05/30/2026
ONE MORE WIN!
The Sharyland Rattlers baseball team punched their ticket to the UIL 5A DII State Baseball Championship for the first time in school history earlier this afternoon after defeating the Kingwood Park Panthers in a two game sweep, winning the decisive Game 2 by a final score of 5-2. The Rattlers are now one solitary win away from becoming the first baseball team in RGV history to ever be crowned State Champs.
After a season worth of absolute damage, the Rattlers' pitching staff continued their diamond tyranny and cemented their legacy as one of the state's best and one of the most dominant in RGV baseball lore. Sophomore lefty phenom Emiliano "Milo" Villarreal struck out five in four innings of work and trusty senior reliever Roy Rodriguez (3IP, 2KS), who closed out the Regional Final against Liberty Hill, slammed the door on the Panthers title hopes after escaping a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the sixth inning and easily dispatching the first three Panthers that stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the seventh.
The Rattlers led from start to finish thanks to early run insurance courtesy of upperclassmen sluggers Edgar Quintanilla (2-4, 2 RBI), Santiago Soto (2-2, 1 RBI, 2 walks) Santiago Balderas (2-3, 1 RBI, 1 walk), and Nic Valdez (2-3, 2 runs scored). Plate heroics from freshman IJ Garza and all-around dominance from junior Luis Balderas (1 hit, 1 run scored) were major catalysts for the Rattlers' early, series clinching 5-0 lead.
The Rattlers will now set their sights on Dell Diamond as they’ll travel to Round Rock, Texas next week to face the winner of the Argyle/ Lovejoy State Semi-final in the UIL 5A DII State Championship Final. The Rattlers will suit up for the challenge next Friday, June 5th at 7pm.
Progress Times photos by Tricia Darcy.
