Eagles in Action 26

Akins Eagles Baseball 2004 - District 25-5A

Eagles in Action

Photos of the 2004 Akins Baseball Teams from practices and games

This is PAGE 26

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EAGLES Varsity vs. Crockett Cougars APRIL 29, 2004

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APR 29, 2004
Reverse battery polarities. Charles Morton prepares to pitch, while Jason Rangel dons the catcher's gear.

APR 29, 2004
Eagle Head Coach Rudy Villanueva.

APR 29, 2004
The Eagle dugout is a busy place before the Varsity game with Crockett.

APR 29, 2004
Rangel squats in the bullpen.

APR 29, 2004
Coach V studies Eagle starter Charles Morton in the bullpen before the game.

APR 29, 2004
Eagles gather on the field before the Crockett game.

APR 29, 2004
Eagles warm up before the game: Airrik Martinez, Manuel Hernandez, Jason Rangel.

APR 29, 2004
Assisted by outfielders Daniel Leal and Matt Hohertz, Eagle Coach Steve Velasquez warms up the team's glove skills before the game.

APR 29, 2004
In the dugout, Eagle team statistician Michelle Velasquez and infielder Martin Salinas await the start of the game.

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APR 29, 2004
Leadoff batter Rangel went down swinging in his first plate appearance of the game.

APR 29, 2004
Crockett infielders can only stand and watch as Hernandez rounds 1st and the Cougar outfielders run down the ball.

APR 29, 2004
Eagle center fielder Airrik Martinez makes a mighty swing, but the ball slides through untouched.

APR 29, 2004
Eagle pitcher Morton takes a 1st inning ball, and Crockett catcher Steve Flora guns down Hernandez, who was attempting to steal 2nd.

APR 29, 2004
Eagle shortstop Manuel Hernandez broke the ice early with this 1st inning single to right-center field.

APR 29, 2004
Eagle catcher Rangel sets up behind the plate as Crockett leadoff batter J.T. Mackey takes the first pitch from Morton for a strike.

APR 29, 2004
Hernandez (right) at shortstop and Jordan Treviño in left field for the Eagles in the 1st.

APR 29, 2004
Daniel Fabian, 3rd baseman for the Eagles, bounced back quickly from a hand injury in the San Marcos game.

APR 29, 2004
Eagle right hander Morton bows his back as he delivers a 1st inning pitch.

APR 29, 2004
Eagle 1st baseman Marcus Flores holds Crockett runner Mackey close to the bag, as the Cougar base coach looks on.

APR 29, 2004
Eagle 2nd baseman Casey Castañeda reacts to the runner.

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APR 29, 2004
Martinez anchors the Eagle outfield in center field.

APR 29, 2004
Fabian is ready at 3rd base; Morton hurls the ball.

APR 29, 2004
Eagle right fielder Daniel Leal prepares to return the ball after catching a 1st inning sacrifice fly from the bat of Ricky Garza.

APR 29, 2004
Crockett's J.T. Mackey nails Eagle pitcher Morton with a fastball in the top of the 2nd inning.

APR 29, 2004
A pitch gets away from Rangel, but he keeps it in front of him.

APR 29, 2004
Running for Morton, Salinas rounds 2nd headed for 3rd on a Crockett glove error that put Fabian aboard. Crockett shortstop Tommy Schmidt looks on.

APR 29, 2004
Fabian stands at 1st after a fielding error by Cougar 2nd baseman Adam Castillo. Crockett 1st baseman Johnny Garza stands nearby.

APR 29, 2004
With two runners on base, Eagle 1st baseman Flores comes to bat in the 2nd inning. Flores was retired on strikes.

APR 29, 2004
Treviño pops up to the 1st baseman in the 2nd inning.

APR 29, 2004
Eagle 2nd baseman Castañeda looks back into the glove of Crockett catcher Flora to confirm the location of a called strike.

APR 29, 2004
Fabian shows a bunt in a 2nd inning plate appearance.

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APR 29, 2004
Crockett's Mackey reached 1st on a hit and advanced to 2nd on a fielding error. Eagle shortstop Hernandez positions himself for the next play.

APR 29, 2004
Crockett's designated hitter Justin Martinez is a step short at 1st on this 4-3 Castañeda-to-Flores 2nd-inning ground out.

APR 29, 2004
Morton looks for the pitch selection from his catcher, Rangel.

APR 29, 2004
Cougar shortstop Schmidt flies out to Leal in right field for the final out of the scoreless 2nd inning.

APR 29, 2004
Eagle outfielder Leal grounds out to 1st for the first out in the top of the 3rd inning.

APR 29, 2004
As the Crockett shortstop waits for the ball to be thrown to the infield, the speedy Hernandez is already rounding 2nd, where he finds himself in a foot race to 3rd base with the field umpire. Wanna bet who won? Hernandez scored the Eagles' lone run on a subsequent error.

APR 29, 2004
Having been pegged once already in the 2nd inning by Crockett pitcher J.T. Mackey, Eagle pitcher Charles Morton squats here in the top of the 3rd to avoid being beaned by a Mackey head shot.

APR 29, 2004
With Hernandez on 3rd, Airrik Martinez bats. Martinez reached base on a Crockett fielding error that allowed Hernandez to score.

APR 29, 2004
Eagle shortstop Hernandez slammed a triple to the right field wall with this swing.

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APR 29, 2004
[Above] Fabian grounds out to 2nd to end the top of the 3rd.

APR 29, 2004
Eagle 3rd baseman Fabian focuses on the batter.

APR 29, 2004
An error-riddled 3rd inning brings Coach Velasquez to the mound for a conference with his infielders.

APR 29, 2004
[Right] With a base runner on 1st in the bottom of the 4th inning as the result of a fielding error at 2nd base, Hernandez signals to the Eagle outfield that the play is at 2nd. Before making the delivery to the plate, Morton checks the runner.

APR 29, 2004
Eagle catcher Rangel waits for Morton's pitch to Crockett outfielder Ricky Garza. Morton walked Garza, who was the only earned run among the 4 Cougars who scored in the 3rd inning.

WEBMASTER'S COMMENT:

   When Akins and Crockett met previously in district play on April 7, 2004, the Eagles scored 5 runs, the greatest number of runs the Cougars allowed any of the opponents they defeated during the district season. After that game, Crockett Head Coach Thomas was livid. At high volume and for everyone in the public facility to hear, he attempted to shame his own team by publicly berating members of the Eagles squad. [What was THAT all about? Click HERE for details.]

   In the 3rd inning of the April 29 game, Crockett batter J.T. Mackey hit a long fly to center field. It might have scored a run as a sacrifice, but Cougar base runner Justin Martinez left early from 3rd base, where Thomas was the base coach. Martinez was called out on appeal.

   His district-leading team was already ahead of the hapless Eagles by a score of 7-1. Nevertheless, Thomas apparently considered it appropriate to throw another public tantrum that ignited loud and derisive comments from the Crockett crowd - as Thomas surely knew it would.

APR 29, 2004
Crockett Head Coach Thomas.

APR 29, 2004
Once he's certain the umpire is no longer looking, Courageous Coach Thomas makes a contemptuously dismissive gesture toward the official.

NOTE: Comments on this site previously associated the behavior of the present Crockett head coach with the name of his predecessor, Roy Kinnan. The Webmaster regrets the error.

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APR 29, 2004
Crockett 1st baseman Johnny Garza hits an RBI single in the bottom of the 3rd, scoring 2nd baseman Adam Castillo.

APR 29, 2004
Cougar right fielder Eric Castillo flies out to 2nd base for the final out of the 3rd inning.

APR 29, 2004
Immediately following the delivery of a 3rd inning pitch, Morton and Hernandez are poised to field the ball.

APR 29, 2004
Eagle 1st baseman Marcus Flores bats in the top of the 4th inning.

APR 29, 2004
Eagle outfielder Jordan Treviño makes a 4th inning plate appearance.

APR 29, 2004
The Eagle dugout at Burger baseball field in the top of the 4th inning.

APR 29, 2004
Coach Steve Velasquez. Frustrated Eagle fans will identify with the body language.

APR 29, 2004
Despite a walk that put Crockett's Ricky Garza on base with 1st baseman Flores, Morton and the Eagles held the Cougars scoreless in the bottom of the 4th.

APR 29, 2004
Eagle outfielder Leal drew a 5th inning walk on 4 pitches.

APR 29, 2004
Eagle catcher Rangel pops up to 2nd in the top of the 5th.

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APR 29, 2004
Hernandez hit into a double play to end the top of the 5th inning.

APR 29, 2004
Remember, when I go to my hat and then scratch twice, it's a steal!

APR 29, 2004
Eagle shortstop Hernandez works the Crockett runner.

APR 29, 2004
Eagle coaches watch Crockett's Mackey bat in the bottom of the 5th. Morton walked Mackey.

APR 29, 2004
Coach Villanueva removes Morton. Morton was the losing pitcher and faced all but 2 Cougar batters in the mercy rule shortened game. He gave up 9 hits and was charged with all 11 Crockett runs, though only 4 of them were earned.

APR 29, 2004
Hernandez at short in the bottom of the 5th inning.

APR 29, 2004
Salinas at 2nd base.

APR 29, 2004
Flores delivers a pitch. He faced 2 batters, threw 7 pitches and gave up 1 hit.

APR 29, 2004
Final score: Akins 1, Crockett 11. The 10-run mercy rule ended the game when Crockett scored its 11th run on a 5th-inning RBI single by Cougar shortstop Tommy Schmidt.

APR 29, 2004
Coach V watches as right hander Marcus Flores warms up in 5th inning relief for the Eagles.

APR 29, 2004
The home plate umpire hurries off the field. As is customary, a Sunset Valley police officer would escort him to the locker room. Meanwhile, Eagles and Cougars trade obligatory postgame handshakes on the field.

APR 29, 2004
Led by Senior Marcus Flores, the Eagles leave the field.

APR 29, 2004