By CHASE UPTON/Sports Editor
TYLER, Texas—For the first time in program history, UT Tyler baseball enters NCAA postseason play as Lone Star Conference champions and will host the NCAA Division II South Central Regional at Irwin Field for the second consecutive season.
UT Tyler secured its first LSC regular-season championship earlier this spring before completing the sweep with a perfect 3-0 run through the LSC Tournament, defeating rival Angelo State University twice to cap a historic weekend in Tyler.
NCAA Division II South Central Regional: Thursday, May 14- Saturday, May 16 at Irwin Field in Tyler, Texas
The three-team regional will follow a double-elimination format, Angelo State and MSU Denver open tournament play at 3 p.m. Thursday, May 14 and the loser of that game will take on host UT Tyler at 7 p.m. later that evening.
The winner of UT Tyler’s opening game will advance to face the winner of game one in game three at 7 p.m. Friday, May 15, while the losing team of game three will either be eliminated or move into a win or go home scenario with the regional continuing through Saturday.
To stay up to date with the entire regional, buy tickets, or to find the link to watch the game for free on NCAA.com, click here.
The Good Guys
The No. 6-ranked UT Tyler Patriots enter the regional at 43-10 as the No. 2 team in the South Central Region and one of Division II baseball’s most complete teams after a season that established UT Tyler as a national contender.
The Patriots have been dominant on both sides of the ball, entering postseason play with a team ERA under 4.00, ranking among the top 10 nationally, while their .448 on-base percentage also sits inside the nation’s top 10.
That success was reflected in the conference regular season awards, as Senior catcher Cole Ketzner was named LSC Player of the Year, while senior right-hander Julio Garcia earned Pitcher of the Year honors.
UT Tyler’s coaching staff, led by head coach Brent Porche, was also named Coaching Staff of the Year.
The Patriots placed multiple players on All-LSC teams, including first-team selections Garcia, Caden Copeland, Coleson Abel and Ketzner, along with four additional players earning second and third-team honors.
Among them was senior outfielder Kaston Mason of Rockwall, Texas, who was also named Lone Star Conference Tournament Most Valuable Player after going 7-for-11 (.636) with five RBIs, four doubles, one home run and a walk across UT Tyler’s three games in last weekend’s conference tournament.
Bryce Jewell, Tanner Hornback, Julio Garcia, Connor Clark, Brock Bearden and Dylan Blomquist also earned Lone Star Conference All-Tournament Team honors.
With one of Division II baseball’s deepest lineups, an experienced starting rotation and a dependable bullpen, the Patriots enter the NCAA Tournament as a legitimate contender to capture the program’s first national championship.
Familiar Rival Returns
Angelo State enters the regional at 40-17 as the No. 3 team in the South Central Region and No. 16 team in the latest National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Division II poll.
The Rams arrive to Irwin Field after falling to UT Tyler in the LSC championship game and look to flip the script in one of Division II baseball’s emerging rivalries.
Angelo State went 1-4 against UT Tyler this season, including those two losses in the conference tournament.
The Patriots also ended Angelo State’s 2025 season in last year’s South Central Super Regional in San Angelo, clinching UT Tyler’s first trip to the Division II College World Series.
Angelo State remains one of Division II’s most dangerous offensive teams, batting .309 while averaging 8.7 runs per game, a mark that ranks among the nation’s top 50, and leading the nation with 196 stolen bases this season.
First team All-LSC selection Austin Beck leads the lineup, hitting .350 with 59 RBIs and 47 stolen bases, while Chase Pendley and Payton Bush provide additional production in a lineup capable of changing games quickly.
The Rams are led by veteran head coach Kevin Brooks, who has guided Angelo State to seven College World Series appearances and the 2023 Division II national championship.
Angelo State led by coach Brooks and a roster featuring several players with Division II championship experience, arrive in Tyler aiming to make another postseason run and advance to the super regional round.
Roadrunners Bring Explosive Offense Back to Tyler
MSU Denver enters the regional at 38-16 after a semifinal exit in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference tournament and they return to Tyler after being eliminated at Irwin Field in last season’s regional.
The Roadrunners feature one of Division II’s most explosive offenses, averaging 10 runs per game, which ranks among the top 10 nationally.
They also sit in the top 10 in the country in batting average (.353), on-base percentage (.458) and home runs (87), while leading the nation in doubles (153).
Catcher Noah Wicks headlines the offense after hitting .456 with 58 RBIs, 7 HRs and a .571 OB% while Brooks Rasmussen and Royce Vandine add depth to a lineup built to score in bunches.
Pitching has been MSU Denver’s biggest question mark, as the Roadrunners carry a 6.98 team ERA into the postseason, one of the lowest in the country among teams that made it to the NCAA tournament.
With three nationally relevant programs converging in East Texas, Irwin Field is set to host another high-level postseason weekend.
Angelo State and MSU Denver return to Irwin Field with unfinished business and revenge on their minds.
Once again, the road to the DII College World Series in Cary, North Carolina begins at Irwin Field as UT Tyler attempts to continue one of the most successful seasons in program history while defending home turf against a familiar conference rival and one of the nation’s most dangerous offenses.
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