SAN ANGELO - The No. 5 Angelo State baseball team will host the NCAA Division II South Central Regional Tournament for the first time in program history this weekend at Foster Field at 1st Community Credit Union Stadium, facing Arkansas Fort Smith in the opening game at 12 p.m. on Thursday.
The Rams earned the right to host after posting a regular season record of 41-13 with a 17-6 showing in the Lone Star Conference. It is the third straight year the Rams have made a regional and the ninth time in program history, which have all come under ASU head baseball coach Kevin Brooks.
ASU has reached the NCAA postseason as the No. 1 seed thanks to one of the top offenses in the nation. The Rams rank No. 2 overall in on-base percentage and No. 9 in team batting average. They are also ranked in the top 25 nationally in hits, runs, stolen bases, and triples as well as double plays and WHIP.
The Ram offense is led by Jacob Boston and Mitch Henshaw, who have both collected more than 100 bases this season. Boston leads the team in batting average at .372 as well as on-base percentage at .476 and slugging percentage at .610. He has 10 home runs on the season. Henshaw is in a three-way tie for the team lead in doubles with 14 and is batting a robust .368 on the year. His 37 RBI are tied for second on the team as well.
Tied with Henshaw in total RBI as well as doubles is infielder Tyler Coolbaugh. The senior is hitting .366 on the year in 49 games and has gotten on base at a .470 clip.
The fourth and final Ram with a batting average above .350 this season is freshman Nick Novak. In 123 at-bats this season, Novak has six doubles, a pair of triples and a home run. He has scored 29 times.
Four other Rams are hitting better than .300, including Jonathan Soberanes, Matt Waller, Elias Aguirre and Steven Pinales. Soberanes leads the group with a .457 on-base percentage and is also tied for the team lead with 17 stolen bases. Aguirre has 17 as well, and the junior has scored the second most runs on the team with 44.
The Ram backstop, Matt Waller, has seen actin in 44 games this year, hitting .342 in that time. He is tied for second on the team with three triples and has also hit four home runs. Steven Pinales is the team and Lone Star Conference triples leader with seven on the season. Pinales has started in 53 games, more than any other Ram, hitting .317 in that time.
Other Rams contributing to the incredible offensive output include Jay Gonzalez, Michael Urquidi, Zach Fleet and Nate Ruane. Gonzalez hit home runs in back-to-back games in the LSC postseason tournament and has three in the last five games. Urquidi is hitting .271 in 107 at-bats this year and has swiped 12 bags. Fleet and Ruane are both hitting above .300 in limited at-bats this year as well, at .389 and .365 respectively.
On the mound, ASU has been led by Matt Shannon, Ryan Smith, Dustin Angiel and Joe Hauser.
Shannon and Smith have been strong in the starting role, ranking first and second in innings pitched on the team. Shannon is also the team leader in strikeouts with 79 in his 88.1 innings pitched, while Smith has a perfect 11-0 record.
Hauser and Angiel have the most appearances for the Rams, working exclusively out of the bullpen. Hauser has an ERA of just 3.04 and has been the main closer for ASU, ranking third in the nation with 13 saves. Angiel has a 3-1 record in 22 appearances and has struck out 27 batters in 27.1 innings pitched.
The Rams have also seen strong performances this season from Blake Barr, Shane Browning, Jake Mathys and Kenton Schroter this year. Barr has an ERA of 2.08 in 11 appearances including six starts, and Browning has worked primarily as a starter as well, striking out a team-second 58 batters in just over 47 innings. Mathys and Schroter have worked out of the bullpen most of the season with seven wins apiece.
In the opening round of the double-elimination tournament, ASU will face the No. 6 seed Arkansas Fort Smith. The Lions are making their first ever appearance in the NCAA Division II postseason tournament after finishing with a 33-20 record and making it to the championship game of the Heartland Conference tournament.
All games of the tournament will be streamed for free on AngeloSports.com and the Ram games can be heard locally on 1260 KKSA.
