Locking in down the stretch

Vaqueros look to improve in the WAC

_{Redshirt junior pitcher Francisco Hernandez walks off the mound during the March 22 game against Grand Canyon University at the UTRGV Baseball Stadium on the Edinburg campus. PHOTO COURTESY KRISTELLA CRUZ}

As the 2024 collegiate baseball season begins to wrap up, the Vaqueros will look to gain crucial ground in the Western Athletic Conference ahead of a homestand before a long final road trip.

The Vaqueros will play a game against Lamar University at 6:30 p.m. today and a weekend WAC series against Stephen F. Austin State University at the UTRGV Baseball Stadium on the Edinburg campus.

In what will be their final season as a member of the WAC, the Vaqueros have hovered around the .500 mark. As of press time, they stood at 18-15, with their conference record at 7-8. This puts them eighth out of 11 teams in the conference standings.

UTRGV Baseball head coach Derek Matlock told The Rider that while this season has had “some ups and downs,” he remains hopeful the team will get hot down the stretch.

“We have enough ability here and talent to do it,” Matlock said. “So we just gotta have some guys step up and do it, and we’ll be OK. We’ve let some games go that we wish we had back, there’s no doubt, but we got a good ballclub in here. We just gotta keep working and keep getting after it.”

There are two players in particular that Matlock and the Vaqueros will rely on this season. 

Zach Tjelmeland (3-2), a senior starting pitcher from Austin, has been one of the steadiest arms in the Vaqueros’ rotation.

This season, Tjelmeland pitched to a 3.12 ERA and 1.21 WHIP (walks plus hits per inning pitched) in nine starts. He has struck out 55 batters in 52.0 innings pitched while walking 17, holding opponents to a .235 batting average.

To achieve this, Tjelmeland uses a four-pitch repertoire consisting of a four-seam fastball, a two-seam fastball, a change-up and a slider. 

He told The Rider that it has been “great” to be able to contribute to and solidify the Vaqueros’ starting rotation. 

“I’m just focusing on doing my job and giving my teammates the best chance they have to win,” Tjelmeland said. “It’s been nice; it’s nice being able to control the game and leave it on the field for my boys.”

He said the key to his success on the mound has been “consistency and trust in the defense.”

Matlock described Tjelmeland as “one of the top two or three starters in the league.”

“[He’s] a guy that had been pretty medium his whole career here as a reliever,” Matlock said. “[But he] got an opportunity to start, wanted to start, and has really put together a great year.”

Another player to keep an eye out for is redshirt junior first baseman Martin Vazquez. A graduate of Sharyland High School, Vazquez has provided serious pop in the heart of the Vaqueros lineup, as well as steady defense at first base.

As of press time, Vazquez led all qualified teammates with a 1.068 OPS, 13 home runs and a 33 RBI in 32 games this season.

This includes a two home-run night in Austin that contributed to a 17-9 victory over the Longhorns last Tuesday, the first victory over the University of Texas since the 1971 NCAA District Championship. At that time, the school was known as Pan American University.

Vazquez said he is “really happy” with his approach and the results that he has at the plate this year.

“I think I just need to try to help the team right now [both] in the conference, and trying to earn a spot in the playoffs,” he said.

Going into the season, Vazquez was previously described as a “gap-to-gap” hitter without much power, according to Matlock.

“[Vazquez] has really showed that he’s some power to hit the ball out of the ballpark,” the coach said. “He’s a great defender, too; he’s got great makeup, he’s got [a] real even-keel mindset, doesn’t really let the game beat him ever.”

Matlock also said Vazquez “loves playing the game,” and praised his passion for baseball.

“That’s the biggest thing I see from him,” Matlock said. “It’s his love and passion for the game. He loves it.”

As they enter the second-to-last homestand of the season, the Vaqueros are also counting on the great support they have received from their fans at the UTRGV Baseball Stadium.

The 2024 campaign has seen massive crowds coming to the stadium. This year, the Vaqueros averaged 1,928 fans per game, their highest average in program history, according to the UTRGV Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. 

The highest attended games this season have been tied to promotions run by the Athletics department. The Vaqueros drew 4,313 attendees March 23 for “Swiftie Night;” 6,044 April 6 for “956 Night;” and 5,374 April 13 for “Selena Night.” 

The attendance figures are good for the second-, third- and fourth-highest crowds that UTRGV has drawn at its current ballpark. The UTRGV Baseball Stadium has a capacity of 5,000.

Jonah Goldberg, associate athletic director for Communications and Championships, said he “can’t thank the fans enough” for coming out and supporting the Vaqueros and their promotions.

“[Athletics is] partnering with so many groups and finding something for everybody,” Goldberg said. “It’s been important for us, finding something for everybody in the [Rio Grande] Valley, and that’s part of ‘Rallying the Valley.’”