SAN ANGELO, TX, — For the third straight year, the top-seeded Angelo State Rams baseball team will be hosting Colorado Mesa with a trip to the Division II College World Series on the line.
GAME TIMES
Game 1 – Friday at 6:30 p.m. | Game 2 – Saturday at 3:00 p.m. | Game 3 (if necessary) 45 minutes after Game 2.
SERIES HISTORY
While the history between the two is minimal with the squads meeting just 9 previous times, the significance of them all have been in the South Central Region with both playing with their seasons on the line.
The Rams hold a slim 5-4 advantage over the Mavericks, including winners of the previous two match-ups last year that sent the Rams to Cary, North Carolina. Eight of the 9 previous meetings have been in San Angelo, with both winning four times.
CHASING HISTORY
With two victories this weekend, Angelo State will set a new program record for wins in a season, surpassing the previous record of 51 by the 2022 and 2007 teams. Two wins would also mark the first time in program history that the Rams have punched their ticket to the College World Series for three straight years.
On the mound, after tying the record for most wins last weekend with 13, ASU pitcher Kade Bragg has the opportunity to surpass Trent Baker with the most wins in a season with 14 in program history.
SCOUTING THE RAMS
Leading the Rams at the plate this season, is outfielder Jacob Guerrero batting .438 to this point, tied for 10th in the country, while also hitting 23 doubles. Tripp Clark leads ASU in RBIs with 61, while Austin Beck has hit seven triples this season, tied for third in the country.
On the mound, Angelo State is led by Kade Bragg who leads all of Division II with wins with 13, and earned run average sitting at 1.11. In his 89 innings pitched this season, Bragg has strikeout 108 batters.
Around the country, as a team, the Rams are third in batting average (.348), fifth in team ERA (3.55), first in fielding percentage (.984), second in times hit by a pitch with 146, and third in runs with 564.
SCOUTING THE MAVERICKS
Colorado Mesa enters the weekend as a team that has hit over 100 home runs, and over 100 stolen bases on the season while having the top average in the country sitting at .375. The Mavs are also first in hits (736), runs (635), and slugging percentage (.639).
Individually, in the batter’s box, Mesa is led by Robert Sharra, Julian Boyd, Conrad Villafuerte, and Harrison Rodgers. Sharrar leads the team in average, Villaferte leads the team in RBIs, and Boyd leads the team in hits, doubles, and triples on the season.
On the mound, Colorado Mesa is led by freshmen Liam Hohenstein who enters the weekend with a 9-0 record, a 2.97 ERA, with 64 strikeouts in 60 and two-thirds innings pitched.
DOGPILE
The winner of this best-of-three South Central Super Regional will represent the South Central Region in Cary, North Carolina at the College World Series that begins June 3rd.
