CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The 20th annual South Texas Winter Baseball and Softball Banquet celebrates the beginning of the 2026 spring season by honoring 30 players in each sport that found success last year.
The 2026 guest speaker was Banana Ball Firefighter head coach Valerie Perez. She joined the bananas after a 10 year career with the Corpus Christi Fire Department. She recently signed to compete for New York in the Women's Professional Baseball League during its inaugural 2026 campaign that starts in August.
Perez found her passion on the diamond when she played in the Oil Belt Little League. Perez was a four-year letter winner in softball (shortstop) and basketball at Calallen High School, while also competing on the Wildcats cross country team. Perez played college softball at TAMU-CC. She found her way to baseball in 2023 when she made the USA Baseball Women’s National Team. The following year she made the top-20 roster and was selected to play in the IX World Cup, helping the team win a silver medal.
40 area baseball head coaches voted on the Preseason High School All-Star baseball teams. Longtime rivals Calallen and Sinton each had three athletes land on the big schools division list. The small school all-stars were led by London and Falfurrias who combined for seven players.
2026 South Texas Preseason High School All-Star Team: Private-3A Baseball Division
Pitcher
Derek Garcia - Santa Gertrudis - Sr.
Nathaniel Jaramillo - Falfurrias - Sr.
Evan Longoria - Agua Dulce - Sr.
Stratton Mills - Port Aransas - Jr.
Derek Vasquez - Falfurrias - Sr.
Catcher
Christian Olivares - London - Sr.
First Base
Andre Cisneros - Falfurrias - Sr.
Second Base
Brady Andrade - Bishop - Sr.
Third Base
JJ Villegas - London - Jr.
Shortstop
Aiden Salinas - London - Jr.
Outfield
Kalab Castillo - Agua Dulce - Sr.
Zach Tyrone - London - Jr.
Zander Wills - Refugio - Sr.
Designated Hitter
Jaxson Alaniz - George West - Jr.
Utility
Ray Lewis - Refugio - Sr.
2026 South Texas Preseason High School All-Star Team: 4A-5A Baseball Division
Pitcher
Dylan Arriaga - Sinton - Jr.
Collier Carroll - Calallen - Sr.
Jordan Garza - Veterans Memorial - Sr.
Keldon Kemp - Sinton - Jr.
Drayton Mitchell - Calallen - Sr.
Catcher
Kason Kolle - Victoria East – Sr
First Base
Blake Quinn - Calallen - Sr.
Second Base
Julian Suarez - Sinton - Jr.
Third Base
Orlando Ruiz - Ray - Sr.
Shortstop
Trae Hernandez - Veterans Memorial - Sr.
Outfield
Grant Hoogland - King – Jr.
Jaden Smith - Tuloso-Midway - Sr.
Ryan Steele - Victoria East - Sr.
Designated Hitter
Joshua Hernandez - Ray - Sr.
Utility
Brody Smith - Flour Bluff - Jr.
72 area coaches voted for the Preseason High School All-Star softball team. The small school squad is headlined by Woodsboro senior Sidney Castillo who is being honored for a third consecutive year. Santa Gertrudis Academy, San Diego, and Bishop all have two selections each. For the big school selections, Calallen capped out with four players on the list: seniors Jordyn Thibodeaux, Audryna Almaraz, and Braelyn Bailey and junior Kylie Butcher. Tuloso-Midway, Gregory-Portland, Carroll and Ingleside each had two selections.
2026 South Texas Preseason High School All-Star Team: Private-3A Softball Division
Pitcher
Josette Aparicio - Taft - Sr.
Sidney Castillo - Woodsboro - Sr.
Natalia Escobedo - Santa Gertrudis - Sr.
D'Andra Fernandez - Santa Gertrudis - Sr.
Jolie Mann - Skidmore-Tynan - Sr.
Catcher
Julia Garza - Odem - Jr.
First Base
Mariana Molina - San Diego - Sr.
Second Base
Aubrielle Saldana - Bishop - Sr.
Third Base
Dalisa Luera - San Diego - Jr.
Shortstop
Jazaelynne Lewis - Refugio - Sr.
Outfield
Kalie Garza - Bishop - Sr.
Sydney Ruiz - Three Rivers – Jr.
Chayse Wernli - Woodsboro – Sr.
Designated Player
Angelica Ortega - Riviera-Kaufer - Sr.
Utility
Taygen De La Garza - London - Jr.
2026 South Texas Preseason High School All-Star Team: 4A-5A Softball Division
Pitcher
Maddy Dykes - Rockport-Fulton - Sr.
Madison Gummelt - Tuloso-Midway - Sr.
Isabella Montalvo - Carroll - Sr.
Jordyn Thibodeaux - Calallen - Sr.
Kylee Ward - Ingleside - Sr.
Catcher
Audryna Almaraz - Calallen - Sr.
First Base
Braelyn Bailey - Calallen - Sr.
Second Base
Kaeleigh Mendez - Carroll – Sr
Third Base
Kailey Benavides - Ray - Sr.
Shortstop
Parker Malone - Veterans Memorial - Jr.
Outfield
Kylie Butcher - Calallen - Jr.
Emily Cameron - Gregory-Portland - Sr.
Kailani Vargas - Gregory-Portland - Sr.
Designated Player
Avari Andrade - Tuloso-Midway - Sr.
Utility
Leilani Smith - Ingleside - Sr.
The 2025 South Texas Baseball Coaches of the Year were awarded to the coaching duos at Calallen and London. Joe Luis Lopez and Steve Chapman led Calallen to a UIL 4A-DI State Championship. The program's first title since 2008, and fourth championship in program history (2025, 2008, 2005, 2000). They got redemption after falling in the title game in 2024. The Wildcats were nearly unstoppable all season, ending the year with a (35-2) record. Give credit to the pitching staff that engineered 16 shutouts.
Kevin Carr and Albert Amaya led London to a UIL 3A-DI State Chammpionship. It was their second title in program history (2025, 2022). 2025 marked the Pirates fifth straight trip to the State Tournament, and they ended the season with an impressive (35-6) record. London battled back to beat Texarkana Liberty-Eylau 4-3 in the championship. Leading up to their State title game, London had won all nine of their postseason games by a combined 96-12 margin..
The 2025 South Texas Softball Coach of the Year Honors were given to Calallen head coach Teresa Lentz, a five-time recipient, and Ingleside head coach Kevin Lewis. Lentz led the Lady Cats to their third straight UIL 4A-DI State Championship, ending the season with (34-6) record after taking down Andrews 9-2 in the title game. Lentz is a Coastal Bend native. She played shortstop at Miller. Lentz was assisted last season by Vianca Pesina, Lamar Lopez, Mark Razzo, and Max Cave.
Lewis led Ingleside to their first State Semifinal in program history. The Lady Mustangs ended their 2025 campaign with a (30-12) record after falling Robinson, the eventual UIL 4A-DII State Champions. Under Lewis' leadership, the Lady Mustangs have advanced to playoffs in both seasons. He was assisted by Shandell Koch and Mark Spencer in 2025.
The Lifetime Achievement Award has been named to Veterans Memorial baseball head coach Lee Yeager. He has coached high school baseball for more than three decades, including 25 campaigns with CCISD. Yeager's service at Veterans Memorial began in 2015 when the school opened. Yeager led the Eagles to the 5A State Semifinal in 2018, and has made the playoffs since then.
The 58-year-old coached the Carroll Tigers from 2000 to 2014. In 2010, the Tigers became the second 5A school from the Coastal Bend to win a state championship. Yeager's squad featured future MLB first-round draft pick Courtney Hawkins.
Yeager's most recent victory was his offseason battle with Metastatic Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma, a type of cancer.
The 18th recipient of the Matt Beveridge Award, given annually to a high school baseball senior student-athlete who exemplifies character, courage, leadership, and spirit, was given to Flour Bluff's Bradley Terry. He will receive a $1,000 scholarship upon graduation. Terry is entering his fourth varsity baseball season. He plays catcher, infield and pitches.
The Matt Beveridge Award was established in 2009 to honor the life and legacy of one of the Coastal Bend's most beloved and respected high school athletes. Following his junior year, Matt was diagnosed with cancer. Through two years of treatment, Matt showed tremendous courage battling the disease, inspiring everyone around him.
The college honorees were Kendra Winfrey and Jackson Smith of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Texas A&M-Kingsville’s Arianna Alaniz and Jayden Martinez in recognition of their standout 2025 campaigns.
The Mike Adams South Texas Pro Player of the Year was awarded to Gregory-Portland grad Walker Janek. The Astros minor league catcher batted .263 with 35 extra-base hits and 46 RBI's in 92 games for High-A Asheville.
The 2025 Corpus Christi Hooks Player and Pitcher of the year were awarded to outfielder Zach Cole and left-handed pitcher Trey Dombroski. Cole batted .267 with 38 extra-base hits, 49 RBIs, 15 steals, and an .868 OPS in 82 games for Corpus Christi. He got called up to the big leages in the same season. Dombroski went 9-5 with a 3.61 ERA in 26 games (17 starts) for the Hooks.
