UTRGV baseball looks to put together another run at WAC tourney

UTRGV REPORT

The UTRGV baseball program has been on a steady incline since fifth-year head coach Derek Matlock took over lead duties.

A result has been loftier goals each season. One year after qualifying for the Western Athletic Conference Baseball Tournament’s championship game, the Vaqueros are aiming to win it all while punching their ticket to an NCAA Regional Tournament for the 14th time in program history and first since 1986.

“Now, we got to go get a conference tournament title. That’s what’s on the line now,” Matlock said after UTRGV’s home finale against Sam Houston.

The WAC tournament features eight teams from the conference’s Southwest and West Divisions. The Vaqueros (32-23, 17-13) enter the tourney as the No. 3 seed from the Southwest. They’ll open the double-elimination tournament at 11 a.m. today against the West’s No. 2 seed, Sacramento State, at Hohokam Stadium in Mesa, Arizona, the spring training home of the Oakland Athletics.

“It’s a really big chore for us in (the WAC tournament). There are some outstanding baseball teams in here,” Matlock said. “We got our hands full, but with opportunity — all it is is opportunity. If we can play the way we’re capable of playing, the opportunity is there to get what we want.”

UTRGV baseball entered last year’s WAC tourney as the No. 3 seed overall and won three out of its four games to advance to the championship game, ultimately losing against Grand Canyon 5-4. The Vaqueros won back-to-back elimination games in the double-elimination style tourney to earn their way to the final series.

If the Vaqueros win against Sacramento State (30-24, 17-13) today, they will face the winner between Sam Houston and New Mexico State at 6 p.m. Thursday. A UTRGV loss against Sacramento State sends the Vaqueros into an elimination game against the Sam Houston and New Mexico State loser in the double-elimination tournament. That game is scheduled for 11 a.m. Thursday.

“We can beat anybody in the league if we play good. … If we play good, we will win,” Matlock said. “If we don’t play good, it doesn’t matter if we’re playing a low seed, we will lose.”

All WAC tournament games can be viewed on ESPN’s streaming service, ESPN+.

ALL-CONFERENCE 

Senior pitcher Kevin Stevens was named to the All-WAC First Team, outfielders Brett Cain and Brandon Pimentel are part of the All-WAC Second Team, and freshman shortstop and Edinburg Vela alum Isaac Lopez is part of the WAC All-Defensive Team, as voted by the WAC head coaches.

Stevens was 6-2 with a 2.62 ERA during WAC play. In 10 games and starts, including a complete-game shutout, he pitched 58.1 innings, striking out 61 while allowing 50 hits and 22 walks. Opponents hit .231 off him.

During WAC play, Cain hit .406/.480/.651 with three home runs, 13 doubles, two triples, 24 RBIs, 20 runs scored and two stolen bases.

Pimentel hit .357/.390/.563 with four home runs, 10 doubles, two triples, 20 RBIs, 26 runs scored and two stolen bases during WAC play.

During WAC play, Lopez posted a .989 fielding percentage, committing just one error in 89 chances while recording 39 putouts and 49 assists in 24 games as the starting shortstop. He was also part of turning 17 double plays.