By Dan Lathey

Former Texas A&M International star athletes Mary (Tobias) and Angel Encinas are busy these days raising a family and pursuing challenging career paths. Married since 2015, the couple has settled in Mary's native Laredo, Texas. They have a three-year old son A.J. (Angel Jr.) and daughter Aleia, who just turned two years old.
 
Mary Tobias starred for the Dustdevil women's basketball team from 2006-10, earning first-team All-Heartland Conference honors as a junior and Honorable Mention All-Heartland Conference as a senior. She ranks in the Top 10 on the TAMIU career list in six categories (games played, points, field goals made, three point field goals made, free throws made, and assists) and is tied for the school record for three-pointers made in a game with 7, accomplished against Texas Woman's on Dec. 31, 2009.
 
Angel Encinas transferred to TAMIU to play men's basketball in 2005 after a two-year standout career at Cochise College in his home state of Arizona. He made the most of his two-year Dustdevil career, and ranks as the TAMU career leader in assists (293) while ranking in the Top 10 in 3-point field goals made and steals. Encinas earned Honorable Mention All-Conference honors as a senior.
 
After concluding his collegiate basketball career, Angel joined the baseball team although he had not played the sport since playing on a state championship team at Bisbee High School in Arizona. He proved to be just as excellent on the baseball diamond, playing multiple positions (including appearances as a relief pitcher) and finishing with a team-leading .423 batting average. Encinas earned second-team All-Heartland Conference honors in baseball, becoming the first TAMIU athlete to earn All-Conference honors in two sports.
 
Angel graduated with a bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice with a minor in Psychology. He began his career with the Webb County District Attorney's Office before taking a position with Lewis Energy Group, where he has worked since 2012.
 
Mary earned a bachelor's degree in business administration before beginning her career as a fixed assets manager for the Webb County purchasing department. After earning her teaching certificate from TAMIU in 2012, she took a position at Dr. Leo Cigarroa High School, where she has served as the head girls basketball coach for the last five years.
 
Mary has led the Lady Toros to four playoff appearances and two District titles. In addition to her coaching duties, Mary teaches business information management and is an Assistant Athletic Campus Coordinator at Cigarroa High School.
 
Mary and Angel recently took time from their busy schedules to answer a couple of questions for Dustdevil fans:
 
Question for both: What is the most memorable experience from your TAMIU Athletic career?
Answer: Definitely the friendships that were created through our time at TAMIU. Some of our best friends were our teammates & we both feel blessed to have met them & still be in touch today. 
 
 
Question for Mary: What is the most rewarding aspect of coaching high school basketball?
Answer: The most rewarding aspect of coaching for me is being able to give back to my community. I feel so strongly about the invaluable lessons that sports teach— I was blessed to be taught by great coaches and I hope to help shape the lives of young ladies through this platform in the way it helped me. 
 
Question for Mary: What role do you see high school sports playing in bringing society together in the wake of a pandemic and social justice protest?
Answer: There is nothing like being a part of a sports team and I think social barriers have a way of disappearing when you are a part of one. I think high school sports will definitely bring back a sense of normalcy & camaraderie during this time. 
 
Question for Angel: Having been in Laredo for close to 15 years, what do you appreciate most about the community?
Answer: I appreciate the similarity to back home.  My hometown in Arizona is also a border town, so it was an easy transition for me from the start. 
 
Question for Angel: Were you at all surprised of your achievements for TAMIU baseball after such a long layoff from the sport? 
Answer: I was, but baseball has always been a passion of mine. I started playing when I was four, so I feel very fortunate to have been able to compete for both programs during my athletic career at TAMIU. 
 
What they're saying about Mary and Angel Encinas …
 
TAMIU baseball head coach Ryan Flynn on having Angel as a baseball teammate:
"Angel was a huge part of our success in 2007. Coach Mark Jackson brought to the team's attention at our first team meeting after Christmas break that he was going to sign another player to come join our team immediately and that player was obviously Angel Encinas. We all knew who Angel was since he played basketball for TAMIU and all knew how good he was on the court, but we were not sure how he was on the diamond. Well, we quickly found out that he was pretty good at baseball as well. Angel could hit, play defense and he was a left-handed pitcher. We were not only getting another teammate, but we were getting a teammate that could help us win and be impactful in many different areas of the game. He was a big piece of the puzzle we were missing, and having him in the lineup was key for the success we had our inaugural season."
 
Former TAMIU men's basketball head coach (and current Fresno State assistant coach) Tarvish Felton on Angel's impact as a player:
"Angel was one of the toughest people and best teammates I have ever had the pleasure of coaching. He was a tremendous passer! I am so glad he decided to come to Laredo and be part of our program."
 
Angel Encinas on his wife's approach to coaching:
"Mary has become one of the most competitive coaches I know and does not take losing lightly. Her expectation for every player she coaches is to play every game with a winning mentality."
 
Former TAMIU women's basketball player Christina Tristan on having Mary as a teammate:
""Mary was the type of teammate who would push others to better themselves. She always led by example by going 100% during practices, warm-ups, drills, and especially game time. If someone was slacking off she didn't hesitate to let them know!"