SAN ANGELO, Texas – There are just eight games remaining in the 2026 regular season as the Angelo State University baseball team will hit the road to the Land of Enchantment to begin a four-game, weekend series, against Eastern New Mexico beginning on Friday, Apr. 17.

LAST TIME OUT
For the second straight week, the Rams battled the elements, this time at home, before securing their seventh series victory of the season against West Texas A&M.

PITCHING
The Rams pitching staff limited the Buffs to just five runs through the first two games before giving up eight in the lone loss and 10 in the shootout series finale. Clayton Broeder was a lightning delay away from picking up the pitching win as he was efficient in his 3 2/3 innings of work where he allowed just three hits in 28 pitches. Garrett Villa and Garrett Baumann tossed the final 6 2/3 innings in Friday's win with each of them picking up the win and save respectively.

HITTING
Austin Beck came through in a big way with a weekend slash line of .583 batting average, .667 on base percentage and a 1.083 slugging percentage. The redshirt senior recorded seven hits, including two home runs while contributing 14 runs and swiping seven bases throughout the weekend. Payton Bush, Chase Pendley, Hunter Holt and Tate Greene each recorded a batting average over .300 with Bush and Holt recording on base percentages over .500.

THE SERIES
RV Angelo State Rams (28-14, 28-14 LSC)
at Eastern New Mexico Greyhounds (15-27, 15-27 LSC)
Greyhound Baseball Field – Portales, New Mexico

SERIES HISTORY
All-Time Series: ASU leads 75-24
Last Meeting: Apr. 19, 2025 – ASU, 6-4 – San Angelo, Texas
The Rams have led the entire series since its inception and have won 28 of the last 30 games dating back to 2019. The Blue and Gold are 30-13 against the Greyhounds in Portales, N.M. and average just over nine runs a game across the series history.

SERIES SCHEDULE
Game 1: Friday, Apr. 17, 7 p.m.
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Game 2 (7 Innings): Saturday, Apr. 18, 3 p.m.
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Game 3 (7 Innings): Saturday, Apr. 18, 6 p.m.
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Game 4: Sunday, Apr. 19, 2 p.m.
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SCOUTING THE GREYHOUNDS
Eastern New Mexico enters the weekend at 15-27 overall, having a 7-12 record at home and 8-15 on the road. Recently, ENMU have dropped six of their last eight contests, including series losses at home to St. Mary's and on the road against Lubbock Christian. Despite the woes from the season, they did earn a series split at home against conference leading UT Tyler.

HITTING
As a team, the Greyhounds enter the weekend with a .287 batting average, which is 13th Lone Star Conference. ENMU have the second most strikeouts in the conference of 321, a couple shy of Cameron.

Despite the offensive woes, the Greyhounds have five players amongst their qualified hitters who have a batting average over .300, led by Eiji Sawamura, who boasts a .360 batting average while also leading the team in hits (58) and stolen bases (17). Gabriel Watson proves to be the power threat as he has blasted 10 longballs while being the only player on the team to have an OPS over 1.000.

PITCHING
Eastern New Mexico have a staff ERA of 9.16, 12th in the LSC. The Greyhounds have given up 443 hits, 98 doubles, 24 triples all of which are amongst the most in the LSC. The staff is highlighted by Demitrius DiMatteo, who's 3.58 ERA is sixth best in the conference. The southpaw has limited hitters to a .251 batting average and given up 18 walks.

RAMBLINGS ABOUT THE RAMS
AMONG THE NATION (and conference) LEADERS
The Rams continue to be amongst the nation's and conference leaders in numerous statistical categories, including;

- Base on Balls: 178 (26^th in DII, 4^th in LSC)
- Double Plays: 31 (3^rd in DII, 1^st in LSC)
- Team ERA: 4.76 (39^th in DII, 2^nd in LSC)
- Hit by Pitch: 78 (4^th in DII, 2^nd in LSC)
- Hits Allowed per 9 Innings: 8.45 (21^st in DII, 1^st in LSC)
- On Base Percentage: .428 (55^th in DII, 4^th in LSC)
- Runs Scored: 275 (41^st in DII, 5^th in LSC)
- Sacrifice Bunts: 28 (8^th in DII, 2^nd in LSC)
- Stolen Bases: 107 (5^th in DII, 1^st in LSC)
- Triples: 16 (4^th in DII, 1^st in LSC)
- WHIP: 1.42 (28^th in DII, 2^nd in LSC)

NEW KIDS (ON THE DIAMOND)
The Angelo State baseball program has seen numerous contributions from new faces throughout the 2026 campaign:

- Gamaliel Jones : .448 on base percentage, 19 stolen bases
- Garrett Baumann: 8-4 record, 3.91 ERA, 46.0 innings pitched, 47 strikeouts
- Nick Gray: 5-1 record, 4.21 ERA, .146 opponents' batting average
- Payton Bush: .360 batting average, .465 on base percentage, 50 hits
- Tate Greene: .325 batting average, 3 triples, 3 home runs

HIS NAME IS BECK…AUSTIN BECK
Austin Beck has broken numerous school and Lone Star Conference Records over the course of his stellar career in the Blue and Gold. Entering his senior season, the Allen, Texas native owns the program's:

- Runs Scored in a Career, 287
- Runs Scored in a Career (Lone Star Conference), 287
- Stolen Base in a Career, 154
- Total Bases in a Career, 462
- Triples in a Career, 17
- Walks in a Game, 4

Beck now has his sights set on more records, including…

- Lone Star Conference Record for Triples in a Career, 3 Away
- School Record for Games Played in a Career, 7 Away
- School Record for Games Started in a Career, 6 Away
- School Record for Hits in a Career, 11 Away
- School Record for Doubles in a Career, 11 Away

THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GLOVE
Blake Wilhoite has been exceptional this season, improving in all statistics since he's arrived on campus just two seasons ago. The Gold Glove winner from Midlothian, Texas boasts a .336 batting average and a .547 on base percentage (second in the LSC), picking up 39 hits, 37 walks and 18 hit by pitches..

BAU-WOW-MANN
Through the many roles he's played in the pitching staff this season, Garrett Baumann has been crucial to the Rams' success on the mound. The Poth, Texas native boasts an 8-4 record and a 3.91 ERA in his 46 innings of work through 18 appearances. The redshirt senior leads the team with 47 strikeouts while limiting hitters to a .261 batting average.

THE SKIP: KEVIN BROOKS
Kevin Brooks has guided the Angelo State baseball program to seven NCAA Division II College World Series appearances, including seven South Central Championships, and has compiled an impressive overall record of 864-378 since starting the ASU program in 2005. In 2023, the Rams claimed the Division II National Championship for the first time in program history.

IN SEASON AWARDS
NCBWA NATIONAL HITTER OF THE WEEK
Feb. 19 – Austin Beck

NCBWA SOUTH CENTRAL REGIONAL HITTER OF THE WEEK
Feb. 25 – Austin Beck
Feb. 18 – Austin Beck

LONE STAR CONFERENCE PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Mar. 2 – Garrett Baumann

LONE STAR CONFERENCE HITTER OF THE WEEK
Feb. 23 – Austin Beck
Feb. 17 – Austin Beck

THE SCHEDULE LOOKS…DIFFERENT
With the addition of UT Dallas in the Fall of 2025, the Lone Star Conference had to make adjustments to the schedule to adhere to the 50-game regular season limit imposed by the NCAA. Therefore, all games on the Rams' 2026 schedule are Lone Star Conference games, with the first two series of the season will be three games each before transitioning back to a four-game series format beginning in week three.

PRESEASON HONORS
NCBWA PRESEASON SOUTH CENTRAL ALL-REGION
Chase Pendley – Designated Hitter

LONE STAR CONFERENCE PRESEASON POLL
The Angelo State baseball team was picked to finish as the runner-up, totaling 599 points and collecting 20 of the possible 42 first-place votes. UT Tyler was selected to win the LSC with 603 points and garnered an additional 20 first-place votes. Lubbock Christian, St. Edward's and West Texas A&M rounded out the top five, with the last two first-place votes going to Texas A&M-Kingsville and Texas A&M International.

LONE STAR CONFERENCE PLAYERS TO WATCH
Chase Pendley – Designated Hitter/Infielder
Josh Reed – Left-Handed Pitcher

2025 SEASON RECAP
Last season, ASU accumulated a 48-10 overall record and went 39-7 in Lone Star Conference play on the way to capturing the LSC Regular Season and Tournament Titles before falling to UT Tyler in the South Central Super Regional.