Coaches Corner with Baseball’s Victor Escamilla

Hawks get ready for Season to Start.  Go Hawks!!   (photo by Karen Holmes)

The ReSporter: Tell us about your road to Canyon Lake. Where have you been or give us your Coaching Tree.

                    Let’s Go Hawks!!

Coach Escamilla: “I began coaching at Alice High School as a varsity baseball assistant and football assistant for 3 years. We moved to Corpus Christi where I worked at Mary Carroll High School. I was varsity assistant and assistant for 2 years. I took my first head coaching at Harlingen South High School and was there for 2 years. I was called to Alice High School where I was Head Baseball Coach for 16 years. My kids moved north to colleges and we had decided to move north as well. An ex-player of mine called me and asked if I was looking. I told him to make it happen. I worked the last 2 years at San Antonio Reagan. I was varsity assistant in charge of pitchers.”

The ReSporter: “Baseball is one of the hardest sports as it takes so many parts that can affect an outcome. What are your priorities as you put a team together? Is it Speed, etc.”

Coach Escamilla: “I want to learn my players strengths and weaknesses. We will craft our strategies around our strengths.”

The ReSporter: “How many Boys have come out for tryouts?”

            Go Hawks & Go Strong!

Coach Escamilla: “We had 35 try-out. Optimal number of players is 60 with 20 for each for the 3 teams.”

The ReSporter: Baseball I.Q. Can cover a multitude of sins as a player might be able to get to a ground ball much quicker if he is in tune with where the ball is pitched etc…. What are your concerns as you look at the Defense/Offense/Pitching and what you see with your players so far?

Coach Escamilla: “One of my biggest concerns is that our players do not play enough league games away for Canyon Lake High School. My defensive concerns is having consistency. Offensively, is our biggest weakness, we will need to manufacture runs. For pitching, my main concerns is that we devise our off-season around our pitchers. I expect them to keep us in games till our offense gets going.”

The ReSporter: Where do you see this year’s team as they prepare for the start of this season?

Coach Escamilla: “Our players come to work every day!”

The ReSporter: What would you consider as a successful season? Would it be in wins and losses or something else and why?

Coach Escamilla: “A successful season is one that ends with our players anxious to start our next season.”

The ReSporter: Gives us who will be helping with the Coaching and what their jobs will specialize in?

Coach Escamilla: “Daniel Lancaster will be my varsity assistant in charge of outfielders, Juan Lopez will be our JV Coach.”

The ReSporter: In talking with you earlier this year, you had interviewed for this job in the past, what is it that you like about this school or area or both?

Coach Escamilla: “I didn’t interview but I applied. Canyon Lake is a great place to live and raise a family.”

The ReSporter: Thanks Coach, I look forward to working with you this season.