Looking ahead to Opening Day

UTRGV Baseball begins Friday

Graduate infielder Issac Lopez warms up to hit the ball during a practice game Friday at the UTRGV Baseball Stadium on the Edinburg campus. Amara Cazares/THE RIDER — *Graduate infielder Issac Lopez warms up to hit the ball during a practice game Jan. 31 at the UTRGV Baseball Stadium on the Edinburg campus.*
**Amara Cazares/THE RIDER**

With the start of UTRGV Baseball just two days away, the Vaqueros are ramping up their preparations for the upcoming season.

They will open the season at 6:30 p.m. Friday at home, the first of a three-game series against the Southern Illinois University Salukis.

Hope springs eternal in a new season, with the Vaqueros seeking to put an injury-plagued 29-25 campaign, where they finished 15-15 in their final year in the Western Athletic Conference.

In 2025, the team will begin the season navigating new territory in a new conference, but who will play a huge role as the season begins?

Redshirt senior utility Erick Martinez tries to catch the ball during a practice game Jan. 31 at the UTRGV Baseball Stadium on the Edinburg campus.
Amara Cazares/THE RIDER — *Redshirt senior utility Erick Martinez tries to catch the ball during a practice game Jan. 31 at the UTRGV Baseball Stadium on the Edinburg campus.*
**Amara Cazares/THE RIDER**

The Vaqueros

The team’s offense will be defined by speed on the basepaths, with head coach Derek Matlock saying there’s more speed than ever before.

“We might be able to take a bag quite often instead of going station to station,” Matlock said. “I think we got a chance for some guys to put up some bases and steal some bags.”

He said he is also optimistic about the Vaqueros’ defensive abilities on the diamond. Last season, UTRGV would have ranked second in the Southland Conference in fielding percentage (.975).

A pair of redshirt junior transfers, second baseman Thomas Williams from Santa Ana College and center fielder Damien Whitfield from Cisco College, seek to shore up an already stout defensive team.

One of the biggest question marks around the Vaqueros remains whether or not power-hitting, fifth-year first baseman Martin Vazquez will be eligible to play.

Graduate infielder Jacob Sanchez attempts to catch the ball during a practice game Friday at the UTRGV Baseball Stadium on the Edinburg campus. Amara Cazares/THE RIDER — Graduate infielder Jacob Sanchez attempts to catch the ball during a practice game *Jan. 31* *at the UTRGV Baseball Stadium on the Edinburg campus.*
**Amara Cazares/THE RIDER**

The team is currently awaiting the NCAA’s decision and does not expect it to come by Opening Day. Last season, Vazquez hit .318 with 17 home runs and a .999 OPS.

Graduate infielder Jacob Sanchez will play first base to start the 2025 season.

“Sanchez was a great player before he hurt his knee,” Matlock said. “He’s also the best defender out of all of [the first basemen]. Great defense has earned him a spot.”

As a Vaquero, Sanchez has hit .251 with an OPS of .745, driving in 60 runs over three seasons.

UTRGV is counting on bounce-back seasons from a couple of starting pitchers, notably graduate ace Angelo Cabral, who was an All-WAC starting pitcher before missing most of 2024 with an elbow injury.

A slew of returning pitchers will add some depth to the pitching staff, such as redshirt senior Francisco “Paco” Hernandez, the winning pitcher in last season’s historic upset against the Longhorns in Austin.

The UTRGV Men’s Baseball Team huddles before a practice game Friday at the UTRGV Baseball Stadium on the Edinburg campus. Amara Cazares/THE RIDER — The UTRGV Men’s Baseball Team huddles before a practice game *Jan. 31* *at the UTRGV Baseball Stadium on the Edinburg campus.*
**Amara Cazares/THE RIDER**

A promising addition to the Vaqueros pitching is junior reliever Steven Oliva, joining the team after transferring from Hill College. He brings a fastball that can reach 95 mph and a slider at around 82 mph, according to Jonah Goldberg, UTRGV senior associate athletic director for Communications and Championships.

A native of Guatemala City, Oliva will be the third Guatemalan-born player in NCAA Division I baseball history, according to Goldberg.

Cabral will get the ball to open the Vaqueros’ season on Friday and will be limited to 65 pitches.

Meet the Salukis

The Salukis play in the Missouri Valley Conference and are led by head coach Lance Rhodes.

“We’re looking forward to getting down there,” Rhodes said. “We’re gonna have to play well. [UTRGV] is gonna be a really good team; they have high expectations.”

Last season, the Salukis finished 33-27 overall and 12-15 in conference play while hitting .286 as a team. They finished sixth in the MVC.

According to Rhodes, the “theme” of the Salukis roster will be in their transfer additions. They added several players from all levels of collegiate baseball, including NCAA, NAIA and junior colleges.

Like the Vaqueros, the Salukis also hope for a bounce-back season from redshirt senior infielder Matt Schark, who played only four games last year due to injury.

Schark slashed .277/.382/.548 with 11 home runs in 2023 and also defended well, accruing a .993 fielding percentage.

Junior pitcher Wyatt Wiatrek prepares to throw the ball during practice game Friday at the UTRGV Baseball Stadium on the Edinburg campus. Amara Cazares/THE RIDER — Junior pitcher Wyatt Wiatrek prepares to throw the ball during practice game *Jan. 31* at the UTRGV Baseball Stadium on the Edinburg campus.
**Amara Cazares/THE RIDER**

They will be sending redshirt sophomore southpaw Jordan Huskey on the mound Friday. A transfer from Florida SouthWestern State College, Huskey was 7-5 last year with a 4.29 ERA, pitching 4 complete games that season.

Final Takeaways

UTRGV, as a newcomer to the Southland Conference, is primed to make some noise this season. Other coaches across Southland picked the university to finish fourth and selected Vaqueros to the All-SLC second team.

The team brings to its new conference a veteran lineup, youth with a year of eligibility under their belts and will welcome back a staff ace in Cabral who has already etched his name into program history books.

The only thing left to say is, “Play ball.”

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