UTRGV head baseball coach Derek Matlock announced on Thursday the promotion of McAllen Rowe and UTRGV alumnus Ryan Jackson, who was a volunteer assistant last season, to assistant coach.
Jackson spent the 2023 season working with the pitching staff and running camps and clinics while helping UTRGV finish with a 30-26 record. The Vaqueros had two pitchers named national player of the week in Angelo Cabral and Colten Davis. Cabral also received All-Central Region and All-Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Second Team honors. The Vaqueros were top three in the WAC in six pitching stats – ranking first in strikeouts per nine innings at 9.8 (33rd in NCAA), hits allowed per nine innings at 9.15, and WHIP at 1.49 (76th NCAA), second in strikeout-to-walk ratio at 2.31 (47th in NCAA), and third in ERA at 5.46 (102nd NCAA) and walks allowed with 253 (131st nationally).
“He earned the right to be the recruiting coach that’s added by the NCAA,” Matlock said. “He called every game the whole season. He did a great job building relationships with the pitchers. I think he will be an outstanding recruiter.”
Jackson spent one season at Texas A&M International (TAMIU) as an assistant in 2021. He also one season as a volunteer assistant at Texas Lutheran (TLU) in 2020. At both TAMIU and TLU, Jackson oversaw the pitching staff and developed the team’s throwing programs.
“I’m excited to serve as an assistant coach. I will continue pitch-calling duties and working with Coach Matlock and the pitchers,” Jackson said. “I will also be in charge of all prospect and youth camps that we host.”
Outside of collegiate baseball, Jackson served as the pitching coach for Naturals Baseball Academy with the U13 and U17 teams in 2020. From 2017-2019, Jackson was an assistant manager/trainer for Ochoa’s Baseball Academy and a volunteer coach for McAllen Nikki Rowe High School.
As a pitcher at UTRGV, Jackson finished with 15-career saves, the second-highest total in program history. As a senior in 2019, Jackson went 5-4 with eight saves and a 1.74 ERA. He pitched 46.2 innings across 28 games and struck out 61 while allowing just 46 hits and 13 walks leading him to earn All-WAC First Team honors. He finished the season ranked 78th in the NCAA in saves with 8 (first in the WAC) and 80th in pitching appearances with 28 (third in the WAC).
After graduating from UTRGV, Jackson signed with the Tampa Bay Rays organization, dominating for the Gulf Coast Rays (Rookie), Princeton Rays (Rookie Advanced), Hudson Valley Renegades (Short-Season A) and Port Charlotte Stone Crabs (Advanced A) by recording four saves with a 0.64 ERA. In 16 relief appearances, Jackson pitched 28.0 innings, striking out 34 while allowing just 17 hits and three walks.
In high school, Jackson won All-Valley Pitcher of the Year, Team MVP, Second Team All-Valley Third Baseman, Second Team All-Valley Pitcher honors, and All-Valley Freshman of the Year at Nikki Rowe.
