Purple wins 7-inning game 1, 1-0. Pitching was better than I have seen at Jaycees Field for some time. One HBP, and no unintentional walks. One error on a botched pick off attempt. It's only 7 innings, but this team looks different … in a positive way.

SFAJack_76 said:

---

Purple wins 7-inning game 1, 1-0. Pitching was better than I have seen at Jaycees Field for some time. One HBP, and no unintentional walks. One error on a botched pick off attempt. It's only 7 innings, but this team looks different … in a positive way.

---

Good to hear. Hopeful.

White takes Game Two!

Game three starts today at 4:00 PM 🪓#AxeEm pic.twitter.com/i39MOVLqtr

— Lumberjack Baseball (@SFA_Baseball) October 29, 2024

White team takes game 3 and now leads the series 2-1!

Game 4 has been moved to 5 PM today weather pending.#AxeEm pic.twitter.com/TM3ccklfOB

— Lumberjack Baseball (@SFA_Baseball) October 30, 2024

SFAXE93 said:

---

Baseball Announces Stadium Improvements For The 2025 Season

https://sfajacks.com/news/2024/11/14/baseball-announces-stadium-improvements-for-the-2025-season

* Replacing and resurfacing the entire enfield.
* New Locker room added to the indoor facility.
* Remove old locker room.
* Repaint dugouts and increase SFA branding around the park.
* Install a new broadcast fiber and add a replay system.
* Updated concession locations and restrooms.

Season starts Feb. 14 in Sugar Land against Purdue, home opener Feb. 21 against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

---

Steps forward.

BigJack85 said:

---

SFAXE93 said:

---

Baseball Announces Stadium Improvements For The 2025 Season

https://sfajacks.com/news/2024/11/14/baseball-announces-stadium-improvements-for-the-2025-season

* Replacing and resurfacing the entire enfield.
* New Locker room added to the indoor facility.
* Remove old locker room.
* Repaint dugouts and increase SFA branding around the park.
* Install a new broadcast fiber and add a replay system.
* Updated concession locations and restrooms.

Season starts Feb. 14 in Sugar Land against Purdue, home opener Feb. 21 against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

---

Steps forward.

---

Agree. Much needed improvements that, in the grand scheme, don't cost a lot, that can be done while the Master Plan gets completed to give some potential guidance to major upgrades for all athletics.

It lets top recruits know it's coming.

New Jack fan looking forward to the new season. Anyone have any insight on when they might update the schedule and roster?

The 2025 Schedule - as told by The Office.#AxeEm pic.twitter.com/ziACuVHlyS

— Lumberjack Baseball (@SFA_Baseball) November 20, 2024

BR_Jack2025 said:

---

New Jack fan looking forward to the new season. Anyone have any insight on when they might update the schedule and roster?

---

Right on time.

The full slate. #AxeEm pic.twitter.com/arZ7G3ZfJf

— Lumberjack Baseball (@SFA_Baseball) November 21, 2024

Just what I needed...The Office clip by SFAJack_76 was great!
Thank you!

Monster addition to next year’s team. Great young man, great student, and great player! #bEAST#AxeEm🪓 https://t.co/7otlGcXpDJ

— matt vanderburg (@vandy3636) November 26, 2024

INF/OF: ETHAN PENA 6-4; 190 Simi Valley, California (Glendale CC) (FR.)
GP:35;AVG:.370;H:57;2B:10;3B:1;BB:6;R:36;RBI:46;HR:8;SB:8;OBP:396

- Chicago Cubs Scout Team
- 1st Team All Western State South
- ABCA All Regional Team

Brock Knoerr hits the portal.

2025 Preview

There are 295 division I baseball programs in the NCAA, and in 2024 on offense SFA finished ranked #288 in runs scored (241) and #282 in batting average (.248). On the defensive side the Jacks ranked #288 in hits allowed (12.42) and #287 in ERA (9.45).

Needless to say things could only get better as new head coach Matt Vanderburg and pitching coach Philip Middleton head into the 2025 season.

Assistant Coach Rusty Pendergrass has brought in two division I transfers in HCU Jr. RHP Jonathan Valdez 5-11; 180 out of Cypress, Texas (Cypress Falls) and UTSA Jr. INF. Mark Henning 6-4; 225 from Houston, Texas (Houston Christian) Both players saw action last season against the Lumberjacks.

Jonathan Valdez, last season went 1-3 for the Huskies, posting an ERA of 8.06 seeing action as a pitcher in 12 games, making 3 starts, giving up 23 earned runs off of 34 hits in 25.2 innings pitched, striking out 25, walking 13 with a WHIP of 1.83. Valdez had his best game last season against the Jacks going 5.0 innings, giving up 3 earned runs off of 6 hits, striking out 5 while walking 1 in an 8-3 victory. Valdez got the start in the final game of the preseason world series going 4 innings giving up one run and getting the win.

Mark Henning, helped the Roadrunners to a 34 win season in 2024 seeing action in 40 games, with a BA of .260 scoring 14 runs off of 23 hits, 3 doubles, 14 RBI's, and 9 walks while posting a OPS of .669. Before UTSA, Henning was an WJCAC Honorable Mention at New Mexico JC in 2023 where he batted .371 with 37 runs off of 43 hits, 63 RBI's in 37 games of action. During the off season Henning plays for the Texas Collegiate Champion Victoria Generals for Coach Pendergrass.

In the bullpen SFA will have 21 pitchers, returning 10 veterans from last season, 9 transfers and 2 true freshmen recruits.

No doubt the returning pitchers are back for redemption, to show their stuff, what they are capable of doing on the mound, and hometown favorite and senior work horse RHP Reid Boyett 6-3; 215 will look to carry a big part of the load. Last season Boyett went 1-9 (1 CG) in 11 starts (18 appearances) in 73.1 Innings pitched giving up 60 earned runs off of 81 hits, walking 30, while striking out 63, with a WHIP of 1.51.

Junior RHP Garrett Landry 6-3; 200 from Leander, Texas (Leander) also returns. Last season Landry saw relief action in 11 games going 2-5 in 52.0 innings pitched, giving up 31 earned runs off of 60 hits, walking 22, and striking out 37, posting an ERA of 5.37, with a WHIP of 1.58.

New to the team and joining transfer Jonathan Valdez, will be red-shirt freshman RHP Blake Wolf 6-0; 195 out of Katy, Texas (Katy), the only recruit to follow coach Vanderburg to SFA from West Texas A&M.

Also, following his coach, will be Junior LHP Cody Templeton 6-0; 197 from Buda, Texas (Johnson) joining coach Philip Middleton from Texas A&M - International. Last season Templeton went the distance 3 times in his 13 starts for the Dust Devils, going 5-4 in 82.1 innings pitched giving up 42 earned runs off of 105 hits, walking 16, and striking out 64 posting an ERA of 4.59 with a WHIP of 1.47. In his first outing for the Jacks in the pre-season world series pitched 6 complete shutout innings.

Another promising addition to the bullpen is junior LHP Kadin Munson 6-0; 195 from Danbury, Texas (Danbury) transferred in from University of St. Thomas - Houston where last season he saw action in 12 games, making 12 starts going 1-6 (1 CG) in 59.0 innings pitched giving up 30 earned runs off of 62 hits, walking 30 while striking out 66, posting an ERA of 4.58 and a WHIP of 1.56. Munson was named 2nd Team All-Conference in 2022. In game two of the preseason world series Munson with the start pitched six complete innings, giving up no runs in an 8-0 win.

The Jacks will be looking for more endurance and longer outings on the mound from the starting rotation, and these pitchers highlighted, combined for 5 complete games last season.

New Recruits

RHP - Josh Anderson 6-5; 215 (Fr.) Deer Park, Texas
1st Team All-District (22-6A) ERA 1.60; WHIP 1.10; BAA:.187

RHP - Garrick Williams 6-1; 215 (Fr.) The Woodlands, Texas (College Park)
2023 LoneStarPreps Top Right Handed Pitcher List/All-American (13-6A)

Offensively, nobody returns for the Lumberjacks, a team I mentioned before that ranked #288 in runs scored (241) and #282 in batting average (.248). With the exception of UTSA transfer Mark Henning, the entire lineup will be almost entirely JUCO transfers with 9 of those players batting .300 or better.

Highlighting the transfers are junior OF Rivers Curs 6-0; 195 Burleson, Texas (Centennial) the JUCO All-Star from powerhouse Dallas College Eastfield in Mesquite, Texas. Eastfield has won 145 games (.769) (#5 in the nation) since 2022, district Champions, back to back World Series Runner-Ups, and Curs has been a big part of that. In his two seasons at Eastfield Curs has appeared in 63 games, posting an amazing .361 BA, scoring 69 runs off of 78 hits, reaching base 127 times, 60 RBI's, 21 doubles, 2 triples, 32 walks, 8 home runs, 25 stolen bases, and an OPS of 1.075. In the final game of the preseason world series Curs went 2 for 4 with 2 RBI's.

Curs fellow teammate from Eastfield is INF John Jackson 5-10; 190 of Crandall, Texas was a 2024 All-Tournament Team selection in the JUCO College World Series, who originally had committed to UT-Dallas. Appeared in 56 games for the Yotes batting .328 scoring 44 runs off of 65 hits, reaching base 101 times, 43 RBI's, 16 doubles, 1 triple, 7 stolen bases, and 6 home runs, with an OPS of 0.928.

All the way from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, playing his college ball at Chandler Gilbert CC in Chandler, Arizona we have junior OF Ben Hoshizaki 5-11; 175. Last season Ben was #6 in the nation (JUCO Div. II) in stolen bases with 45 (lead the conference), taking 1st Team All ACCAC and 1st Team All Region, while hitting .356 and fielding .990 with a 0.893 OPS on the season.

Junior INF - Julian Swift 5-10; 185 of Cedar Park, Texas was a member of the 2024 ASC Champions and named to the All Tournament Team in the Tornadoes College World Series run. During the 2024 season Swift posted a 22-game hit streak for the second time in his career. At Concordia Swift played in 45 games BA of .351 scoring 41 runs off of 68 hits, reaching base 92 times, 37 RBI's, 9 doubles, 3 triples, 3 home runs, with 13 walks and 2 stolen bases, OPS of .880. While at Cedar Park High Swift was named 1st Team All-District and All-State as a senior.

Coming in from Dodge City CC, we have KJCCC All-Conference Honorable Mention Cooper Schneider 5-11; 180 out of Cleburne, Texas. 55 games played BA of .347 scoring 47 runs off of 61 hits, reaching base 88 times, 26 RBI's, 12 doubles, 5 home runs, with 33 walks and an OPS of .961. Schneider had a game winning RBI single in game one of the SFA pre-season world series.

El Dorado High School Male Athlete of the Year Jr. INF - Isaiah Garnica 5-11; 185 at El Paso CC he appeared in 53 games scoring 55 runs off of 67 hits, batting .381, reaching base 101 times, 32 RBI's, 16 doubles, 3 triples, 4 home runs, and 20 walks, with an OPS of 1.046. In high school, Garnica was named one of the Top SS in 2022 according to LoneStarPreps.

OF - Jackson Benattar 5-10; 185 out of Los Angeles, California at Glendale CC played in 36 games scoring 35 runs off of 47 hits BA .326 reaching base 74 times, 30 RBI's, 13 doubles, 1 triple, 4 home runs, 18 walks, with an OPS of .921.

INF - Dante Turgeon 6-3; 215 from Chandler Gilbert CC batted .340 in 56 games with 6 HR's 41 RBI's 40 runs, and 8 Stolen bases. Turgeon also batted .442 with 4 home runs in the Arizona Collegiate League. Turgeon went 2 for 4 with two RBI's in game two of the preseason world series.

OF - Dalton Mullins 6-3; 200 from Angelina College in 51 games in 2024 batted .368 with 25 runs, 27 RBI's 1 HR and 8 stolen bases. Mullins went 2 for 3 with two RBI's in game three of the preseason world series.

The new season and Vanderburg era starts next month on Valentines Day Feb. 14 in Sugar Land, Texas with a 4-game series against the Boilermakers of Purdue at 5:00 P.M. and the home opener on Feb. 21 at 6:05 P.M. against the Golden Lions of Arkansas - Pine Bluff.

Axe'Em

Single-game tickets are on sale now!

🎟️ : https://t.co/WDk7iBQxbX
📰 : https://t.co/OaGZd8biNU#AxeEm pic.twitter.com/JI72ADfFg6

— Lumberjack Baseball (@SFA_Baseball) January 7, 2025

Day One Frames 📸#AxeEm pic.twitter.com/Z8OPHTEwVh

— Lumberjack Baseball (@SFA_Baseball) January 24, 2025