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Lack of early respect is familiar for Ray heading into the season

Posted at 7:23 PM, Jan 29, 2019
and last updated 2019-01-29 20:56:38-05

Despite chilly temperatures across South Texas, high school baseball practices are underway across the area. So spring can’t be too far away?

Right?

At Ray High School, it was the second day of baseball practice this season.

The Texans’ infield was flooded, so the team worked out on the artificial turf field.

Which in a way, is a very good thing, considering that Cabaniss Field is an artificial surface that will give the Texans a chance to work on their bounces.

Ray is not picked to make the playoffs this year, but they have been down this road before.

A young team, the Texans plan on surprising a lot of people. It’s something they are used to doing.

“That’s what happened two years ago,” Ray coach Orlando Ruiz said. “Same thing, same situation.

“They didn’t pick us to make the playoffs but sometimes that is good. We get to stay under the radar and hopefully, these guys are working their butts off and we want to make the playoffs and hopefully win district.”

Catcher Sam Canales is similarly familiar with the lack of early buzz again this season about his team.

“During my time here at Ray, we have always been labeled underdogs,” he said. “Two years ago, same agenda and that gave us an opportunity to play in front of 7,000 people at Whataburger Field so I think rankings are kind of overrated.”

Ray’s new roster additions give them a chance to surprise the district, pitcher/outfielder Isaac Flores said.

“My freshman year, we had the same ranking, fifth  5th in district but last year we lost a lot of players,” Flores said. “This year we have a lot of new faces and trying to make the best of what we can do.”

It should be another exciting season for the Texans.

Early state baseball rankings have a strong grouping of local teams.

In Class 5A, Veterans Memorial is No. 4, King is No. 7 and Calallen is 11th.

Veterans is looking to making it back to Round Rock this season. District rival King is just behind. And Calallen, no stranger to winning state titles, is also ranked.