PSJA High prepared for clash with Austin Westlake

Bryan Ramos

SAN JUAN — PSJA High is 4-0 with three shutouts through two rounds of the Class 6A DII playoffs.

Standing at 29-3-1 overall, the Bears are the Rio Grande Valley’s lone state-ranked team coming in at No. 7 in the Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association’s Top 10 and No. 16 in the Diamond Pro/THSB Top 25.

Now, the Bears are set to make their second Sweet 16 appearance in three years as they take on No. 14 Austin Westlake.

“In the beginning of the year, I knew we were going to have the pitching and the defense,” PSJA head coach Marco Guajardo said. “With the guys we got, we knew they were going to come through, we just weren’t sure how we were going to hit the ball. We didn’t have the power guys like we’ve had in the past. … When we got through the tournaments, I was surprised with how well we had done. We beat some really quality opponents and I said this team might be for real. They started believing it and I can see the fight in them. Our seniors have really come together and our team just started jelling.”

Game 1 of PSJA’s Region IV-6A DII Semifinal best-of-three series is scheduled for 4 p.m. Thursday at Austin Westlake High School in Austin. Games 2 and 3, if necessary, will begin at 1 p.m. Saturday at C.V. Cain Field at PSJA High School in San Juan.

PSJA High teammates react to a hit during the second inning against Weslaco High in a District 31-6A game at PSJA High School on Friday, April, 11, 2025, in San Juan. (Joel Martinez | [email protected])

PSJA enters the regional semifinals as a battle-tested team with plenty of postseason experience. The Bears have multiple four-year lettermen leading a group that has won four-straight district championships with back-to-back undefeated runs through 31-6A.

Senior right-handed pitcher and catcher Jacob Delgadillo has been a dude with a .533 batting average, 48 hits, 45 RBI and three home runs. He also holds a 7-0 record, 1.08 ERA and 71 strikeouts in 64 innings. He owns two of the Bears’ shutouts this postseason.

“It’s been a long season. I don’t think anyone really expected us to do this, but within, we knew what we could do. We knew if we showed out, we could be here where we are,” Delgadillo said.

Nyles Alvarez and Jai Arenas are two more four-year guys that have been productive in the PSJA lineup. Alvarez is 5-0 with a 0.36 ERA and 27 strikeouts. He’s also batting .350 with 19 RBI. Arenas, meanwhile, is hitting .470 with 19 RBI. Zeke Garza and TJ Ayala have also driven in 24 RBI apiece.

“We knew this year was going to be a challenge and we’d have to fight, not only in games, but in practice. We’ve been putting in the work all year long,” Alvarez said.

PSJA High outfielder James Cansino (7) catches a popfly near the left field wall hit by Weslaco High during the first inning in a District 31-6A game at PSJA High School on Friday, April, 11, 2025, in San Juan. (Joel Martinez | [email protected])

While the Bears are yet to drop a game this postseason, that doesn’t mean they haven’t been tested.

In Game 2 of their area round series against Schertz Clemens, it took an 8th inning walk-off hit from third baseman Jesse Garza to get it done. The sophomore lefty stepped into the box with two outs and the bases loaded in a 0-0 game and flared a single into left center to bring in the game-winning run.

The sophomore Garza has become one of the Bears’ top options on the mound. He’s tied with Delgadillo with a 7-0 record, has a 0.83 ERA and a team-high 75 strikeouts.

“It feels great knowing that the coaches trust me and believe in me,” Garza said. “That was the biggest hit of my career and having the guys around made it even better.”

PSJA High’s Nyles Alvarez (13) celebrates after his run in after a hit against in the third inning against Weslaco High in a District 31-6A game at PSJA High School on Friday, April, 11, 2025, in San Juan. (Joel Martinez | [email protected])

PSJA’s last trip to the regional semifinals in 2023 ended in a three-game series loss against San Antonio Johnson. The Bears will now look to break through the Sweet 16 and into next week’s Elite 8, and they’ll get to do it on their home field Saturday in San Juan.

“It’s going to be great for their fans and great for our fans,” Guajardo said. “Playing a team like Austin Westlake, it’s something you dream of as a little kid being in this position, and we’re going to get to do it here on our home field for our own community. Going over there isn’t going to be easy, but I don’t think we’re going to be fazed. It’s great to be in this position and to have the opportunity to perform.”

A livestream of the two and possibly three games between PSJA and Austin Westlake will be available on the PSJAISD YouTube page.

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