LAST TIME OUT
 
Last weekend, the Patriots hosted Cameron and secured a dominant series sweep. Marking their fourth sweep of the season, the Patriots improved their Lone Star Conference-leading record to 25-7 in conference play. Brock Bearden starred in the opening game, a commanding 22-3 run-rule victory, crushing a no-doubt grand slam to left. He finished the night 2-for-3 with three runs scored and a season-high seven RBIs.
 
NATIONAL POLLS

UT Tyler Baseball strengthened its position in the top 10 across all three national rankings. The Patriots moved up to No. 7 in the D2 Baseball Poll, No. 8 in the ABCA Coaches Poll, and No. 3 in the NCBWA Coaches Poll. Fellow Lone Star Conference programs Angelo State, West Texas A&M, St. Edward's, and Lubbock Christian also appeared 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 267-132 with the Patriots. He holds a career record of 418-215 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 15th in Division II in doubles with 68. They also rank 7th in hits, 14th in walks, and 10th in runs.
• The Patriots' pitching staff has been dominant this season, ranking ninth in Division II with a 3.67 ERA. Backing them up, the defense leads the nation in double plays turned, recording 31 so far.
• Drew Schmidt leads that strong offense, hitting .455 on the year with twelve doubles and four triples to go with 29 RBI and 30 runs scored. Rawley Hector leads the Patriots in multiple pitching categories. He holds a 4-1 record on the season with a 1.79 ERA over 45.1 innings pitched, striking out 51.

 
FALCONS NOTES AND TRENDS

• UT Permian Basin is 8-21 on the year where they have a record of 4-9 when they are hosting.
• Carson Johnson leads the offense at a .364 average thus far. He has six doubles and two home runs while driving in 31 runs and scoring 22 himself. He is getting on base at a .436 clip and is slugging .566.
• On the mound, Damian Robles leads the way, pitching to a 6.68 ERA and a 0-2 record. Robles has thrown 33.2 innings while striking out 18 and is holding opponents to a .324 average.
• Head coach Justin Phillips is in his first season with the Falcons after previously serving as the Assistant/Pitching Coach at Delta State.