FLASHBACK
The 2025 season marked a historic breakthrough for the Patriots. UT Tyler finished 49–13 overall and 40–8 in Lone Star Conference play, setting a new school record for wins while establishing itself as one of the most complete teams in Division II baseball.
Behind a balanced attack that paired one of the league's top pitching staffs with a deep, experienced lineup, the Patriots surged through the NCAA postseason. UT Tyler went unbeaten in both the Regional and Super Regional rounds, captured the South Central Super Regional title, and earned the program's first-ever berth to the NCAA Division II Baseball Championship in Cary, North Carolina.
PATS IN THE POLLS
To start the year the Patriots were selected as the preseason favorites to capture their first Lone Star Conference title, totaling 603 points and 20 first-place votes in the poll.
Caden Copeland was named LSC Preseason Pitcher of the Year, while
Drew Schmidt earned LSC Preseason Player of the Year honors. Nationally, UT Tyler was ranked No. 4 in both the ABCA Division II Preseason Coaches Poll and the D2 Baseball Preseason Poll, and slotted No. 3 in the NCBWA preseason rankings. Schmidt also collected First Team Preseason All-American honors from both D2 Baseball and NCBWA, while
Tanner Hornback earned Second Team recognition from D2 Baseball and First Team honors from NCBWA.
The Patriots earned the highest NCAA Division II ERA ranking in program history heading into week four's LSC matchup against the Javelinas. The Patriots remained No. 1 in the latest Perfect Game poll, climbed to No. 2 in the NCBWA poll, moved to No. 3 in the ABCA poll, and held steady at No. 4 in the latest D2 Baseball poll.
PATRIOTS NOTES AND TRENDS
- UT Tyler closed the 2025 season with a 49–13 overall record and a 40–8 mark in Lone Star Conference play, finishing second in the LSC regular-season standings and advancing to its fourth consecutive LSC Tournament. The Patriots went on to capture their first Super Regional title and earned a trip to the NCAA Division II World Series.
- 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 93-38 inside Irwin Field prior to the 2026 season.
- Head Coach Brent Porche enters his tenth season with UT Tyler and holds a record of 300-138 with the Patriots. He holds a career record of 447-221 in his 14 total seasons.
- On March 10th, 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 return several key contributors from that historic run, headlined by returning All-American Drew Schmidt, who anchors a middle infield alongside preseason All-American Tanner Hornback. They are joined by a strong group of returning bats in Bryce Jewell, Kaston Mason, Connor Clark, and Brock Bearden.
- Joining those returners will be a cast of highly touted newcomers. The Patriots brought in the #1 ranked transfer portal class which includes LSC Preseason Pitcher of the Year Caden Copeland.
- Offensively, UT Tyler was one of the nation's most productive lineups in 2025, totaling 696 hits and batting .344 as a team. The Patriots added 139 doubles, scored 569 runs, and swiped 86 bases over the course of the season.
- On the mound and in the field, UT Tyler was equally impressive. The pitching staff held a 3.78 ERA while the defense fielded at a .967 clip.
- Schmidt and Hornback paced the attack. Schmidt hit .410, set the program single-season hits record with 98, and reached base at a .500 clip. Hornback matched the .410 batting average, broke the program's single-season runs record with 68, and posted a .504 on-base percentage.
LAST TIME OUT
The Patriots improved to 9-1 on the season after securing a four-game series sweep over Texas A&M International, earning victories of 6-3, 14-0, 15-11, and 11-2. Luke Smith paced the offense, hitting .600 across his three starts while reaching base at a 69.2% clip. He drove in seven runs and scored five times during the sweep.
On the mound, Julio Garcia delivered the standout performance in Game Two's shutout victory, earning his first win of the season. Garcia tossed five strong innings, allowing just two hits and two walks while holding the Dustdevils scoreless. He struck out six and needed only 61 pitches in the dominant outing.
THE JAVELINAS
The Patriots host the Texas A&M-Kingsville Javelinas for a four-game Lone Star Conference series this weekend. It marks the second four-game set of the year for both teams after each opened LSC play with three-game series in their first two conference matchups. The Javelinas are coming off a 27-25 campaign in 2025, finishing seventh in the competitive Lone Star Conference.
The all-time series favors the Patriots 19-7, including wins in the last nine meetings and a 6-0 mark against the Javelinas last season. In the preseason LSC poll, Texas A&M-Kingsville was selected to finish seventh, just behind St. Mary's.
The Javelinas enter the weekend at 7-3 after taking three of four from UT Permian Basin. Landon Salinas has paced the offense, batting .442 with three doubles, one triple, and nine RBIs while posting a .510 on-base percentage. On the mound, James Placke owns a 2.25 ERA across 12.0 innings with five strikeouts and has yet to factor into a decision.
The four-game series will be played at Nolan Ryan Field, beginning Friday, February 20 at 6:00 p.m. The series continues Saturday with a doubleheader scheduled for 2 p.m. and 5 p.m., before concluding Sunday at 1 p.m.
