LAST TIME OUT
 
Last weekend, the Patriots hit the road to face Eastern New Mexico, concluding the series with a 2-2 split. After suffering their first doubleheader sweep of the season, the Patriots bounced back with a crucial series finale win, returning to Tyler with a split. Garrett Arredondo shined in his two bullpen appearances, securing saves in both outings. Over five innings, he struck out six, allowed no earned runs, and surrendered just four hits, delivering two clutch performances out of the bullpen.
 
NATIONAL POLLS
 
UT Tyler Baseball remains in the top 10 across all three national rankings. The Patriots climbed to No. 9 in the D2 Baseball Poll, No. 10 in the ABCA Coaches Poll, and No. 5 in the NCBWA Coaches Poll. Angelo State, West Texas A&M, and St. Edward's also appear in the rankings, either ranked or receiving votes.
 
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 enters his ninth season with UT Tyler and holds a record of 263-132 with the Patriots. He holds a career record of 414-215 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.
• The Patriots have put together an explosive offense early in the year, ranking 6th in Division II in doubles with 63. They also rank 7th in hits, 16th in walks, and 12th in runs.
• The pitching staff has been dominant so far in the season, ranking 20th in Division II in ERA at 3.89. They also rank 28th in Division II in shutouts with 4 and 13th in complete games thrown.
• Drew Schmidt leads that strong offense, hitting .449 on the year with eleven doubles and four triples to go with 26 RBI and 22 runs scored. Rawley Hector leads the Patriots in multiple pitching categories. He holds a 3-1 record on the season with a 1.96 ERA over 41.1 innings pitched, striking out 47.

 
AGGIES NOTES AND TRENDS

• Cameron is 6-18 on the year where they have a record of 3-9 when they have traveled.
• Jayce Clem leads the offense at a .355 average thus far. He has 20 doubles and seven home runs while driving in 25 runs and scoring 36 himself. He is getting on base at a .457 clip and is slugging .619.
• On the mound, Drew Henderson leads the way, pitching to a 6.04 ERA and a 6-5 record. Henderson has thrown 56.2 innings while striking out 54 and is holding opponents to a .250 average.
• Head coach Kyle Williams is in his sixth season with the Aggies and has an overall record of 64-169.