De Los Santos & Lentz Land Softball Honors

CORPUS CHRISTI – Thomas De Los Santos of Santa Gertrudis Academy and Calallen’s Teresa Flores Lentz will be recognized as the 2023 high school softball coaches of the year at the South Texas Winter Baseball Banquet, presented by Whataburger.

Following runner-up finishes in 2019 and 2021, Calallen became the first softball program from Corpus Christi to win a UIL state title as the Wildcats bested two-time defending state champion Liberty, 9-7, in the 4A final last June.

Led by Lentz, who was a star shortstop at Miller High School, the Wildcats marched to a 30-6 record. Calallen finished 2023 with 14 consecutive wins, including two-game sweeps of Sinton, Tuloso-Midway, and Needville in the postseason.

The Wildcats advanced to Austin for the third time in five years following an 8-1 triumph over Boerne in the Region IV final.

Tournament MVP and junior second baseman Makenzie Mounts was joined on the Class 4A All-State Tournament team by freshman pitcher Jordyn Thibodeaux, junior shortstop Megan Geyer, junior third baseman Alaunah Almaraz, and junior outfielder Mia Flores.

Lentz, now a three-time honoree at the winter banquet, was assisted last year by Vianca Pesina, Lamar Lopez, Mark Razzo, and Angelica Davidson.

The Class 3A State Runner-Up Santa Gertrudis Academy Lions Softball Team rolled to a 40-6 record in 2023. In their first state appearance since winning the 3A title in 2018, the Lions engineered a 6-3 win over Grandview in the semis before falling to Coahoma, 4-2, in the championship game on June 1.

With De Los Santos at the helm, SGA reeled off 24 consecutive wins to reach Austin. This includes postseason sweeps of Goliad, Santa Rosa, Hebbronville, and Hallettsville, as well as a 5-2 triumph over Jourdanton in the Region IV-3A final.

Sporting a lineup laden with underclassmen, the Lions won their first six playoff games by a combined score of 90-1. SGA was represented on the All-State Tournament team by sophomore first baseman Izzy De Los Santos, junior second baseman Taylor Reyes, junior shortstop Audi Mireles, and junior outfielder Alexxis Moreno.

De Los Santos has now been recognized four times at the winter banquet, including a three-year run which culminated with SGA winning its first state championship in 2018. Daniel Fernandez, Saidi Castillo, and Kennedy Silva completed the Lions 2023 coaching staff.

Astros television reporter Julia Morales is the featured speaker of the 18th South Texas Winter Baseball Banquet, scheduled for Thursday, January 18 at the American Bank Center’s Henry Garrett Ballroom.

De Los Santos and Lentz will be joined on the dais by their baseball counterparts, Albert Amaya and Kevin Carr from London and Sinton’s Adrian Alaniz.

Also, 60 high-schoolers from the area’s baseball and softball ranks will be recognized as preseason season all-stars.