Kowboys infielder will continue his career at Florida International

By Rick Pedone
Sports Editor

Edwin Rios finally got a chance to play high school postseason baseball during his senior season, and he made the most of the opportunity.

Rios batted .500 and drove in five runs in five playoffs games as OHS reached the regional championship game for the first time since 1991.

“As a freshman, I was on the varsity but it was mostly the seniors who played. My sophomore year I hurt my ankle, and when I was a junior a shoulder problem flared up and we decided to play it safe,” Rios said. “I was so excited to finally be able to play.”

Rios led the Kowboys (20-10) with a .400 batting average and 29 RBIs. He tied J.R. Charles for the team lead with four home runs, good reasons why he is the Osceola News-Gazette Baseball Player of the Year.

“He is an impact player. He can change the game anytime,” Osceola Coach Scott Birchler said.”

Rios, tall, left-handed and with good power, was the target of many Division I colleges before he signed early to Florida International University last fall.

“It was a good decision for me, knowing that that was taken care of,” he said.

Rios, an Osceola County native, said he felt fortunate to be a member of the Kowboys baseball program.

“I’m very thankful to be able to play for a great program like the one we have at Osceola,” he said. “I was pretty happy with the way our season went this year, until the regional (championship) game.”

The Kowboys, who stumbled around .500 for much of the regular season, caught fire before the district tournament and turned into the powerhouse team that it was predicted to be in the preseason.

“Yeah, I know, we didn’t know what was going on early in the season. We looked terrible,” he said. “But, it ended up being a great season.”

Osceola avenged two losses to Orange Belt Conference champion Gateway with a 13-2 district tournament win, and then OHS defeated local nemesis Liberty for the district championship and again in the regional semifinals before running into Brandon for the regional title and a berth to the Class 7A state tournament.

Osceola gave up three cheap runs (two unearned) in the first two innings and couldn’t come back, losing 3-2 at Kowboys field. Charles’ blast to deep left in the bottom of the sixth inning could have won it for the Kowboys, but the potential three-run home run was snared at the fence with the wind blowing in.

“We had them, we just messed up in the first and second innings, and that was it,” Rios said. “They had some good pitchers, but I think we had the better team.”

Rios said the Kowboys may have been too distracted by a possible trip to the state tournament before the Brandon game.

“We were talking about putting out the tarps and sliding around to celebrate after it was over,” he said. “I guess we should have had our heads in it a little more at the beginning.”

Rios moved back to the infield this season after playing in the outfield for most of his sophomore and junior years.

“I had a couple of problems in the infield as a freshman, and they moved me out. This year, Coach Birchler brought me back to third base, and I was happy. It turned out pretty well, except for a couple of errors I made in the playoffs,” Rios said. “I like playing the infield.”

The Rios legacy at OHS should continue for the next two years. Edwin’s brother, Gustavo, who played first base last season and batted over .250, returns for his junior season and will be a key component of an OHS lineup that lost many talented seniors to graduation.

“He’s actually a little ahead of where I was at his age. He’s good,” Edwin said.

Rios thinks he can develop into a consistent power hitter as his career progresses. He’s a lifelong Tampa Bay Rays fan, and Evan Longoria is one of his favorite players.

“I have the build to put on some weight, and everyone who sees me says they like my swing,” he said. “My job now is to continue to work and become the best player I can be.”