THE OFFICIAL SITE OF
Odessa High School Athletics

Many of the seniors on the Odessa High baseball team thought their final moment at Pressly Field was more than a week ago, having lost 6-3 to Midland Lee on April 25. Yet, Odessa High — the No. 4 seed from District 2-6A — has a second opportunity to rewrite history as the team is set to host District 1-6A champion El Paso Montwood in a best-of-three game series beginning at 4:30 p.m. today. “It was one of those deals that we feel comfortable with either a one-game or three-game series,” Odessa High head coach Josh Hulin said. “As a No. 1 seed playing a No. 4 seed, El Paso Montwood didn’t feel comfortable with a one-game series. They were kind of willing to do anything but play a one-game series and not have to flip for it. This is what we agreed upon.” Odessa High senior right fielder Johnny Rodriguez said there was a increased level of excitement when the team discovered that it would host the Rams. The Bronchos concluded their 2017 campaign with an 18-13 overall record, while El Paso Montwood ended 23-4. The Bronchos are the only lower seed in Class 6A to host a possible three-game series in Region I. J.E. Pressly — former Odessa High and Odessa College baseball coach — believed it has been more than 50 years since the Bronchos hosted a playoff series. “It’s really exciting to know that we have another chance to play here at home as seniors,” Rodriguez said. “It really helps us get going and gets us excited for the playoff series.” Hulin hopes the excitement of playing in front of the home crowd ignites an extra spark that he feels the team was missing in the last week of the regular season. The Bronchos concluded their final week of District 2-6A schedule with back-to-back losses to Midland Lee. The Rebels held off Odessa High 6-5 in the regular season finale on April 28. Yet, in the regular season finale, the Bronchos welcomed back senior shortstop Robert Morales to their lineup. Morales, who has been sidelined with a right-arm injury since early April, has been cleared to hit, but won’t be in the field. The senior shortstop, signed to play baseball at Odessa College in the fall, went 2 for 3 and scored two runs in his return. “We are glad that he’s back,” said Bo Martinez, who is the Bronchos’ starting second baseman. “He was on a good hitting streak before he went out. Now that he’s back in the lineup, he’s continuing to hit like we expected him to.” The Bronchos have seen the Rams up close and personal. Odessa High and El Paso Montwood met during the Tournament of Champions at Ernie Johnson Field in Midland. The Rams defeated the Bronchos 7-4 after a strong performance from Anthony Chavez, who went 3 for 3 with three RBIs. Hulin didn’t feel the team played with the same fire, in the last week of the regular season, as it did throughout a majority of its 2017 schedule. The Odessa High head coach believes that will change with the postseason beginning on Friday. “I didn’t think we had that extra volt,” Hulin said. “We didn’t have that extra energy or toughness that we play with so often; we didn’t have it last week. I think we got a little satisfied by clinching the playoffs and we were done with competing for whatever reason when we were still in district play. That’s what I observed. “Hopefully, now that the playoffs are here, we get that back.” Odessa High will have seven starters that played in last year’s bi-district series against Fort Worth Paschal, a team that reached the regional quarterfinals. This marks the third straight year the Bronchos have reached the playoffs. One of the newcomers to the playoffs is Martinez. The junior second baseman said won’t change his approach from the regular season to the postseason. “It’s my first time, so it’s exciting, but then again it’s still the game of baseball,” Martinez said. “We do this every day. I’m comfortable. “There isn’t really nerves. It’s more excitement.”

THE OFFICIAL SITE OF
Odessa High School Athletics

ODESSA HIGH READY FOR PLAYOFF

ROYAL MCGREGOR

OA Online | 5/4/2017

PHOTO CREDIT: Jacob Ford