On Feb. 13, Coronado Baseball faced Burges and Bel Air and performed very well, winning both scrimmages. The team has many returning starters this season; they are expected to have a stand-out year.

Before the scrimmage wins, many people speculated over the T-bird baseball team. Last year, they finished fifth in district with a 7-8 record. This year, they have 13 seniors and three juniors on the varsity team. Out of the 16 on varsity, they have 7 returning starters. Although many people doubted the team due to their poor performance last year, they started the year out strong against both Bel Air and Burges. One of the top performers in the games was Jorge Cuevas.

Cuevas, the returning senior shortstop, went 3 for 5 on the day with 1 RBI. Another player that stepped up was senior Reed Medlock, a pitcher who performed well on the mound. Medlock threw for two innings with five strikeouts and zero hits allowed.

“Reed and Jorge played very well on Thursday,” senior Mauricio Millan said. “They really contributed to the team and will be key roles on this year’s team.”

The team also scrimmaged non-district opponents Canutillo, Del Valle, and DaVinci. They had a rough outing but finished with a big win against Canutillo, winning 8-0. The team then defeated Davinci 2-0. Excellent pitching by Medlock, junior Paul Coppinger, and senior Diego Gandara have helped carry them to success.

“The prior games we have played have prepared us very well for the upcoming tournaments we will be playing in,” Coach Juan Orozco said. “Playing against top competition locally and Lubbock is great as we start district play in March.”

The team had one last scrimmage before the season began on Feb. 22, where they defeated Hanks 15-4. The boys had no problems on the offensive side of the ball in preparation for their season opener.

The T-Birds play on Feb. 25 against Canutillo at the El Paso Chihuahuas Stadium, and they start district play on March 16 against Montwood.