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.
Aaron Bracamontes for Sports Editor!
Posted by: Nostradamus | Sunday, June 14, 2009 at 12:08 PM