ANDREW SALMI andrew.salmi@granitemedia partners.com
BEEVILLE — Taylor High School varsity baseball senior pitcher Devin Valdez announced his commitment Thursday, Nov. 30 to continue his career as a student-athlete for the Coastal Bend College program in Beeville as a future member of the Cougars.
Valdez was recruited by Coastal Bend Head Coach Ryan Benitez and Recruiting Coordinator Andrew Cohen, who both made a huge impression with the Ducks standout player.
“What made me choose Coastal Bend is the coaching staff and how close it is to home,” Valdez said. “The moment I stepped on campus at Coastal, they greeted me with open arms and showed pure interest in recruiting me, despite having an injury.
It takes a lot for a coach to believe in someone who is currently injured and will still bet on me and give me an opportunity.”
Back in early November during Tayor’s bi-district playoff football game against Boerne High School, Valdez made a reception over the middle of the field but suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament on the play.
He will have to miss his senior baseball year for a Ducks team which has extremely high expectations after Taylor made it to the fifth round of the playoffs in the spring.
“I would like to give all glory and praise to God for blessing me and prevailing,” Valdez said.
“When I tore my ACL I was heartbroken not knowing what my future would look like, mainly because I was going to miss my senior season of high school. I wouldn’t be able to be on the field with not only my teammates but my brothers. I was blessed enough with Coastal Bend’s coaching staff willing to roll the dice on me at the next level. Being committed will give me the utmost motivation to get through rehab and Godwilling finish it a few months early.”
When healthy, Valdez brings a lefty arm that’s unique which he keeps batters guessing with different pitches and his knowledge of the game.
As a junior in 2023, Valdez helped bolster a strong Taylor pitching staff with a 7-2 record and 79 strikeouts in 61 innings pitched.
Valdez also wanted to honor his late friend and teammate Jace Gill, who passed away from an accident back in 2020.
“Not only am I doing this for my family but for my best friend Jace who passed away,” Valdez said. “We played ball our whole life together but his got cut short. I want to honor him by playing this game longer because he never had the chance to.”
