Fredericksburg preparing for rebuilding season under new head coach
FREDERICKSBURG, Texas — There is a power plant on the right side of State Highway 16 that towers over the baseball field of Fredericksburg High School. A Builders FirstSource, a building materials store, looms past the centerfield wall that matches the toughness and grit that the Fredericksburg Billies have become known for in their history. They are a team that earned the moniker the Battlin’ Billies.
The varsity baseball team is no stranger to success as evidenced by 16 playoff appearances since 1990. The highest mark was a state semifinals appearance in 1990, but there has been plenty of success in more recent years. The Billies posted winning records from 2016 to 2019 and made the playoffs in each of those seasons, with a playoff loss in the 2018 regional finals to the Sweeny Bulldogs 12-3 being the highest honor in the last 10 years.
With a respectable 15-14-2 record in the 2019 season, the team declined over the following seasons as they posted losing records in 2020 and 2021.
For the upcoming 2022 season, the Billies hope to right the ship, and this time with their new head coach Carlos De La Cerda.
Taking over for coach Derrick Dietrich, De La Cerda spent last season as an assistant coach for the Dripping Springs Tigers varsity baseball team.
Going back to the 2020 season where the team stole 19 bases in eight games, it showed the Billies ran when given the opportunity. With a team batting average of .268 that year, there were a decent number of opportunities. This trend was similar in the previous season as well. In 2019, the team batted .301 and stole 47 bases.
Even in the 2018 season, the Billies managed nine homeruns in 933 plate appearances and hit a robust .363 en route to their 30-8 record. Fredericksburg stole 46 bags in their best year in recent history.
While there are several intangibles that differentiate that team from the upcoming team, it will be intriguing to see how Fredericksburg plays.
Whether they rely on ABC baseball that manufactures runs, aggressive baserunning, hitting for average or power swings to drive in runs, it depends on how coach De La Cerda handles it.
The Billies remain a force in the 4A Region IV District 28 but face a tough task, as their rival Boerne Greyhounds had a great 2021 season with a record 23-9-1. While Fredericksburg has seen successful seasons, so has the opposing Boerne.
Their other rival, the Davenport Wolves, finished a lowly 12-16-1 last season. It will be interesting to see how the division shakes out in the 2022 season and who will emerge atop the standings.
For this season, the team will be without key players like Jesse Castillo and Felix Cruz, who both graduated in 2021.
While the roster is unknown at this point, there are potential returns. One notable person is Cole Immel who hit .286 in the 2020 season.
It is worth seeing how Coach De La Cerda handles the team and if his first year as Billies head coach brings him as much success as Dietrich. There is no doubt he has big shoes to fill but can do so.
In the meantime, Fredericksburg will build a team and potentially a new culture in the process under De La Cerda as they prepare to face the Llano Yellowjackets, a former division rival, on Thursday, March 3.
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