"Baseball means everything to me," senior baseball player Nick Palacios said. "I have been playing since I could walk, and I've always loved to play."

Since Palacios first cracked the full time varsity lineup as a sophomore in 2010, he has dominated both on the mound and at the plate. As a sophomore, Palacios was able to baffle hitters as a pitcher, posting a top 100 state ERA.

Since then, Palacios has continued to dominate the sport he loves, emerging as one of the top District 26-3A baseball prospects. As colleges from around Texas and surrounding states began to take notice, some might think the recruiting process would have a negative effect on his play. 

"The recruiting process didn't faze me, because every time I play, I play my hardest," Palacios explained.

In his final season for the Bulldogs, Palacios was the Bulldogs ace pitcher under first year head coach Wil Shahan, whom Palacios credits with both helping him become better on the field and off.

"Not only has Coach Shahan taught me skills to better myself on the field, but he also taught me how to be a better man in life."

In his first season as Bandera's head baseball coach, Shahan brought a new outlook to his program that players were expected to follow both on an off the field. 

"Coach Shahan was a great coach and he taught me the principle of RMA- Right Mental Attitude. Not only did I use this on the field, but also at home and in the classroom," Palacios said.

During his senior season, Palacios used both his arm, and his bat, to help Bandera to a fourth place finish in a tough district, with the team only falling from playoff contention on the final weekend of the season.

"Even though the team didn't make the playoffs, it doesn't mean it wasn't a successful year," Palacios said. "Although it would have been nice to qualify for the playoffs, not going does not lessen the success we had as a team during the season."

Pitching in 12 of Bandera's 27 games this past season, Palacios boasted a 2.17 ERA, and a 4-4 record. Pitching 61 innings in his 12 starts, Palacios averaged five innings per game, while throwing a strike percentage of 66%.

At the plate, Palacios hit .289, with three doubles and a triple, while also working 12 walks and driving in nine RBI's. Showing off his speed, Palacios also had a team-leading nine stolen bases on the season.

After a successful senior season, Palacios plans on playing baseball in the future.  "I plan on attending college at ACU (Abilene Christian University) for academics and hopefully play baseball as well," Palacios said. "I hope to continue playing for as long as I can."