The baseball team was swept by Central Methodist University (CMU) in a four-game series this weekend. The Saints are now 1-6 overall. The Eagles start the season 4-0.
Game One The Eagles used a strong seventh inning to take game one. They led 1-0 in the third inning after a double by Jeremy Conforti scored Robbie Merced. The Saints responded in the bottom of the inning with Christian Martinez scoring an unearned run. The game remained scoreless until the seventh inning when the Eagles scored three runs. They used a sacrifice fly and a Conforti single to grab a 4-1 advantage. They held the Saints scoreless in the bottom of the frame to win 4-1. Alec Martinez started for the Saints and went two innings with three strikeouts and didn’t allow a run. Dominique Boggs finished with the loss after allowing three earned runs in one inning of work.
Game Two The second game of the series was tightly contested. The Eagles jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the third inning. The Saints cut the advantage to one run in the bottom of the inning. Caimyn Holiday doubled to right field to score Jack Kalisky and Francisco Martinez followed with a single to score Holiday. Jacob Montejano then singled to bring in Martinez. The Eagles tallied another run in the following inning to lead 5-3. The Saints scored one run in the bottom of the fifth inning on a double by Montejano, but it wasn’t enough as they eventually lost 5-4. Samuel Brown started on the mound for the Saints and allowed three earned runs in three innings. Matthew Sanchez and Chase Dunn pitched in relief.
Game Three Alan West held the Saints to two hits in game three. He pitched a complete game with 13 strikeouts and one walk. Tyler Vivier and Martinez were responsible for the Saints two hits. Joshua Mendez also had a great outing on the mound by pitching six innings with one earned run and four strikeouts. The Eagles lone run in the fourth inning proved to be enough in the 1-0 victory.
Game Four The Eagles piled on the runs in game four to complete the sweep. They scored 19 runs on 20 hits and drew six walks. Javier De Alejandro started for the Saints and gave up five earned runs. The Saints used four pitchers in relief. OLLU tallied two runs in the fourth inning. Martinez doubled to left to score Vivier and Noah Rodriguez hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Holiday. The Eagles won 19-2 to start the season undefeated.
Up next The Saints host Ottawa University for a nine-inning game on Wednesday at 2 p.m.
The baseball team embarks on its ninth season starting on Friday. Matt Piker takes over the reins after joining the program in 2021 as assistant coach.
2022 recap The Saints finished with a 30-24 overall record last season. They posted a 21-11 mark in Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) competition and lost to the University of Houston-Victoria (UHV) in the conference tournament to conclude the season. Piker filled the head coaching vacancy in early fall after Bryan Aughney left for a position in the Rio Grande Valley.
Staff Former player Ryan Chapa joins Piker for the upcoming campaign. Chapa was named assistant coach in September after garnering multiple awards during his four years of playing. Josh Colunga was added to the coaching staff as a student assistant, and Adrian Gonzalez joined as a volunteer assistant. Both Colunga and Gonzalez previously played for the Saints as well. Cristopher Robinson returns for his ninth year as chaplain. Piker said, “My next move was to be in a head coaching position. Coach Aughney did a tremendous job of teaching me the program’s day-to-day operations.”
Nonconference schedule (Numbers after school indicate all-time records.) OLLU begins the season by hosting No. 19-ranked University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (7-11) on Jan. 27-28. The schedule remains difficult the following weekend as No. 14-ranked Central Methodist University (6-12) arrives in San Antonio from Feb. 3-4. The Saints complete the first homestand by facing Ottawa University on Feb. 8 and Bethany College from Feb. 10-11. Piker commented, “We schedule these tough games because our goal is to be relevant at the national level.”
The Saints face two other nonconference opponents amid the RRAC schedule. The squad faces NCAA D2 St. Mary’s University (3-8) on the road on Feb. 21 and March 28. OLLU hosts NCAA D3 Schreiner University (1-1) on April 11 at 6 p.m.
Conference schedule The first two series of conference play are on the road for the Saints. They face UHV (23-14) in Victoria, Texas, from Feb. 17-18 and Texas College (23-2) in Tyler, Texas, from Feb. 24-25. The Saints return home to battle LSU-Shreveport (8-20) from March 3-4 and Texas A&M University-Texarkana (11-12) from March 10-11.
The Saints set out for four consecutive away series starting against Louisiana Christian University (2-1) from March 17-18. OLLU heads to Hawkins, Texas, next to play Jarvis Christian University (13-13) from March 24-25. LSU-Alexandria (12-14) hosts OLLU from April 7-8. The Generals won the RRAC Tournament last season to advance to the NAIA World Series. The Saints head back south for a three-game series against Huston-Tillotson University (17-2) in Austin, Texas, from April 14-15.
The last two series of the regular season are at home against Xavier University of Louisiana (3-1) from April 21-22 and the University of Southwest (18-9) from April 28-29.
Newcomers The freshmen class consists of Vincent Banda, Will Eudy, Donovan Gamez, Jackson Kalisky, Chase Roberts, Roman Rodriguez, Matthew Sanchez, Diego Zuniga and Victor Zuniga. The transfer athletes are Dominique Boggs, Samuel Brown, Criztian Delgado, Chase Dunn, and Caimyn Holiday.
Returners The Saints welcome back six sophomores. Devin Benavides, Brandon Betancourt, Christopher Perez, Hector Rogerio III, Anthony Valle and Jimmy Valle round out the class. The junior squad includes Jonathan LaCourse, Christian Martinez and D’Artagnan Perez-Padron.
OLLU welcomes back multiple veterans to the team. The senior leaders are Eric Cervantes, Javier De Alejandro, Sebastian Ledezma, Ram Maldonado, Alec Martinez, Francisco Martinez, Joshua Mendez, Pablo Montante, Jacob Montejano, John B. Ortega II, Noah Rodriguez, Tyler Vivier and Alejandro Ybarra.
Vivier and Montejano both hit above .300 last season. Noah Rodriguez led the team with 17 steals, and Francisco Martinez added 36 RBIs. Betancourt was named conference Freshman of the Year, while Montejano received Gold Glove recognition and was the team’s Champions of Character winner.
Academics Piker is proud of his team’s accomplishments in the classroom. The team has consistently won NAIA Scholar Team recognition, earning a GPA of 3.0 and above. Those earning GPAs of 3.0 and above include Brandon Betancourt, Javier De Alejandro, Christian Martinez, Joshua Mendez, Pablo Montante, Jacob Montejano, John B. Ortega II, Christopher Perez, Noah Rodriguez, Hector Rogerio III and Alejandro Ybarra.
Fan expectations Saints fans will be greeted with new additions to the coaching staff and numerous fresh faces on the team. Piker said, “I hope we can put a good product out on the field for the fans. We have fans beyond family ties, and they are passionate and care about Saints baseball.” The Saints home games will be live-streamed on https://portal.stretchinternet.com/ollusaints/.
Matt Piker will assume the duties of the interim Baseball Head Coach immediately and will be elevated to Head Coach on Sept. 1.
Athletic Director Shane Hurley commented, “Matt brought solid administrative and coaching experience when he came here as an assistant. His arrival supported the development of pitching and the team in all aspects. He deserves lots of credit for the baseball recruiting efforts for the class of 2022; he has the hands-on experience and first-hand knowledge of our culture, student-athletes and baseball program to provide continuity to our success. We are excited to announce him as our new baseball head coach.”
Piker joined the Saints’ coaching staff in September 2021 as pitching coach and recruiting coordinator under Head Coach Bryan Aughney. The team finished its season with a 31-24 overall record and a berth in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) postseason tournament. Aughney announced his resignation in July and has taken a high school head coaching position at Harlingen High School in Harlingen, Texas.
“I am excited and honored to be the next Baseball Head Coach at OLLU,” Piker said. “I would like to thank God for his Providence. Without that, I would not be in the position that I am. Thank you to Shane Hurley for this opportunity. I want to thank Coach Aughney for his work in the previous five years at OLLU and for bringing me on board last season. His efforts laid the foundation that we hope to build upon. I would also like to thank my mentors for the time and effort they invested in me. My wife, Haley, and I are thrilled for this opportunity. The OLLU community welcomed us with open arms when we moved here a year ago and quickly made us feel at home. We are ready to get to work.”
Piker’s pitching staff had an impressive season in 2022. Brett Vasquez was named to the RRAC First-Team All-Conference. He became the Saints’ second all-time leader in strikeouts, third all-time leader in shutouts and fourth all-time leader in wins. Vasquez also had the team’s most strikeouts in a season in 2022 with 129 under Piker’s management. The Saints’ 31 wins are the second most in team history, and they recorded their most conference wins ever with 22. The pitching staff also marked the most wins at home with 22 and the most strikeouts with 502.
Before arriving at OLLU, Piker was at Mayville State University (MSU), where he was the pitching coach for four seasons. During his time with the Comets, Piker was a member of two successful seasons that resulted in the 2018 North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) regular-season championships and the 2021 NSAA Conference Tournament Championships.
Piker coached six NSAA First Team All-Conference award winners while at MSU. Mason Swegarden earned honors as the 2018 NSAA Conference Pitcher of the Year and was named an All-American, and Kenny Stewart also was named an All-American during the 2021 campaign. In 2021, the MSU pitching staff finished the season ranked in the Top 15 in the country in ERA and averaged just more than eight strikeouts per game.
Before MSU, Piker was a graduate assistant at Arkansas Tech University (ATU) from 2015-2017. While earning his Master of Science in College Student Personnel, he oversaw the outfielders, coached first base and coached the pitching staff. Several of his players also won postseason awards under his tutelage there.
Piker arrived at ATU from the University of the Ozarks, where he also played and began his coaching career after receiving his Bachelor of Science in Physical and Health Education.
For the past eight years, Piker has been a member of the American Baseball Coaches Association. He has been actively involved with collegiate summer ball throughout his career. He was the assistant coach of the Briarcliffe Seagulls in the Beach Collegiate Baseball League in 2015 and the head coach of the Chesterfield Vipers in the Mid-Atlantic Collegiate League from 2016-2017.
For the second year in a row, the Saints baseball team has been selected by the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) to receive the ABCA Team Academic Excellence Award, which is presented by Sports Attack.
Teams from every level of college and high school baseball were honored with this year’s award, which highlights programs coached by ABCA members that posted a GPA of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale for the entire 2021-2022 academic year.
The Saints earned a 3.10 GPA. OLLU was the only Red River Athletic Conference member to win the award this year.
The No. 3-seed OLLU baseball team fell to No. 8-seed University of Houston-Victoria (UHV) in the consolation bracket of the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) Baseball Tournament to end the 2022 season. The Saints finish 31-24 overall while the Jaguars improve to 22-25.
Head Coach Bryan Aughney commented, “I’m very proud of this team. We faced a lot of adversity this season, and from how things started out to where we went this group continued to work. This was our third 30-win season in a row. We didn’t finish how we wanted, but we rolled with some young players and this experience will pay off for them. Our seniors continued to believe and give us their all every day. They took pride in being a Saint and have taken our program to another level. I love each and every one of them. Now it’s our returners turn to carry the torch.”
History
The Saints were 23-13 against the Jaguars prior to the game.
Basics
The Jaguars strung together five runs in the first six innings. The Saints were able to score their first run of the game in the bottom of the sixth inning when Jarod Smith (FR/Baytown, Texas) singled to score Matthew Klar (SR/San Antonio, Texas). Houston-Victoria added two more runs in the seventh inning on a walk and a fielder’s choice. Despite being down 7-1, the Saints battled back. They scored four runs in the bottom of the frame to cut the Jaguars lead to two. The scoring started when Jacob Mitchell (SR/Harker Heights, Texas) walked with bases loaded to allow Sebastian Ledezma (FR/Los Fresnos, Texas) to score. Klar hit a two-run double to left field and Jimmy Valle (FR/San Antonio, Texas) later scored on a Francisco Martinez (FR/San Antonio, Texas) ground out. Houston-Victoria’s offense carried its momentum into the top of the eighth inning by scoring 12 runs. The Saints lost 19-5 to end the 2022 campaign.
Starting pitcher Javier De Alejandro (FR/San Antonio, Texas) suffered the loss after allowing three earned runs with five strikeouts in three innings of work. The Saints used six relief pitchers that combined to allow 15 earned runs. Robert Arredondo (SR/Corpus Christi, Texas), Jacob Montejano (JR/San Antonio, Texas) and Klar all had a multi-hit game.
Baseball’s Brandon Betancourt was selected Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) Freshman of the Year, while four other members of the Saints team were selected to the All-Conference Team.
The conference’s coaches made the selections on the eve of the RRAC championship tournament, and the awards were presented between games at Sterlington Sports Complex on May 6.
OLLU placed three players on the first team, including repeat first-team winners Jacob Mitchell and Brett Vasquez, as well as Robert Arredondo. Receiving Gold Glove recognition was Jacob Montejano, who also was the team’s Champions of Character winner.
Betancourt shares his Freshman of the Year Award with LSU-Alexandria’s William Vice.Betancourt, an outfielder, batted .386 in his first college season and drove in 19 runs.
Jacob Mitchell led the team in runs with 47, hits with 54, doubles with 17, homers with 11, RBIs with 49 and slugging with .741. He has a .378 batting average and a .497 on-base percentage.
Robert Arredondo leads the team in at-bats with 170, and he has the second-most hits with 52 and is tied with the most walks with 35. He is batting .306 and has an on-base percentage of .428 and a slugging percentage of .359.
Jacob Montejano has 48 runs, 42 hits, 10 doubles, 20 RBIs, 35 walks, a .457 on-base percentage and a .426 slugging percentage. He has 55 putouts, 89 assists and 13 double plays.
Brett Vasquez has pitched in 84 innings and has 27 earned runs with 129 strikeouts. His ERA is .289.
The baseball team won two of three games against Xavier University of Louisiana (XULA). The Saints improve to 17-10 in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) and 24-20 overall. XULA moves to 12-14 in the RRAC and 16-19 overall.
Head Coach Bryan Aughney said, “We bounced back today after a hard-fought game one on Friday night. It was great to see our guys respond today. We pitched well in all three games. Today, we got the bats going as well. I was pleased with our efforts in controlling our emotions and handling our business in a tough place to play.”
History
This is the first time the teams have played each other, and it’s the first season for XULA as members of the RRAC.
Game One, 1-2
Brett Vasquez (JR/Baytown, Texas) started for the Saints in the series opener on Friday. He went six innings and allowed two runs while striking out seven. Joshua Mendez closed out the game after pitching two innings and striking out three.
After a homer from Deionte Norris, the Gold Rush put the first run on the board in the second inning. XULA added its second and final run in the third inning. Mark Herron singled to the infield, and CoCo Simoneaux came home to score.
The Saints scored their only run in the seventh inning off a sacrifice fly from Jacob Mitchell (SR/Harker Heights, Texas) that scored Christian Martinez (FR/Corpus Christi, Texas). The Saints had chances in the eighth inning with bases loaded, but a double play ended their opportunity. In the ninth inning, another double play prevented the Saints from scoring, resulting in the 2-1 loss.
Mitchell went 1-for-3 and had one RBI. Martinez had a double on his 1-for-4 outing.
Game Two, 8-1
Trey Ramirez III (SR/Donna, Texas) pitched the seven-inning game and logged six strikeouts to earn the win for the Saints.
In the first inning, Mitchell hit a double for the Saints, scoring Robert Arredondo (SR/Corpus Christi, Texas), who got on base on an error by the shortstop.
Neither team had any hits through the fifth inning. Jonathan LaCourse (SO/San Antonio, Texas) singled to the outfield, and Tyler Vivier (SO/San Antonio, Texas) came home to give the Saints the 2-0 lead.
The Saints added five runs in the sixth inning. Mitchell started the rally with a homer, and Francisco Martinez (FR/San Antonio, Texas) followed with one of his own. Noah Rodriguez (JR/Victoria, Texas) reached base on an infield hit, and a double from Matthew Klar (JR/San Antonio, Texas) sent him home. Christian Martinez doubled to score Klar, and a fielder’s choice from Arredondo sent Martinez home. The Saints took the 7-0 lead.
XULA added a run to end the sixth inning on a home run from Zachary Elias.
Rodriguez slammed a triple to center field, scoring on a hit from Klar. The Saints won 8-1.
Mitchell, Rodriguez, Klar and LaCourse each had two hits. Rodriguez logged two runs, while Mitchell and Klar and two RBIs.
Game Three, 9-0
Jacob Mitchell started on the mound for the Saints. He went five innings and struck out seven to earn the win. Joshua Mendez (JR/Corpus Christi, Texas) pitched two innings and struck out four, while Ziegan Farley also pitched two.
Mitchell started the offense in the first inning with a hit down the right side of the field. A hit from Francisco Martinez scored Jacob Montejano (JR/San Antonio, Texas). A single to the outfield from Noah Rodriguez scored Mitchell to give the Saints the 2-0 lead.
With Montejano on base, Mitchell doubled to send him home. Matthew Klar homered to score Mitchell, and the Saints took a 5-0 lead.
Mitchell continued his dominance on offense with a homer in the fifth to move the Saints to 6-0.
Arredondo hit a triple to being the seventh frame, and he scored on a passed ball, and the Saints now led 7-0.
Rodriguez hit a double in the final inning, and he came home on a double from Klar. Klar then scored after a wild pitch. The Saints won 9-0.
Mitchell went 3-for-4, adding three runs and two RBIs. Rodriguez and Klar each had two hits, with Klar recording three RBIs.
Series standouts
Jacob Mitchell went 6-for-11, with two doubles, two home runs, two additional runs and five RBIs. Mitchell is third in the conference in RBIs with 46 and is second in home runs with 10.
Matthew Klar went 5-for-12, with two doubles, three runs, a home run and five RBIs.
Noah Rodriguez went 4-for-7, with three runs, an RBI, a double and a triple.
Brett Vasquez has accumulated 99 strikeouts after adding seven this weekend – good enough for second place in the conference. He is fourth in ERA at 3.29.
What’s next
The Saints will travel to Hobbs, N.M., for a three-game RRAC series on April 22-23.
Saints take two of three against conference newcomer Xavier Baseball – Sat, Apr. 16, 2022 at 7:10 PM Patricia Constantin
NEW ORLEANS (April 15-16, 2022) – The Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU) baseball team won two of three games against Xavier University of Louisiana (XULA). The Saints improve to 17-10 in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) and 24-20 overall. XULA moves to 12-14 in the RRAC and 16-19 overall.
Head Coach Bryan Aughney said, “We bounced back today after a hard-fought game one on Friday night. It was great to see our guys respond today. We pitched well in all three games. Today, we got the bats going as well. I was pleased with our efforts in controlling our emotions and handling our business in a tough place to play.”
History
This is the first time the teams have played each other, and it’s the first season for XULA as members of the RRAC.
Game One, 1-2
Brett Vasquez (JR/Baytown, Texas) started for the Saints in the series opener on Friday. He went six innings and allowed two runs while striking out seven. Joshua Mendez closed out the game after pitching two innings and striking out three.
After a homer from Deionte Norris, the Gold Rush put the first run on the board in the second inning. XULA added its second and final run in the third inning. Mark Herron singled to the infield, and CoCo Simoneaux came home to score.
The Saints scored their only run in the seventh inning off a sacrifice fly from Jacob Mitchell (SR/Harker Heights, Texas) that scored Christian Martinez (FR/Corpus Christi, Texas). The Saints had chances in the eighth inning with bases loaded, but a double play ended their opportunity. In the ninth inning, another double play prevented the Saints from scoring, resulting in the 2-1 loss.
Mitchell went 1-for-3 and had one RBI. Martinez had a double on his 1-for-4 outing.
Game Two, 8-1
Trey Ramirez III (SR/Donna, Texas) pitched the seven-inning game and logged six strikeouts to earn the win for the Saints.
In the first inning, Mitchell hit a double for the Saints, scoring Robert Arredondo (SR/Corpus Christi, Texas), who got on base on an error by the shortstop.
Neither team had any hits through the fifth inning. Jonathan LaCourse (SO/San Antonio, Texas) singled to the outfield, and Tyler Vivier (SO/San Antonio, Texas) came home to give the Saints the 2-0 lead.
The Saints added five runs in the sixth inning. Mitchell started the rally with a homer, and Francisco Martinez (FR/San Antonio, Texas) followed with one of his own. Noah Rodriguez (JR/Victoria, Texas) reached base on an infield hit, and a double from Matthew Klar (JR/San Antonio, Texas) sent him home. Christian Martinez doubled to score Klar, and a fielder’s choice from Arredondo sent Martinez home. The Saints took the 7-0 lead.
XULA added a run to end the sixth inning on a home run from Zachary Elias.
Rodriguez slammed a triple to center field, scoring on a hit from Klar. The Saints won 8-1.
Mitchell, Rodriguez, Klar and LaCourse each had two hits. Rodriguez logged two runs, while Mitchell and Klar and two RBIs.
Game Three, 9-0
Jacob Mitchell started on the mound for the Saints. He went five innings and struck out seven to earn the win. Joshua Mendez (JR/Corpus Christi, Texas) pitched two innings and struck out four, while Ziegan Farley also pitched two.
Mitchell started the offense in the first inning with a hit down the right side of the field. A hit from Francisco Martinez scored Jacob Montejano (JR/San Antonio, Texas). A single to the outfield from Noah Rodriguez scored Mitchell to give the Saints the 2-0 lead.
With Montejano on base, Mitchell doubled to send him home. Matthew Klar homered to score Mitchell, and the Saints took a 5-0 lead.
Mitchell continued his dominance on offense with a homer in the fifth to move the Saints to 6-0.
Arredondo hit a triple to being the seventh frame, and he scored on a passed ball, and the Saints now led 7-0.
Rodriguez hit a double in the final inning, and he came home on a double from Klar. Klar then scored after a wild pitch. The Saints won 9-0.
Mitchell went 3-for-4, adding three runs and two RBIs. Rodriguez and Klar each had two hits, with Klar recording three RBIs.
Series standouts
Jacob Mitchell went 6-for-11, with two doubles, two home runs, two additional runs and five RBIs. Mitchell is third in the conference in RBIs with 46 and is second in home runs with 10.
Matthew Klar went 5-for-12, with two doubles, three runs, a home run and five RBIs.
Noah Rodriguez went 4-for-7, with three runs, an RBI, a double and a triple.
Brett Vasquez has accumulated 99 strikeouts after adding seven this weekend – good enough for second place in the conference. He is fourth in ERA at 3.29.
What’s next
The Saints will travel to Hobbs, N.M., for a three-game RRAC series on April 22-23.
The baseball team broke a four-game losing streak by sweeping Huston Tillotson University (HTU) this weekend. The Saints jump to 21-19 overall and 14-9 in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC). The Rams fall to 9-24 overall and 5-18 in conference.
History
The Saints were 14-2 against the Rams prior to the series.
Game One, 16-0 (7 innings)
In the opening game, the Saints pounded HTU with 16 runs and 15 hits. Jacob Mitchell (SR/Harker Heights, Texas) and Francisco Martinez (FR/San Antonio, Texas) doubled to pick up RBIs in the first inning. Brandon Betancourt (FR/San Antonio, Texas) followed with a single that scored Martinez to total three runs in the first frame. Mitchell picked up two more RBIs in the second inning, and Jacob Montejano (JR/San Antonio, Texas) singled to bring in Jarod Smith (FR/Baytown, Texas). Mitchell would later score on a double steal. The Saints added nine more runs in the third and fourth inning to be up 7-0 after two innings.
Starting pitcher Brett Vasquez (JR/Baytown, Texas) allowed only three hits and struck out five batters in a win. Devin Benavides (FR/Laredo, Texas) pitched the final two innings on the mound with five strikeouts. Mitchell batted 3-for-4 with five RBIs. Montejano finished with four RBIs.
Game Two, 2-1
The second game of the series was by far the most competitive. The Saints started strong again with two runs in the first inning. Martinez hit an RBI ground out to score Montejano, and Noah Rodriguez (JR/Victoria, Texas) scored Mitchell on an infield single. The Rams cut the Saints’ lead to 2-1 after plating a run in the fourth inning. The Saints pitching held strong and limited HTU to only two hits total. Trey Ramirez III (SR/Donna, Texas) pitched a spectacular six innings with seven strikeouts to pick up the win. Ziegen Farley (FR/San Antonio, Texas) closed the game in the seventh inning to earn the save.
Martinez and Rodriguez were responsible for the Saints’ two RBIs. Montejano batted 2-for-2 with a stolen base.
Game Three, 6-1
The Saints closed the series with a convincing 6-1 victory. OLLU never trailed during the three-game set. Martinez and Mitchell continued their hot hitting at the plate in the first two innings. Martinez put the Saints up 1-0 in the first with another RBI groundout. Mitchell hit a sacrifice fly to bring home Montejano in the second frame. Similar to game two, the Rams cut the Saints’ lead to 2-1 in the eighth inning. OLLU responded with four runs in the bottom of the inning to put the game out of reach for the Rams. Martinez picked up a two-RBI ground out to start the inning. Matthew Klar (JR/San Antonio, Texas) walked to bring in Mitchell, and Jarod Smith hit an infield fly that scored Martinez from third.
Mitchell complimented the first two pitching performances with another great game. He pitched 7.1 innings allowing four hits and striking out eight in the win. Joshua Mendez (JR/Corpus Christi, Texas) closed the game with two strikeouts in 1.2 innings.
Up next
The Saints head to New Orleans to play the Xavier University of Louisiana in a three-game series starting on April 15 at 5 p.m.
The baseball team swept Wiley College (WC) in a three-game series this weekend. The Saints improve to 16-15 overall and 11-6 in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC). The Wildcats drop to 1-28-1 overall and 1-17 in conference.
Head Coach Bryan Aughney commented, “Getting a sweep on the road is really solid. We did a good job in all three phases of the game by sticking with our process and staying focused.”
History
The Saints were 9-6 against the Wildcats prior to the series.
Game One, 19-4 (7 innings)
OLLU opened the series with a 19-4 seven-inning run-rule victory on Friday. The game was scoreless until the third inning when the Saints put up five runs. Francisco Martinez (FR/San Antonio, Texas), Brandon Betancourt (FR/San Antonio, Texas), Noah Rodriguez (JR/Victoria, Texas) and Pablo Trevino (FR/San Juan, Texas) all picked up an RBI. Jacob Mitchell (SR/Harker Heights, Texas) put the game out of reach for the Wildcats in the fourth inning with a three-run home run. He added another RBI in the fifth inning that scored Jarod Smith (FR/Baytown, Texas). The Saints closed the final inning with eight runs and totaled 10 hits. Wiley tallied nine hits but were only able to score four runs.
Starting pitcher Brett Vasquez (JR/Baytown, Texas) pitched five innings with seven strikeouts and one earned run to pick up the win. Alex Garza (SO/Houston, Texas) took over for the final two innings and allowed two earned runs. Mitchell finished with four RBIs and Rodriguez added five.
Game Two, 26-2
The Saints plated a whopping 26 runs in game two on Saturday. They scored multiple runs in every inning besides the fourth. They totaled 18 hits and forced the Wildcats into three errors. Four Saints hit a home run, including a grand slam by Francisco Martinez in the second inning. Six different OLLU players had a multi-RBI game. Starting pitcher Trey Ramirez III (SR/Donna, Texas) pitched just one inning and allowed an earned run. John B. Ortega II (FR/Harlingen, Texas) pitched the following three innings and earned the win after giving up only two hits. Devin Benavides (FR/Laredo, Texas) and Joshua Mendez (JR/Corpus Christi, Texas) also pitched in relief.
Francisco Martinez had two hits to total four RBIs. Matthew Klar (JR/San Antonio, Texas), Mitchell and Betancourt finished with three RBIs each. Jonathan LaCourse (SO/San Antonio, Texas) led the team with five RBIs, which included a two-run home run.
Game Three, 16-1 (7 innings)
The Saints closed the series by scoring 16 runs on 15 hits in another run-rule contest. The Saints scored four runs in the first inning on RBIs by Betancourt and Tyler Vivier (SO/San Antonio, Texas). The other two runs were unearned. Klar and Justin Smith (FR/Beaumont, Texas) both drove in runs on doubles in the second inning to increase the Saints lead to 7-0. The Saints scored nine more runs and allowed Wiley’s lone run in the fifth inning. Javier De Alejandro (FR/San Antonio, Texas) earned the win after pitching in relief of Mitchell for the second through fourth inning. Pablo Montante (SO/San Antonio, Texas), Layne Klostermann (JR/Raymondville, Texas) and Mendez also saw time on the rubber.
The baseball team won two games against Jarvis Christian College (JCC) March 19. The Saints are now 13-15 overall and 8-6 in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC). The Bulldogs drop to 5-22 overall and 3-11 in conference.
Head Coach Bryan Aughney commented, “I was pleased with how the bats came alive in both games. Trey Ramirez III (SR/Donna, Texas) (SR/Donna, Texas) had a great outing on the mound in game two.”
History
The Saints were 10-13 against the Bulldogs prior to this weekend.
Game One, 13-8
The Saints scored 13 runs on 13 hits in game one against Jarvis. Following a 2-0 deficit in the top of the second inning, OLLU plated three runs in the bottom of the inning and four in the fourth inning. Jacob Mitchell (SR/Harker Heights, Texas), Brandon Betancourt (FR/San Antonio, Texas), and Jacob Montejano (JR/San Antonio, Texas) all picked up RBIs in the two frames. Mitchell hit a three-run home run in the fourth inning to break open the score to 7-2. The Saints added four more runs in the seventh inning and two in the eighth inning to win 13-8.
Mitchell finished with four RBIs and Betancourt batted 3-for-4. Starting pitcher Brett Vasquez (JR/Baytown, Texas) struck out nine batters in five innings and picked up the win.
Game Two, 16-3
OLLU continued to score runs at will in the second game. The Bulldogs tallied nine hits but were only able to score three runs. The Saints took an early 3-0 lead in the first inning after Betancourt and Matthew Klar (JR/San Antonio, Texas) recorded RBIs. The Saints scored in every inning but the fifth in the seven-inning affair. Seven Saints players recorded at least one hit and Mitchell hit a grand slam. Francisco Martinez (FR/San Antonio, Texas) batted 2-for-2 and Robert Arredondo (SR/Corpus Christi, Texas) went 2-for-3 at the plate. Ramirez III pitched the entire game and struck out nine batters to earn the win. The Saints won 16-3 backed by 10 hits.
Up next
The Saints travel to Marshall, Texas, to face Wiley College in a three-game series starting on March 25.
