Baseball

Three years in the making: Rouse returning to UIL state baseball tournament

Raiders pummel McAllen Memorial to finish sweep of regional final series

By Michael Adams
madams@austinsportsjournal.com

JOURDANTON – Rouse senior pitcher Oscar Salazar was on a mission.

Mission complete.

Salazar was brilliant Saturday in Jourdanton both on the mound and in the batters box, helping Rouse (34-9-1) pummel McAllen Memorial 8-0 to win theClass 5A-Region IV championship and return to the state tournament for the second time in the last four years.

“Being one of the last four teams is a big deal for us,” Salazar said. “Teams that make it this far are here for a reason, they are good teams. Being able to win like we did because we put in the work at practice every week and do what we needed to do to get here is a huge momentum boost going into the state tournament.

Not only did Salazar pitch a magnificent complete-game shutout, giving up one hit and striking out eight batters. Salazar belted a pair of doubles in a 3 for 4 performance at the plate with three runs batted in.

Rouse’s Andrew Sanchez (11) gets a hit during Game 2 of a best-of-three Class 5A-Region IV championship series on Saturday, June 1, 2024 at Jourdanton High School in Jourdanton, Texas. (Michael Adams/Austin Sports Journal)

Salazar got the Raiders going in the bottom of the third inning with a. double to center field to plate Rayner Heinrich. Rouse added another run in the fourth when Gavin Silva scored on a passed ball, putting the Raiders up 2-0.

Salazar picked up his second RBI of the game in the fifth inning on a line-drive single to shortstop that scored Tyler Espinoza, who led off the inning with a triple.

Rouse added two runs on a sacrifice fly by Nathan Miller and on an error to take a comfortable five-run lead into the sixth inning.

A Memorial error plated Diego Gayton and advanced Espinoza to first base to start a three-run sixth inning for Rouse. That was followed by Salazar’s second double of the game to plate Espinoza. In the next at bat, Landon Miller hit an RBI-single to center field to extend the Raiders’ lead to eight runs going into the final inning.

Sanchez retired the Mustangs in order and the celebration was on.

“Getting to state was our standard this year,’ said Rouse head coach Chad Krempin. “It’s super exciting to be in the state semifinal, but the job isn’t done yet. Our goals are bigger than that. We want to win a.state championship.”

The Raiders will play Grapevine (38-5) in the Class 5A semifinals at 7 p.m., Thursday at Dell Diamond in Round Rock. THe State championship game is scheduled for noon Saturday at Dell Diamond.

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