EDINBURG – Ever since he was a little kid University of Texas-Pan American Broncs baseball senior Lee Rios wanted to follow his dad's footsteps and play baseball for the Broncs.
 
"My dad was a baseball player himself," Rios said. "He also played her at Pan Am. It has been my motivation to follow in my dad's footsteps and continue playing baseball since I was little. Coming here to Pan Am was a great thing for me."
 
It was Rios' dad that showed him the game when he started playing at four years old. Even at this point in his career, Rios has his dad there to coach him.
 
"Until this day, it has been my dad," Rios said. "My dad has been teaching me since I was four years old all the way up until now. It has been me and him working together to get to where I am today."
 
With the help of his dad, who was a pitcher during his playing days, Rios got the chance to play multiple positions throughout little league. The most important thing for Rios wasn't about where he played though. It was about whom he played with.
 
"Playing with all my friends from the Rio Grande Valley had to be my favorite part," Rios said. "It was simple. It was about playing baseball with my friends and having fun. It was as simple as that."
 
Rios, the Edinburg-native, attended two different high schools. He started out at Economedes High School where he played varsity baseball as a freshman before jumping to Edinburg High School as a sophomore. Even in high school, it was about whom he got to enjoy playing the game with rather than the individual success that he enjoyed.
 
"My favorite memory about playing at Economedes was being able to play with my brother, which was awesome," Rios said. "It was me and my brother on the same field and playing varsity. At Edinburg High, I got the chance to play with a lot of guys that I played with in little league. Edinburg High was a great opportunity to meet up with old friends."
 
At Edinburg High, Rios played both baseball and football. He was named to the 31-5A First Team as a second baseman and 31-5A Second Team as a pitcher. He wanted to play at Pan Am all along and luckily for Rios, Broncs head coach Manny Mantrana saw a video of him and gave him a chance.
 
"Coach Mantrana saw a video of me," Rios said. "He then gave me an opportunity to try out in the fall and he ended up liking me. Ever since then I have been here."
 
As an incoming freshman and straight out of high school, Rios realized that he still had plenty to learn about the game of baseball.
 
"In my first couple of years here, I learned that I knew nothing about baseball," Rios said. "I basically had talent carrying me my whole life. When it comes to learning the positions in the infield and outfield, the counts when you are hitting and stuff like that, I learned it all from coach Mantrana and coach Lopez. They taught me things I never knew."
 
The biggest thing Rios takes away from the learning process was to not take anything for granted. He learned that nothing is just given to you and you have to work hard for what you get.
 
"The biggest thing I learned from the coaches here is that not to take anything for granted," Rios said. "Coach Lopez shows us everyday to work our butts off and to work hard everyday. Don't take anything for granted and take care of the simple things and big things will happen."
 
Rios didn't see much action his first two seasons but he did find himself in 23 games last season while hitting two home runs. One of those home runs came in the WAC Tournament and Rios can say he was the first Bronc to do so.
 
"My personal favorite memory was playing in the WAC Tournament last year," Rios said. "It was the first time we were in the tournament. I was able to be the first guy ever to hit a home run in the WAC Tournament for Pan Am."
 
The home run was hit at Cubs Park in Mesa, Arizona where the Chicago Cubs play their spring training games. Throughout the whole game, New Mexico State pitchers were challenging him with the fastball and Rios was determined to make them pay the third time around.
 
"It was a beautiful feeling," Rios said. "With it being our first tournament there and to be able to do that was a beautiful feeling. He was throwing me fastballs the whole game. It was my third at bat and he kept challenging me with the fastball. In the first two at bats, I just got underneath them and then I told myself that I was going to square up the pitch in my next at bat and I did."
 
Rios has been able to see plenty of teammates come and go throughout the last five seasons. He has even seen one teammate come, go and then come back again and he is grateful that it worked out that way.
 
"One of my former teammates that I would love to keep in touch with after I am done here would be Mike McCarthy," Rios said. "He is the volunteer coach right now. I love that guy. He was a junior and senior during my freshman and sophomore years. He took me under his wing and we were good friends on and off the field. He has given me a lot of advise and still does."
 
Rios has also gotten the opportunity to play along side others from the Rio Grande Valley. Together they have been able to represent the Rio Grande Valley. .
 
"I would also like to keep in touch with Edgar Cordon, Alexis Hernandez, Jonathan Garza and Austin Casas," Rios said. "Those are some of the valley guys that I enjoyed playing the game with to represent the Rio Grande Valley."
 
Rios graduated last year with a degree in kinesiology and is working on his Master's Degree. He wants to be able to continue his baseball playing days and has even considered playing in the independent leagues but if that doesn't work out then he wants to go into something involving his other passion.
 
"My goal is to continue pursuing the game of baseball," Rios said. "Maybe I will try and play independent baseball but if that doesn't work out I am looking to becoming a strength coach at the high school level and then maybe at the university level. I love to work out and I love to lift weights. I am really into that."
 
Rios' time at UTPA is coming to an end but for those that will be sticking around the program for a bit longer he wants to give them a word of advise.
 
"Come out here ever day as if it was your last," Rios said. "Smile even if things go wrong and work hard no matter what. If things don't go your way, that is okay because this is baseball. Don't take anything for granted and keep going."

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