Written the week of May 25-31, 2026

I’ve packed my bag and am off to San Antonio for the first 3 games of the 6-game series between the visiting Corpus Christi Hooks and the hosting San Antonio Missions. They remain in 4^th place in the Texas League South standings but have drawn two games closer to the 1^st place Midland RockHounds.

Returning to San Antonio is always a delight. I’ve made friends at the Missions’ ballpark—JJ Jimenez, Director of Ticket Sales; Wayne Keller, 1^st base cameraman; several of the ushers; the daughters of the previous manager; a few past players—so I enjoy coming here.

On the first night, I stood watching the rain come down. Zach Diaz, the guy near me, sported an Astros’ shirt, so I asked, “I see you’re an Astros’ fan, so I have to ask, which team are you rooting for, Hooks or Missions?”

Zach and I talked baseball after that introduction. He’s the pitching coach for the local St. Mary’s University Rattlers baseball team. They had a good season that ended in the regionals against NCAA Division II #1 Colorado Mesa University.

In our discussion, we agreed on the baseball adage that winning is about pitching and timely hits. The Hooks had half the formula for winning on Tuesday night, but the other half eluded them.

Looking at the box score, Jackson Nezuh pitched 5.2 innings of great baseball, barring one pitch. He had 8 strikeouts to a lone walk, which is an amazing K/BB rate. That walk would be the only one issued by the pitching staff, and, as so often happens, it would come back to bite the team.

In the 6^th inning, Nezuh walked Kai Roberts. After Carson Tucker’s failed bunt attempt, Missions’ catcher Ethan Salas followed with a no-doubter over the right field fence. A sacrifice fly in the 7^th would add another run.

Corpus Christi added a run in the 7^th and one in the 8^th. Then we waited. Half an hour later the game was called due to rain. Missions 3-Hooks 2

Timely hitting—the missing element of Tuesday night’s game—could have happened in any of 7 opportunities, the number of times we had runners in scoring position (RISP). Instead, our batters went 0-7 and left 10 runners on base. San Antonio’s LOB? Two!

By the way, Zach loves the Astros and played at Whataburger Field during his college days, but roots for the Missions. What could he say? San Antonio is his home.

Wednesday my brother Bill joined me in San Antonio for a game, then sat patiently in his seat while I bounced around to talk to players, ushers, and new friends.

Before the game, I spoke with retired Lt. Colonel Ed Wooten, and we swapped baseball and army stories. While we were talking, Herman Davis, a disabled Vietnam veteran, came down the stairs with a book in his hand. While Brett Gillis and I were talking, Herman handed him the book.

I’m curious by nature (I think we all are, but I’m also shamelessly bold at the ballpark), so I asked Herman about the story behind the moment I’d just witnessed. He gladly shared what brought him to the game.

He met Brett Gillis in the lobby of the team’s hotel where Herman and his wife were staying. He discovered Brett played for the Hooks. Brett discovered Herman had never attended a professional ball game. Brett offered to take care of him if he and his wife showed up at the game. They did, and he did.

When Joseph Sullivan hit a 1^st inning home run, Herman texted me: Saw my first home run live.

Herman is an accomplished woodcarver and has some great stuff. You can check out his website at hermandavis.com to see examples of his artwork.

Eventually, I joined my brother and settled in for the game. By that time, the Hooks already had a 2-0 lead, a lead they’d never relinquish.

Starter Bryce Mayer pitched well for the 4.2 innings he was in, striking out 9, giving up 3 hits and a run. He left with a 3-1 lead, a lead that would widen as the game progressed.

Baseball is a quirky game of statistics. The more technology develops, the more stats will make their presence known—e.g., exit velocity and launch angle of a particular hit. Joseph Sullivan “seared a double off the fence in right at 113 MPH in the 3^rd.” *

Pitchers are tagged with wins, losses, no decisions, and saves, but here is where quirkiness shows up in a game. Mayer left the game with the lead after 4.2 innings. Trey McLoughlin replaced him for 1.1 inning. Because McLoughlin got the last out in the 5^th, and the Hooks never surrendered the lead, he earned the win.

For those not acquainted with 4.2 and 1.1, baseball uses .1 and .2 to represent portions of an inning. 4.2 represents 4 and two-thirds innings or 4 complete innings and two outs in the 5^th with one out to go.

After Mayer retired from the game, I started updating Jim Cologna, who wasn’t able to watch Wednesday’s game. “We’re hitting well tonight and leading 4-1 going into the bottom of the 6^th. Mayer is out after 4.2, but pitched well. Lots more Ks [strikeouts] than BBs [walks].”

By the 7^th inning stretch, the Hooks had increased their lead to 6-1. In the bottom of the 7^th, things got a bit messy, and our relief pitcher never looked comfortable. A single, catcher’s interference, double and wild pitch closed the gap to 6-3.

San Antonio native Michael Cuevas entered the 8th in relief and kept the Missions scoreless. Hudson Leach finished up the game for the Hooks, and we won 11-3.

Thursday, I remained in San Antonio for the 3^rd game of the series. I would return home early the next day.

The 1^st inning proved promising as Jason Schiavone added his 19th home run to his HR lead in all of Minor League Baseball. The Hooks went up 2-0 and keep the lead until the 3^rd inning.

James Hicks got through the first two scoreless innings by giving up 2 hits and a walk while striking out 2. He got excellent help. Shortstop Max Holy made a diving stop, jumped up, and fired a rocket to 1^st for the 3^rd out of the 1^st inning. He prevented at least one run, probably two. 3^rd baseman Trevor Austin started a 5-4-3 double play to end the 2^nd. After 2 complete, Hooks 2-Missions 0.

In the bottom of the 3^rd, a single, double, groundout, single sequence would tie up the game at 2-2. A 4-6-3 double play would end any further threat in the inning. After 3 complete, Hooks 2-Missions 2.

In the 4^th, the Hooks combined timely hitting with a Missions’ error, hit by pitch, and walk to record 4 more runs. With no one out, even Joseph Sullivan hitting into a double play resulted in the 6^th Hooks’ run of the game.

Hicks retired the next 7 batters and, after walking a batter, exited the game having pitched 5.1 innings. Jose Guedez entered in relief and pitched 1.2 innings. He was replaced after giving up a 2-run home run in the 7^th. Corpus Christi had already scored 2 at the top of the 7^th, so after 7 complete, Hooks 8-Missions 4.

It was in the 7^th inning that a group of guys to my left and sitting behind home plate started heckling the Hooks’ players. With the Missions trailing, the game didn’t interest them any longer, but hats, shoes, numbers, and quirky practices did.

The first fascination was with the number 2, Jeron Williams’ jersey number. Whatever they said seemed to relate to potty humor and his number. An Imodium reference went over my head at first, but other bathroom humor poured out, and I finally got it. Williams singled and a run scored.

In the 8^th, the ringleader said, “Love your shoes, 14,” when Lucas Spence stood in the batter’s circle. Initially, Lucas acted as if he hadn’t heard, but when he looked down, they chuckled. I believe I caught a little smile of his own. Lucas walked.

Jason Schiavone drew something in the dirt with his bat, and the guys saw it and responded. “You found your safe zone. Don’t worry! You’re safe here.”

Since Jason made the image but didn’t step into it, I had to get a look at what he’d drawn.

It was two lines that formed the outline of a fish. Knowing my church history, I knew it represented a secret sign used by early Christians during a time of persecution. When two people met, one would draw a curved line in the dirt. That person was saying, “I’m a follower of Christ.”

If the second responded with the same gesture, the two lines formed a fish, and the latter was responding, “I too follow Jesus Christ.”

If those guys hadn’t heckled Jason, I wouldn’t have been curious enough to check it out. By the way, if you haven’t read my About statement on the website, I too am a follower of Jesus Christ. If you have read it, this is no surprise.

An error in the 9^th allowed San Antonio to score an additional run, but Ramsey David and Raylin Perez pitched well for the final two innings. Final score: Hooks 8-Missions 5.

The next two nights offered two opposite efforts, one poorly pitched and the other well pitched, but the same result, a loss.

Ellen and I went to Whataburger Field for a Banana Ball game, Firefighters versus Texas Tailgaters, so I didn’t watch the less-than-stellar Friday night game in San Antonio.

In case you’re wondering, I found Banana Ball loud, confusing, and very entertaining. If I’d worn earplugs, that would have taken care of the noise problem, but I needed a translator to clear up the confusion and interpret the action on the field. I hope, as I write about Minor League Baseball, I’m translating how enjoyable the professional game is at this level. And that I’m not hurting your ears.

Friday’s game in San Antonio had five Hooks’ pitchers contribute strikeouts, 9, and walks, 12, to the losing effort. All but Hudson Leach gave up hits, but he along with starter Nic Swanson gave up runs. They (if the Hooks are doing well, it’s “we”) lost 8-1.

They lost Saturday’s game 1-0. I watched a portion of the game on Bally Sports Live. It happened to include the pivotal moment of the game, a throwing error from center field that allowed the only run of the evening to score.

Sunday morning, Herman Davis texted me, Did Brett Win?

I replied, Brett pitched very well, but the team lost 1-0.

In the Sunday game, the score remained tight to the end. With the Missions batting, runners at 2^nd and 3^rd, catcher Ethan Salas blasted a bomb deep to right center where Yamal Encarnacion made his best catch of the season. He tumbled and rolled, got up, and hit his cutoff man, 2^nd baseman Pascanel Ferreras. Ferreras fired a strike to catcher Garret Guillemette, who tagged Carson Tucker racing home from 2nd for the 3^rd out.

Salas’s sacrifice fly went deep enough to allow Francisco to stroll home from 3^rd and entice Tucker to sprint around the bases in his unsuccessful attempt to score. After 3 complete, Hooks 2-Missions 1.

In the 4^th, Hooks’ starter Trey Dombroski pitched himself into and out of trouble. Into trouble: Hit by pitch, single, walk, walk. Game tied 2-2. Out of trouble: Pop out, strike out, strike out. After 4 complete, Hooks 2-Missions 2.

In the 5^th, the Hooks regained the lead when Jason Schiavone singled and Lucas Spence tripled. Lucas outraced the throw home on a Sullivan’s grounder to the 2^nd baseman Carson Tucker.

The Missions would tie things up again in the bottom of the inning. After 5 complete, Hooks 4-Missions 4. I told you the game remained tight to the end, and this isn’t even the end. Imagine watching this live and caring about the outcome. Oh, the suspense of it all.

In the 7^th, we (notice the “we” so you know something good is about to happen) got 3 singles in a row to go ahead 5-4. Joseph Sullivan would lay down a great sacrifice bunt to score the 2^nd run of the inning. I’ve seen a lot of bunt attempts go poorly. Glad Sully’s wasn’t one of them. By the 7^th inning stretch, we lead 6-4.

Railin Perez, Hudson Leach, and Ramsey David would appear in scoreless relief from the last out of the 5^th to the last out of the 8^th. Trey McLoughlin entered in the bottom of the 9^th. Jeron Williams quietly entered as a defensive replacement in right field. By the way, did you notice the word quietly?

When he made a spectacular catch of a blistering line drive to the right field wall, the announcer said, “Encarnacion racing back, at the wall, and leaping, and making the catch!” Noticing it was not Yamal, he guessed 6’5” Drew Brutcher. It would take him well into the inning to finally figure out that 6’ Jeron Williams made that remarkable play in right for the 1^st out.

Trey got two quick outs, but the 3^rd remained as elusive as a straight answer from a politician. After giving up a double, a walk, and a single to make it 6-5, he walked one more batter to load the bases.

Michael Cuevas then entered the game in relief, threw 2 strikes, and got an easy 6-3 groundout. Game over! Hooks win!

In an exchange of texts with my baseball buddy, I wrote: Cuevas has been a solid and steadying hand. Two pitches, both strikes, and we can sleep better tonight.

I had a great time while in San Antonio and got to see the Hooks win twice. A rain-shortened game might have ended differently on Tuesday if they’d gotten one more at bat. Talk the next day with a coach certainly expressed both our frustrations and disappointment.

Reviewing the numbers, the Hooks neither gained nor lost ground in the race to the top, but that’s only because the top changed. Frisco made up ground by being the only team to go 6-4 over the last 10 games, while the rest of the division went 5-5.

In reviewing team stats for the Texas League, I observed an interesting phenomenon. Pitching is #2 in strikeouts at 509. Hitting is #2 in strikeouts at 515. Pitching is #4 in walks, 245. Hitting is #5 in walks, 224. Pitching gives up more walks than hitting takes. Hitting gives up more strikeouts than pitching records.

Solid pitching and timely hits win games. Except for Friday night, pitching remained solid. Timely hitting showed up in half the games, and half the games is what the Hooks won in San Antonio. Trevor Austin did his part as he went 9-18 over 5 games. He didn’t play in the awful Friday night game.

I’m not sure when the 1^st half of the season ends, but it’s soon. We need to win each upcoming series, home and away, in order to have a chance at clinching the 1^st half playoff spot for September. I would rest easier if they did. After all, I’ve been saying from the start that the Corpus Christi Hooks will be the 2026 Texas League Champions.

Corpus Christi Hooks 2-San Antonio Missions 3                         L

Corpus Christi Hooks 11-San Antonio Missions 3   `                   W

Corpus Christi Hooks 8-San Antonio Missions 5                         W

Corpus Christi Hooks 1-San Antonio Missions 8                         L

Corpus Christi Hooks 0-San Antonio Missions 1                         L

Corpus Christi Hooks 6-San Antonio Missions 5                         W

Texas League South standings

Frisco                              26-23

Midland                           27-24

Amarillo                          26-24

Corpus Christi                  24-27

San Antonio                     20-31

* Corpus Christi Hooks official website