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From Paul Goldschmidt to Bobby Witt Jr. — Texas athletes to watch in Major League Baseball

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Trent Grisham played for the San Antonio Missions for part of the 2019 season before being called up by the Milwaukee Brewers. - photo by Joe Alexander

San Diego Padres outfielder Trent Grisham has emerged as one of baseball’s brightest young stars among MLB players with Texas roots. Grisham played in high school at North Richland Hills in the DFW MetroPlex. He later played Triple-A pro ball in 2019 with the San Antonio Missions. – File photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
A special report for The JB Replay

Say hey, fellow Texans. Belly up to the bar. With a new major league season upon us, hold up your glass, and we will fill it today with a concoction of baseball-related brew. Hopefully it will satisfy some of your thirst for up-to-date storylines on those who learned how to play the game in the Lone Star State.

Here it is:

Texans in Major League Baseball

On the eve of opening day, 2022

After an examination of spring training reports available at mlb.com, we’ve compiled a list of players from Texas-based high schools or colleges – or both — who are expected to be on opening-day rosters (inclusive of players who may be on the injured list).

You may have seen some of this information in this space a year ago. But, believe me, plenty has changed since then.

For instance, former Colleyville Heritage High School star Bobby Witt, Jr., is expected to make his MLB debut this season with the Kansas City Royals. Former Texas A&M standout A.J. Minter will pursue another ring after winning the World Series last fall with the Atlanta Braves.

Trevor Story (from Irving HS) has moved from the Rockies to play second base for the Red Sox. Pitcher Noah Syndergaard (Mansfield Legacy) from the Mets to the Angels. Catcher Jose Trevino (Corpus Christi St. John Paul II) from the Rangers to (gulp) the Yankees.

So, here it is, a graphic story that can be poured into a chilled mug, right to the top, and served with a side of nachos. Enjoy.

(Names listed, in alphabetical order)

Anthony Banda/LHP/Pittsburgh Pirates/Corpus Christi/Sinton HS/San Jacinto College — Expected to pitch out of the Pirates’ bullpen in what will be his sixth season in the majors. Drafted in the 10th round by the Brewers in 2012. Since 2017 has played in the majors for the Diamondbacks, the Rays, the Mets and the Pirates. He was claimed off waivers by the Pirates last summer.

Brandon Belt/INF/San Francisco Giants/Nacogdoches/Lufkin HS/University of Texas – Veteran first baseman has been hobbled this spring with an ankle injury. Belt is an 11-year pro, a one-time all-star and a career .264 hitter. He hit 29 homers in 97 games last summer.

Cavan Biggio/UTILITY/Toronto Blue Jays/Houston St. Thomas HS/University of Notre Dame – Biggio signed a one-year, $2.1 million contract in March on the heels of a season in which he hit .224. The son of former Astros star Craig Biggio is expected to play second base but also will play first and corner outfield.

JT Chargois/RHP/Tampa Bay Rays/Sulphur, La., HS and Rice University – Chargois is expected to pitch in the Rays’ bullpen. The righthander has pitched four of the last six seasons in the majors, with the Twins, Dodgers, Mariners and the Rays. The Mariners traded him to the Rays last July. He is 10-6 with a 3.73 ERA for his career. Chargois was drafted by the Twins out of Rice in 2012.

Hunter Dozier/DH-UTL/Kansas City Royals/Wichita Falls/Denton HS/Stephen F. Austin University — Eighth overall pick in the 2013 draft is looking for a resurgence after a couple of down seasons, including last summer, which was clouded by a hand injury.

Tyler Duffey/RHP/Minnesota Twins/Houston Bellaire HS/Rice University – Going into his eighth season in the majors, all with the Twins, Duffey is expected to pitch out of the bullpen. He has pitched in 255 games in Minnesota. Duffy is 27-23 with a 4.53 ERA in his career.

Nathan Eovaldi/P/Boston Red Sox/Houston native, attended Alvin HS. An opening-day starter for the Red Sox. An 11th-year veteran with a 61-65 record and a 4.19 ERA. Drafted by the LA Dodgers in 2008 in the 11th round.

Kyle Finnegan/P/Washington Nationals/Houston-area Kingwood HS/Texas State University — Projected to pitch out of the Nationals’ bullpen. Finnegan has been in the major leagues for the last two years, both in Washington, with 93 appearances, 11 saves and a 3.38 earned run average.

Paul Goldschmidt/1B/St. Louis Cardinals/The Woodlands HS/Texas State – An eighth-round draft pick by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2009, Goldschmidt has become one of the best in baseball. In 11 major league seasons, he’s made six All-Star game appearances and has hit .293 with 280 home runs and 927 RBIs.

Randall Grichuk/OF/Colorado Rockies/Lamar Consolidated HS – Grichuk was traded from the Toronto Blue Jays to the Rockies on March 24. The former 2009 first-round draft pick out of Lamar Consolidated is expected to start in center field and bat in the middle of the order.

Trent Grisham/OF/Padres/Burleson/Richland, North Richland Hills HS — Broke into the big leagues in 2019 with the Milwaukee Brewers. Started in the outfield the past two seasons with the San Diego Padres. Selected in the first round, 15th overall, out of high school in 2015 by the Brewers. Played in Triple A for the San Antonio Missions in 2019 before his call up to the majors. Hit for the cycle in his last game before getting the call to the big leagues.

Ke’Bryan Hayes/3B/Pirates/Tomball Concordia Lutheran HS – Hayes is a key player for the Pirates, but a sprained ankle could keep him from starting at third on opening day.

Taylor Hearn/LHP/Texas Rangers/Royse City HS, in Texas; San Jacinto College, Oklahoma Baptist – Hearn’s home of Royce City is 50 miles northeast of Globe Life Field, the home of the Rangers, with whom he has pitched for parts of the past three seasons. Hearn, the son of Clem Hearn, a former professional rodeo star, is 3-2 with a 4.18 earned run average in his career.

Louis Head/RHP/Miami Marlins/Katy Cinco Ranch HS/Texas Tech and Texas State universities — Head pitched in 27 games last year for the Tampa Bay Rays. He was 2-0 with a 2.31 earned run average. Head opened the new season in the bullpen for the Miami Marlins. Head was drafted in the 18th round of the 2012 draft out of Texas State. He had spent the previous two seaons at Texas Tech.

Clayton Kershaw/LHP/Los Angeles Dodgers/Highland Park HS – Veteran left-handed pitcher signed a one-year contract this spring, meaning he will pitch for the Dodgers for a 15th season. Three-time Cy Young Award winner was a free agent and picked between the Texas Rangers and the Dodgers. Stayed with the Dodgers thinking it would give him a better chance to win a World Series.

Corey Kluber/RHP/Tampa Bay Rays/Coppell High School in Texas/Stetson University – Kluber, who will turn 36 on April 10, is expected to be in the Rays’ starting rotation. He pitched in 2009 and 2010 with the Double A San Antonio Missions and has spent the last 11 years in the majors. Kluber claimed Cy Young Awards with Cleveland in 2014 and 2017. After a year with the Yankees, he signed with the Rays on Dec. 1.

Corey Knebel/RHP/Philadelphia Phillies/Georgetown HS/University of Texas – After the relief pitching specialist worked for the LA Dodgers last year, his seventh in the majors, Knebel signed as a free agent with the Phillies, a one-year deal worth a reported $10 million.

Nick Lodolo/Cincinnati Reds/TCU – Lodolo, a left-handed pitcher, was the seventh pick in the 2019 draft. He will make his major league debut this season. Lodolo, who grew up in California before moving Texas to play at TCU, is expected to start for the Reds.

Lucas Luetge/LHP/New York Yankees/Brenham/Bellville HS/Rice University – Luetge, at 35, will pitch out of the Yankees’ bullpen once again. Dispatched from the majors to the minors in 2015, he toiled there for most of seven seasons before getting a break with the Yankees last year. Wearing the pinstripes, he went 4-2 with a 2.74 ERA. His pro career began in 2008 when he was taken in the 21st round by the Brewers out of Rice.

Dustin May/RHP/Los Angeles Dodgers/Justin Northwest HS, in Texas, in the DFW area – May, a hard-throwing, right-hander, is expected to start the season on the injured list. Coming off Tommy John elbow surgery, he isn’t expected to be ready until the All-Star break. He helped the Dodgers to the 2020 World Series title but pitched only five times last year before getting hurt at Milwaukee. He had surgery last May.

A.J. Minter/LHP/Atlanta Braves/Tyler/Brook Hill School in Bullard/Texas A&M – Minter is expected to pitch out of the bullpen for the defending World Series champions. The lefthander has pitched the past five seasons with the Braves. Minter is 11-15 with a 3.71 ERA and 20 saves. He made eight appearances in the 2021 postseason, including three in the World Series.

Corbin Martin/RHP/Arizona Diamondbacks/Hempstead HS/Texas A&M — Martin emerged as a second-round draft pick of the Houston Astros in 2017. He reached the big leagues in 2019 but was traded in July to the Diamondbacks. Martin reached the majors with the Diamondbacks for the first time in 2021.

Max Muncy/INF/Los Angeles Dodgers/Midland native/Keller HS/Baylor University — One of the Dodgers’ best left-handed hitters is moving from IB to 2B to make way for free agent signee Freddie Freeman.

Tyler Naquin/OF/Cincinnati Reds/Klein Collins HS in Spring/Texas A&M – Expected to start in the outfield for the Reds. Naquin is a career .273 hitter over parts of six major league seasons. Spent first five in Cleveland, last year in Cincinnati.

Ryan O’Hearn/UTILITY/Kansas City Royals/Frisco Wakeland HS/Sam Houston State – Expected to play a utility role with the Royals. He’s played in 275 games in the majors over the past four seasons, all in Kansas City.

Brooks Raley/LHP/Rays/San Antonio native/Uvalde HS/Texas A&M — Signed with the Rays for two years and $10 million with an option for a third year. Pitched in the playoffs for the Astros the past few seasons.

Anthony Rendon/INF/Los Angeles Angels/Houston Lamar HS/Rice University – Rendon is looking to kick-start his career going into his third season in Los Angeles. A power-hitting third baseman, he slugged a total of 103 home runs in a four-year stretch from 2016-19 with the Nationals. Since joining the Angels in 2020, he has hit only 15 homers. Last year, Rendon struggled with an assortment of injuries before he was shut down in August with a hip impingement.

Caleb Smith/LHP/Arizona Diamondbacks/Huntsville HS/Sam Houston State – Has played the last five seasons in the majors with the Yankees, the Marlins and the Diamondbacks. The lefty is 19-27 in his career with a 4.63 ERA. Pitched in 45 games for the Diamondbacks last year, mostly in relief. Is expected to pitch out of the pen again in 2022.

Trevor Story/INF/Red Sox/Irving HS – The Red Sox on March 20 signed Story, a free agent, to a six-year, $140-million contract. In six years with the Colorado Rockies, he made two All-Star teams, and he has produced 158 HRs with 450 RBIs. Story is expected to play second base, with Xander Bogaerts remaining at shortstop.

Ross Stripling/RHP/Toronto Blue Jays/Pennsylvania native/Southlake Carroll HS/Texas A&M – Stripling is expected to pitch out of the bullpen after being a starter in 21 of 29 appearances since joining team in the middle of the 2020 season.

Noah Syndergaard/RHP/LA Angels/Mansfield Legacy HS – Syndergaard, a dynamic right-handed pitcher, was drafted 38th overall by the Toronto Blue Jays out of high school. Traded to the Mets in 2012. Made his MLB debut in 2015. All-Star in 2016. Compiled a 47-31 record in New York. Did not pitch in 2020 (after Tommy John surgery) and worked only two innings last summer. Signed for one year and $21 million by the LA Angels in offseason.

Jameson Taillon/RHP/NY Yankees/The Woodlands HS – Right-handed pitcher drafted in the first round, second overall, out of high school in 2010. He has pitched four seasons for the Pittsburgh Pirates and last year with the Yankees. 37-30 with a 3.82 ERA for his career.

Ryan Tepera/RHP/Los Angeles Angels/Brazoswood HS/Blinn College/Sam Houston State – The former 19th-round draft pick broke into the majors in 2015 with the Blue Jays. Has also pitched for the Cubs and the White Sox. The 34-year-old signed a two-year contract with the Angels in March. The righty will pitch out of the bullpen.

Jose Trevino/C/NY Yankees/Corpus Christi St. John Paul II/Oral Roberts – Trevino was traded Saturday from the Rangers to the Yankees for pitchers Albert Abreu and Robert Ahlstrom. He is expected to back up Kyle Higashioka.

Michael Wacha/RHP/Boston Red Sox/Iowa City native, Texarkana HS, Texas A&M University – Historic Fenway Park will be home this season for Wacha, who is in his 10th year in the majors. He’s been solid in his career, 63-48 with a 4.14 ERA. After seven years in St. Louis, he moved in 2020 to the New York Mets and in 2021 to the Tampa Bay Rays. Last year with the Rays, Wacha was 3-5 with a 5.05 ERA. He is on a one-year contract for a reported $7 million.

Bobby Witt Jr./INF/Kansas City Royals/Fort Worth-area Colleyville Heritage HS — Witt Jr. is rated as the No. 1 prospect in baseball. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2019 draft (behind Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman) is expected to play third base, next to shortstop Adalberto Mondesi. The son of former Texas Rangers pitcher Bobby Witt Sr. is known for his home-run power.

Editor’s note

In the interest of transparency, I don’t know if I’ve mentioned every player from Texas that is considered as a lock to make a roster. I don’t know with 100 percent confidence that the players listed above will make rosters, though I’d say my degree of certainty is pretty high. This is an aggregated collection of information. A mass projection, if you will. I’ll update if anything changes drastically or if I’ve left anyone out.

Defense sparks victory as UTSA sweeps No. 23 Charlotte

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Returning home from the East Coast a week ago, the UTSA Roadrunners had lost two of three at Florida Atlantic and eight of their last 11 overall.

But after getting back to town, the Roadrunners found something.

They started with a 6-4 victory in 10 innings Tuesday night at Incarnate Word, followed by a 12-8 road win at 12th-ranked TCU on Wednesday. Finally, they completed a five-games-in-six-days stretch with three straight wins at home against the 23rd-ranked Charlotte 49ers.

The Roadrunners capped the sweep of the defending C-USA regular-season champions with an 8-5 victory Sunday afternoon. The game was shortened to seven innings because of time constraints on a travel day for Charlotte.

In the aftermath of an exhausting stretch, UTSA emerged with an 18-10 record, a 5-4 mark in the conference and perhaps a rising level of confidence.

“We played good baseball,” Roadrunners coach Pat Hallmark said. “I actually did not think we played very good on Tuesday (at UIW). But we persevered, and we won. The other four games, we played good. The defense was the key.

“You know, hitting comes and goes, and we’re still young on the mound. So, we’re going to be up and down (with the pitching). Hopefully in a couple of years, we’re much more consistent there.

“But the (pitchers) we’re relying on are young. They’re doing a good job. The key to me this week was the defense. From Wednesday to Sunday, those four games, we really defended very well.”

A play in the top of the fourth on Sunday stood out in Hallmark’s mind.

With UTSA leading 3-0, Charlotte had a runner aboard at first with nobody out when 49ers star Austin Knight roped a pitch from Braden Davis deep into the gap in right center.

Roadrunners’ center fielder Shane Sirdashney sprinted to his left, traveled a long way, and made a running catch.

As it turned out, the play saved at least one run. One out later, Charlotte’s Cam Fisher unloaded by slicing a two-run homer to left.

Davis got out of it with only two runs allowed. In the bottom half, the Roadrunners pushed across a run on a Jonathan Tapia sacrifice fly to make it 4-2.

“Dash is pretty good,” Hallmark said of Sirdashney’s play in the field. “The jump is the key for him. He reads the ball good off the bat. He has those long strides. He made it look pretty easy. But he was running when he caught it. It’s not that easy.

“Just because he didn’t dive doesn’t mean it’s an easy play. He ended up tweaking something, too. We ended up taking him out of the game. Not sure what it was. Groin or (hamstring) or what.”

After the series at Florida Atlantic, the season for the Roadrunners had a chance to go downhill — and fast. But it didn’t. Now, it’s headed on a different trajectory.

“They’re hungry,” Hallmark said. “But, what’s the alternative? I know it seems like a coach answer. But if you don’t come hungry and ready to play, the alternative is not good.

“The guys understand. Guys like Tapia, they’ve been around. Chase Keng. They’ve been around. You don’t have to motivate ’em. I might coach ’em mechanically on something every now and then but there’s no motivational talks with these guys.

“Some of the young guys, they’re learning how to do it. We might coach those guys a little more. But Ian Bailey, Leyton Barry, they’ve been around. The alternative to not being ready is … we don’t even go there.”

The experience factor came into play on the last play of the game. With the bases loaded and two out in the top of the seventh, Knight hit a grounder toward the hole on the left side of the infield.

Tapia, playing third, gloved the ball but lost his footing. Then, somehow, he threw from his knees to second base for a force play. Game over. Sweep completed.

“The ball was hit with a lot of over spin,” Hallmark said. “The little subtleties of the game, with a natural surface field in South Texas, this field’s always hard. So any ball hit with over spin is tricky and nasty.

“Those are the ones you see bounce up on infielders. He over-committed a little. It cost him the footing. But, like you’re saying, the experience allowed him to recover. It was a fantastic play by an experienced player … a terrific play.”

At the end of the week, Tapia’s finger prints were all over the five-game streak. On Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, the senior from O’Connor had three hits apiece in those victories. That all came before Sunday, when he secured the victory with his glove, and his poise.

“He’s really good,” Hallmark said. “He held us together last year (with his versatility) and he’s doing it again.”

Records

UTSA 18-10, 5-4
Charlotte 17-10, 4-5

Coming up

Wednesday — Stephen F. Austin at UTSA, 6 p.m.
Friday — UTSA at Old Dominion, 5 p.m.
Saturday — UTSA at Old Dominion, 2 p.m.
Sunday — UTSA at Old Dominion, 11 a.m.

Notable

Junior right-hander Daniel Shafer completed the seventh inning to earn his second save in two days. For the week, he was 1-0 with the two saves in three appearances. Since Tuesday, Shafer pitched 4 and 1/3 innings scoreless, allowing only two hits and one walk. He struck out one.

The Roadrunners are 5-0 this season against ranked opponents, including a 6-5, 10-inning home victory against Stanford on Feb. 28, a 12-8 win at TCU last Wednesday and then 13-3, 8-7 and 8-5 victories over Charlotte. All three ranked opponents played in the NCAA tournament last year.

UIW women fight to the end but fall in first NCAA appearance

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The NCAA women’s basketball tournament opened Wednesday afternoon in Columbia, S.C., featuring a battle between No. 16 seeds — the University of the Incarnate Word Cardinals and the Howard University Bison.

Spoiling UIW’s historic first appearance in the NCAAs, Howard prevailed when Brooklynn Fort-Davis hit a couple of layups in the final 1:20 to break open a close game, lifting the Bison to a 55-51 victory.

With the victory, Howard (21-9) will advance to play Friday against the South Carolina Gamecocks, the No. 1 overall seed in the women’s tournament. UIW (13-17) led by five points once in the first half and was in the game until the end.

Tiana Gardner led the Cardinals with 16 points and six rebounds. Jaaucklyn Moore had 14 points and five boards. Defensively, UIW played well, holding Howard star Destiny Howell to 4 of 17 shooting and 11 points.

But the Bison dominated with a 53-34 lead on the boards, including 22-2 on the offensive glass.

Fort-Davis led Howard with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Krislyn Marsh had 14 points and 17 rebounds. Both pulled down six offensive boards.

Records

UIW 13-17
Howard 21-9

Coming up

The winner moves on to play on Friday against South Carolina, the No. 1 overall seed in the women’s tournament.

Pre-game

For the first time in history, San Antonio-based UIW has reached the Division I women’s basketball tournament. They secured the bid by winning their first Southland Conference championship.

As the No. 5 seed, the Cardinals played the SLC tournament in Katy and defeated four teams in four days to win it all. They beat Nicholls State on Thursday, McNeese on Friday, Houston Baptist on Saturday and Southeastern Louisiana in the title game Sunday.

Tiana Gardner was named SLC tournament MVP following a 22-point performance with 12 rebounds in the championship game. Gardner pushed UIW into overtime with a pair of free throws, then secured the win with another pair from the charity stripe.

Destiny Terrell carried the Cardinals to the victory over McNeese with 24 points and 19 rebounds. She has pulled down 42 rebounds in the last four games. Jaaucklyn Moore, the SLC’s leading scorer in the regular season, hit a game-winning 3-pointer to lift the Cardinals to a 74-73 victory over Nicholls.

The Bison are playing in the NCAA ournament for the first time since 2001. They won the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) championship with a 61-44 win over Norfolk State in the championship game on Saturday. Howard limited three MEAC tournament opponents to fewer than 50 points. The Bison have won nine of their last 10 games. Howard is located in Washington, D.C.

Texas Southern rallies late to oust A&M-Corpus Christi, 76-67

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The Texas Southern Tigers are coming back to the Lone Star State to play another game in the NCAA tournament.

Texas Southern rallied past the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders 76-67 in an NCAA First Four game at Dayton, Ohio, Tuesday night.

With the victory, the 16th-seeded Tigers advanced to a Round of 64 game in the Midwest Region against the top-seeded Kansas Kayhawks. The Tigers and the Jayhawks will play Thursday at 8:57 p.m. in Fort Worth at Dickies Arena.

The Islanders, making their first NCAA appearance in 15 years, led by four points with eight minutes remaining and by two with 6:07 left on the clock.

In the end, the Islanders couldn’t hold on, as the Tigers outscored them 17-6 down the stretch to seize the victory.

Guard Bryson Etienne led the Tigers with 21 points. John Walker III added 16 and PJ Henry 14. All of those points came off the bench. Starting center Brison Gresham had 14 rebounds and six blocked shots.

Trevian Tennyson led Texas A&M-Corpus Christi with 18 points. Simeon Fryer added 12 and Terrion Murdix 10. Point guard Jalen Jackson, from San Antonio Wagner High School, had five points, three assists and a steal.

For the Islanders, they may remember the game as one of lost opportunities.

They hit only 9 of 19 free throws and couldn’t convert on a number of field goal attempts at the rim, including one after the second of back-to-back steals on inbounds passes in the final minute.

Then again, it will also be remembered as a game that capped a memorable season, one in which they improved from a 5-19 record last year to 23-12.

First-year coach Steve Lutz, a native of San Antonio, led his team into the Southland Conference tournament as the No. 4 seed and won three games in three days to win the championship.

Records

Texas Southern 19-12
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 23-12

Texas State’s Tristan Stivors reflects on a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ experience

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Texas State closer Tristan Stivors has struck out 23 while walking only one in 13 innings this season. He fanned three and earned the save in the Bobcats’ 6-4 victory Wednesday over the top-ranked Texas Longhorns. — Photo by Jill Slaughter, courtesy of Texas State athletics

SAN MARCOS — Fourteen games into his senior season with the Texas State Bobcats, 6-foot-4 righthander Tristan Stivors has developed into one of the unquestioned leaders on the team’s pitching staff.

If a game is on the line late, everyone knows who is getting the ball.

It’s Stivors, who throws breaking pitches so nasty that hitters’ knees sometimes buckle as the ball darts into the strike zone. For some, swinging at shadows might produce more success.

In eight appearances with the Bobcats this spring, Stivors has struck out 23 and walked only one in 13 innings.

The former multi-sport standout at Medina Valley High School also has fashioned 1-0 record, an 0.69 earned run average and four saves.

One of the saves came in the biggest of moments Wednesday night when the 17th-ranked Bobcats upset the top-ranked Texas Longhorns, 6-4, in Austin.

With runners at first and second base, Stivors pitched out of trouble in the ninth inning when he struck out UT star Ivan Melendez to end the game. Melendez was frozen on a breaking pitch that bit hard and caught the inside corner.

When the home plate umpire called strike three, a packed house of nearly 7,500 fell mostly silent except for a vocal group of Bobcats fans who cheered wildly.

“It was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” Stivors said Thursday afternoon before practice. “It’s something that I will never forget.”

With the win, the Bobcats improved to 11-3 on the season, including a 6-2 record against power conference programs and 1-1 against the Longhorns.

This weekend, Texas State hosts three games with the Southern University Jaguars, starting with the series opener at 3 p.m. Friday. Single games are also set for Saturday and Sunday.

Next week, the Bobcats will host the Prairie View A&M Panthers on Tuesday night, and next weekend, the team’s Sun Belt Conference schedule commences in a three-game road series at Arkansas State.

The conference season looks promising for the Bobcats right now, given that they have won three games at home against the Ohio State Buckeyes, two of three on the road at Arizona and now have split two against UT.

Texas won in San Marcos, 9-8, on Tuesday night to spoil a night in which a Texas State-record crowd of 3,283 attended. The Bobcats returned the favor 24 hours later in Austin at UFCU Disch-Falk Field even after falling behind by three runs early.

Trailing 3-0, Texas State found a spark when John Wuthrich hit a three-run home run in the third inning to tie the score. The Bobcats scored two more before the inning was over on miscues between the UT pitcher and catcher.

In the fourth, Isaiah Ortega-Jones belted a solo home run, lifting Texas State into a 6-3 lead. Texas, in response, added one run in the fifth to make it 6-4. But, remarkably, a Texas State team that lost 36 games last year held the lead to the end.

Crazier still, Bobcats’ pitching notched strikeouts for the last six outs, including three by Levi Wells in the eighth and three more by Stivors in the ninth.

Stivors, who was warming in the bullpen in the eighth, heard all the groans from Longhorns’ fans as Wells fanned three in a row.

Moments later, he heard a thunderous roar of disapproval when the home plate umpire ejected UT coach David Pierce, apparently for arguing balls and strikes.

“Another time I noticed it was really loud was when I was stepping on that mound,” Stivors said. “I actually looked around and I saw how many people were (in the ball park), and I just took it all in. I made sure just to stay in the present moment.”

On Tuesday, Stivors had pitched the top of the ninth inning in the UT series opener. That night, his mission was to keep the game close. He succeeded, blanking the Longhorns while striking out two.

But the Bobcats, trailing by one, eventually lost in agonizing fashion. In their last at bat, they left the potential tying run at third. On Wednesday, it was the Longhorns who came up empty in the ninth, courtesy of Stivors and his newfound swagger after a so-so 2021 season.

“He’s been really good and really lights out for us,” Texas State coach Steve Trout said. “And, I think more importantly, he’s just rolling right now with some confidence. He knows he’s got the stuff to get anybody out, and he wants the ball in that moment.”

Last year, Stivors was 2-3 with a 5.34 earned run average. He struck out 39 in 28 and 2/3 innings. But he was prone to streaks when he couldn’t command his pitches, and he walked 13 on the season.

This year, by contrast, his command is much better. Particularly, his command on his fastball. Stivors throws it with “tilt” and keeps it low and away to righthanders. By doing so, he sets up his breaking pitches, including both a slider and a curve.

Trout said the curve is definitely the “dirtiest” pitch in Stivors’ arsenal.

“That’s his most confident pitch,” the coach said. “He threw a really good one (on a 3-2 count against Melendez) and won the game for us. What a clutch pitch, and, you know, he was battling with everything. The fans. The energy (in the stadium). Everything. Everything that was going on.

“That just shows you his mental toughness, to be able to execute that pitch in that moment.”

It also shows you why Stivors has earned the dual roles of both closer and leader for a team on the rise.

Texas State baseball holds on to beat top-ranked Texas, 6-4

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John Wuthrich hit a three-run homer to ignite a five-run third inning Wednesday night, leading the Texas State Bobcats past the No. 1-ranked Texas Longhorns, 6-4.

Isaiah Ortega-Jones added a solo homer in the fourth for the Bobcats, from the Sun Belt Conference, who have won six of eight meetings this season against power conference programs.

Texas State has swept three games from Ohio State of the Big Ten, won two of three at No. 11 Arizona of the Pac-12 and now have split two against the top-ranked Longhorns from the Big 12.

On Tuesday night, Texas rallied from a three-run deficit to beat Texas State 9-8 in San Marcos. A night later, UT threatened to pull off another comeback in Austin, only to be stifled in the late innings by Bobcats relief pitchers.

The game got intense after the eighth, particularly, when three Texas batters struck out against Levi Wells.

After the third out, UT coach David Pierce was ejected by the home plate umpire. With Pierce coming onto the field arguing his case, fans howled. But pretty soon, Pierce went back to the dugout, gathered his things and left.

In the bottom of the ninth, Tristan Stivors, formerly of Medina Valley High School, entered to pitch for the Bobcats.

Mitchell Daly singled and Eric Kennedy reached on a one-out hit by pitch. With runners at first and second, slugger Ivan Melendez came at the plate.

Stivors didn’t flinch. He threw a breaking ball to strike out Melendez looking to end the game. Both Wells and Stivors each struck out three in an inning’s work to complete the victory.

Records

Texas State 11-3
Texas 12-2

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UTSA edges second-ranked Stanford, 6-5, in 10 innings

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UTSA's baseball team upset No. 2-ranked Stanford 6-5 in 10-innings on Leyton Barry's walk-off hit at Roadrunner Field.

The UTSA Roadrunners mob Leyton Barry in the outfield after his game-winning hit in the bottom of the 10th inning. — Photo by Joe Alexander

The UTSA baseball game at Roadrunner Field on Monday seemingly had it all. Quality weather and sunshine, with temperatures in the 60s. An elite-level opponent, with the nation’s second-ranked Stanford Cardinal in the house. Even quality trash talk in a spirited performance by fans of the home team.

UTSA's baseball team upset No. 2-ranked Stanford 6-5 in 10-innings on Leyton Barry's walk-off hit at Roadrunner Field.

How sweet it is. Leyton Barry reacts to his jubilant teammates after stroking a 3-1 pitch from Tommy O’Rourke into center field for an RBI single, lifting UTSA over a team that reached the 2021 College World Series. — Photo by Joe Alexander

Sometimes, it seemed as if the talk generated heightened performance on the field. For instance, when the Roadrunners loaded the bases with nobody out in the fifth inning and Stanford reliever Max Meier threw three straight balls to UTSA’s Ian Bailey, the fans started a chant.

“One more ball,” they intoned. “One more ball.”

Meier wouldn’t have it. He reached back to find great stuff, and he struck out Bailey. The next batter, Leyton Barry, hit into a double play, ending a threat that could have expanded a two-run UTSA lead to four or five.

Instead, the Cardinal turned everything around. They tied the game with a monster two-run homer in the eighth, and their bullpen kept throwing strikes and frustrating the Roadrunners — until Barry came to bat in the bottom of the 10th inning, that is.

With runners at first and third and nobody out, Barry ripped a liner that dropped behind center fielder Brock Jones, allowing Shane Sirdashney to race home with the winning run in a 6-5 victory.

Just like that, the Roadrunners, who had let so many one-run games get away from them last year, beat a team that played in the 2021 College World Series. And they beat them by one run, with a key hit to back their own quality relief pitching.

“Good ball game,” Stanford coach David Esquer said. “I thought they played a great game. They did a good job. All their pitchers they brought in threw strikes and kept us off balance. That’s a good club. It looks like (an NCAA) regional team to me.”

How it happened

Sirdashney led an 11-hit attack with three hits and two RBI. UTSA (7-1) also got two-hit performances by Jonathan Tapia and Garrett Poston and a 2-RBI double from Chase Keng to down Stanford (6-2) and end the Cardinals’ five-game winning streak.

In the process, they extended their own streak to five.

As for the defense, well, the Roadrunners didn’t make an error, and their seven pitchers held an explosive Pac-12 team to six hits, the biggest blow coming in the eighth on the two-run homer by Carter Graham.

But in the end, it looked as if the Stanford bullpen, featuring lefty Ryan Bruno, who was throwing 95 mph fastballs that tailed away from right-handed hitters, might lock down the Roadrunners and allow the Cardinal to escape with the victory.

“I agree, their bullpen was fantastic,” said Barry, who was 1 for 6 with the winning hit. “But ours was, as well. That’s really the reason why we were able to win this game. Looking up at the scoreboard, Stanford only getting six hits against our pitchers, it’s what led us to the win.

“So you know, our bullpen was, frankly, better than theirs today. Which was fantastic for us.”

Last year, the Roadrunners boasted one of the most explosive offensive teams statistically in the nation and finished 22-26 because the pitching and sometimes the defense would falter. A lot of times it happened in the late innings.

On UTSA’s fifth game in four days, pitchers who carried the load included starter Ryan Beaird, plus Grant Miller, Drake Smith, Allen Smith, Daniel Shafer, Reece Easterling and John Chomko. Chomko pitched shutout ball in the ninth and tenth innings to earn the victory.

He didn’t allow a hit, walked only one and struck out four.

Touting a ‘new energy’

“We did have a lot of situations similar to this last year, that ended up going the other way,” Barry said. “We have a new team this year. But a lot of the guys are the same. For those of us who were here last year it feels fantastic to have a new energy in games like this.”

The victory was gratifying for UTSA coach Pat Hallmark. His Roadrunners won three games against top 25 teams last year. But, in beating a team ranked No. 2 in Monday morning’s Baseball America rankings, it was the best UTSA victory by opponent ranking since a 2012 game in which it defeated No. 1 Baylor at Wolff Stadium.

“It’s a good win, something to build on,” Hallmark said. “It’s a long season. But, I’m super happy for the players. More excited for them.”

Grateful for the opportunity

Hallmark said UTSA and Stanford made the deal to play at UTSA’s home field last October. Stanford, based in Palo Alto, Calif., had a three-game series scheduled for Feb. 25 through Feb. 27 in Round Rock.

“I knew one of their assistants, and he wanted to play before they flew out (to California),” Hallmark said, “and I said, ‘Heck yeah.’ We’d be more than happy to play. You tell me the time, and we’ll play.’

“So I’m grateful (to) them for wanting to play,” the coach added. “You know, this time of year, we need to play. People need to pitch, and we got about 13 hitters that I think deserve to play. It’s a challenging job, because they all deserve to play.

“Things are going great. Super happy for them.”

Records

UTSA 7-1
Stanford 6-2

Coming up

Friday — Southern at UTSA, 6 p.m.
Saturday — Southern at UTSA, 2 p.m.
Sunday — Southern at UTSA, 1 p.m.

Correction: Stanford’s double play to end the bottom of the fifth went 4-6-3 in the scorebook.

UTSA baseball to host the fourth-ranked Stanford Cardinal

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Kody Darcy. The UTSA baseball team playing Seattle in Game 2 on opening day Friday, Feb. 25, 2022, at Roadrunner Field. - photo by Joe Alexander

UTSA newcomer Kody Darcy has played in six of the team’s seven games and has produced a .400 batting average, a .480 on base percentage and a .600 slugging percentage. Darcy (shown here playing last Friday) had three hits in Sunday’s 13-0 victory over Seattle. – File photo by Joe Alexander

A big day in the history of the UTSA baseball program looms on Monday with the Roadrunners set to host the nationally-ranked Stanford Cardinal.

First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Roadrunner Field.

The fourth-ranked Cardinal will be the highest-ranked team in any sport to play on UTSA’s campus in the modern era since 2006, according to the Roadrunners’ athletic department.

Both UTSA and Palo Alto, Calif.-based Stanford enter the game with 6-1 records. UTSA has won four in a row and Stanford five straight. Both teams have registered shutout victories in their last two outings.

Stanford won 39 games last year and advanced to the College World Series for the 17th time in program history. This season, the Brock Jones and Cody Huff-led Cardinal started the season by winning two of three at home against Cal State Fullerton.

Last week, the Pac-12 conference power played at home on Tuesday andf beat Santa Clara, winning 5-0. Traveling to Texas to play in the Karbach Round Rock Classic, the Cardinal defeated the Louisiana Ragin Cajuns 5-1 on Friday.

On Sunday, Stanford completed its stay in Central Texas by winning twice at Round Rock’s Dell Diamond, beating Indiana 13-0 and then downing second-ranked Arkansas 5-0.

During the Cardinal’s five-game winning streak, coach David Esquer’s pitching staff has yielded only two runs.

The Roadrunners, meanwhile, have also started fast under third-year coach Pat Hallmark.

They won two of three to open the season at Tarleton State and then swept four games in the last three days at home against the Seattle Redhawks.

After winning 7-3 and 3-2 on Friday, the Roadrunners rolled to an 11-0 victory on Saturday and then a 13-0 decision on Sunday.

On Saturday and Sunday, the Roadrunners’ pitching staff limited the Redhawks to a combined six hits.

Meanwhile, the offense feasted on Redhawks pitching Sunday for 20 hits, including three hits by Jonathan Tapia, Sammy Diaz, Leyton Barry and Kody Darcy.

Included in the outburst was a three-run home run by Tapia, a senior from O’Connor, his first of the season.

Records

Stanford 6-1
UTSA 6-1

Coming up

Monday — Stanford at UTSA, 1 p.m.
Friday — Southern at UTSA, 6 p.m.
Saturday — Southern at UTSA, 2 p.m.
Sunday (March 6) — Southern at UTSA, 1 p.m.

What cold weather? UTSA stays hot with its third straight victory

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For the third time in two days, UTSA played a game in weather better suited for outdoor hockey than baseball. Only this time, a light rain greeted the team when it showed up Saturday morning for a noon start against the Seattle Redhawks.

“We had some bad weather this morning,” Roadrunners catcher Josh Killeen said. “Light drizzle. Really cold. To get loose, it takes awhile. We got here early to run around and get our legs moving, to get our arms moving so we could feel good for the game.”

With his motor running, Killeen stepped up to the plate in his first at bat and drilled a long home run into the screen in left field.

“Felt great,” said Killeen, a sophomore from Reagan. “I knew, right off the bat (that it was a homer). It was first pitch. I was ready for a fastball, and he came in with it. I just did what I did.”

After UTSA scored twice in the first inning and once in the second off Killeen’s first home run of the season, the pitching took over, with Ulises Quiroga, Simon Miller, Grant Miller and Ryan Ward combining on a four-hit shutout in an 11-0 victory.

UTSA blew it open with six runs in the seventh inning en route to a 5-1 start to the season and a 3-0 start to the first homestand. The Roadrunners will finish the four-game home series against Seattle Sunday at noon, before nationally-ranked Stanford comes in Monday for a 1 p.m. game.

“Feels good to start off right,” Killeen said. “We’ve got a lot of guys who’ve stepped up, even guys off the bench. So, we’re excited. Just trying to keep this momentum going into tomorrow. And then it’s a big week ahead, with Stanford. So we’re excited and ready to get after it.”

After winning 7-3 and 3-2 on Friday, the Roadrunners left the park feeling a little bit uneasy about their performance.

“I didn’t think we played very good yesterday and we won two,” UTSA coach Pat Hallmark said. “That’s what the message to the team was. We were fortunate, lucky a little bit, maybe. Also, the message was, how good can we be if we play good. Right? You win two and you don’t play good, it’s kind of a good sign.

“But we were better today. We pitched well. We hit well, and we ran the bases well. We did not run the bases well yesterday. Anyway, we were better.”

Last year, pitching haunted the Roadrunners in a 22-26 season. Their ERA was 5.92. Teams scored almost eight runs per game against them. They lost so many leads late in games, it felt like collapses were almost inevitable.

Now they’re three games into their first homestand, and they’ve given up only five runs in 25 innings against the Redhawks. For the season, they’ve really only had one clunker of a pitching outing in a 12-1 loss at Tarleton last week.

On Saturday, the Roadrunners walked too many batters. They walked 12, which will not be good enough when they face the best hitting teams later in the season. But for the second day in a row, UTSA pitchers were good enough to buckle down and throw good stuff with men on base.

“It was good to see Simon Miller pitch as well as he did,” Hallmark said. “We need him, because he’s got the stuff to beat good teams. You know, the Southern Miss of the world. He’s got the stuff to do it. He just needs experience and (to throw) the strikes.”

Miller pitched the fifth, sixth and seventh innings to earn the victory. He seemed to get stronger as he threw more and more pitches. The 6-foot-2, 215-pound sophomore from Canton didn’t allow a hit and struck out five, though he did walk four.

“He got the breaking ball going,” Hallmark said. “He’s got a good breaking ball. He found the strike zone with it. He can be tough when he does that.”

After being limited to eight hits in Friday night’s second game, the Roadrunners rebounded with 10 hits, including four for extra bases. Leyton Barry, Chase Keng and Killeen had two hits apiece. Led by Barry, who is hitting .409 on the season, the Roadrunners have six players batting better than .300.

After going 2 for 5, Killeen boosted his average to .278. He said he is feeling good after hurting his thumb and playing as the No. 2 catcher behind Nick Thornquist last year. Killeen broke a thumb in his wrist area in the preseason and just wasn’t right physically.

He emerged fromm it all as one of the team’s best hitters in the fall. “I’ve been waiting for this for a long time,” Killeen said. “I knew I had put in all the work. Now it’s just God’s gift to me, blessing me. (Just) hoping it continues.”

Coming up

Sunday — Seattle at UTSA, noon
Monday — Stanford at UTSA, 1 p.m.

Looking to build on a 4-1 record, UTSA hosts Seattle again today

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Matt King. The UTSA baseball team playing Seattle in Game 2 on opening day Friday, Feb. 25, 2022, at Roadrunner Field. - photo by Joe Alexander

Infielder Matt King.and the UTSA Roadrunners continue their first home series of the season against the Seattle Redhawks Saturday. – Photo by Joe Alexander

The new college baseball season continues on Saturday at Roadrunner Field as UTSA (4-1) and the Seattle Redhawks (1-5) hit the diamond for Game 3 of a four-game series. First pitch is at noon.

Braving temperatures in the 40s on Friday, the Roadrunners took two from the Redhawks to open the series, winning the first game 7-3 and then claiming the nightcap, 3-2.

In the second game, UTSA’s Austin Ochoa smashed a two-run double in the seventh inning to give the Roadrunners a 3-0 lead. UTSA pitching gave up two runs in the eighth and then held on in the ninth for the victory.

In the opener, Shane Sirdashney had two hits and two RBIs for the Roadrunners. UTSA put the game away with four runs on four hits in the sixth. Matt King and Leyton Barry acontributed to the uprising with back-to-back RBI singles.

Coming up

Saturday — Seattle at UTSA, noon
Sunday — Seattle at UTSA, noon
Monday — Stanford at UTSA, 1 p.m.