The 2024 Texas high school baseball season is quickly approaching and, as usual, excitement is abound throughout the state. Players and coaches have been working in preparation for the upcoming season and, as is the case each year, there are some very talented players and teams across Texas.

Teams across the state have goals and aspirations to finish their seasons in Austin at the UIL State Tournament in June, but there is plenty of work to be done before that becomes reality. We hope to familiarize our readers with many of the teams across the state as we preview individual teams across Texas. We will take you right up to first pitch this season with these team previews, eventually releasing our Preseason Power 30 rankings that’ll carry us into the opening week of action.

Please keep checking back throughout the season as we will be your one-stop shop for everything related to high school baseball across the state. Each week we will be releasing our Players of the Week and updating the Power 30 rankings.

Our 2024 preseason coverage continues today.

High School: Mission Sharyland Rattlers
Head Coach: Austin Bickerton
UIL Classification: UIL Class 5A (District 31)
Team Strengths: Offense
2023 Record (Playoff Finish): 27-7 (5A Area Finalists)
Key Players Lost: Diego Diaz-UTSA, Cole Gerlach-Wharton

 

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TOP RETURNING PLAYERS

+ OF/LHP Alejandro Islas (2024; uncommitted) - District Offensive Player of the Year
+ OF Homer Garcia (2024; uncommitted) - First Team All-District
+ CIF Santiago Soto (2026) - First Team All-District
+ C Luis Cienfuegos (2026) - Honorable Mention All-District

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TOP NEWCOMERS

+ RHP/INF Cheko Ibarra (2026)

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FRESHMEN TO FOLLOW

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TEAM OUTLOOK

In 2023, the Sharyland Rattlers won nearly 30 games and should bring back a stout offense heading into the spring, headlined by four All-District players. Led by Coach Austin Bickerton, the Rattlers bring back two key seniors and two key sophomores for the 2024 season, and are also expected to add another talented player to the sophomore class.

The seniors to know heading into the spring are OF/LHP Alejandro Islas (uncommitted) and OF Homer Garcia (uncommitted). Islas was named the District’s Offensive Player of the Year in 2023 and should be the x-factor for the Rattlers this season, with Garcia earning First Team designation last season as well.

On the sophomore side, these two had impressive freshman campaigns that earned them All-District honors to begin their high school careers in CIF Santiago Soto and C Luis Cienfuegos. Soto was named to the District’s First Team as a first baseman in 2023, with Cienfuegos earning Honorable Mention behind the dish. The Rattlers are excited about adding RHP/INF Cheko Ibarra (2026) to the varsity squad this season as he should add more intrigue to an already impressive sophomore nucleus.

Behind what should be another strong lineup, the Sharyland Rattlers look primed to make another playoff push within the state’s 5A class in 2024.

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Find more information on the 2024 Mission Sharyland Rattlers program below:

+ <<2024 Schedule>>
+ Follow Mission Sharyland on X: @SharylandBaseb1
+ Prep Baseball Texas, Power 30 Homepage

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