12 & Under All-Stars team clinched the Texas West Little League Baseball Sectional Championship on Tuesday, July 1, 2025 in San Antonio, Texas, defeating the San Antonio Northside Suburban All-Stars twice in one evening to capture the coveted Sectional Championship and punching their ticket to the Texas West Little League Baseball State Championship in Abilene, Texas.
Eagle Pass snatched the Sectional Championship away from the San Antonio Northside Suburban team having defeated them in Game One by a score of 7-1 and turning around in 30 minutes to face them in Game Two that was a thrilling Little League Baseball Championship game going into extra innings tied at 2-2 in the bottom of the seventh inning with bases loaded, two outs, two strikes and two balls on the batter, Rolando “Roly” Tovar, whom slammed a towering grand slam home run over the left-center field to cap a dramatic 6-2 victory over the potent Northside All-Stars, clinching the Championship.”
The Eagle Pass players, coaches, parents, and fans jumped in jubilation in celebration of the historic grand slam home run by Tovar to capture the Championship and advance to the State Championship in Abilene, Texas next week. The Eagle Pass All-Stars could not have written a better script to the ending of Game Two than the exciting climax prescribed by Roly Tovar’s storied grand slam.
There is no secret among Texas West Little League Baseball history aficionados of the strong rivalry between the Eagle Pass Little League Baseball teams and the San Antonio Northside, Northwest, and Alamo Heights teams at the Sectional tournaments. Undoubtedly, Eagle Pass’s dramatic victory over Northside on July 1, 2025 will go down as one of the most thrilling victories of Eagle Pass Little League Baseball history. And Roly Tovar’s grand slam will certainly go down in the Eagle Pass Little League Baseball annals as one of the greatest moments.
The Eagle Pass All-Stars were honored on Thursday, July 3, 2025 by the City of Eagle Pass City Council, Administration, and residents with a ceremony bestowing them the Mayor’s Excellence Award for their extraordinary feat, dedication, commitment, and discipline as young leaders in the community and baseball world.
Among the team members is Kristian ‘Chino” Valadez who earlier in June 2025 was selected as one of 18 team members to the elite Team USA 12 & Under Team. Valadez is the first Eagle Pass youth baseball player to be named to the national Team USA 12 & Under Baseball Team, demonstrating the extraordinary baseball talent available in Eagle Pass.
Eagle Pass Mayor Aaron Valdez and City Councilwoman Jessica Rey Ramon presented the Mayor’s Excellence Award to the Eagle Pass Little League Baseball All-Stars and wished them continued success in their endeavors and pursuit of qualifying for the Little League Baseball World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
