AUSTIN, Texas — For the first time in 20 years, the Sinton Pirates captured a state baseball championship with a 9-0 victory over Argyle Thursday night.
A packed house at Disch-Falk stadium in Austin watched as the Pirates made their first state final appearance since 2003.
Sinton's Kaden McCoy was the named the tournament Most Valuable Player, following a performance on Thursday that included a 3-RBI triple.
"I really wasn’t expecting it, I was just out there celebrating with my team, wasn’t thinking anything, just living it up with all my boys," McCoy said on winning the honor.
Even while taking his plaque for his newest honor, McCoy still gave all the credit to the guys he's played baseball with for years.
“It’s what we’ve been working for all year, and since we were little kids," McCoy said. "Every single one of us have been playing together since we were little, and it just feels so surreal.”
The Pirates jumped on the Eagles with one run in both the first and second innings, then closed the game out in the third notching seven runs.
Marco Gonzales, Blake Mitchell, Jaquae Stewart, Canon Chester, Braeden Brown and Nick Flores each had an RBI in the contest.
Stewart was the pitched on the bump to close out the game and had five strikeouts, while giving up only three hits to earn the win in the matchup.
He said Sinton's loss last year in the state tournament semi-final game was huge motivation to finish out the title game on Thursday.
“Last year we fell short, but that’s what fueled us," Stewart said. "Everybody’s putting in the work — the work ethic that everybody has, the dedication. It feels great to know our hard work paid off."
The last time the Pirates won a state title was in 2002, when their now head coach Adrian Alaniz, was a player for the team.
Getting the victory on Thursday night — two decades later — brought everything full circle for him.
He chalked it all up to the players who can now join the same state title club he's a part of.
"We have a special group of young men in that dugout," Alaniz said. "They deserved this opportunity to get to this state championship, and the way they went out their and showcased, it’s just second to none."
Alaniz and company finished the season with only one loss on their record in the 2022 season, and a new trophy to add to the case back home.
