LAST TIME OUT
 

Last weekend, the Patriots hosted Texas A&M-Kingsville and secured their second straight series sweep. The Patriots kept their bats hot all weekend, scoring five or more runs in every game, while their pitching staff held the Javelinas to three or fewer runs in three of the four games. To kick off the series, Rawley Hector took the mound and delivered a stellar seven-inning performance, striking out nine Javelinas while allowing only three hits. The Patriots also capitalized on power hitting, with home runs from Blake LaBuda, Justin Williams, and Bo Willis.

 
NATIONAL POLLS
 
The Patriots continue their climb up the rankings, moving up in all three top-25 polls this week. They are ranked No. 5 in the D2 Baseball poll, No. 5 in the ABCA Coaches Poll, and No. 7 in the NCBWA Poll. This marks the highest ranking for the Patriots in the program's Division II era.
 
PATRIOTS NOTES AND TRENDS

• UT Tyler finished the 2024 season 29-23 overall and 28-20 in LSC play on the way to finishing 5^th in the LSC and making their third consecutive LSC Tournament.
• The Patriots have defended their home ballpark in a big way over their first years of Division II. Going back to their first season of Division II eligibility (2022), the Patriots are 67-34 inside Irwin Field prior to the 2025 season.
• Head Coach Brent Porche is in his ninth season with UT Tyler and holds a record of 260-126 with the Patriots. He holds a career record of 407-209 in his 13 total seasons.
• On March 10^th, 2024 with a win over Texas A&M-Kingsville, Coach Porche became the all-time winningest coach in UT Tyler Baseball history, surpassing James Vilade for the top spot.
• The Patriots will return several key contributors from the 2024 season, with returning All-American Rawley Hector headlining a pitching staff that includes former All-American's Dylan Blomquist and Garrett Arredondo. Joining those pitchers will be several key bats including Blake LaBuda, Kyle Atkinson, Kaston Mason, and Connor Clark.
• Joining those returners will be a cast of highly touted newcomers. The Patriots brought in the #2 ranked JUCO class according to JBB, and also added the #34 transfer portal class according to 64 Analytics.
• Through the opening weekends, the Patriots have put together an explosive offense, ranking 7^th in Division II in doubles with 38. They are 21^st in doubles per game, 11^th in batting average, 25^th in slugging percentage, 9^th in runs, and 26^th in scoring. 
• Drew Schmidt leads that strong offense, hitting .482 on the year with six doubles and two triples to go with 17 RBI and 14 runs scored. Rawley Hector anchors the Patriots' pitching staff with a 2-0 record, a 1.11 ERA over four starts, 24.1 innings pitched, 27 strikeouts, and just 15 hits allowed.

 
HILLTOPPERS NOTES AND TRENDS

• St. Edward's is 14-3 on the year and 13-3 in LSC play. They have rattled off ten straight wins and hold a 8-1 record at home.
• Connor Cox leads the offense at a .424 average thus far. He has six doubles and a home run while driving in 12 runs and scoring 14 himself. He is getting on base at a .558 clip and is slugging .576.
• On the mound, Kobe Jaramillo leads the way, pitching to a 1.93 ERA and a 4-0 record. Jaramillo has thrown 28 innings while striking out 33 and is holding opponents to a .158 average.
• Head coach Ryan Femath joined the St. Edward's staff in the summer of 2023. Over the course of two seasons, he has compiled a record of 37-32 as head coach.