(Longhorns’ hurler has been a pro for past two years)

By Rey Sifuentes Jr.

     A possible second violation, within the span of two years, by Laredo United High School’s baseball program (currently ranked in the state’s top five and leading District 29-5A at 8-0) could force the ball club to forfeit all of its wins for that period – while also moving Eagle Pass High School to first place in the conference.

     A story published two years ago by El Manana (out of Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico) claimed that current Longhorns pitcher Julio Rodriguez Solis had signed a contract with the Diablos Rojos professional baseball team (out of Mexico City) after having tried out for the organization back in 2011.  

     “Supposedly they signed him back in 2011,” Eagle Pass Head Baseball Coach Reynol Mendoza said on Thursday. “So he should be ineligible to play high school baseball right now if that is true. He can play any other amateur sport in high school but not baseball.”

     Solis, back then, was already throwing at 85 miles per hour as a 16-year old and was to have begun training at the baseball academy in Oaxaca.

     Solis is also quoted in the El Manana story as having played professionally since he was 10. 

     If indeed deemed as a pro ball player, Solis would not have been eligible to play high school baseball for the 2012 and 2013 seasons.

     C.C. Winn High School Principal Jesus Diaz-Wever (who is the District 29-5A chairperson) said on Friday that he was still in the process of getting in contact with Laredo United’s principal to discuss the matter before any further action was to be taken.

     Against the Eagles, Solis has only pitched a single inning this season, during the Border Olympics tournament held in Laredo in February.

     EPHS and LUHS were scheduled to meet at 5 p.m. on Friday – with the Eagles in second placed in 29-5A behind the Longhorns.  

     The Longhorns could end up forfeiting several games for the past two baseball campaigns if Solis is in fact declared ineligible because of his supposed professional status.

     “They (Laredo United) would have to forfeit all of the games in which he was on their U.I.L. eligibility roster,” Mendoza said. “When a player is on that list, the team is saying that he is eligible to play. So any ineligible player on that list would cause his team to forfeit those games.”

     This would not be the first time that Laredo United’s baseball team has been penalized. During the 2011 season, the Longhorns (who were leading 29-5A) had to forfeit about 10 wins.

     “It happened to United two years ago when they had a player who was ineligible because he was not taking enough hours during the school day to be eligible,” Mendoza said.  

     Pushed down to last place after that forfeiture, United then won fourteen consecutive games (including an area playoff) before being eliminated at the Region IV quarterfinals by C.C. Winn.

     (Rey Sifuentes Jr. is the sports editor of the Mount Pleasant Daily Tribune which is located in East Texas. He is also a 1992 graduate of Eagle Pass High School. Sifuentes can be reached on Facebook and at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . You can also follow him through Twitter at @sportspirate.)