EDINBURG — The UTRGV baseball team is set to open Western Athletic Conference action this weekend, and they’ll do it in front of their home fans with a three-game series against California Baptist beginning tonight.
Game 1 between the Vaqueros (8-4) and Lancers (6-6) is at 6:30 p.m. at UTRGV Baseball Stadium in Edinburg. Game 2 is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Saturday, with the series finale slated for noon Sunday.
“There’s definitely been some really big moments, especially on the mound and with some guys on offense, but there’s been some disappointing moments also, so let’s don’t think it’s all fuzzy and warm for us. If you’d have told me we’d be 8-4 finishing the first part of the season, I’d have been probably pretty good with that,” UTRGV head coach Derek Matlock said. “Now we’re in the second part of the season, which is conference, and we’re facing, I think, one of the best teams in the conference. There’s always going to be a challenge, but we’re excited for the challenge.”
The Vaqueros are coming off a mid-week road loss against the Rice Owls and will be looking to bounce back against Cal Baptist. Friday night starter Jesus Aldaz will put his 2-0 record and 0.95 ERA up against the Lancers. The right-handed grad student from Phoenix, Arizona, has pitched 19 innings, allowing two earned runs off 11 hits and three walks while striking out 19.
At the plate, Edinburg Vela alumnus Isaac Lopez leads UTRGV with a .440 batting average with 22 hits, 14 runs, 10 RBIs and three home runs in 12 starts at second base. Lopez has reached base in all 12 games and recorded a hit in 11 of 12.
Tickets can be purchased at UTRGVTickets.com or in-person at the UTRGV Baseball Stadium box office.