Tuloso-Midway baseball wants to keep making history in 2024 UIL playoffs
Tuloso-Midway baseball's playoff history features more playoff misses than postseason success.
In fact, until the 2019 season, the Warriors had made three playoff appearances between 1983 and 2018.
In that span of more than 30 years, neighbors Calallen and Robstown combined for five state championships, while schools such as Moody, Sinton and Carroll were claiming state supremacy in their classifications as well.
This season, though, the Warriors have been in the conversation all season vying for position among the state’s elite in Class 4A. They have been ranked in the top 10 in multiple polls at multiple times this season, and clinched what is believed to be the program’s first outright district title this season, finally outdueling their highly decorated neighbors.
In between bi-district exists in 2019 and 2023, the Warriors advanced to the regional semifinals in 2021 and 2022, falling to area power Sinton both seasons. Buoyed by that string of success, the Warriors are starting to see themselves in the conversation among the area’s best and are hoping this might be the season they can make that elusive trip to Austin.
The district championship “meant a lot to us, we’ve been working hard this whole year,” Tuloso-Midway’s Max Lara said. “One of our things is to make history, every single day we are at practice and that means a lot and that our hard work has paid off.”
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Second-year head coach JK Moody comes in with a state pedigree, which included taking Bishop to the state tournament in 2015. His staff also includes one of his former players at Bishop, Dustin Horner, and former Calallen player, Hunter Whetsel, who experienced state tournaments as players.
Moody said himself and those players have talked to the current T-M squad about what it takes to make it to the state tournament, while also reminding them they belong in the conversation of being a team that can make it from South Texas.
“One of our words is showtime, that’s one of our mottos and we don’t like the word prove,” Moody said. “We know we belong, and we are going to show it game in and game out, and hopefully make a run at it.”
Moody said he has reminded the players that there are multiple factors that need to happen in making a run to the state tournament, including take care of yourself, prepare everyday and also having some luck.
A number of players on this year’s squad gained experienced during those playoff runs in 2021 and 2022, and they want to add to it in 2024.
“They’ve been to that round four and know what it’s like,” senior Josh Garcia said. “They have some playoff experience under their belts and with the younger guys striving to get there they are putting them in the right spot.”
And now they hope the right spot will be in Austin in early June at Disch-Falk Field after they is the program’s longest playoff run in its history after the program’s first district title.
“It means a lot to the community and it’s our way of paying back the community for this beautiful facility and for the voters voting to invest into our kids,” Moody said. “It means a lot not just to the program, but to the past coaches, past players and the whole entire community.”
This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Here's how Tuloso-Midway baseball wants to keep making program history
