EDINBURG — A 30-26 overall record and 15-14 mark in the Western Athletic Conference resulted in a seventh-place regular-season finish for the UTRGV baseball team in 2023. The Vaqueros advanced to the WAC Tournament and won one game before losing twice in the double-elimination tourney.
The winner of the conference tourney earns a spot in the NCAA regional tournament, which is where UTRGV wants to be this season. That journey officially began Friday for the Vaqueros as they hit the field for their first team practice of the 2024 campaign with Opening Day three weeks away.
“We got a four-inning game today and it’s all about competing and trying to beat the guy out in front of you, but what a good group. It’s just always exciting the first day of practice,” UTRGV head coach Derek Matlock said. “You’re 0-0. You always have high expectations. Maybe it’s just me, I’m really optimistic to win a championship and get this thing back to where it was in the ’70s and ’80s. That’s our goal every year, so we’re just fired up to get after it today.”
UTRGV has won at least 30 games in four straight years under Matlock, not including the shortened 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Vaqueros have won a regular-season WAC championship in 2019 and reached the championship series of the WAC Tournament in 2021 since Matlock took over following the 2017 season.
This year, the Vaqueros feel they have a group that can compete for a WAC regular-season championship and put together a late run at the WAC tourney to ultimately reach the goal of playing in an NCAA regional, which hasn’t been done at UTRGV/Texas-Pan American since 1986.
Edinburg Vela alumnus Isaac Lopez and Kade York return as experienced veterans up the middle at second base and shortstop, respectively.
The tandem teamed up for a number of highlight plays for the Vaqueros last season while also producing at the plate.
Lopez, a redshirt junior, earned WAC all-defensive team honors and recorded 22 multi-hit games with a .321 batting average, 70 hits, 49 runs, 34 RBIs and nine home runs.
“Kade and I played, I think, a great year last year. I don’t know what numbers we had, but we connected really well,” Lopez said. “Obviously we’re not perfect, so coming into this year we have to work on our weaknesses and build on our strengths. We just want to do the best for ourselves and the best for the guys next to us. That’s the biggest thing.”
York, a senior junior college transfer from Yavapai College, hit .305 with 14 multi-hit games last season. He recorded 54 hits, 41 runs scored, 24 RBIs, 10 doubles and three home runs.
“Our goal is to win a ring. That should be everybody’s goal — to win a ring and win a championship for the Valley,” York said.
Catcher Steven Lancia, infielder Erick Martinez and outfielder Adrian Torres are also key pieces back for UTRGV this season.
Senior right-handed pitcher Angelo Cabral will lead the pitching staff after a superb season in 2023, although Matlock stopped short of naming him the Friday night starter just yet.
Cabral, an All-WAC second-team honoree, led the WAC with a 3.22 ERA in 2023, good enough for 61st in the NCAA. He also led the WAC and ranked 10th in the NCAA with 10 victories, finishing with a 10-2 record and 76 strikeouts in 72 2/3 innings pitched with a .236 opposing batting average.
“It’s definitely a big motivation for me. I had a really good year last year and (am) really wanting to keep that going,” said Cabral, the Keller native. “I’m not going to take a day off, it’s about trying to work harder than I did last year and hope for better results. That’s the biggest goal.”
Matlock also expects a couple RGV high school baseball products to contribute immediately or down the line.
PSJA North alum Damian Rodriguez, a senior who previously played at Texas A&M-Kingsville and Coastal Bend College, projects to play a key role in the outfield after playing in spot duty last season with UTRGV.
Former Sharyland High slugger Martin Vazquez is in his first year with the Vaqueros after two standout seasons at Alvin Community College. Matlock has liked what he’s seen early on from the Monterrey, Mexico, native.
“I’m really excited to be back here in the Valley after playing at Sharyland High School,” Vazquez said. “After going to junior college, I was expecting an opportunity to play Division I, and to be here in the Valley is amazing.”
The Vaqueros are scheduled to open the regular season with a 12-game homestand. It starts with the Al Ogletree Classic as Rhode Island visits for a four-game nonconference series against UTRGV from Feb. 16-19.
UTRGV’s nonconference road schedule features matchups against Texas State (March 26), TCU (April 9 and 10), and Texas (April 16).
The Vaqueros will kick off WAC play with a four-game road series against Seattle beginning March 15.
UTRGV baseball single-game and season tickets are available at GoUTRGV.com/Tickets.
