SFA 18-16; 9-6 vs.
UTRGV 14-18; 9-9WHERE: Nacogdoches, Texas
(Pilgrim's Park)WHEN: Apr. 10; 6:00 PM/Apr. 11; 6:00 PM /Apr. 12; 1:00 PM
TV: ESPN+
SFA leads the all-time series 21-19, but UTRGV has dominated since 2022, having won the last 5 meetings and 9 of the last 10 many in shorten games with the Vaqueros averaging over 11 runs a game to SFA's 3 in that span.
This will be a battle between 4th SFA and 5th place UTRGV.
UTRGV started the 2026 campaign with impressive wins over BIG XII schools Kansas, and a series win over Houston, but have cooled off here in the middle of the season, currently on a 5-game skid and have lost 7 of their last 8 including a 3-game sweep by Northwestern State and a series loss to A&M CC.
Leading Hitters:
Thomas Williams leads the starters with a
.331 BA, followed closely by
Julius Ramirez at
.315 and
Armani Raygoza at
.305.
Power Threats:
Armani Raygoza (10 HR) and
Julius Ramirez (8 HR) provide the primary power in the middle of the order.
Pitching Rotation: The weekend rotation is typically led by
Sergio Lopez (RHP),
Victor Loa (LHP), and
Robert Bonilla (RHP).
Steven Oliva serves as the primary closer and was named to the
NCBWA Preseason Stopper of the Year Watch List.
Recent Status: Head coach Derek Matlock noted in early April that injuries have led to some inconsistency in the starting rotation and lineup, particularly affecting players like
Carlos Vallejo.
The starting line-up is highlighted by
Armani Raygoza batting .305 with 31 runs, 36 hits, 8 doubles, 29 RBI's, 31 walks (2nd in the conference), and 10 home runs (2nd in the conference) (33 HR's in career) with a SLG% of .627 (2nd in the conference) leading the conference in OPS at 1.081
Lumberjack
Julian Swift leads the conference in hits (49) RBI's (40) Doubles (10), and triples (4), also 3rd in BA (.355)
Look for
Templeton, LeBlanc, and
Mulcahy in the starting rotation for the Jacks. Templeton is 5th in the conference in ERA (4.20) 7th in innings pitched (40.2) and 9th in K's (42)
SFA keeping themselves in the SLC Tournament hunt with 15 conference games remaining.
Axe'Em "History has no rubbish heap." Louis Blake Duff