Lentz & Salinas Win South Texas Softball Coach of the Year Honors
CORPUS CHRISTI – Calallen’s Teresa Lentz and Paula Salinas of Veterans Memorial will be honored as the 2024 South Texas Softball Coaches of Year next Thursday, January 23, at the American Bank Center’s Henry Garrett Ballroom. Hooks legend and two-time World Series champ Hunter Pence is headlining the South Texas
CORPUS CHRISTI – Calallen’s Teresa Lentz and Paula Salinas of Veterans Memorial will be honored as the 2024 South Texas Softball Coaches of Year next Thursday, January 23, at the American Bank Center’s Henry Garrett Ballroom.
Hooks legend and two-time World Series champ Hunter Pence is headlining the South Texas Winter Baseball Banquet, presented by Whataburger.
The Calallen Softball Wildcats won their second straight state championship in 2024. After absorbing back-to-back losses in February, Lentz’s club won 30 in a row to finish 34-2.
Calallen posted playoff triumphs over Ingleside, Devine, Sealy and Needville by a combined margin of 50-3.
Playing in their fourth state tournament since 2019, the Wildcats knocked off Sanger, 8-1, before dispatching Liberty, 2-1, in the 4A title match. Sophomore pitcher Jordyn Thibodeaux took home tourney MVP after allowing two runs combined in the semifinal and championship.
Brookelynn Meador, Braelyn Bailey, Alaunah Almaraz, Megan Geyer and Mia Flores were also honored on the 4A all-tournament team.
Lentz, a former star shortstop at Miller High School, is now a four-time honoree at the winter banquet. She was assisted last season by Vianca Pesina, Lamar Lopez, Mark Razzo, Rodney Acosta and Ryan Elizondo.
The Veterans Memorial Eagles engineered their longest playoff run in program history by advancing to the fourth round last season. Salinas’ charges went 28-11, including a 9-0 mark in 29-5A for the school’s first district title. Vets’ first varsity softball campaign was in 2016.
After outscoring Mission Veterans Memorial, 40-1, in a two-game sweep of the opening round, the Eagles took two of three from Brownsville Lopez before walking off La Joya Palmview in a 1-0 thriller.
Liberty Hill’s 11-6 win over Veterans Memorial in Game 1 of the regional semifinals on May 16 marked just the second Eagles setback since Mar 2. Veterans Memorial responded with an 8-1 win in Game 2 before falling to the Panthers, 4-1, in the rubber match.
Salinas, the Caller-Times All-South Texas Coach of the Year, was assisted last season by Kaylee Villanueva, Jenny Garcia, and Randall Terrell.
Reserved seats for the 19th South Texas Winter Baseball Banquet are $75. Click Here, call 361-561-HOOK (4665), or visit the Whataburger Field Box Office for tickets.
Read More about the banquet award winners:
Ken Schrom, Lifetime Achievement
Anthony Banda, Mike Adams South Texas Pro Player of the Year
Small School Softball Preseason All-Stars
Large School Softball Preseason All-Stars