Producing their first shutout in a season opener since 2010, Texas State defeated the Niagara Purple Eagles 13-0 in the first game of the three series to kickoff the 2026 season.
Starting pitcher Kyle Froehlich earned the win, throwing five innings while allowing just two hits and striking out eight batters.
“It starts with Kyle Froehlich,” Head Coach Steven Trout said. “The guy went out there and just threw a ton of strikes and then that's why he's (starting) on Friday night. There were a lot of strikes with really good stuff so it gives us a chance to go win the baseball game. Really good job by him.”
The Bobcat pitching staff of Froehlich, Alec Beversdorf, Alex Yearwood and Braylen Timmins combined to allow only three hits, one walk and striking out 15 batters.
“That's what (coaching staff) prepped us to do,” Froehlich said. “They pushed us to fill up a zone, let our stuff play and I thought those guys did a great job tonight afterwards coming in, continuing to pound the zone and just being their best selves out there.”
The Bobcats struck first in the bottom of the second as third baseman Chase Mora crushed a two-run home run to give the Bobcats the early 2-0 lead.
Following four scoreless innings, the Bobcats found their offensive mojo.
Freshman Jackson Cotton kicked off the inning with an RBI double for his first collegiate hit followed by senior Austin Munguia hitting an RBI double of his own.
Junior Bennett Fryman then hit a three-run home run, extending the lead to 7-0.
Sophomore Dawson Park continued the inning with an RBI single to put runners on first and second with Cotton coming back to the plate.
Cotton smashed a hard hit ball into deep center field and off the wall, allowing both Park and junior Jaquae Stewart to score. Cotton turned on the jets rounding third as he beat the throw home to complete the inside the park home run for his first collegiate homer.
“When I hit second, the ball was still in the air and it was probably about 3 steps before I got to 3rd base,” Cotton said “ I looked up and I saw Trout waving at me and I was, ‘Oh, I gotta go.’ I didn't even look up. I was head down, thinking it was a triple and then he waved at me and I was just going to go from there.”
The Bobcats later added two more runs in the bottom of the eighth.
Texas State will look to close out the series Saturday in Game 2 against Niagara. First pitch is set for 2:30 p.m.
