RGV Capsules: Bees' season rests on game at Corpus Christi
McALLEN — All the Killer Bees need to do to reach the playoffs is beat the Corpus Christi IceRays tonight. Then, beat the Wichita Thunder on Friday while hoping the IceRays lose at Allen. Finally on Saturday, the Bees (25-26-10) must once again beat the IceRays, which would then clinch a playoff spot.
Sounds hard, right? And it will only be made harder by the Bees’ injury situation, which will likely keep Jesse Bennefield, Jesse Perrin and Tom Sawatske out of tonight’s game at Corpus Christi (28-25-8) and force them to play with 14 skaters. To make things more difficult, the team has also been hit by a flu bug over the last week.
None of that, however, is being used an excuse. The reasons the Bees trail the IceRays by four points (64-60) with three games remaining and hold exactly no tiebreakers go well beyond the injuries of the last week. Except for the last six games, urgency has been an on-again, off-again proposition. Leads haven’t always been safe, and consistency mostly hasn’t happened.
Regardless, because of the two games left with Corpus Christi, the Bees still have a chance to make up for a disappointing season, though they don’t enter at full strength.
“Is it the perfect scenario? Probably not,” Bees coach Chris Brooks said. “But when you’re playing cards and you’re dealt a bad hand, what are you going to do? You have to try to make the most of it.”
Unfortunately for the Bees, making the most of it against their rivals hasn’t exactly been a strength for much of the season.
In 12 games against the IceRays, the Bees are just 4-7-1, including going winless in the last five matchups. In 14 against Laredo they went 3-7-4 and never won at home. Last weekend, when two wins could have propelled them past Corpus Christi for the fifth and final playoff spot, they went winless, earning only one point. And that one point they earned was in a 3-2 shootout loss to the Bucks after squandering a 2-0 lead.
Now, to make the playoffs, the Bees need to reverse the season series with the IceRays while finding a way to turn the urgency and desperation into wins. That’s something they weren’t able to do Saturday in a 5-3 loss, though the effort and commitment was there.
“Nothing changes. We have to go out thinking, like in March Madness, that underdogs win all the time,” goalie Andy Franck said. “We’ve just got to go in there, take it game-by-game and hopefully we can come out ahead this time.”
If they don’t, the season’s over.
“There’s no bouncing back if you lose tomorrow,” captain Stacey Bauman said. “We’re thinking about winning. We’re thinking about a win tomorrow night against them is what we’re aiming for and then we’ll worry about the weekend after that. We’ll worry about the future later.
“We’re going to control what we can control right now and go from there,” Bauman added. “No talk about bouncing back, that’s for sure.”
ICING: A regulation loss tonight would assure the Bees a non-winning record and keep them from finishing above .500 in consecutive seasons for the first time in team history.
Brian Sandalow covers the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees for Valley Freedom Newspapers. You can reach him at (956) 683-4436 or via e-mail at bsandalow@themonitor.com.
College
Broncs hope to continue fast start
EDINBURG – There has never been this many smiles around Edinburg Baseball Stadium in UTPA’s brief playing history at the city-owned park.
The Broncs only started playing at the Stadium in 2001. Since their move from Jody Ramsey Stadium, the Broncs have played in one forgettable season after another. So you might have to excuse those fans that are little giddy after UTPA’s 7-3 start. One caller to The Monitor last week said he and his co-workers are “freaking out” about the Broncs’ winning record.
UTPA will look to build on its record when it plays host to Stephen F. Austin for a doubleheader, beginning at 3 p.m. toady. After a blur of a decade, Broncs coach Manny Mantrana understands the excitement surrounding his team. Mantrana, though, is the first to warn that UTPA is only 10 games into the season.
“It will be a big deal when the year is over, but it’s early,” Mantrana said after sweeping Notre Dame last week. “After 10 games, 7-3 is a nice start. When it counts will be at the end of the season. There might be games you will lose. Hopefully as the season progresses, we will win more than we lose.
“We are off to a good start but we still need improvement and we still need to work.”
UTPA has not had a winning record after 10 games since 2000 when it started 6-4. That season, the Broncs went on to have a winning season. The Broncs believe they can break the string of losing seasons but that is still in the future.
“This absolutely huge for us,” Broncs first baseman Garrett Bivone said. “You can’t ask for a better start. We could easily be 10-0 with the way we have been playing. The main thing for us is that we have to understand that it is only 10 games. We still have a long season left.”
Bivone and the Broncs will have their hands full with a 10-4 Lumberjacks team, which looks to be as good an offensive team UTPA has faced so far. SFA has scored at least one run in 14 of its last 18 innings and are the only Southland Conference team with two players – Darren Crabtree and Bobby Loveless – with more than 20 RBIs. By comparison, Bivone leads the Broncs with 15.
Scott Wingo (2-0, 5-40) will start for the Broncs. Zack Taylor (1-0, 4.91) will take the mound for the Lumberjacks.
EXTRA BASES: The second game of the double-header will pit UTPA’s Leo Chang (0-0, 6.75) against Brett Higginbotham (0-0, 0.00). … SFA has won 10 of the last 11 meetings against UTPA.
Peter Rasmussen covers UTPA athletics for Valley Freedom Newspapers. You can reach him at (956) 683-4448 or via e-mail at prasmussen@themonitor.com.
Soccer
Bravos FC announces new ownership, reschedules tryout
Rio Grande Valley Bravos FC and United Soccer Leagues announced Monday the new ownership group of the Valley’s Premier Development League franchise and the rescheduled dates for the team’s open tryouts.
The Muay Thai Alliance of Texas, chaired by Kru Kayan Sitsanthaparn, will take over the operation of Bravos FC for the 2010 USL Premier Development League season, and beyond. Kayan, a former soccer player who participated in the Mexican Soccer League during the 1990s, made the first attempt to bring a PDL club to the Valley in 2004. He is also a former Thai boxer and owns Muay Thai Institute-Texas in Mercedes. As chairman of the alliance, he promotes Muay Thai events in the Valley and around Texas.
“On behalf of the alliance, its members, and its partner organizations, we are proud and excited to begin operations with the Bravos for the 2010 season. Being awarded the franchise rights to the Bravos means a lot to me because this team symbolizes triumph under adversity,” Kayan said. “Despite soccer’s popularity in this region, and up until last season, there had never been a USL soccer franchise in the Valley. The franchise provides an opportunity for soccer players hoping to move on to the professional level.”
“Like most, I was that kid that aspired to become a pro athlete. I have been blessed with experience in two different sports, and I know what it will take to succeed. I hope to pass on these experiences to younger generations of athletes. Because of this, I’m glad to be involved with the Bravos and United Soccer Leagues in the development of future pro athletes.”
The MTAT is the first and only sports organization to promote and preserve the art and sport of muay thai in Texas, and is expanding its philanthropic philosophy into soccer. The alliance is a non-profit organization that promotes good health, good sportsmanship, good citizenship and the importance of education.
In an effort to make the transition of ownership seamless, Bravos FC rescheduled the open tryouts for March 20 and 21 at Valley View, located at 6901 S. Jackson Rd. in Hidalgo. Tryouts are for those soccer players 16 and older, and will be held from 8:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. on both dates.
The cost for registration is $10. Registration and waiver forms are available online at www.rgvbravos.com. Bravos FC will honor original registrations without additional fees for players who originally pre-registered for the tryouts in February.
Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m., followed by a warmup session from 9:30 to 10 a.m. The tryouts will begin at 10 a.m. and players will be observed by Bravos FC coaching staff.
Players may choose to attend either the Saturday, March 20, or Sunday, March 21, sessions, or both, and will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis. Capacity is limited.
Players should bring soccer cleats (no spikes), shin guards and appropriate clothing to play a soccer match. Players under age 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
“This year, our first order of business is to field a team that will see new athletic and philosophical ideals come to fruition,” said Kayan. “We came close to making the playoffs last year, and this year we still have one of the most offensive-minded players in the PDL, an excellent staff, and a region with plenty of talent to step up and represent. Most importantly, we have a group of passionate fans. I am confident that the Bravos can be one of the top clubs in our division and will make it to the postseason.”
Last season, 88 percent of the Bravos FC roster was composed of local players.
Bravos FC will open the 2010 season on April 30 with a visit to South Texas rival Laredo Heat. The team inaugurates the new season at home on May 8 at 8 p.m. against the Heat at Valley View Stadium.
Season tickets and single-game tickets go on sale in April.
-- Bravos FC Services
Basketball
Vipers' Harris named performer of week
The NBA Development League announced Monday that Rio Grande Valley Vipers forward Mike Harris (6-6, 235, Rice) is the NBA Development Performer of the Week for the second time this season.
It’s is the fourth time a Vipers player has garnered the award this season, with Will Conroy and Antonio Anderson earning it once each as well.
While leading the Vipers to a 3-1 record against the two teams chasing them in the Western Conference standings, Austin and Tulsa, Harris averaged 31.8 points, 13.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists.
Harris scored a game-high 44 points while hitting 16-of-18 shots, including each of his first eight, in a nationally televised win over Tulsa on Saturday. In Sunday’s win over Tulsa, Harris scored 16 of his game-high 36 points in the fourth quarter when the Vipers came from behind to win by outscoring Tulsa 36-21.
Harris is currently the league-leader in scoring at 27.0 points per game. He is also third in the league in rebounding at 10.3 per game.
-- Vipers Services
