Weekly Recap & Awards No. 7
David Beats Goliath- Correction, Bishop Takes down Calallen
The Bishop Badgers, an already great baseball team, proved their toughness by taking down the previously undefeated Calallen Wildcats. Bishop traveled to Steve Chapman Field on Saturday, April 12th for a non-district contest. The Wildcats entered the game an impressive 23-0, while the Badgers sat at 12-6-2 on the season.
Aiden Alaniz kept the Wildcats at bay through 4.1 innings, before JT Benitez and Jaylen Arriaga took over. Tied 2-2 in after the 7th, the Badgers only needed one extra frame to score, what would be, the winning run. Arriaga came through in the clutch, bringing in Brandon Buchanan on an RBI Double to center in the top of the 8th inning.
Blake Quinn and Dallin DeBellas had one RBI apiece for Calallen, while Buchanan and Arriaga mirrored them with one each for Bishop.
Calallen kept the #1 Spot in Class 4A with a 23-1 record, while Bishop is just outside the 3A Top-10 at #12. Calallen can enter the postseason without the pressures of an undefeated record, and Bishop gets a major resume, and confidence, boost as they also head into their toughest district game remaining against CC London.
Catholic Classic Part Two: JPII Holds on over IWA
Monday, I ventured across town to the campus of John Paul II to see the Centurions host the Incarnate Word Academy Angels. If you follow either team, you remember the 28-0 thumping that JPII gave the Angels back in March at Whataburger Field. Not very holy if you ask me *wink*.
Dietrich Lopez was on the mound for the Centurions, but IWA came ready to fight. The Angels fought back to tie the game at 6-6 in the top of 6th inning, but JPII would score one in the bottom half to give them the lead for good. Lopez, who has been somewhat of a strikeout machine this season, recorded a complete game victory with 12 K's. Kyle Owen took the loss for the Angels, despite a solid outing.
St. John Paul II’s Dietrich Lopez Throws a Pitch against the Incarnate Word Academy Angels.
CC Veterans Memorial’s Ryan Morgan Celebrates after Hitting a Double at Gregory-Portland
College Spotlight - Sergio Guerra, Tarleton State Catcher
Sergio Guerra, a native of San Diego, Texas, has put together a strong senior campaign this season. Similar to some other locals, it seems like every time I open up social media, there is a highlight from Guerra.
He is currently batting .340 with 6 Home Runs, 25 RBI's, and 32 hits. Guerra is a JUCO product who worked his way into a Division 1 lineup. The Tarleton State Texans are a member of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC), and are currently in 7th place out of the 8 team.s. While they may not be dominant, Guerra has really solidified himself as an everyday impact player, both behind the plate, and with a bat in hand.
He recently went yard twice on Sunday over the weekend. You can check that video out here!
Sergio Guerra celebrates a base hit. Photo via Tarleton State Athletic Department.
Pro Spotlight - Kyle Hill, Seattle Mariners RHP
This week’s pro spotlight shines on Kyle Hill, who recently announced his retirement from professional baseball on April 8th.
Hill is a product of Calallen High School, and was a member of the 2015 Graduating class. After his time at Calallen, Hill played baseball at Baylor University for all four years of his eligibility. He actually shared the field with current big leaguer, Nick Loftin for two seasons in Waco. As a Bear, Hill racked up many accolades that you can read about here. He is one of Baylor Baseball's most dominant pitchers on record.
After his career at Baylor, Hill was selected in the 10th Round of the 2019 MLB Draft by the Seattle Mariners. He signed and began his journey through their minor league system. From 2019 to 2025 he served as a RHP, but his career would unfortunately be riddled with the injury bug.
According to his Instagram post about retiring, he would need to undergo another elbow surgery (would be his second) to continue playing. On top of the surgery, the Mariners released him on March 20th, 2025. Unfortunately, that is the reality of the game. Kyle spent last season at the Double-AA Level with the Arkansas Travelers of the Texas League. His family and friends were able to come and see him pitch multiple times as a pro while they were playing at Whataburger Field against the Corpus Christi Hooks.
I'd like to personally congratulate Kyle on a great baseball career, from Oil Belt Little League to the MLB Draft, those memories he made will be a piece of him forever. From all of South Texas, we are incredibly proud of Kyle and his accomplishments.
Kyle Hill Throws with Kale Emshoff during the 2023 Offseason.
Notable performances from April 7th - April 13th
Teams of the Week-4A/5A/6A
6A - Laredo Alexander | 2-0 (2 District Wins, 18-6 Overall)
6A - Los Fresnos | 3-0 (2 District Wins, 21-3-1 Overall)
6A - PSJA | 2-0 (2 District Wins, 20-2-1 Overall)
5A - La Joya Palmview | 2-0 (2 District Wins)
5A - McAllen Rowe | 2-0 (2 District Wins, 16-6 Overall)
5A - CC Veterans Memorial | 3-0 (2 District Wins, 21-2-1 Overall)
5A - Flour Bluff | 2-0 (2 District Wins)
5A - Sharyland Pioneer | 2-0 (2 District Wins)
5A - Brownsville Rivera | 2-0 (2 District Wins, 16-5 Overall)
5A - Victoria East | 3-0 (2 District Wins, 23-4 Overall)
5A - Weslaco East | 2-0 (2 District Wins, 14-5 Overall)
5A - La Joya | 2-0 (16-7 Overall)
5A - Rio Grande City | 2-0 (2 District Wins)
5A - Harlingen South | 3-0 (18-5 Overall)
4A - Floresville | 2-0 (2 District Wins)
4A - Pleasanton | 3-0 (21-3 Overall)
4A - Sinton | 3-0 (19-5-1 Overall)
4A - Tuloso-Midway | 2-0 (19-7-1 Overall)
Teams of the Week 2A/3A
3A - Odem | 2-0 (2 District Wins, 16-9 Overall)
3A - Bishop | 3-0 (2 District Wins & Defeated Calallen)
3A - Goliad | 2-0 (2 District Wins)
3A - Falfurrias | 2-0 (2 District Wins, 15-7-2 Overall)
3A - Hebbronville | 3-0 (2 District Wins, Defeated Zapata)
3A - Lyford | 3-0 (2 District Wins, 17-7 Overall)
3A - West Oso | 2-0 (2 District Wins)
2A - Port Aransas | 2-0 (2 District Wins, 14-5 Overall)
2A - Premont | 3-0 (2 District Wins, 14-8 Overall)
2A - Agua Dulce | 2-0 (2 District Wins)
2A - Three Rivers | 2-0 (2 District Wins, 15-5 Overall)
Bishop’s Jaylen Arriaga hits a pitch during their win over Calallen on April 12th. Photo via 4C Photography
4A/5A/6A Pitchers of the Week
Victoria West | DJ Martinez | 1GP 1W 1CG 5IP 0H 0R 0ER 2BB 7K's *No Hitter*
La Joya Palmview | Osi Lopez | 1GP 1W 1CG 5IP 0H 0R 0ER 2BB 4Ks *No Hitter*
Zapata | Noe Camarillo | 1GP 1W 1CG 5IP 0H 0R 0ER 1BB 11K's *No Hitter*
Floresville | Bryan Cardenas | 1GP 1W 1CG 7IP 2H 0R 0ER 1BB 17K's
PSJA | Jesse Garza | 1GP 1W 1CG 7IP 1H 0R 0ER 4BB 14K's
CC Carroll | Christian Hernandez | 1GP 1W 1CG 7IP 4H 0R 0ER 2BB 11K's
Rio Grande City | Hiram Lopez | 1GP 1W 1CG 7IP 1H 0R 0ER 4BB 13K's
Flour Bluff | RJ Moreno | 1GP 1W 6IP 4H 0R 0ER 1BB 10K's
CC Calallen | Hayden Brock | 1GP 1W 5IP 2H 1R 1ER 1BB 6K's
Brownsville Rivera | Derrick Villarreal | 1GP 1W 1CG 7IP 2H 0R 0ER 2BB 4K's
Mission Sharyland | Roy Rodriguez | 1GP 1W 6IP 4H 1R 1ER 8K's
Mission Sharyland | Fabrizo Salinas | 1GP 1W 1CG 5IP 1H 0R 0ER 11K's
Sharyland Pioneer | Ruben Lopez | 1GP 1W 6.2IP 4H 3R 0ER 0BB 7K's
Sharyland Pioneer | Roque Vela | 1GP 1W 7.1IP 3H 0R 0ER 1BB 7K's
McAllen Rowe | JC Garcia | 1GP 1ND 5IP 3H 0R 0ER 9K's
Pleasanton | Marcos Guardiola | 1GP 1W 6IP 1H 1R 0ER 5K's
CC Ray | OJ Ruiz | 1GP 1W 1CG 7IP 4H 3R 0ER 3BB 7K's
Victoria East | Andrew Alvarado | 1GP 1W 4IP 1H 0R 0ER 1BB 9K's
Laredo Alexander | Federico Hernandez | 1GP 1W 6IP 1H 0R 0ER 3BB 5K's
Port Lavaca | Demetrio Rodriguez | 1GP 1W 5IP 2H 0R 0ER 1BB 7K's
Harlingen South | Richard Pizano | 1GP 1W 1CG 7IP 6H 0R 0ER 1BB 5K's
Harlingen | Dominic Gonzales | 1GP 1W 1CG 7IP 1H 0R 0ER 11K's
Laredo United South | Roman Martinez | 1GP 1CG 6IP 2H 1R 0ER 11K's
Hidalgo | Brent Ian Szczuroski | 1GP 1W 6IP 2H 1R 1ER 2BB 6Ks
Sinton | Keldon Kemp | 1GP 1W 4IP 2H 0R 0ER 1BB 7Ks
Sinton | Dylan Arriaga | 1GP 1W 1CG 7IP 4H 0R 0ER 4BB 9K's
Sinton | Derek Garcia | 1GP 1W 1CG 5IP 1H 0R 0ER 10K's
CC Veterans Memorial | Zach Hampton | 1GP 1W 1CG 7IP 3H 0R 0ER 0BB 9K's
CC Veterans Memorial | Julian Colsa | 1GP 1W 6IP 1H 0R 0ER 3BB 11K's
Weslaco East | James Abrego | 1GP 1W 6IP 5H 1R 1ER 3BB 10K's
2A/3A Pitchers of the Week
Falfurrias | Ben Benavides | 1GP 1CG 1W 3IP 0R 0ER 0BB 8K's *Perfect Game*
Falfurrias | Jaxon Garcia | 1GP 1W 1CG 3IP 0H 0R 0ER 1BB 6Ks *No Hitter*
Orange Grove | Zach Wright | 1GP 1W 6IP 0H 0R 0ER 3BB 14K's *No Hitter*
Premont | Emiliano Canales | 1GP 1W 1CG 5IP 0H 0R 0ER 3BB 9K's
Goliad | Cy Henke | 1GP 1W 5IP 3H 2R 0ER 2BB 6K's
Bishop | JT Benitez | 1GP 1W 1CG 7IP 1H 0R 0ER 1BB 11K's
Mathis | Joziah Gutierrez | 1GP 1W 1CG 7IP 3H 3R 0ER 2BB 9K's
Premont | Demarco Gonzalez | 1GP 1W 1CG 7IP 6H 1R 1ER 1BB 8K's
Odem | Chaise Ford | 1GP 1W 1CG 7IP 1H 0R 0ER 4BB 9K's
Bishop | Brandon Buchanan | 1GP 1W 1CG 7IP 4H 0R 0ER 3BB 8K's
Goliad | Barrett Irwin | 1GP 1W 5IP 2H 0R 0ER 2BB 4K's
Raymondville | Justin Rodriguez | 1GP 1W 1CG 5IP 1H 0R 0ER 0BB 6K's
CC London | Zak Garcia | 1GP 1W 4IP 1H 0R 0ER 0BB 8K's
Port Aransas | Straton Mills | 1GP 1W 1CG 5IP 3H 1R 0ER 1BB 6K's
Refugio | Laytan Garza | 1GP 1W 1CG 5IP 2H 0R 0ER 1BB 8K's
Refugio | Matthew Perez | 1GP 1W 1CG 5IP 5H 0R 0ER 1BB 8K's
Hebbronville | Edward Trevino | 1GP 1W 1CG 7IP 3H 2R 2ER 2K's
Three Rivers | Lathan Meyer | 1GP 1W 1CG 7IP 2H 0R 0ER 1BB 7K's
CC Veterans Memorial’s Trae Hernandez Fields a Grounder against Gregory-Portland.
4A/5A/6A Hitters of the Week
CC Veterans Memorial | JR Gonzalez | 1.000 Avg 5AB 5H 4R 1RBI 3BB
La Joya | Samuel Deleon | .857 Avg 7AB 6H 6R 6RBI 1-2B 1HR
Brownsville Rivera | Raul Reyes | .833 Avg 6AB 5H 1R 3RBI
Sinton | Kash Wood | .778 Avg 9AB 7H 4R 8RBI 1-2B 1-3B 1HR 3SB
Victoria East | Bently Blinka | .778 Avg 9AB 7H 6R 11RBI 3-2B 2-3B 2SB
La Joya | Gael Zambrano | .750 Avg 8AB 6H 4R 5RBI 2-2B 1-3B 2SB
Port Lavaca | Ricky Martinez | .750 Avg 8AB 6H 4R 4RBI 1HR 1-2B 1SB
CC King | Kody Westbrook | .714 Avg 7AB 5H 2RBI
Los Fresnos | Derek Garcia | .714 Avg 7AB 5H 2R 2RBI 1-2B 2BB 4SB
Mission Sharyland | Nick Valdez | .714 Avg 7AB 5H 4R 5RBI 3SB
CC Calallen | Chase Lynch | .667 Avg 9AB 6H 5R 1-2B 2RBI 2BB 1SB
Mission Veterans | Chris Ramos | .667 Avg 6AB 4H 2R 3RBI 1-2B 1HR
CC Carroll | Ian Solano | .667 Avg 6AB 4H 2RBI
Sinton | Julian Suarez | .667 Avg 6AB 4H 2R 3RBI 1-2B 1-3B
Mission Sharyland | Santiago Balderas | .667 Avg 6AB 4H 2R 4RBI 1-2B
PSJA | Jacob Delgadillo | .625 Avg 8AB 5H 2RBI 2-2B
Flour Bluff | Benjamin Terry | .625 Avg 8AB 5H 3R 4RBI 2-2B 3SB
Weslaco East | Aiden Gonzalez | .625 Avg 8AB 5H 2R 1RBI 1-2B 1-3B 3SB
Harlingen South | Aundre Guadarrama | .600 Avg 10AB 6H 4R 1BB 3SB
Calallen | Drayton Mitchell | .571 Avg 7AB 4H 4R 4RBI 1-2B 3-3B 3BB 1SB
Zapata | Lauro Guerra | .571 Avg 7AB 4H 4R 1RBI 1-2B 2BB 3SB
Palmview | Mateo Garcia | .556 Avg 9AB 5H 2R 3RBI 1-2B 1-3B 2BB 3SB
Calallen | Blake Quinn | .500 Avg 10AB 5H 2R 5RBI 2-2B 1HR 2BB
CC Carroll | Niko Caballero | .500 Avg 8AB 4H 2-2B
Mission Veterans | Jahziel Trevino | .500 Avg 8AB 4H 3RBI
Gregory Portland | Blaine Elizalde | .500 Avg 10AB 5H 1R 6RBI 2-2B
Palmview | Javier Garza | .500 Avg 10AB 5H 3R 3RBI 1-3B
Tuloso Midway | Landin Ford | .500 Avg 6AB 3H 3R 5RBI 2-2B
Pleasanton | JJ Arrendondo | .500 Avg 10AB 5H 2R 2-2B
2A/3A Hitters of the Week
Three Rivers | Lathan Meyer | .800 Avg 5AB 4H 6R 1RBI 1BB
Three Rivers | Grant Dragon | .800 Avg 5AB 4H 3R 5RBI 1-2B 1-3B
Falfurrias | Jaxon Garcia | .800 Avg 5AB 4H 3R 4RBI 3-2B 2SB
Hebbronville | Ruben Rodriguez Jr | .778 Avg 9AB 7H 6R 5RBI 1-2B 1-3B 1HR
CC London | Max Carreon | .750 Avg 4AB 3H 3R 1RBI 1-2B 4BB
Premont | Mario Gonzalez | .750 Avg 4AB 3H 1R 4RBI 1-2B 2HBP
Refugio | Kayden Garza | .714 Avg 7AB 5H 2R 2RBI 1-2B 2SB
Falfurrias | Andre Cisneros | .667 Avg 6AB 4H 3R 2RBI 2-2B 5SB
West Oso | Julian Garcia | .667 Avg 6AB 4H 1R 7RBI 1-3B 1BB
Mathis | Brandon Reed | .667 Avg 6AB 4H 2R 2RBI 1-2B 1-3B 2BB 3SB
Odem | Evan Nunez | .667 Avg 6AB 4H 2R 1-2B 2SB
Orange Grove | Zach Wright | .667 Avg 6AB 4H
CC London | Zach Tyrone | .625 Avg 8AB 5H 5R 5RBI 1-2B 3SB
Raymondville | Noel Reta | .625 Avg 8AB 5H 5R 2RBI 1-2B 1-3B 1HR 2SB
Mathis | Joziah Guiterrez | .571 Avg 7AB 4H 2R 1-2B
Karnes City | Colt Ingle | .571 Avg 7AB 4H 4R 2RBI 2SB
West Oso | Jaime Guerrero | .556 Avg 9AB 5H 5R 4RBI 2SB
Refugio | Laytan Garza | .500 Avg 8AB 4H 3R 7RBI 2-2B 1HR