(La Joya, Texas)-What a match-up! It’s Texas vs Texas Tech! Well, almost. Two senior BIG12 pitcher signees could face each other when the 31-6A La Joya Coyotes (21-11-1) travels to meet 26-6A Austin Lake Travis Cavaliers (31-5-3) in the Best-of-Three series beginning on Thursday night at Sinton High School at 6:00 p.m. with Game One in the Class 6A Region IV Semifinals Baseball Championships. Game Two will return to Sinton High School on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. with Game Three to follow if necessary. The winner will meet 28-6A San Antonio Reagan (29-5-1) or 30-6A Eagle Pass (23-13) in the UIL Region IV-6A Championships. “This is amazing. I’m lost for words. To get to the fourth round, just look at my team celebrating this moment,” said an emotional La Joya HS head baseball coach, Mario Flores after their win over Edinburg Vela High School on Saturday.
More than likely, two pitchers from Lake Travis and La Joya High Schools, both headed to the BIG12 Conference, could face each other on Thursday night. Boy, this one could get interesting. From Austin Lake Travis, it’s Texas Longhorn signee, 6’7″ pitcher Pierce George facing La Joya High School, Texas Tech signee, lefty, J.C. Gutierrez. Talk about an early BIG12 rivals match-up! Pierce is a 235lb, fastball thrower with his pitches clocking in the high 80’s and low 90’s. He also has a nasty slider, moving across the plate around the mid-70s. As for the Coyotes? Gutierrez is just as good. The 5’10 left hand pitcher has plenty of pitches to throw to give the Cavs problems at the plate. “This is incredible. To play for Texas Tech next season is the highlight in my life,” says Guitierrez. “I thank God for this and I thank my teammates and coaches. I don’t want this season to end.”
In the playoffs, the Cavs knocked off Vandegrift, SA Johnson, and SA Clark to reach the fourth round while the Coyotes eliminated Weslaco, SA Stevens, and Edinburg Vela to earned the right to play Lake Travis. The Cavs are trying to get back to the UIL State 6A Baseball Tournament since 2019 when they lost in the semifinals to Southlake Carroll 6-2. Last year, the Cavs were eliminated in the third round. This is the first Sweet 16 round for the La Joya Coyotes since 2010. Will fans see both future BIG12 signees on the mound on Thursday night? Go to the game and find out. (HSSMImages)