-
Final
Roma
M-Vets37
58 -
Final
TM
HM King69
75 -
Final
EE
Donna44
56 -
Final
Hidalgo
R-Ville45
57 -
Final
Hidalgo
La Feria45
32 -
Final
Miller
Sinton75
63 -
Final
SI
SP104
36 -
Final
PSJA
Edinburg52
39 -
Final
Moody
King72
56 -
Final
Bluff
CC Vets87
60 -
Final
Refugio
Woodsboro75
44 -
Final
Vanguard
Lyford63
60 -
Final
PSJA N
Econ59
52 -
Final
Pioneer
Sharyland57
56 -
Final
Freer
Premont33
49 -
Final
RH
PI63
75 -
Final
Los Fres
Harlingen60
62 -
Final
RGC
M-Vets76
51 -
Final
Econ
Vela51
40 -
Final
HM King
TM65
70 -
Final
SB
South60
72 -
Final
Bluff
Moody74
57 -
Final
A-Pass
Mathis77
55 -
Final
IDEA Don
Lyford37
80 -
Final
Calallen
HM King76
103 -
Final
Edinburg
Ebg North31
64 -
Final
MC
SI75
38 -
Final
CC Vets
Carroll77
61 -
Final/OT
R-ville
La Feria68
58 -
Final/OT
Weslaco
Los Fres73
66 -
Final
Harlingen
SB65
51 -
Final
Carroll
Ray61
68 -
Final
Los Fres
South48
42 -
Final
Ebg-Van
Lyford15
95 -
Final
Miller
West Oso63
57 -
Final
La Feria
RH47
46 -
Final
CCIW
JPII54
40 -
Final
Mission
Econ50
66 -
Final
Weslaco
Harlingen66
63 -
Final
R-ville
PI63
80 -
Final
CC King
CC Vets54
60 -
Final/OT
PSJA
Mission50
49 -
Final
Mission
Edinburg48
50 -
Final
Calhoun
Miller26
64 -
Final
Carroll
Moody50
62 -
Final
VW
CC Vets64
60 -
Final
London
SGA61
29 -
Final
I-Side
Miller39
78 -
Final
Jubilee
M-Vets54
77 -
Final
PSJAN
Edinburg65
45 -
Final 3OT
St. Joe
Harlingen74
79 -
Final
L-LBJ
Hidalgo47
45 -
Final
La Joya
SR72
65
-
Final
La Joya
Ebg North53
39 -
Final
McMem
Sharyland55
30 -
Final
RGC
M-Vets48
27 -
Final
SI
SP36
37 -
Final
Pace
BVM30
56 -
Final
Hidalgo
La Feria26
63 -
Final
Weslaco
Harlingen48
40 -
Final
SGA
London69
35 -
Final
Benavides
SI11
73 -
Final
RH
PI76
37 -
Final
Freer
Premont43
40 -
Final
Los Fres
Harlingen22
73 -
Final
McAllen
Sharyland33
27 -
Final
LJ JL
Econ38
52 -
Final
RH
R-Ville70
25 -
Final
PSJA N
Edinburg46
54 -
Final
Edinburg
Ebg North80
27 -
Final
PSJA
Mission60
42 -
Final
MC
SI49
52 -
Final
R-ville
La Feria30
56 -
Final
Weslaco
Los Fres39
22 -
Final
Ebg North
Mission51
53 -
Final
Harlingen
SB22
65 -
Final
Merc
B-Vets25
50 -
Final
Ebg North
Vela42
77 -
Final
Rowe
Sharyland51
24 -
Final
IDEA- Rv
Jubilee17
62 -
Final
LJ JL
Vela48
95 -
Final
PSJA SW
Pioneer8
67 -
Final
Palmview
M-Vets25
29 -
Final
R-ville
PI31
41 -
Final
Weslaco
Harlingen36
59 -
Final
La Feria
RH49
65 -
Final
IDEA Edg
Lyford22
90 -
Final
CCIW
JPII54
28 -
Final
CC Vets
Moody58
46 -
Final
CC Vets
Moody58
46 -
Final
La Joya
Vela38
57 -
Final
Edinburg
Econ74
23 -
Final
Mission
Edinburg25
67 -
Final
PI
RH38
72 -
Final
Sharyland
Pioneer14
53 -
Final
London
SGA31
54 -
Final
R-Ville
Lyford37
48 -
Final
Sinton
West Oso48
29 -
Final
SB
Los Fres23
59
- WHAT’S ON TAP: Girls Basketball Playoffs
- Port Isabel’s Gonzalez signs LOI to A&M-Commerce
- RSL Boys & Girls Basketball Top 10
- Miller set to host London in battle of state-ranked teams
- GALLERY: Players of the Game from February 3-6
- Loa inks letter of intent to Texas State
- Lady Lions basketball ready to take next step
- Longtime Los Fresnos volleyball coach Becky Woods retires
- RSL Boys and Girls Basketball Top 10 Rankings: Rio Grande Valley
- RSL Boys and Girls Basketball Top 10 Rankings: Coastal Bend
Former Valley foes now teammates at Texas State
- Updated: March 10, 2020

By MARK MOLINA
RSL
While pitchers Dalilah Barrera of Mercedes High and Cassie Valdez of Brownsville Veterans Memorial were lighting up Rio Grande Valley softball circles in high school, their paths really only crossed during tournament play.
Though head-to-head matchups were rare, the pair shared many things such as a pitching coach, the love of the game and deep respect for each other.
“I knew she (Valdez) was the other good pitcher in the Valley and I guess I was the other one,” said Barrera, a 2016 graduate. “It kind of became like a little rivalry… We knew we had to play 100 percent when we were playing Brownsville (Veterans).”
“I always knew she had a rise ball I had to lay off of,” added Valdez, a 2018 grad. “Of course, swing and a miss. It was really fun playing someone as competitive as me.”
Fast-forward to the present and Barrera and Valdez still have a lot in common as both don matching maroon and gold for the Texas State Bobcats after transferring in prior to the 2019 season.
Though their circumstances were different.
Barrera attended Temple College during her freshman and sophomore tenures where she played under former Texas State legend Kristen Zaleski. During that time Barrera was a two-year all-conference player and an All-American during the 2018 season where she helped pitch Temple to an NJCAA national title.
Those first two seasons were all stops on Barrera’s road toward playing softball at the highest level.
“My ultimate goal was to play Division I softball, but I knew it would take a lot of experience and grit to get there,” she said. “I went the JUCO route and that was the best thing I could’ve done. I don’t regret that; I learned so much.
Barrera has since carved out a nice spot in the Texas State rotation during her first season after finishing with a 9-6 record in the circle, tossing 106.1 innings with 117 hits allowed, 77 runs scored against, 65 earned runs, 56 walks, and a team-high 104 strikeouts.
Valdez, meanwhile, went Division I straight out of high school and attended the University of Texas-San Antonio.
It was a humbling experience to ink a DI letter of intent, but upon arrival, Valdez knew the fit just wasn’t right.
“As a freshman going DI, I was excited to go there (UTSA),” Valdez said. “I felt like I was a hard worker, but I didn’t believe what I would be able to bring to the team was appreciated. I knew that wasn’t the place for me.”
After a rollercoaster semester, Valdez drew interest from Texas State, prompting director of operations Cat Osterman to reach out and get the process of getting her to San Marcos.
“I was thankful for UTSA for giving me the opportunity, but I was glad Coach O was interested,” Valdez recalled. “After getting to know the coaches and the girls, I could tell the team wanted to win. Head coach Ricci Woodard is making me better as a player and a person. I couldn’t ask for a better coach and a better program. I’m so glad I made that tough decision to transfer.”
Valdez appeared in 23 games in 2019 and made three starts as a designated player, where she recorded a .238 batting average with two doubles and five RBIs. She also pitched in five games, worked a total of 9.1 innings, allowed 11 earned runs and racked up four strikeouts.
Now under the same banner, once friendly rivals have become support systems for one another.
Whether it’s Valdez doing whatever she can to be the ultimate cheerleader and teammate or Barrera doing her part to be a leader, the pitching duo can take pride in knowing they are representing the RGV to the best of their abilities.
“I’m a player who isn’t starting or in the lineup but when she (Barrera) is on the mound, I will be there to hype her up,” Valdez said. “I feel that when I see her out there I just say to myself ‘Wow, we girls from the Valley are here. We’re going to show people that we represent the Valley in a good way.'”
“It’s amazing knowing that we’re two girls from South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley,” Barrera added. “That’s a place that doesn’t get a lot of recognition for softball. I think this was destiny that we’ve become teammates and get to root each other on. We’re each other’s biggest fans. We both want the other to do well and represent the Valley very well. I love it.”