Meet the Preps

Extra quotes from Socorro baseball

Here is just a sample of extra quotes I couldn't get into my stories on Socorro baseball.

CHRIS FORBES, head coach 
— On this year’s team 
“They played together when they were young and stuff, and a lot of that has to do with their success because they’re familiar with each other, they’re good friends. ... I saw these kids come in and play hard and I saw their attitude, and they just needed a little bit of guidance and a little pushing here, some pushing there. They pretty much already knew how to win.”

— On chances of winning state 
“Once we got to the Final Four, I had a pretty good idea that we were going to win the thing just because of the determination the kids have throughout the playoffs. They were very focused, we came out, we had good practices. We actually got better as we got into the playoffs. We hit the ball all year long, but really, defensively we weren’t very good. Just all of a sudden, we get into the playoffs and things just started clicking and we were making plays and our pitchers got a lot more confident in the play behind them.”

— On what winning a state title means to him 
“If you’re a coach and your goal is not to win a state title, then you’re in the wrong business. A state championship is just an unbelievable feeling. I love these kids to death because they come out and they worked real hard for this and I’ve worked so hard for this, and really you could feel that we were working together and we were working for each other to make our dreams come true.”

— On players buying into the Socorro baseball tradition 
“The kids understand the tradition and want to be a part of the tradition, but they also want to make their own tradition.”

— On putting Socorro's state title into perspective 
“I really don’t know if people really understand how difficult it is to win a state championship in Texas. The state is so large, and there are so many teams and there are so many great players out there. Of all the teams in Texas, and if you look back at some of the national rankings and stuff, for almost the whole season, there were various teams ranked No. 1 in the nation and they were from Texas. If you go back in some of the national polls in the last few weeks and months and look at the top 10, there are probably three or four Texas teams in there — and we weren’t one of them.

“It’s really hard to believe that here we are in little ‘ole Socorro here and we’re the No. 1 team in the state.”

JESSIRAY NAVARRETTE, catcher 
— On arriving at Socorro as a freshman 
“I knew what I was getting into. My brother played against them when he was at Bel Air. They always were a powerhouse.”

— On wanting to be a Bulldog 
“I dreamed about being on the Socorro baseball team ever since I saw them playing my brother’s team from Bel Air. I like how they played. They played with 110 percent, they went in, got in and out. I told my parents to come enroll me here, find a place where we could live here.”

— On advancing to state 
“It’s very special because we worked so hard to make this happen. It’s not only our childhood dream. Coach Forbes has been here over 20 years, and this is the first time he’s going to state. He worked so hard to get us here, and we did our part to help him out.”

— On representing Socorro and El Paso County at the state level 
“All these people have been here for us, day in and day out. They’ve been pretty much at every series that we’ve played, and they’ve been there for us every year. It means a lot, just going out there and playing for them and also for us.”

CORY FALVEY, center fielder 
— On Forbes 
“He’s helped me with a lot of stuff. He’s always there on the field talking to us, telling us what we’re doing wrong, and we just fix it. He’s been a real great coach. If he goes out (retires) like this, then his dreams come true. it was a great year for him.”

BOBBY MARES, pitcher/third baseman 
— On Forbes 
“He helped us out. He took us under his wing and showed us how to win. He carried us all the way.”

Looking back at Socorro's season

After watching the Socorro victory in the state championship on television, I thought about what made this team special and then I remember the article below that I wrote about them at the beginning of the season. 

The purpose of the article was to highlight our preseason No. 1 team, but while doing the interviews and writing the story it was clear that this team had one goal in mind — a state title. Looking back at it some of these quotes, it just tells you how determined this team was for the upcoming season.

I really thought it would be interesting to re-post it here now that their journey is complete. Enjoy.

Originally published: Monday Feb. 23, 2009

One final run

Socorro in the hunt for elusive state title 

By Aaron Bracamontes 
El Paso Times

SOCORRO -- The Socorro Bulldogs have done just about everything a Texas high school baseball team can do, except for one thing.

"The only thing we haven't done at Socorro baseball is get to the Final Four and win that state championship," senior pitcher Bobby Mares said.

For Mares and 18 of his fellow seniors, this is the year that the Bulldogs finally stop flirting with fate and capture what head coach Chris Forbes calls "the elusive state championship."

"It's our senior year, we'll give it all we got. It's our last chance, and hopefully we'll get it done," Mares said. "It would mean everything. We've worked so hard. We've played together since we were 8, 9 years old."

Most importantly, the team's seniors have been under the tutelage of coach Forbes for the past three seasons.

"They've been to the regional finals and the regional semifinals their sophomore and junior years. They know how to prepare themselves," Forbes said. "I made a promise with these guys, that I'd see them through all four years."

While it's the group's last year, Forbes has not made any decision about his future. But he is ready to set goals and achieve them.

"We've got long-term goals and short-term goals; they're day-to-day," Forbes said. "But we can't look too far in advance, because if we do, we'll get hurt by it."

The team's seniors realize the clock is ticking on their high school careers, and they have just one more chance to bring a state baseball title to El Paso for the first time since 1949, when the Bowie Bears did it.

"So I guess it's now or never. There's no next year or anything," third baseman George Stoltz said. "Right now, we have a lot of experience. We have 14 returners, 13 of them being seniors, just one being a sophomore, and 18 seniors total."

However, the team knows the journey to a state title goes through the regular season first.

"It's on our mind, but we can't let that take over our mind-set," shortstop Aaron Olivas said.

While the team's hitting and defense are expected to pick up where they left off last year, Forbes said he will try to shore up a pitching rotation that lost its two anchors.

"You can't replace guys like Gabe Aguilar and Louie Saenz," Forbes said. "But once we get some of these guys without the experience on the mound, I think they'll fill the void."

One of those individuals will be Tavi Amparan.

"I like being in charge of the game, I like when it's all on me, because it makes me try harder and it brings the best out of me," Amparan said.

Amparan already has earned a scholarship to play at Cisco Junior College.

"This (season) is kind of important for me, because it will set the tone for college," Amaparan said. "Baseball has meant a lot for me. It's kept me out of trouble and going in my classes."

Olivas will join him at Cisco, and to him, being a Bulldog means more than just being a part of a team.

"To keep that tradition of playing baseball here, it means a lot," Olivas said. "There's a lot of unity. Everyone here is like a brother. Not that the other teams were different, but we've grown up together, which makes us a little stronger."

Outfielder Cory Falvey agrees that the Socorro baseball tradition means more than just achievements.

"Our program's well-organized, and our coach is very good," Falvey said. "Our teams have always been good for the past couple years."

But for now, the most important thing on everyone's mind is the beginning of a new season.

Aaron Bracamontes may be reached at abracamontes@elpasotimes.com; 546-6381.

Less than four months later and the Socorro Bulldogs are the best in Texas.

Socorro baseball - State Championship live updates

Class 5A state championship game at Dell Diamond stadium in Round Rock
11 a.m. MDT Saturday, June 13, 2009

No. 4 Socorro Bulldogs (34-4) vs. Lufkin Panthers (30-9)

Weather: Clear skies, humid (84 degree, 51 percent humidity as of 11 a.m. MDT)

Starting pitchers: Socorro: Tavi Amparan (10-1). Lufkin - Luis Dejesus (8-2).

SEVENTH INNING -Socorro 12, Lufkin 7 - FINAL

Top: Stoltz comes in on a throwing error. Mares singles. Navarrette at plate with one out and runners on the corners. He doubles off the left field wall, plates Olivas. Amparan up with one out and runners in scoring position ...Singles to right field, scores to runners. Score now 11-3. New pitcher: Eddie Duron. Diaz singles to left field. Guzman up with two on and one out; strikes out. Three batters later, Lufkin gets final out. (score 12-3)

Bottom: Lufkin gets four more runs in after loading the bases fives times. Olivas relieves Amparan before the first out with bases loaded. He allows two hits and a walk, yielding three runs to make it a 12-7 game, before retiring the last three batters with bases loaded each time.

SIXTH INNING -Socorro 7, Lufkin 3

Top: Clifton retires side in order.

Bottom: Amparan retires side in order.

FIFTH INNING -Socorro 7, Lufkin 3

Top: Chuy Diaz strikes out. Chris Guzman (first at-bat) singles. Ivan Sigala singles. Stoltz flies out. Olivas is reaches on a walk. Falvey back at the plate with bases loaded and two outs. Lufkin coach approaches mound to talk to his pitcher, walks back, then the Panthrers' pitching coach approaches the mound and Dejesus comes out (68 pitches on the afternoon with three scoreless, hit-less innings). J.P. Clifton (10-0), yesterday's winning pitcher against Pearland, replaces Dejesus on the mound. FALVEY SMASHES TWO-OUT GRAND SLAM ON SECOND PITCH OVER LEFT FIELD, SCORE NOW 7-2. Mares singles to left field. Navarrette singles. Amparan strikes out.

Bottom: First batter walks, next two ground out. Marberry singles in Thompson. Next batter flies out.

FOURTH INNING - Socorro 3, Lufkin 2

Top: Stoltz grounds out. Aaron Olivas doubles to deep right; later moves to third on failed pick-off attempt at second. Falvey blasts 390-foot home run on a full count, score now tied. Bobby Mares grounds out. Jessiray Navarrette doubles deep to right-center, replaced by courtesy runner Oscar Sandate. With Amparan at plate, Sandate gets to third on a wild pitch in the dirt and eventually comes in on an errant throw to third base by the catcher. Amparan eventually grounds out to shortstop.

Bottom: FIrst batter grounds out, next walks. Third is struck out. Fourth batter grounds out to shortstop (Olivas makes an athletic, running scoop of the ball and gets the forced out at first base).

THIRD INNING -Lufkin 1, Socorro 0

Top: Dejesus retires side for a third time.

Bottom: Seth Thompson is walked. Agustin Enriquez singles. Runners on corners. Dejesus gets RBI-ground out. Next batter strikes out. Enriques goes to third on wild pitch. Last batter struck out.

SECOND INNING -Lufkin 1, Socorro 0

Top: Dejesus retires side in order again.

Bottom: Amparan retires first two batters. Tim Tang singles. Next batter grounds out to second.

FIRST iNNING - Lufkin 1, Socorro 0
Top: Dejesus retires side in order.

Bottom: First two batters retired. Third (Tim Enriquez) is walked on four consecutive balls. Dejesus up to bat, gets blooper down first base line, singles in Enriquez from second base. Zach Marberry is hit by pitch. Two on, two outs. Next batter grounds out to first base.

Socorro baseball - State semifinal updates

Class 5A state semifinals, Dell Diamond in Round Rock

SOCORRO VS. AUSTIN WESTLAKE

Starting pitchers: Socorro - Bobby Mares (10-1, right hander). Westlake: James Ferguson (12-2, left-hander).

SEVENTH INNING -Socorro 11, Westlake 3 - FINAL

Top: First batter grounds out to first.Second batter flies out to right field.Mares gets the final batter swinging.

SIXTH INNING - Socorro 11, Westlake 3

Top: First two batters ground out and strike out. Harris is walked, then Mares strikes out last batter.

Bottom: Navarrette leads off with double to the warning track. Amparan singles. Diaz strikes out. Sigala is walked. Bases loaded, one out, and Marcus Molina comes off the bench to hit ... he's walked, run scores. Bases loaded. Stoltz is out on infield fly rule but Amparan comes in. Olivas reaches on error, Sigala comes in. Falvey flies out.

FIFTH INNING -Socorro 8, Westlake 3

Top: Seitzman flies out; Geller strikes out. Hanson reaches on error and Trahan singles. With runners on corners, Westlake tries double steal. Navarrette, a catcher, prevents run at second base, then shortstop Olivas shoots ball back to Navarrette, who stops the runner at home.

Bottom: (New Westlake pitcher, Holt McNair, 8-3) Stoltz and Olivas both ground out. Falvey gets walked. Mares grounds out. 

FOURTH INNING -Socorro *8, Westlake 3

Top: Mares retires the side in order with one strike out, his second of the game.

Bottom: Soria leads off with a line drive to shallow center. Stoltz strikes out. Aaron Olivas reaches on a hit-by-pitch. Falvey sends first pitch sizzling over left field, 3-run HR that breaks CITY record (now has 17 on season). Mares up next, takes second pitch and sends it to virtually exact same spot over left field. Back-to-back jacks puts Socorro up 7-3 with one out. Westlake has discussion on mound ... Navarrette reaches on pitcher error. Diaz reaches on a fielder's choice (Amparan out at second). Runners on corners, two outs. Ivan Sigala singles in Rodriguez. Mando Muniz strikes out swinging.

*Most runs given up by Westlake in playoffs.

THIRD INNING -Socorro 3, Westlake 3

Top: Stephen Koenig grounds out to shortstop. Adam Seitzman is walked. Chandler Geller singles. Miles Hanson reaches on an error. Bases loaded, one out. Joseph Trahan grounds to center, brings in Seitzman; fielding error on Falvey allows Geller to come home. Hanson comes in on an RBI-ground-out. Game tied, 3-3, with one on. Last batter grounds out.

Bottom: Mares flies out to right field. Navarrette singles to left field, Amparan reaches on a fielder's choice (courtesy runner Josh Rodriguez out at second). Diaz gets to second on a throwing error from third to first base. Runners in scoring position, two outs. Ivan Sigala struck out swinging on a full count.

SECOND INNING -Socorro 3, Westlake 0

Top: Westlake's Collin Shaw gets walked and is moved over on a sac bunt. Will Harris reaches on a fielder's choice while Shaw is tagged out at third. Two outs. Last batter grounds out to first base.

Bottom: Chuy Diaz hits infield pop-up, second baseman fails to field ball with sun in his eyes. Ivan Sigala gets walked, spurring a Chaparrals meeting on the mound. Angel Soria moves runners into scoring position with a sac bunt. Diaz comes in under the throw on a Stoltz sac fly. Sigala driven in by Aaron Olivas grounder to left field. Falvey flies out.

FIRST INNING –Socorro 1, Westlake 0

Top:Westlake loads bases with two outs…. Mares strikes out last batter swinging.

Bottom: George Stoltz leads off with a triple to deep center, then tags up on a sacrifice fly by Aaron Olivas. 1 out. Cory Falvey reaches on a hit-by-pitch. Mares flies out. Jessiray Navarrette singles on first pitch - two on, now. Tavi Amparan flies out. Inning over.

(Socorro's game got pushed back because the erly game between Lufkin and Pearland went extra innings.

Lufkin won its semifinal 4-2 on a two-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the 12th inning.

In the press box up here at Dell Diamond, we're estimating the Socorro game should start about 1:15 p.m. MDT.)

El Paso needs Socorro to win

The Socorro Bulldogs baseball team is in the on-deck circle of a 60-year destiny. Today at high noon they will take the field against Austin Westlake at Dell Diamond in Round Rock, Texas for the state semifinals. El Paso needs them to win it all.

Along with the other major sports there is the stigma that once a local team gets so far,it's only a matter of time before they lose. It happens every year in every sport. But you know what? That's just sports. Sometimes you don't win it all, but it never means it's impossible. 

Socorro is no fluke. They are good and deserve to be there because El Paso is good and deserves to be there.

No, El Paso is not championship deprived, we had Evonne Britton win a gold medal just last week in track and field. Aside from perhaps the biggest three sports (football, basketball and baseball), El Paso has won championships. El Paso is also not like the Motor City, where it is in such a depression that a championship would lift its spirits. Still, El Paso needs Socorro to win. 

Why? 

Because it is good for a home town team to bring home the championship. Bowie did it in 1949 and perhaps Socorro can do it in 2009. Play ball Bulldogs.

Socorro's possible opponents in the Final Four

For the 5A baseball state championships, the UIL will reseed the four remaining teams before the semi-finals begin. So here is a look at the three other Final Four teams:

Of course you have El Paso's own Socorro Bulldogs (33-4) representing Region I.

From Region II, will be the Lufkin Panthers (29-9). 

From Region III, will be the Pearland Oilers (30-7-1).

From Region IV, will be the Austin Westlake Chaparrals (27-12).

Based off records I would say there is a good chance Socorro gets the No. 1 seed, but don't put that in stone as the UIL may have a different criteria.

Keep checking back here and at elpasotimes.com for more information on the state championship and Socorro, as this is the OFFICIAL blog of all things high school. 

Socorro baseball - Game 2 updates from Region 1-5A final

Socorro vs. Flower Mound Marcus
Region 1-5A final
Game 2, Saturday, at Christensen Stadium in MIdland

Starting on the mound: Flower Mound Marcus, Michael Gill (5-3, 3.06 ERA). Socorro, Tavi Amparan (9-1, 2.21 ERA).

7th inning - Socorro 11, Marcus 5- FINAL
-Top: Falvey blasts three-run homer over left field with two outs; Mares and Olivas come in. Johnson hits next batter and gives up a single before coming off the mound. Socorro now up 11-4.

-Bottom: Victor Guerra gets a two-out double to score Layne Nelson and cut the lead to 11-5, but Amparan strikes out the last batter looking to close the game.

6th inning - Socorro 8, Marcus 4
- Top: Chris Johnson, Marcus' Game 1 reliever, comes on for Gill after one batter and retires three consecutive.

-Bottom: Amparan retires the side in order again.

5th inning - Socorro 8, Marcus 4
-Top: Olivas drills a two-out shot to right-center and plates Chuy Diaz. 

-Bottom: Amparan retires side in order.

4th inning - Socorro 7, Marcus 4
-Top: With one out and facing a 2-2 count, Falvey singles to shallow center and brings home Stoltz and Olivas.

-Bottom: Jameson Holt scores but is ejected after kicking Navarrette while crossing the plate.

3rd inning - Socorro 5, Marcus 3
- Top: Mares leads off with a stand-up triple and is brought in on a home run by Jessiray Navarrette, who sends the ball zipping well beyond 395 feet over center field.

-Bottom: Amparan strikes out two. Navarrette, a catcher, gets easy pick-off at second base.

2nd inning - Socorro 3, Marcus 3
- Top: Socorro loads bases with no outs, finishes with two runs. Oscar Sandate, a courtesy runner for Amparan, scores when George Stoltz reaches on a fielder's choice. Then with two outs and runners on first and second, Aaron Olivas takes an 0-2 pitch to right-center and plates Chris Guzman. Socorro ties game, 3-3.

-Bottom: Amparan retires two of four batters; solid Socorro defense.

1st inning: Marcus 3, Socorro 1

- Top: Cory Falvey speeds to third base on a botched pick-off attempt at first and eventually comes in on a shortstop error on a smash by Bobby Mares.

- Bottom: Marcus scores three runs with two outs on the board. Brode Boyd triples in Victor Guerra and Cody Coltrain, then later jogs in on a passed ball.

Socorro baseball regional final updates per inning - Game 1

Socorro vs. Flower Mound Marcus
Region 1-5A final
Game 1, Friday, at Christensen Stadium in MIdland

Both teams are throwing their aces: Bobby Mares (10-1; 2.92 ERA) for Socorro and Tyler Carter (8-2; 2.21 ERA) for Marcus.

7th inning - Socorro 7, Marcus 6 - FINAL
- Speedster Michael Gill beats the throw home on a wild pitch to tie the game 6-6. Socorro's Chris Guzman comes back and hits a hard grounder to center field and Falvey comes in from second base on the fielding error.

6th inning - Socorro 6, Marcus 5
- Mares gives up a two-run home run to Victor Guerra over left field, then walks the next two batters. With two outs on the board, Colby Coltrain hits an 0-2 pitch to shallow left-center and plates Cody Kuecker and Brode Boyd. Johnson comes back and strikes out the side 1-2-3 to close the inning.

5th inning - Socorro 6, Marcus 1
- Bulldogs catcher Jessiray Navarrette highlights the top half with his second pick-off at second base of the game, then Johnson retires the side in order in the home half.

4th inning - Socorro 6, Marcus 1
- Marcus puts Chris Johnson (2-2; 4.27 ERA) on the mound upon resumption of the game. Olivas takes first pitch and singles in Stoltz from second base. Falvey reaches on a walk, then Mares flies out to left field.

-Lightning delay (5:13 p.m. MDT), mandatory 30 minutes; Socorro up 5-1 on a two-out, RBI single by Stoltz in the bottom of the inning; Chuy Diaz comes in from second base. Game resumes at 7:20 p.m. MDT.

3rd inning - Socorro 4, Marcus 1
- Mares again retires the side 1-2-3, then hits a towering two-out, two-run home run well beyond the left field fence. Cory Falvey, who reached on a double, came in on the homer.

2nd inning - Socorro 2, Marcus 1
- Mares retires the side in order, striking out two, to start the inning, then Marcus ends the inning on a 6-4-3 double play.

1st inning - Socorro 2, Marcus 1
- Aaron Olivas triples in George Stoltz from first base, then comes in on a fielding error on a hard-hit ball to third base by Bobby Mares.