The baseball program has announced its date for the 2022 OLLU Baseball Showcase.
The prospect showcase will take place on June 10 at Missions Baseball Academy. Registration will begin at 9 a.m. with the showcase following from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Cost for the showcase is $100 and can be paid online or in-person with a check. The showcase is for 2022-2024 high school graduates, as well as junior college players who may be interested in transferring to OLLU.
The baseball team finished the regular season by sweeping the University of Houston-Victoria (UHV) in a three-game series. The Saints head into the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) Championship Tournament with a 29-22 overall record and 21-11 conference mark. The Jaguars move to 20-24 overall and 15-18 in the RRAC.
The Saints were 20-13 against the Jaguars prior to the series.
Game One, 5-4
The Saints took the lead in the second inning of game one. Christian Martinez (FR/Corpus Christi, Texas) hit an RBI ground out to score Matthew Klar (SR/San Antonio, Texas), and Robert Arredondo (SR/Corpus Christi, Texas) drove in Jonathan LaCourse (SO/San Antonio, Texas) on an infield single. Jacob Montejano (JR/San Antonio, Texas) increased the Saints’ advantage in the seventh inning with a sacrifice fly to score Sebastian Ledezma (FR/Los Fresnos, Texas). The Jaguars’ bats came to life in the top of the eighth inning. They plated four runs on three hits to take a 4-3 lead. Montejano was the hero for the Saints in the bottom of the ninth inning. He doubled on a line drive to right field that scored two runs to give OLLU a 5-4 victory in walk-off fashion.
Montejano batted 3-for-4 and was responsible for three of the five Saints RBIs. Arredondo went 3-for-4 at the plate. Starting pitcher Brett Vasquez (JR/Baytown, Texas) went seven innings with 12 strikeouts and no earned runs. Pablo Montante (SO/San Antonio, Texas) earned the win after protecting the tie in the top of the ninth inning.
Game Two, 4-1
OLLU used a solid third inning to take game two. Noah Rodriguez (JR/Victoria, Texas) started the scoring by bringing in Montejano on a sacrifice fly with bases loaded and no outs. Christian Martinez scored Francisco Martinez (FR/San Antonio, Texas) on a fielder’s choice, and Klar later stole home to improve the Saints’ lead to four runs. UHV put up one run in the fifth inning, but the Saints sealed the 4-1 victory to secure a series victory.
Starting pitcher Trey Ramirez III (SR/Donna, Texas) got the win after pitching a complete game. He allowed only one run with seven strikeouts. Jacob Mitchell (SR/Harker Heights, Texas) went 2-for-2 at the plate and scored one run. Jarod Smith (FR/Baytown, Texas), Christian Martinez and Rodriguez all had an RBI.
Game Three, 13-11
The programs combined for 20 hits and six errors in the series finale. Following a 1-0 advantage after the first frame, the Saints put up seven runs in the second inning. Christian Martinez, Arredondo and Montejano were responsible for two RBIs each in the inning. The Saints also added one run in the fourth inning to grow their lead to 9-0. The Jaguars were able to get on the board in the following inning with three runs. Montejano scored in the bottom of the sixth inning after a ground-out RBI by Rodriguez.
The Saints led 10-3, but the Jaguars didn’t back down. They plated five runs on four hits in the top of the seventh inning to cut OLLU’s advantage to 10-8. The Saints continued their hot hitting and won an offensive battle 13-11. Three Saints players had a multi-RBI game. Montejano scored four runs and batted 3-for-4. Jacob Mitchell pitched five innings and picked up the win with six strikeouts and two earned runs. Layne Klostermann (JR/Raymondville, Texas), Joshua Mendez (JR/Corpus Christi, Texas) and Ziegen Farley (FR/San Antonio, Texas) all pitched in relief.
Up next
The Saints compete in the RRAC Championship Tournament from May 6-9 in Sterlington, La. The No. 4 Saints will play No. 5 University of the Southwest Mustangs on May 6 at 2 p.m.
The baseball team hosted its first alumni game on Saturday. The inaugural team played in 2015 and featured 26 players. Since its berth, the baseball program has boasted a .622 winning percentage in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) and recently competed in the NAIA World Series during the 2021 season for the first time.
The alumni team attending the festivities included Russell Brown (2017-2018), Ryan Chapa (2017-2021), Anthony DeJesus (2015-2016/Inaugural Team), Jose Diaz (2016-2021), Jordan Hackett (2015-2018/Inaugural Team), Connor Kalisky (2016-2017/Inaugural Team), Mike Light (2017-2018), Robert Lopez (2017-2021), David Marte (2015-2016/Inaugural Team), JB Martinez (2016-2018), Matt Mihalov (2016-2021), Caleb Mireles (2017-2018), Andrew Ogletree (2017-2021), Chuy Ramirez (2016-2017), Ryan Ramsey (2016-20199), Enrique Ruiz (2015-2018/Inaugural Team) and Xavier Solis (2016-2021).
The current Saints team jumped out to an early lead in the first two innings. Noah Rodriguez (SR/Victoria, Texas) scored on an error in the first inning and Christian Martinez (SO/Corpus Christi, Texas) drove in Francisco Martinez (JR/San Antonio, Texas) to start the second inning. Martinez would later score on a passed ball and Jacob Mitchell (NA/Harker Heights, Texas) smacked a two-run home run to give OLLU a 5-0 advantage.
After the Saints tacked on six more runs, Jose Diaz recorded the alumni’s first hit in the top of the fifth inning. Francisco Martinez roped an RBI triple in the bottom of the inning to increase the Saints’ lead to 12-0. Mike Light put the alumni on the board with an RBI double that scored Andrew Ogletree in the top of the sixth inning. Xavier Solis and Robert Lopez tallied RBIs later in the inning and the alumni trailed 12-3.
Joshua Colunga, John B. Ortega II (SO/Harlingen, Texas) and Jarod Smith (SO/Baytown, Texas) recorded RBI singles in the bottom of the sixth inning to up the Saints lead to 15-3. Light drove in another run in the bottom inning for the alumni team and a wild pitch scored Matt Mihalov. The current Saints team won 15-5 in seven innings.
Following the best season to date for the baseball team, 11 Saints competed in summer leagues throughout America.
Head Coach Bryan Aughney commented, “It’s great for our guys to get out and continue playing over the summer. It’s a great baseball and life experience. We encourage all our players to play as much as their body allows. The repetitions are stellar, the innings are great, and the overall experience is a good time meeting new teammates and coaches. I’m excited to see our players again. and we look forward to the challenge of defending our Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) title.”
Aughney worked as the assistant coach for the Flying Chanclas de San Antonio, which won the Texas Collegiate League (TCL) championship on Aug. 7. Pitchers Alec Martinez (SR/Corpus Christi, Texas) and Ram Maldonado (SR/McAllen, Texas) were members of the Chanclas. The team posted a 32-7 record in the regular season and a 3-0 campaign in the playoffs. Martinez started the championship game and lasted four innings while allowing no runs and striking out two batters. He ranked second among pitchers in the TCL with a 1.71 season ERA. Maldonado pitched 13 innings with the Chanclas and posted a 2.76 ERA with 11 strikeouts. The team plays at Nelson Wolff Municipal Stadium, the home of the San Antonio Missions, a minor league team of the Double-A Central and the Double-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres.
Jose Ramirez III (SR/Donna, Texas), Adrian Gonzalez Jr. (SR/Weslaco, Texas), Brett Vasquez (JR/Baytown, Texas) and Pablo Montante (JR/San Antonio, Texas) competed in the Appalachian League located throughout North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. Ramirez was a member of the pitching staff for the Greenville Flyboys, who hoisted the championship trophy after a walk-off victory in the bottom of the ninth inning against Vasquez’s Pulaski River Turtles. Gonzalez Jr. and Montante played for the Elizabethton Rough Riders in Elizabethton, Tenn.
Senior Robert Arredondo (SR/Corpus Christi, Texas) and junior Jacob Montejano (JR/San Antonio, Texas) played in the Centex Collegiate League as part of Texas USA Baseball. Tyler Vivier (SO/San Antonio, Texas) and Devin Benavides (SO/Laredo, Texas) participated in the Five Tool Collegiate League with Test Baseball, and Noah Rodriguez (SR/Victoria, Texas) rounded out the Saints summer players with a stint for the ZT Elite in the Texas Showcase Circuit.
The Saints will play a fall scrimmage schedule before entering its eighth season in the spring of 2022.
[Opening Round Schedule] [NAIA Championships App] The NAIA has announced the 45-team field and pairings for the 2021 NAIA Baseball National Championship Opening Round. The 12th annual event takes place May 17-20 at nine host sites. Each of the nine locations features a five-team, double-elimination tournament.
The nine opening round champions join Lewis-Clark State at the 64th annual Avista NAIA Baseball World Series in Lewiston, Idaho, May 28-June 4. For more information on the World Series, click here.
OLLU has been chosen as the No. 5 seed in the Montgomery Bracket. The Saints will face Freed-Hardeman University (FHU), the No. 4 seed, on May 17 at 11 a.m. in Montgomery, Ala. FHU is located in Henderson, Tenn.
Head Coach Bryan Aughney, who was selected as the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) Coach of the Year, commented, “When you get to this time of year, and the opening round of the National Tournament, everyone is good – and that has been the message since we locked up a berth. We are excited no doubt; we had a lot of firsts this year, and I’m pleased with the progress our program has made over the last four years. This is what we have been working for, a Conference Championship and an opportunity to go to Lewiston, Idaho.
“Looking at our first-round matchup vs. Freed-Hardeman, right now we don’t know a lot about them, but we will get to work on that. As we always talk within our club, we compete against ourselves, and in playoff baseball, it’s about being routine and execution. We had a solid week of practice, and our players are hungry as we didn’t finish in the conference tournament as we wanted to.”
Aughney accomplished much this year aside from winning the coaching award. He recorded his 200+ win (229) overall and his 100+ (105) win at OLLU. This is his fourth year as the Saints’ head coach.
Montgomery Bracket Info
Faulkner University will host the Montgomery Bracket games.
Other participants that are part of the bracket include:
1. Vanguard (Calif.) – ranked 10th in the NAIA; 37-14
2. Faulkner (Ala.) – ranked 11th in the NAIA; 35-9
3. St. Thomas (Fla.) – ranked 13th in the NAIA; 33-19
Opening round schedule:
Monday: 11 a.m. – OLLU vs. FHU
Monday: 3 p.m. – St. Thomas vs. Faulkner
Monday: 7 p.m. – Vanguard vs. OLLU/FHU winner
Quick Facts on OLLU
The Saints earned their first-ever national ranking this season when they debuted at No. 21 on March 31. Subsequently, they earned the No. 24 ranking from April 14 and No. 22 from April 28. They currently rank as the No. 23 team in the NAIA.
The Saints won the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) regular-season title – their first-ever since the program began competing in 2015.
Overall record: 34-17 * Conference record: 20-4
Best all-time in: .295 batting average; .403 slugging percentage; .964 fielding percentage; 350 runs; 309 RBIs; 647 total bases
NAIA rankings: No. 10 in triples (22); 16 in assists (459); 18 fielding percentage (.964)
RRAC Player of the Year – Jose Diaz: No. 1 in fielding percentage (1.000), 14 in saves (7); RRAC Pitcher of the Year – Brett Vasquez: No. 19 in wins (9)
The Lions received five votes in the most current poll. They were ranked No. 25 on March 31 and No. 19 on March 17. In the preseason poll from Nov. 20, the Lions were ranked No. 9.
The Lions finished second in the Mid-South Conference regular season. They finished as finalists in the conference tournament.
Overall record: 26-23 * Conference record: 15-7
NAIA rankings No. 37 in home runs per game (1.122); No. 46 in total stolen bases (83)
Josh Sears: No. 11 in home runs (20); Beau Simpson: No. 13 in chances (395), putouts (360)
All-Conference First-Team selections: Josh Sears, Beau Simpson, Jacob Sawyers
Sawyers – 6-2 on the season, 75 strikeouts, 2.28 ERA
The field consists of 30 automatic qualifiers – given to conference regular-season champions, tournament champions or tournament runners-up – and 15 at-large teams. Conferences with 10-or-more members receive two automatic qualifiers, while leagues with less than 10 get one. This season due to COVID, any conference was allowed a drop of up to three schools from its original total in order to keep multiple bids. Any conference that started with six schools was guaranteed to keep its bid.
At-large teams were determined by the NAIA Baseball National Selection Committee (NSC). The NSC consists of one representative from each geographic area, a representative from the National Administrative Council, a member of the NAIA-Baseball Coaches Association Executive Committee and three at-large members. The committee evaluated teams throughout the year on various criteria.
For more information on NAIA Baseball, click here.
Institution
Qualifying Method
2021 Record
Appearances
Last Time
OR Titles
Opening Round Record
Bellevue (Neb.)
At-Large
38-16
11
2019
2
18-17
Benedictine (Kan.)
At-Large
34-14
1
N/A
0
0-0
Benedictine Mesa (Ariz.)
At-Large
31-14
1
N/A
0
0-0
Bryan (Tenn.)
Appalachian Pool B Champion
35-16
6
2019
0
6-10
Central Methodist (Mo.)
Heart Tournament Champion
43-6
4
2019
0
2-6
Columbia (Mo.)
AMC Tournament Champion
36-9
2
2019
0
2-2
Concordia (Neb.)
GPAC Regular Season/Tournament Champion
38-9
3
2019
0
2-4
Corban (Ore.)
Cascade Tournament Runner-Up
22-29
1
N/A
0
0-0
Cumberlands (Ky.)
Mid-South Tournament Champion
46-6
4
2019
0
4-6
Doane (Neb.)
GPAC Regular Season Runner-Up
35-17-1
4
2014
0
4-6
Faulkner (Ala.)
At-Large
35-9
11
2019
7
25-7
Fisher (Mass.)
A.I.I. Tournament Runner-Up
31-20
1
N/A
0
0-0
Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.)
Mid-South Tournament Runner-Up
26-23
6
2019
2
10-7
Georgia Gwinnett
A.I.I. Tournament Champion
42-9
7
2019
3
17-7
Hope International (Calif.)
At-Large
27-13
3
2019
1
6-2
Indiana Tech
WHAC Regular Season Champion
31-25
10
2019
1
17-16
Indiana Wesleyan
Crossroads Regular Season/Tournament Champion
43-12
3
2018
0
1-4
IU Southeast (Ind.)
River States Tournament Champion
45-14
7
2019
0
8-12
Keiser (Fla.)
At-Large
33-16
2
2018
0
1-2
Lewis-Clark State (Idaho)
World Series Host Berth
41-4
N/A
N/A
0
0-0
Loyola (La.)
At-Large
36-13
1
N/A
0
0-0
LSU Shreveport (La.)
Red River Tournament Champion
40-13
12
2019
2
16-18
Mayville State (N.D.)
North Star Tournament Champion
35-16
7
2017
0
4-12
McPherson (Kan.)
At-Large
36-13
1
N/A
0
0-0
MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.)
Heart Tournament Runner Up
39-14
4
2017
0
3-6
Middle Georgia State
At-Large
34-19
5
2019
0
6-8
Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio)
Crossroads Tournament Runner Up
32-19
7
2015
0
5-12
Northwestern Ohio
WHAC Tournament Champion
29-17
4
2018
1
8-4
Oklahoma City
At-Large
33-17
11
2019
6
24-10
Oklahoma Wesleyan
KCAC Regular Season Champion
46-8
6
2019
2
13-7
Olivet Nazarene (Ill.)
Chicagoland Regular Season/Tournament Champion
36-18
3
2019
0
1-4
Ottawa (Kan.)
KCAC Tournament Champion
35-18
1
N/A
0
0-0
Our Lady of the Lake (Texas)
Red River Regular-Season Champion
34-17
1
N/A
0
0-0
Point Park (Pa.)
River States Tournament Runner-Up
37-14
5
2018
1
5-6
Reinhardt (Ga.)
At-Large
32-19
2
2018
1
3-1
Saint Katherine (Calif.)
CalPac Tournament Champion
29-16
1
N/A
0
0-0
Saint Xavier (Ill.)
Chicagoland Tournament Runner-Up
32-25
4
2019
0
2-6
Science & Arts (Okla.)
Sooner Tournament Champion
34-10
6
2019
2
11-4
Southeastern (Fla.)
The Sun Tournament Champion
47-7
6
2019
2
10-6
St. Thomas (Fla.)
At-Large
33-19
9
2019
3
18-11
Tennessee Wesleyan
Appalachian Pool A Champion
51-4
12
2019
5
29-16
USC Beaufort (S.C.)
At-Large
31-21
5
2016
1
8-7
Vanguard (Calif.)
GSAC Tournament Champion
37-14
5
2016
1
10-6
Warner (Fla.)
At-Large
33-21
2
2009
0
0-2
Westmont (Calif.)
At-Large
27-18
6
2019
0
7-10
William Carey (Miss.)
SSAC Tournament Champion
34-10
7
2018
1
15-11
Opening Round Notes
Overall, there are 23 repeat qualifiers from the 2019 opening round, including all nine teams that won opening round titles last season – Bellevue (Neb.), Faulkner (Ala.), Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.), Georgia Gwinnett, Indiana Tech, Science & Arts (Okla.), Southeastern (Fla.), St. Thomas (Fla.), and Tennessee Wesleyan.
Tennessee Wesleyan is the lone team in the field with 50 or more wins at 51-4 overall. Southeastern has the next highest win total at 47-7.
LSU Shreveport (La.) and Tennessee Wesleyan are back in the field for a 12th time, which leads the field. These two clubs are the only NAIA teams to have participated in every event since the format was established in 2009. Bellevue (Neb.), Indiana Tech, Bellevue, Faulkner, and Oklahoma City all have 10 or more appearances.
There are nine newcomers to the opening round in this year’s field in Benedictine (Kan.), Benedictine Mesa (Ariz.), Corban (Ore.), Fisher (Mass.), Loyola (La.), McPherson (Kan.), Ottawa (Kan.), Our Lady of the Lake (Texas) and Saint Katherine (Calif.).
Faulkner has the honor of the most opening round championships with seven. 19 teams in the 2021 field have at least one opening round championship to their credit.
The Sun Conference leads all leagues with five teams in the 2021 field. The Southern States is second on that list with four. Four leagues checked in with three teams.
The Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) announced the selections for the 2021 Baseball All-Conference Team and player of the year awards. OLLU earned six first-team selections, while Jose Diaz (SR/Pinar del Rio, Cuba) was a repeat first-team selection.
In addition, Diaz was named RRAC Player of the Year after leading the conference with a .403 batting average and 46 hits. As a reliever, he led the conference with seven saves. His senior leadership helped guide the Saints to a 34-15 overall record and bid to the NAIA World Series.
Brett Vasquez (SO/Mont Belvieu, Texas) took RRAC Pitcher of the Year. Vasquez was first in the conference with nine wins and second in ERA at 3.29. His strikeout-to-walk ratio was 3.4:1, and his overall record was 9-1 in 14 appearances. He set the Saints’ all-time single-season win total.
Head Coach Bryan Aughney said, “I’m very excited for our players who took home All-Conference and Gold Glove awards. Diaz has been a special player for OLLU for a long time. He is an outstanding teammate and worker and a great person. I could not be happier for him. Vasquez has put in a lot of work this past summer and fall and you could tell that he was on a mission. I’m very excited for him.”
Diaz, Matthew Klar (SO/San Antonio, Texas), Alec Martinez (JR/Corpus Christi, Texas) and Jacob Mitchell (JR/Harker Heights, Texas ) made the All-Conference First-Team. Robert Lopez (SR/San Antonio, Texas) and Ram Maldonado (JR/McAllen, Texas) were awarded Second-Team honors. Maldonado, Matt Mihalov (SR/Conroe, Texas) and Mitchell were part of the Gold Glove Team. Adrian Gonzalez Jr. (JR/Weslaco, Texas) made the Champions of Character Team.
Aughney commented, “Mitchell being named First Team at first base is outstanding. He’s been a huge part of our success hitting in the middle of our lineup and holding down first base. I’m excited for him as this is his third Gold Glove award. He takes pride in his game and it’s great to see the awards come in. Maldonado and Mihalov also won Gold Glove awards, which is very good. We have always put a premium on defense.”
Aughney continued, “Martinez has jumped into being our Friday game one guy from being a two-way in years past and has excelled. He has continued to develop into an outstanding player for us. Klar also had a great year so far, and he approaches the game with intensity and strives for excellence. Maldonado and Lopez making Second Team are very exciting. Lopez has been our guy behind the plate for the past four years, so I’m excited for him as we have asked him to do so much. Maldonado continues to improve, and I’m pleased to see his work begin to pay off.”
The baseball team took three out of four games against the University of the Southwest (USW) this weekend. The No. 24-ranked Saints are now 28-14 overall and 16-4 in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC). The Saints are first in the RRAC and LSU-Alexandria trails OLLU in second place at 9-3 in the conference.
History
The Saints are 13-7 against USW in series history.
Game one
The Saints started the series with an extra-inning victory. OLLU led early after Robert Arredondo (JR/Corpus Christi, Texas) scored in the first inning. Ryan Chapa (JR/Corpus Christi, Texas) increased the lead with a double to right field that scored Noah Rodriguez (SO/Victoria, Texas). Chapa later scored on an Andrew Ogletree (JR/Mission, Texas) sac fly. The Mustangs scored one run in the second, third and fifth inning to come back and tie the game 3-3.
Jacob Montejano (SO/San Antonio, Texas) scored on a sac fly by Jose Diaz (SR/Pinar del Rio, Cuba) in the eighth inning. Matthew Klar (SO/San Antonio, Texas) doubled to left field to score Rodriguez and give the Saints the 5-3 lead. Diaz closed the game out in the bottom of the eighth inning and earned the win. Starter Alec Martinez (JR/Corpus Christi, Texas) struck out six batters and Montejano batted 3-for-4.
Game two
The Mustangs took game two of the series after breaking a 2-2 tie in the sixth inning. The Saints were limited to three hits and committed two errors. Starting pitcher Jose Ramirez III (JR/Donna, Texas) allowed three runs on six hits. Diaz went 2-for-3 at the plate and drove in one run. Southwest won 3-2 in seven innings to tie the series heading into Saturday.
Game three
The Saints bats came alive in the fourth inning of game three. They scored eight runs on 14 plate appearances. They forced the Mustangs to leave 12 runners on base during the game and limited them to five hits. The Saints used four pitchers, and they struck out eight batters combined. Six different Saints batters tallied at least one hit. The Saints won 9-1 to take the series lead.
Game four
OLLU finished the series in a dominant fashion. They scored 11 runs on 10 hits and no errors. Brett Vasquez (SO/Mont Belvieu, Texas) struck out eight batters in a complete seven-inning game and allowed only three hits. Vasquez tied former Saints player Jordan Hackett for most wins in a season with eight. He has also thrown 15 and a third consecutive shutout innings. The Saints won 11-0 in seven innings to claim the series.
Up next
The Saints will play Oklahoma Panhandle State University in a three-game series in Amarillo, Texas, from April 23-24.
