Freshmen duo delivering the goods for the Bobcats

On a team heavy with upperclassmen, two Texas State freshmen have been able to make a big splash for the Bobcats over the course of the season.

Second baseman Chase Mora and Catcher/Designated Hitter Rashawn Galloway made a name for themselves as the duo have worked their way into Head Coach Steven Trout’s lineup.

“Both have kinda had their own journey,” Trout said. “The biggest thing with both of them is that we thought they were going to be really good. In recruiting them, we thought they were impactful guys but you never know when that is going to happen.”

Despite being highly recruited in high school, both Galloway and Mora’s roads have not been easy.

“It’s been up and down,” Galloway said. “Coming in as a freshman, it’s kinda hard to prove yourself early in the season. It’s about sticking to what you know best and believing in yourself. Having that confidence has been a big key for me especially towards the end of the year where I have been playing a lot more.”

Along with confidence, being opportunistic has also helped the duo.

“It’s taking advantage of every opportunity,” Mora said. “Then it’s grinding everyday and buying into what the coaches are telling us to do with our swings.”

Though the journey has not been the easiest, both players have found similar ways to stay on top.

“It’s about staying grounded,” Galloway said. “One of the mindsets I keep is saying to myself I haven’t done anything yet. I still have much to prove to everyone and myself. There is much more I can get better at and more I can do.”

As for Mora, he is trying to improve himself every single day as well as using Galloway’s methodology as well.

“Staying grounded has been big,” Mora said. “Everyday is about getting 1% better ,which we learn from Coach Brian Cann. There is always something you can be better at. That is what we do everyday, and we are always working.”

Though Galloway didn’t have the best start at the beginning of the season, the freshman from Boerne High School has slowly been improving his game especially at the plate.

“He didn’t have a great fall but during the spring offseason he was on fire,” Trout said. “He had some chances at DH and called the game at UIW at catcher. He did okay but struggled offensively, which tends to happen. He had a little gap from his playing time, but he continued to keep working at batting practice and showing some good swings.”

The hard work paid off for Galloway as he is currently on a eight game hitting streak including knocking out key RBIs in wins over Old Dominion and Troy.

One of the obstacles Galloway had to face was coming to San Marcos after the Bobcats historic 2022 season.

“It was definitely a challenge coming in,” Galloway said. “You have all of the hype surrounding the team, but you were not a part of that success. You want to be able to prove yourself and step up as a freshman to live up to that hype. They made a huge splash last year and beat Stanford in the Regionals and just came up short while beating No. 1 Texas so you feel that hype during the fall season and offseason leading all up to the regular season.”

Though Galloway earned his spot through hard work and dedication, the freshman still looks to improve his game.

“It’s been really cool,” Galloway said. “It’s a cool experience, but it shows what it takes to be a Division I college baseball player. Me and Chase come from pretty prominent high schools where we had that starting job since we were freshman. For us it’s about earning that spot and the grind and not being handed to us. Anyone on this team is just as good as we are so being able to earn that starting spot and keep piling on is a good feeling.”

It was a different story for Mora as the freshman from Tomball High School was unable to participate during the offseason due to having Tommy John Surgery.

“For Chase coming off of an injury, he was behind, because he couldn’t play the position for a little while until he was cleared,” Trout said. “Once he started to get the chances to play everyday he took full advantage of it.”

Mora made a massive splash at the start of the season when his first three at-bats all ended in home runs against Northwestern along with breaking the school record for most homeruns in a game with four against North Dakota and becoming the all time leader in home runs by a freshmen with 13.

“It’s been refreshing to see,” Trout said. “He does a lot of things that are uncharacteristic of a freshman not only on the field but his leadership qualities as well. He is one of our more consistent guys of calling timeout and going up to the pitcher when he is struggling along with the comments he makes to the dugout.”

Much like Galloway, Mora also noticed the massive expectations the Bobcats were under coming off of the 2022 season.

“Even though I wasn’t able to do much during the offseason, you can tell the coaches are holding us to a high standard,” Mora said. “There is a high expectation and the coaches know what the team can do and what we are capable of. This shows we (Texas State) are able to make that big splash, but we are not done and we are not satisfied.”

Just as his teammate continues to make a statement to be in the lineup, Mora does the exact same thing.

“When I got my start first at GCU, I knew I had to take advantage of it,” Mora said. “The first two games were a little rocky trying to get back to being in the game after being out for so long. It was hard but it goes back to grinding everyday knowing someone can take your spot. It’s really about staying humble and understanding you are not the best but rather you have to keep working to be the best.”

cmcwilliams @sanmarcosrecord.com Twitter: @ColtonBMc