SAN ANGELO, Texas – The Angelo State baseball team will begin the Division II title defense when the eighth-seeded Rams face off against top-seeded Central Missouri at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, N.C.

LAST TIME OUT:
The Blue and Gold utilized extra inning heroics in game one and the long ball in game three to take two of three games against LSC foe Lubbock Christian to clinch the program's fourth straight South Central Regional title.

[8] ANGELO STATE RAMS (41-19, 32-16 LSC) vs. [1] CENTRAL MISSOURI MULES (52-8, 29-4 MIAA)
Sat., June, 1, 5 p.m. CST |  USA Baseball National Training Complex – Cary, N.C.
Tournament Central | Bracket
Live Video: https://www.ncaa.com/game/6296634
Live Stats: angelostats.com
Live Radio: https://www.kwfrfm.com/

Online tickets: Fans traveling to Cary, N.C. are encouraged to purchase their tickets online at: https://www.etix.com/ticket/v/6945/usa-baseball-national-training-complex

SERIES HISTORY:
All-Time Series: ASU leads 1-0
Last Meeting: May 15, 2009 – ASU, 6-3 – Warrensburg, Mo.
Saturday will be the second time the Rams and Mules compete against each other, the previous being in the 2009 South Central Regional tournament where the ASU knocked off CMU 6-3.

SCOUTING THE MULES:
Central Missouri enters the tournament riding a five-game winning streak that allowed CMU to sweep through and clinch the Central Regional title.

The Mules are no strangers to offensive production as they sit amongst the best in DII in numerous team offensive categories including leading the nation in batting average, hits, home runs, runs scored, slugging percentage and stolen bases.

CMU boasts three NCBWA All-Americans: outfielder Brennen van Breusegen earned first-team honors with a .385 batting average, 21 home runs and 69 RBI. Carter Young was on the second team with a .373 batting average and 16 home runs. Lastly, Conner Wolf represents the Mules from the third team as he boasts a perfect 12-0 record with four complete games, two shutouts, a 4.17 ERA and 85 strikeouts in 90.2 innings pitched.

QUICK HITS:
- The Rams are just the seventh team in Division II history to advance to the National Tournament in four consecutive years and the third team to do it since 2000.
- Tripp Clark's .445 batting average is eighth in DII while he is second in RBIs (88).
- Jacob Guerrero leads the LSC in stolen bases (26).
- Weston Valasek has been hit by a pitch 31 times this season which is second in DII.
- Justin Harris' 48 walks puts him tied for 15th in DII.
- Dax Dathe has collected 109 strikeouts which is tied for fourth in DII.
- Braxton Pearson has allowed only 1.52 walks per nine innings pitched which ranks 25th in DII. He holds a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 5.45 which is 14th in the country.

SEASON HIGHLIGHTS:
POST-SEASON HONORS:
2024 NCBWA All-America Teams:
1st Team All-American:
Name                         Pos.    Yr.       Hometown                 Major
Tripp Clark                C          Jr.       Waco, Texas              Accounting

2024 ABCA South-Central All-Region:
1st-Team All-Region:
Name                         Pos.    Yr.       Hometown                 Major
Tripp Clark                C          Jr.       Waco, Texas              Accounting
Dax Dathe                  SP       Jr.       Round Rock, Texas  Interdisciplinary Studies
Braxton Pearson      SP       Sr.       Georgetown, Texas  Communication
Caleb Heuertz           RP       Sr.       San Angelo, Texas   Business Administration

2nd-Team All-Region:
Name                         Pos.    Yr.       Hometown                 Major
Jacob Guerrero        OF       Sr.       Colleyville, Texas     Accounting
Alezeah Gutierrez    SP       Jr.       El Paso, Texas          Criminal Justice

2024 NCBWA South Central All-Region:
1st-Team All-Region:
Name                         Pos.    Yr.       Hometown                 Major
Tripp Clark                C          Jr.       Waco, Texas              Accounting
Jacob Guerrero        OF       Sr.       Colleyville, Texas     Accounting
Dax Dathe                 SP       Jr.       Round Rock, Texas  Interdisciplinary Studies
Caleb Heuertz          RP       Sr.       San Angelo, Texas   Business Administration

2024 LSC BASEBALL ALL-CONFERENCE:
1st-Team All-Conference:
Name                         Pos.    Yr.       Hometown                 Major
Tripp Clark                C          Jr.       Waco, Texas              Accounting
Jacob Guerrero        OF       Sr.       Colleyville, Texas     Accounting
Dax Dathe                  SP       Jr.       Round Rock, Texas  Interdisciplinary Studies
Caleb Heuertz           RP       Sr.       San Angelo, Texas   Business Administration

2nd-Team All-Conference:
Name                         Pos.    Yr.       Hometown                 Major
Alezeah Gutierrez    SP       Jr.       El Paso, Texas           Criminal Justice
Braxton Pearson      SP       Sr.       Georgetown, Texas  Communication

3rd-Team All-Conference:
Name                         Pos.    Yr.       Hometown                 Major
Conagher Sands      DH       Sr.       Bakersfield, Calif.    Interdisciplinary Studies

All-Academic Team:
Name                         Pos.    Yr.       Hometown                 Major
Jacob Guerrero        OF       Sr.       Colleyville, Texas     Accounting

IN-SEASON HONORS:
LSC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK:
- Feb. 12 – Tripp Clark (Hitter)
- Mar. 4 – Dax Dathe (Pitcher)
- Mar. 11 – Alezeah Gutierrez (Pitcher)
- Mar. 19 – Jacob Guerrero (Hitter)
- Apr. 9 – Alezeah Gutierrez (Pitcher)
- Apr. 15 – Tripp Clark (Hitter)

NCBWA SOUTH CENTRAL REGION PLAYERS OF THE WEEK:
- Feb. 12 – Tripp Clark (Hitter)
- Mar. 4 – Dax Dathe (Pitcher)
- Mar. 11 – Alezeah Gutierrez (Pitcher)
- Mar. 19 – Jacob Guerrero (Hitter)
- Apr. 10 – Alezeah Gutierrez (Pitcher)

NCBWA NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
- Mar. 20 – Jacob Guerrero (Hitter)