Ozona baseball enters postseason

Ozona—The Ozona High School baseball team is heading into the postseason with momentum and confidence after closing out district play.

The Lions secured a 4-2 win over Wink on Senior Night on April 21 before falling in their final district game at Forsan on April 24. Now, Ozona turns its focus to the playoffs, where it will face Christoval in a bi-district series.

The teams are scheduled to play April 29 in Ozona and April 30 in Christoval. A tiebreaker game, if necessary, will be held May 4. Results were not available at press time.

Players reflect on season success

Several players said the team has built a strong foundation throughout the season and is prepared for the challenges ahead.

“I think the season has gone great,” Bryan Serrano said. “I feel like we have a lot to prove this year.”  

Serrano added that his goal is “to go to state and win it.” 

Michael Preddy echoed that optimism, pointing to the team’s steady progress.

“We're off to a good start and look forward to the future,” Preddy said. “Our goals this season are basically to move forward in the playoffs to set a new goal for the next year.” 

JP Garza said the team’s district performance helped build confidence heading into the postseason.

"We only have one loss right now in district," Garza said. "My goals for the season are to go at least three rounds deep and hopefully more.” 

Confidence builds heading into playoffs

Players said team confidence is high as they prepare for the bi-district series.

“I think we're going to make a big run in the playoffs and go far,” Serrano said. 

He pointed to a key moment this season as his personal highlight. 

“My greatest achievement this year is hitting that walk up single against Big Lake,” he said.  

Preddy said recent performances have boosted the team’s belief in itself.

“We're coming off of two really big wins, and our confidence is through the roof right now,” he said. 

He highlighted a comeback victory over Forsan as a defining moment. 

“I think our greatest achievement is when we beat Forsan and coming back by 12 points. Those 12 runs kind of set the bar for our future and what is to come,” Preddy said.  

Garza said the team remains confident but is focused on improving defensively.

“We need to clean up a little bit of stuff defensively, but other than defensively, I'm pretty confident in our team,” Garza said. 

Garza also recalled one of his standout moments this season. 

“My coolest moment is probably hitting two home runs in one game,” he said. 

Seniors motivated in final run

For seniors like Preddy and Garza, the postseason carries added meaning as their final opportunity to compete at the high school level.

“This being my senior year, obviously it's going to be my last year playing baseball, so I hope to do my best and give it the best for the team,” Preddy said. 

Garza said the senior class is especially motivated, having played together for years.

“It motivates me a lot,” he said. “I think it motivates other seniors as well because we've been with Feaster since eighth grade and we've been on varsity since freshman year.”