After securing the District 32-2A title with an 11-1 record, Riviera-Kaufer High School’s varsity baseball team (led by Joseph R. Pickens) will face Taft in a best of three-game series in the area round of the playoffs at the Richard M. Borchard Regional Fairgrounds in Robstown late this week. Game One is at 6 p.m. on Thursday. Game Two is at 6 p.m. on Friday. If needed, Game Three will be at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

Kaufer’s only league defeat this season came in their first encounter with Hebbronville.

“Hebbronville, when they beat us, used their left-handed pitcher (Arnold Alaniz) who is probably the best pitcher in our district,” Pickens said. “The second game, we just kept battling against Hebbronville’s right-hander and I told the kids before the game that the team with the fewest errors and mental mistakes had the best chance of winning. We ended up winning 4-1.”

Pickens added that his more experienced players have been a huge factor in Kaufer’s success this season.

“I can’t necessarily say we are better than last year, I don’t want to place any labels, but we have great senior leadership this season,” Pickens said. “We are pretty good when it comes to all aspects of the game (pitching, defense and hitting) and all of the guys like to play, love coming to practice and like what I am doing out there. They just seem to buy into it and we get it done.”

The first place Seahawks, who had a bye last week, took a hard punch on the chin during a tune up with another worthy contender.

“We played a pickup game Tuesday against Robstown and that probably was not very beneficial to us because they really put it to us,” Pickens said. “Our kids really didn’t come ready to play and it was not like a district or playoff game where we were playing for something. It was a little more laid back, we weren’t necessarily ready to play and that was my fault as a coach. As a whole, though, we had a good week of practice and will continue doing so this Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and we should be ready to go Thursday night.”

Beating Taft, Pickens said, will require nothing more than sticking to the usual A-B-C’s.

“We just need to keep doing what we have all season long,” Pickens said. “Good, pitching, good defense and timely hitting. I know that is what pretty much every baseball coach will say but that is precisely what we need to do. Taft has a real good ball club that plays very hard and if our starting pitcher (J.D. Moya) comes to play our first game on Thursday, then we should be alright. I am satisfied with product I am putting on the field this week and everything should come out good.”