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.

PRESEASON POLLS

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.

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 332-146 with the Patriots. He holds a career record of 479-229 in his 14 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 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 opened their season with a 3–0 sweep of Lubbock Christian, earning wins by scores of 9–4, 18–12, and 5–2. In Game 2, Brock Bearden finished a triple shy of the cycle, going 3-for-5 with four runs scored and a walk, highlighted by a no-doubt three-run homer to left center. On the mound, Jacob Hadden delivered a standout relief performance in the Game 1 victory, entering in the fourth inning and tossing 3.2 hitless frames with one walk and five strikeouts on 47 pitches to secure the Patriots' first pitching win of the season.

THE RAMS

The Patriots hit the road for the first time this season to face Angelo State in a rematch of last year's South Central Super Regional. Unlike last year's four-game set in Tyler, this matchup features a three-game series in San Angelo. The Rams are coming off a strong 39–7 campaign, finishing atop the competitive Lone Star Conference and earning the No. 1 seed in the national tournament field.

The all-time series is tied at 13–13, with the Patriots winning the last two meetings in last season's Super Regional. In the preseason poll, Angelo State was picked second in the LSC, just behind UT Tyler.

Angelo State enters the series at 2–1 following its opening weekend against UT Permian Basin. Austin Beck paced the Rams offensively, hitting .455 with one home run and five RBI while posting a .625 on-base percentage. On the mound, Garrett Baumann has opened the season with a 1.80 ERA across five innings, striking out six.