The UTRGV women’s basketball team lost its season opener 95-63 to the Oklahoma State Cowgirls on Monday at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

The Vaqueros (0-1) were led by sophomores Deborah Ogayemi and Iyana Dorsey, who scored 16 points each. Ogayemi added seven rebounds and two steals.Juniors Zariah Sango and Halie Jones chipped in with eight points each.

The Cowgirls (1-0) had five players in double-figure scoring with Lior Garzon leading the way with 19 on 7-of-11 shooting, including 5-of-9 3-pointers made. ClairChastain scored 15 points with six rebounds. Terryn Milton added 14 points, while Lexy Keys scored 13 points and Taylen Collins chipped in with 10 points and 12rebounds.

The Vaqueros used strong defense and turned it into offense during the second half as Sango got the block on the defensive end and knocked down a jumper to getthe Vaqueros within 42-33. Later during the third, Dorsey knocked down a 3-pointer to get UTRGV within 49-39, but the Cowgirls answered right back with a three-pointer from Keys to push their lead to 52-39 with 6:36 left in the quarter.

Ogayemi, Sango, and Dorsey each had buckets during the fourth quarter, but the Cowgirls pushed their lead to 84-56 with a three-pointer with 5:13 left to play,putting the game out of reach for the Vaqueros.

The Vaqueros will be back in action Thursday when they visit McNeese State at 7 p.m.

Former UTRGV middle infielder Andy Atwood, who played for the Vaqueros from 2019-21, signed with the Chicago White Sox organization Friday and has been assigned to their single-A team the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers.

Atwood was in his second season with the Great Falls Voyagers of the Pioneer League where he was batting .333 (32-for-96) with three home runs, 20 RBIs, six doubles, 24 runs scored, and eight stolen bases in 23 games.

Last season for Great Falls, Atwood hit .296, going 26-for-88 with three doubles, four triples, 12 RBIs, 15 runs scored, and two stolen bases in 27 games.

“It’s funny how things work out when you don’t give up,” Atwood said. “I would like to say thank you to all the coaches at UTRGV for developing me and believing in my dreams.”

Atwood started all 58 games in 2021, hitting .341 with 10 home runs, 11 doubles, two triples, 34 RBIs, 50 runs scored and eight stolen bases en route to All-Western Athletic Conference (WAC) First Team honors. The 10 home runs tied for 10th-highest single-season total in program history. Atwood led the WAC in total bases (115) while ranking second in slugging and times hit by a pitch (13), third in hits (70) and runs scored, fourth in on-base percentage, and fifth in hitting.

Atwood came to UTRGV after two seasons at Oregon State, where he helped his team to the 2017 College World Series. After redshirting the 2018 season, Atwood hit .303 with two home runs, five doubles, one triple, 12 RBIs and 27 runs scored in 30 games to help the Vaqueros win the 2019 WAC Championship.

He then hit .309 with one home run, four doubles, three triples, 11 RBIs and 16 runs scored in 18 games in 2020.

Atwood completed his Bachelor of Science in Psychology in May 2019 and his Master of Educational Leadership in May 2020.

The UTRGV baseball program has been on a steady incline since fifth-year head coach Derek Matlock took over lead duties.

A result has been loftier goals each season. One year after qualifying for the Western Athletic Conference Baseball Tournament’s championship game, the Vaqueros are aiming to win it all while punching their ticket to an NCAA Regional Tournament for the 14th time in program history and first since 1986.

“Now, we got to go get a conference tournament title. That’s what’s on the line now,” Matlock said after UTRGV’s home finale against Sam Houston.

The WAC tournament features eight teams from the conference’s Southwest and West Divisions. The Vaqueros (32-23, 17-13) enter the tourney as the No. 3 seed from the Southwest. They’ll open the double-elimination tournament at 11 a.m. today against the West’s No. 2 seed, Sacramento State, at Hohokam Stadium in Mesa, Arizona, the spring training home of the Oakland Athletics.

“It’s a really big chore for us in (the WAC tournament). There are some outstanding baseball teams in here,” Matlock said. “We got our hands full, but with opportunity — all it is is opportunity. If we can play the way we’re capable of playing, the opportunity is there to get what we want.”

UTRGV baseball entered last year’s WAC tourney as the No. 3 seed overall and won three out of its four games to advance to the championship game, ultimately losing against Grand Canyon 5-4. The Vaqueros won back-to-back elimination games in the double-elimination style tourney to earn their way to the final series.

If the Vaqueros win against Sacramento State (30-24, 17-13) today, they will face the winner between Sam Houston and New Mexico State at 6 p.m. Thursday. A UTRGV loss against Sacramento State sends the Vaqueros into an elimination game against the Sam Houston and New Mexico State loser in the double-elimination tournament. That game is scheduled for 11 a.m. Thursday.

“We can beat anybody in the league if we play good. … If we play good, we will win,” Matlock said. “If we don’t play good, it doesn’t matter if we’re playing a low seed, we will lose.”

All WAC tournament games can be viewed on ESPN’s streaming service, ESPN+.

ALL-CONFERENCE

Senior pitcher Kevin Stevens was named to the All-WAC First Team, outfielders Brett Cain and Brandon Pimentel are part of the All-WAC Second Team, and freshman shortstop and Edinburg Vela alum Isaac Lopez is part of the WAC All-Defensive Team, as voted by the WAC head coaches.

Stevens was 6-2 with a 2.62 ERA during WAC play. In 10 games and starts, including a complete-game shutout, he pitched 58.1 innings, striking out 61 while allowing 50 hits and 22 walks. Opponents hit .231 off him.

During WAC play, Cain hit .406/.480/.651 with three home runs, 13 doubles, two triples, 24 RBIs, 20 runs scored and two stolen bases.

Pimentel hit .357/.390/.563 with four home runs, 10 doubles, two triples, 20 RBIs, 26 runs scored and two stolen bases during WAC play.

During WAC play, Lopez posted a .989 fielding percentage, committing just one error in 89 chances while recording 39 putouts and 49 assists in 24 games as the starting shortstop. He was also part of turning 17 double plays.

The UTRGV baseball team scored four runs during the ninth to come from behind and beat the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks 5-2 to close out the regular season on Saturday at Jaycees Field in Nacogdoches.

The ‘Jacks (15-37, 8-22 WAC) carried a 2-1 lead into the ninth. Center fielder Brett Cain drew a leadoff walk against Brooks Caple (0-4). One out later, outfielder Jacob Hirsh walked. Chris Mondesi followed with an RBI single to tie the game and then Raul Ortega hit a go-ahead RBI single. After a fielder’s choice put runners on the corners with two outs, the Vaqueros took advantage of three wild pitches to score Mondesi and Ortega to make the score 5-2.

Ortega finished 2-for-3.

That made a winner of Ricky Gerik Jr. (5-3), who pitched a scoreless eighth.

Sophomore Zach Tjelmeland struck out the side during a perfect ninth for his second save. Tjelmeland has now struck out a season-high tying three in three-straight outings.

The Vaqueros (32-23, 17-13 WAC) scored their first run during the seventh as with one out, Hirsh singled to left. He then drew a pickoff throw that sailed away, allowing Hirsh to go all the way to third. Mondesi followed with an RBI-groundout to bring the Vaqueros within 2-1.

That was it against Joe Todd, who pitched 7.0 innings allowing four hits without a walk while striking out two.

Freshman Randy Garza didn’t allow a hit over the first 3.0 innings. In the fourth, though, the ‘Jacks started with a walk and two singles, the second of which, by Peyton Parker, brought home Cameron Crawford for the game’s first run.

That led to the ‘Jacks having runners on the corners. Crawford took off for second, and when the throw went through, Clayton Loranger stole home to make the score 2-0.

UTRGV opens the Western Athletic Conference Tournament as the Southwest Division #3 seed and will face West Division #2 seed Sacramento State in the opening round at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Hohokam Stadium, the spring training home of the Oakland A’s, in Mesa, Ariz. Fans can watch in the United States on ESPN+ or internationally at WACSports.com/Watch.

UTRGV senior right-handed pitcher Kevin Stevens is the TicketSmarter Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Pitcher of the Week for leading the Vaqueros to a 4-1 victory over Sam Houston on May 13, the WAC announced Monday.

Stevens (8-2) pitched a season-high tying eight scoreless innings of three-hit ball, with only one of the hits leaving the infield. He struck out nine while walking one. This is the fourth time Stevens hasn’t allowed a run during a start this season.

Kevin Stevens UTRGV

Stevens ranks 16th in the NCAA and second in the WAC in wins (8), 74th in the NCAA and second in the WAC in ERA (2.78), 58th in the NCAA and second in the WAC in strikeouts (85), 92nd in the NCAA and second in the WAC in strikeouts per nine innings (10.72), and 131st in the NCAA and second in the WAC in hits allowed per nine innings (7.57).

Stevens has 213 strikeouts in his career, which ranks eighth in program history.

This is the second TicketSmarter WAC Pitcher of the Week honor for Stevens and the fourth for UTRGV pitching this season.

UTRGV closes out the regular season with a three-game series at Stephen F. Austin beginning at 6:30 p.m. Thursday.

The UTRGV baseball team has secured a spot at the Western Athletic Baseball Tournament, set for May 25-28 at HohokamStadium in Mesa, AZ.

With three wins against Sam Houston this weekend during the Vaqueros’ final home series of the season, UTRGV (29-20, 14-10)could propel itself into first place in the WAC’s Southwest Division standings.

“We sweep ‘em in here, we got the tiebreaker, we’re in first place. We control getting first,” UTRGV head coach Derek Matlocksaid.

The action begins with Game 1 at 7 p.m. today at UTRGV Baseball Stadium in Edinburg. Game 2 is scheduled for 6 p.m. Saturday,with the Vaqueros’ home finale slated for noon Sunday.

Sam Houston sits in first in WAC’s Southwest Division with a 17-7 conference record. The Vaqueros are tied for second withLamar at 14-10. A UTRGV sweep at home this weekend creates a tie atop the division with one WAC series remaining before theconference tournament.

When the two played April 1-3 in Huntsville for their first three-game series of the season, UTRGV took two out of three withwins of 10-4 and 13-6.

UTRGV is also running three promotions during its final home series. Friday’sgame, tabbed Community Heroes Night, offers free admission to the game to frontlineworkers, first responders and teachers. For Superhero Night on Saturday, all fans dressedas their favorite superheroes or comic book characters will receive free general admission.Finally, all fans can purchase $1 tickets to Sunday’s game against Sam Houston for RGVAppreciation Day. Purchase tickets at UTRGVTickets.com.

The UTRGV baseball team beat the Lamar Cardinals 6-1 on Sunday at Vincent-Beck Stadium in Beaumont to clinch both weekend (2-1) and season (4-2) series victories.

The Vaqueros (29-20, 14-10 WAC) and Cardinals (29-19, 14-10 WAC) are now tied for second place in the Western Athletic Conference Southwest Division standings with six games remaining.

Bryan Sturges led the Vaqueros offensively by going 3-for-4 with a home run, a double, a career-high tying five RBIs and one run scored. Cameron Blake went a career-high tying 3-for-4 with an RBI and a career-high tying two runs scored. Junior Brandon Pimentel finished 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored.

Sturges launched a three-run home run off Daniel Cole (2-3) to give the Vaqueros a 3-0 lead during the first. Sturges now has a career-high eight home runs this season.

Blake hit a two-out RBI single during the second to make the score 4-0.

This was it until the fifth, when Sturges hit a two-run double to make the score 6-0.

That made a winner of freshman Randy Garza (2-1), who struck out two while scattering two hits and three walks in a career-high seven innings.

The Cardinals scored their run during the ninth when Kelby Weyler hit into a fielder’s choice.

UTRGV plays its final three home games against first place Sam Houston at 7 p.m. Friday at UTRGV Baseball Stadium in Edinburg.

The UTSA Roadrunners, who received votes in the latest NCBWA poll, entered Tuesday’s game against UTRGV on a 10-game home winning streak, averaging 10.5 runs per game over that span.

Vaqueros junior pitcher J.C. Ariza (2-1) took care of that.

Ariza tossed a season-high tying six innings of two-hit, shutout ball and the offense belted a program-record tying six home runs to send the Vaqueros (27-18) to a 12-1 victory at Roadrunner Field in San Antonio.

The Vaqueros have now won four straight games. The six home runs are tied for the second most the Vaqueros have ever hit in aroad game.

This is the first time the Roadrunners (30-15) have been held to less than three runs at home and only their fourth home loss in 22 games this season. This is the first time the Roadrunners have been held to one run at home since April 1, 2021, in a 9-1 loss to Southern Miss. The Vaqueros handed the Roadrunners their most lopsided home loss since Feb. 15, 2019, a 16-5 loss to McNeese.

Ariza set the tone early, striking out five over the first two innings. One of the hits came during the first and the other cameleading off the second. After that second hit, Ariza retired 14 straight batters.

Offensively, Brett Cain drew a career-high three walks, scoring twice.

The Vaqueros scored early and often. During the first, Freddy Rojas Jr. hit a two-out RBI single against Ryan Beaird (2-4) to make the score 1-0.

Junior Brandon Pimentel, who scored on that play, launched his 11th home run of the season during the third to make the score 2-0.

Pimentel is now tied for eighth in program history with Hall of Famer Joe Hernandez (1975) for home runs in a season. Next upare Andy Ness (1999), Rafael Barbosa (1983), and Bobby Joe Williams (1983), who all hit 12 home runs.

Bryan Sturges, who played at UTSA from 2019-20, hit his first of two home runs during the fifth, a two-run shot.

Junior Chris Mondesi followed with his second home run to make the score 5-0 during the sixth.

With two outs during the seventh, Sturges hit an RBI double and Rojas hit an RBI single to extend the Vaqueros’ lead to 7-0.

The Roadrunners pushed across their run during the eighth on a one-out double by Jonathan Tapia.

The Vaqueros responded with five runs during the ninth on a solo shot by sophomore PSJA High alum Jacob Sanchez, his fifth, a solo shot by Sturges, his seventh, and a three-run shot by freshman Edinburg Vela alum Isaac Lopez, hit second. The three RBIs are a career-high for Lopez.

Sturges posted his second multi-home run game, going 3-for-4 with a walk, four RBIs and three runs scored. Pimentel went 2-for-6 with an RBIs and two runs scored. Rojas finished 2-for-3 with a walk and two RBIs.

Max Balderrama Jr. pitched a scoreless ninth to close out the game.

UTRGV closes out nonconference play at 6 p.m. tonight at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

EDINBURG — McAllen Memorial alum Draik Banks capped off a successful collegiate volleyball career this year as a senior with UTRGV, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology.

Now, she has been commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army, via UTRGV’s ROTC program.

Originally from McAllen, Banks transferred back home to UTRGV from Niagara for her final two years. With the support of her family, she joined ROTC with her future in mind.

UTRGV’s ROTC program prepares its students for the responsibilities of an officer in the Army, Army Reserves or Army National Guard following graduation.

“My stepfather was educating me on what the benefits of joining and serving my country would be for me,” Banks said. “Joining the military was definitely my choice, and I thought it would be best for a long-term career path. Not only would I be able to gain knowledge that would help me lead a more successful life later, but also, I would be able to get an education. I would be able to see and travel the world. I would be able to give to my community and the country through my service.”

Playing volleyball at UTRGV helped Banks prepare for the physical requirements of ROTC, and gave her the ability to work in a team and lead others to victory.

McAllen Memorial alum Draik Banks recently graduated from UTRGV with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army via UTRGV’s ROTC program. UTRGV Photo

“Without volleyball, I don’t think I would have actually joined ROTC,” Banks said. “I keep in physical shape through volleyball, and it has actually formed me into a better cadet by just being in that type of environment, working with others and leading on the court. It actually translates very well to leading others in the field and leading others, perhaps, in combat.”

Banks was a leader throughout her two years at UTRGV, serving as one of the vocal members of the volleyball team during matches and in practice. She led cheers from the bench and was always ready when called upon.

She also was a big part of the middle blocker rotation. She averaged 1.10 kills and 0.61 blocks, while hitting .310 to help the Vaqueros win the Western Athletic Conference Championship as a junior in 2018.

This past season, Banks averaged 0.94 kills and 0.67 blocks while hitting .271.

“Once I graduate and commission, I will be going straight into whatever billet the Army assigns me,” Banks said. “Hopefully, it’s a physical therapist route and I’ll join PT school, training to become a physical therapist for the Army.”

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