It is hard to imagine averaging a 4:30 per mile pace for 26.2 miles. Running a 4:30 mile is a great time in itself but to do it for a marathon distance is truly amazing. The London Marathon set another record with a record number of finishers at 59,830 runners. This beats the New York Marathon of 59,286 runners.

Having that many runners enter a marathon is almost as unbelievable as a 4:30 mile pace. An interesting note is 5 of the 10 fastest marathons run are in the London Marathon.

I still recall the time when Roger Bannister first broke the four minute mile and it was considered a fantastic feat of endurance. Now the two-hour mark which has stood for all these years is broken. I am not sure if there will be that many runners breaking that time the way runners have broken Bannister’s four-minute mile time. It seems once a record fastest time has been broken, runners know that it can be done and they no longer see it as an impossible task.

I started to think about how the human body can adjust to demands and reach limits never thought possible. My first thoughts of running a marathon was one of those “it will never happen” kind of thing. Then 16 marathons later it wasn’t that hard after all. My first few years of running an eight minute per mile was a major accomplishment. Years later the time was closer to a six minute mile. Now I watch local 5K and 10K races and children under 12 years are running fast times.

And records for runners at 80-90+ years running marathons or sprinting 100 meters in a Master’s Track Meet the changes in meeting new challenges are now common occurrences. Every runner that starts a running program and looks back at the beginning distances and time and compares it to what they can do now is a perfect demonstration of the body adapting to stress.

This is true with strength contests as well. Back when Paul Anersonl at a super heavyweight lifted 400 pounds over his head, it was considered the ultimate record. Now lifters in the middle weight class are now lifting close to that weight.

One of the fastest growing sports in high school is powerlifting and competition is for both boys and girls. I remember entering a meet and watching a girl that probably weighed 98 pounds squat with over 200 pounds. The weight looked like it would crush her but she lifted it and was ready for more weight. Limits are meant to be broken.

When you talk about world records such as running under two hours it should not be confused with personal records or improvement. In David Epstein’s book, “The Sports Gene” he writes about how there are some individuals that have the genes to reach these ultimate goals if they choose to work hard to reach them. Researchers have developed tests to determine an individual’s potential.

One example is the VO2 Max test on a treadmill. With a tube collecting your air as you run, a machine analyzes the CO2 level and can predict your potential for running. My test results showed I had a potential of running a three hour marathon. I made it to 3:03 so for me that was pretty close to reaching my potential.

Another key factor that Epstein mentioned is that many of the world class runners from Africa started running at a young age and was a factor in their ability to reach high levels of performance. Reach for your personal best ability.

Texas State women’s golfers Grace Quintanilla and Yvonne Chamness were selected as two of 36 individuals to represent their institutions in regional play as part of the 2026 NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Championships. The pair will play at the Ridgewood Country Club in Waco.

Regional play will take place May 11-13 at six regional sites, with 396 participants and each site featuring 12 teams and six individuals. The top five teams (30 teams total) and the low individual not on an advancing team (six individuals total) from each regional site will advance to compete in the national championships to be played May 22-27 at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California.

The Waco Regional will be the first postseason appearance for freshman Quintanilla, who finished her regular season ranked No. 107 nationally and was selected to the Sun Belt Conference All-Tournament Team following a tie for fifth place finish.

Quintanilla was in the lineup for 10 of 11 tournaments in her opening campaign, only missing one due to international duty with the Philippines. Of those 10, she led the Bobcats in seven and finished with a team best 71.5 adjusted scoring average. Overall, she posted five rounds in the 60s and 16 even or under par with 29 of 30 rounds counting toward the team score. Her best finish was T4 at the Chevron Challenge and her season-low round of 66 was signed for on the event’s second 18.

The veteran, Chamness, will be making her third consecutive appearance at an NCAA Regional after qualifying as an individual in 2025 and part of TXST’s conference championship winning team in 2024. She saw her highest placement tied for 24th last season in Lubbock.

Chamness appeared in all 11 tournaments this season, earning runner- up honors on two occasions. Overall, she led the lineup in four. Her 10 rounds in the 60s and 17 rounds even or under were a team best, as were her four eagles and 101 birdies. The senior posted a 72.6 scoring average and saw 31 of 33 rounds counted.

As a team, the Bobcats finished just outside of an at-large bid, concluding the regular season ranked No. 54. TXST produced five top five finishes this season highlighted by a team championship at the Texas State Invitational in February and a runner-up finish at the SBC Championship. The Bobcats also garnered the most Sun Belt Player of the Week honors this season with five, including three from Chamness and a pair from Quintanilla.

The Texans rallied in the seventh inning, scoring 11 runs to defeat the Devine Arabians 12-11 for the Area championship.

Wimberley improves to 25-7-2 for the season, while Devine finishes the season at 20-15-1.

After Wimberley tied the game on a Devine fielding error, the Arabians scored six unanswered runs to lead 7-1 going into the seventh inning.

The Texans loaded up the bases with one out before Ella Patek hit a tworun double, cutting the deficit down to 7-3.

Following Patek with runners on second and third, Reagan Kenley hit a two-run RBI single to score two more runs and make it a 7-5 game.

After an RBI triple by Peyton Wharton, the Texans tied the game on an RBI double by Morgan Smith to make it a 7-7 contest.

Grace Strobel was hit by the pitch before Jewel Lock gave the Texans the lead on an RBI single as Wimberley went up 8-7.

Loading up the bases with two outs, Bailey Wright cleared the bases with an RBI double before Patek hit an RBI double of her own as Wimberley entered the bottom of the seventh up 12-7.

The Arabians answered back in the following atbat, scoring on an RBI single before a three-run home run made it a onescore game at 12-11.

As Devine looked to recapture the lead and take home the win, the Texans had other ideas. In the circle, Strobel forced back to back groundouts to capture the final two outs as the Texans held on to win the thrilling game 12-11.

Wright went 3-5 from the plate with three RBIs while Patek went 2-5 with three RBIs. Strobel ended the game with the win while throwing 3.2 innings.

Wimberley will face the winner of Columbia and Zapata in the regional semifinal round.

The district championship is coming back home to Wimberley for the first time in over eight years as the Texans defeated the Davenport Wolves 11-6.

Wimberley finishes the regular season with a 177-1 overall record and a 9-1 district record.

With Davenport defeating Wimberley on Tuesday 10-6, the Wolves and the Texans are heading back to Wimberley tied for first place at 8-1, with the winner on Friday taking home the district championship.

Alex Abrusley put the Texans on the board with an RBI single in the bottom of the first.

Jake Dewell extended the lead in the bottom of the second with an RBI single on the bunt before a balk allowed another Wimberley run, making it a 3-0 lead.

Sage Hall and Maverick Jacobs were both hit by pitches with the bases loaded before a two-run RBI single by Alex Abrusley made it a 7-0 lead going into the third inning.

The Wolves scored two runs in the third and fourth innings before the Texans answered.

In the bottom of the fourth, Jacobs forced a bases loaded walk before Santana Raye hit a tworun RBI single, extending the lead to 10-2.

Davenport hit a tworun RBI double, making it 10-4 before Dewell hit an RBI single to push the Wimberley lead up 11-4.

The Wolves scored two more runs but were unable to complete the comeback as the Texans captured the win and the district championship.

Wimberley enters the playoffs as the No. 1 seed, representing District 26 in the 4A Division II playoffs as the Texans look to make a return trip back to the state title game.

Wimberley opens the playoffs against the Manor New Tech Titans.

New Tech enters the playoffs with a 19-6 overall record, placing 3rd in a District 25 behind Liberty Hill Legacy Ranch and Lago Vista.

The Texans and the Titans are set to play in a three-game series this weekend.

Game 1 is set for 7 p.m. Thursday at Wimberley. Game 2 is set for 11 a.m. Saturday at Manor New Tech with Game 3, if necessary, to be played 30 minutes after.

Sometimes it is hard to gather everything that happened in the past week, covering 24 sports teams in San Marcos.

Between the spring showcase, softball senior weekend, baseball and the new Pac-12 conference all making some news over the past week, I decided to open up my notebook to relay my thoughts and observations on everything sports-related in San Marcos.

NEW PAC-12 LOGO 

Over the weekend, Pac-12 soft-launched their new logo as the conference takes its new shape in July.

To the casual fan, there are not that many differences between the old and new logo that immediately jump out. In fact one of the more common reactions was ‘They changed the logo?’ But overall, the changes to the logo are fine.

The Pac-12 is in a unique position where, despite the changes in membership, their branding is more recognizable to the casual fan than say the American or the Sun Belt.

The change in the logo is a step forward for a conference that was gutted by conference realignment only to rise from the ashes and make their mark in this new era of college athletics.

SPRING SHOWCASE OBSERVATIONS 

Watching the spring showcase on Saturday turned into seeing the future of what the Bobcat football program could be.

Everyone knows about the famous trio of Brad Jackson, Chris Dawn Jr. and Beau Sparks, which is why they and the majority of the starters didn’t see any action on Saturday.

The spring showcase was really an opportunity for the young players to make their mark and possibly earn a starting role.

What stood out to me the most was the fact so many of the big plays that were made were all done by underclassmen. Jordan Martin who made several big catches including an amazing touchdown catch? Redshirt sophomore. Taji Atkins who broke a big run up the middle to jumpstart the offense? Redshirt sophomore. Jayden Bradley and Cordian Powell who made two key interceptions at the beginning of showcase? Redshirt freshman. La’keyleon Graves who made two spectacular catches in the endzone? A true freshman.

The cupboard is full of exciting talent waiting to make their name for this upcoming season.

SENIOR WEEKEND 

Bobcat softball honored their graduating seniors last weekend and their impact on the program itself.

A mix of four-year players and transfers, this year’s senior class had the daunting task of following up and maintaining the standard of what the 2024 team left, advancing to the program’s third-ever regional final in the NCAA Tournament.

But instead of being overwhelmed by the insane expectations, the group picked up the baton and ran with it, capturing the 2025 regular season conference title and are now on the verge of qualifying for the NCAA Tournament for the seventh time in the last 10 seasons [2020 season not included].

It’s an unbelievable job that seniors Karmyn Bass, Aiyana Coleman, Sidney Harvey, Sami Hood, Megan Kelnar, Analisa Soliz, Emma Strood and Keely Williams have accomplished here at Texas State, and a larger testament of the work Head Coach Ricci Woodard and her staff have accomplished.

BASEBALL WOES

Texas State hit another low this week as the Bobcats fell to the Texas A&M Corpus Christi Islanders 7-2.

Flirting with an at-large bid, the Bobcats are now in danger of missing out on the NCAA Tournament, needing the automatic bid to clinch a berth in the gauntlet that is the Sun Belt Conference baseball tournament.

Despite the Bobcats seeing some improvements in their pitching following the switch up of their starting rotation, the offense has hit a massive slump, having not scored more than four runs in eight of their last nine games.

The road doesn’t get any easier for the Bobcats who likely need to win or sweep their next three conference series against South Alabama, Arkansas State and Marshall, then win their midweek games against Baylor and UTSA.

Though the task isn’t impossible, the Bobcats need to turn things around or face the reality of sitting at home in June.

Texas State salvaged their three-game series against the No. 9-ranked Coastal Carolina Chanticleers, winning their final game of the series 10-6.

The win improves Texas State’s overall record to 27-17 and 10-11 in conference play.

After losing 6-2 on Friday then 2-1 on Saturday, the Bobcats were desperate for the win and avoiding their second consecutive weekend of being swept.

The Chanticleers got on the board in the bottom of the first, scoring on an RBI single to take the early 1-0 lead.

In the top of the third, the Bobcat offense, which hadn’t scored more than four runs in the last two weeks, found their spark.

With the bases loaded, junior Jaquae Stewart connected with a grand slam to put the Bobcats up 4-1.

After Coastal scored on an error in the bottom of the third, the Bobcats answered back as sophomore Dawson Park hit a two-run RBI double while facing two outs to extend the lead 6-2.

The Chanticleers refused to go away, scoring in the bottom of the fourth on a two-run RBI, making it a 6-4 game.

Junior Bennett Fryman added on to the Bobcat lead in the top of the sixth, hitting a solo home run in right center. Later in the top of the seventh, junior Justin Vossos hit an RBI single up the middle, making it an 8-4 lead.

The Chanticleers scored two more runs in the seventh and eighth innings as Texas State held on to an 8-6 lead going into the ninth inning.

Stewart and junior Samson Pugh both scored on wild pitches in the top of the ninth, extending the lead to 10-6 as senior Kyle Froehlich came in to close out the side and secure a massive win for the Bobcats.

Texas State is back home this week for the midweek clash against the Texas A&M Corpus Christi Islanders.

The Islanders are 21-21 for the season, coming off a series sweep of the Incarnate Word Cardinals last weekend.

First pitch is set for 6 p.m. Tuesday at Irvine- Rasmussen Ballpark

San Marcos is back in the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season and will look to capture their first playoff series win since 2024.

The Rattlers enter the playoffs as the No. 2 seed representing District 29, as San Marcos faces off with the Medina Valley Panthers.

The Panthers enter the playoffs with a 19-6 overall record, having tied for first place in District 30 with Eagle Pass.

With Eagle Pass and Medina Valley being the smallest schools in terms of enrollment in District 30, both the Eagles and the Panthers will drop down into the Division II bracket with Medina Valley being the No. 1 seed and Eagle Pass being the No. 2 seed.

San Marcos and Medina Valley had played earlier in the season in February with the Panthers winning 5-2 over the Rattlers.

Game 1 will take place 7 p.m. Thursday night at Medina Valley High School, with Game 2 taking place 7 p.m. Friday in San Marcos. Game 3 if necessary will be played 2 p.m. Saturday at Seguin High School.

The Bobcats didn’t let their historic win over No. 3-ranked Texas Tech this past week get to their heads as Texas State went on to clinch their conference series against Southern Miss, winning two of the three games.

Texas State improves to 31-17 for the season and 11-7 in conference play.

“I kind of feel like something’s clicked, and we’re all clicking at the right time,” senior pitcher Emma Strood said.

”We’re all getting hot at the right time. So I’m really happy about that and I’ve been feeling good.”

In the first game of the series, the Bobcats blasted Southern Miss with four home runs, including two homers from junior Katarina Zarate, to win 6-1 over the Golden Eagles.

Junior pitcher Madison Azua earned the win, throwing a complete game while allowing just three hits, one earned run, no walks and striking out four batters.

Going into Saturday, Texas State followed up their hot offensive performance by tacking on eight runs against Southern Miss, two of which came on home runs, as the Bobcats defeated the Golden Eagles 8-1.

“They’re just [having] confident swings,” Head Coach Ricci Woodard said. “I’ve been waiting all year for that. As long as the pitching staff stays as confident as they’ve been, and the bats start to go like they’re going right now, we’re going to be hard to beat.”

The highlight of the game came in the bottom of the sixth with the bases loaded as Southern Miss opted to intentionally walk senior Aiyana Coleman to allow Texas State to score a run.

“I was kind of shocked because I figured they would at least pitch to me because bases were loaded,” Coleman said. “But I took it as a sign of ultimate respect because bases were loaded.”

During the series, Coleman set a new program record for most walks in a single season at 48. Against Southern Miss, Coleman was walked seven times, hitting two home runs in the first two games.

Strood earned the win on Saturday, throwing a complete game, allowing just three hits, one earned, two walks and striking out three batters.

Looking to complete the sweep on Sunday, the Bobcats fell to Southern Miss 2-1 as the Golden Eagles were able to slow down the Texas State offense.

Senior Sami Hood scored the only run for the Bobcats with a solo home run in left field.

“We squared up a lot of balls that went right at people,” Woodard said after the game. “The wind held up [a lot of balls] so again I think if the wind’s not blowing dead straight in, you see some different outcomes here today. But I’m not going to make excuses. We needed to put the ball on the ground a little bit better at different times, and we didn’t get the key hit.”

The Bobcats are back home for their midweek game against the Baylor Bears.

Baylor comes in with a 26-20 overall record, coming off a conference series win against the Utah Utes.

This is the 65th all-time meeting between Texas State and Baylor with the series dating back to 1985.

First pitch is set for 6 p.m. Wednesday at Bobcat Softball Stadium.

The Bobcats were swept by the No. 22-ranked Southern Miss Golden Eagles last weekend, as Texas State tumbled out of second place in the Sun Belt Conference standings into a four-way tie for sixth place.

Texas State falls to 25-15 overall and 9-9 in conference play. In the first game of the series, the Golden Eagles scored six runs in the bottom of the third en route to taking the 8-2 win over the Bobcats.

In the second game on Saturday, the Bobcats trailed the Golden Eagles 3-2 going into the bottom of the eighth.

Southern Miss scored three insurance runs, one on a solo home run and the other on a two-run home run to go up 6-2 over the Bobcats.

The Bobcats scored on a wild pitch in the top of the ninth, but nothing more as Texas State fell 6-3.

In the final game on Sunday, the Bobcats trailed 3-0 after the four innings before making their comeback.

In the top of the fifth, senior Chase Mora connected with a two-run RBI double, cutting the Bobcats’ deficit down to 3-2.

Later in the seventh, sophomore Dawson Park hit an RBI single in left field, tying the game at 3-3.

Southern Miss went up 4-3 in the bottom of the eighth after the solo home run, but Park’s heroics were not over.

Following a one-out single by junior Justin Vossos, Park connected with an RBI double down the left field line, scoring Vossos and tying the game back up at 4-4.

But the Golden Eagles had the last word in the bottom of the tenth, scoring on a Bobcat wild pitch to win the game at 5-4 and complete the sweep.

Texas State looks to regroup for their midweek game at home against the Incarnate Word Cardinals.

It is the 43rd all-time meeting between UIW and Texas State with the Bobcats leading the series 30-12.

First pitch is set for 6 p.m. Tuesday at Irvine- Rasmussen Ballpark.

Rattlers send four to regionals

AREA 6A 29 & 30 MEET RESULTS

Top Six Finishers Top Four advance to Regionals

BOYS

800 M Run - 6th Place Griffin Julian [2:01.81] High Jump- 4th Place Rowdy Proctor [6-6.00] Long Jump - 3rd Place Dylan Bell [23-1.00] GIRLS

400 M Dash - 6th Place Nellie Mauritz-Barboza [1:00.35] 800 M Run - 1st Place Aaralyn Julian [2:18.61] Pole Vault - 1st Place Nellie Mauritz-Barboza [11-6.00]

The Rattlers battled with No. 17-ranked San Antonio East Central as San Marcos fell 4-2 against the Hornets.

San Marcos finishes the season with a 9-21 overall record and a 2-10 district record.

The Hornets got on the board first after hitting a leadoff triple followed by a sacrifice fly as San Marcos trailed 1-0.

East Central tacked on another run in the top of the second, scoring on a leadoff home run to make it a 2-0 lead.

The Hornets scored again in the bottom of the third, hitting an RBI single as the Rattlers found themselves trailing 3-0.

San Marcos put runners on first and second with one out following a walk from Emalyn Martinez and a single by Arianna Flores.

After both runners moved up a base following a passed ball, Maddy Nunez hit a two-run RBI single, making it a onerun game at 3-2.

East Central scored in the bottom of the fourth on a sacrifice fly in right as the Rattlers trailed 4-2.

The Hornets looked to do more damage in the bottom of the fifth by loading up the bases with no outs but the Rattlers kept East Central on the bases by getting the next three outs.

San Marcos was unable to score in the next two innings as the Rattlers fell 4-2.

Texas State hosts No. 1 Texas Tech Wednesday

Texas State ended their week with a critical road sweep of the Troy Trojans, winning their Sunday game 2-1.

The Bobcats improve to 28-16 overall and 9-6 in conference play while Troy falls to 25-17 overall and 5-10 in conference play.

In their game on Friday, the Bobcats trailed Troy 7-2 going into the fifth inning. Senior Aiyana Coleman made it a tworun deficit in the top of the fifth, hitting a threerun home run as Texas State entered the sixth down 7-5.

The Bobcats tied the game at 7-7 when junior Kate Bubela hit an RBI single to score redshirt freshman Harley Vestal from third and a Troy fielding error allowed Karmyn Bass to score from second.

Texas State then took their first lead of the game when senior Sami Hood connected with a two-run double in left-center field as the Bobcats went up 9-7.

Bass added insurance runs in the top of the seventh, hitting a two-run homer in deep left field as Texas State completed the comeback win at 11-7.

In the second game of the series, the Bobcats and the Trojans were locked in a scoreless deadlock through five innings.

In the top of the sixth with the bases loaded, Coleman cleared the bases with a three-run RBI single as the Bobcats broke through.

Texas State later added two insurance runs in the top of the seventh when redshirt junior Katarina Zarate hit a two-run double en route to a 5-0 win.

Senior pitcher Emma Strood added the final touches to the win, throwing a complete game shutout, allowing just four hits, two walks and striking out eight batters.

Looking to complete the sweep on Sunday, the Bobcats struck first in the top of the third as Hood hit a solo home run to give Texas State a 1-0 lead.

Troy later tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the third, scoring on an RBI bunt single.

But Texas State took back the lead in the top of the fourth as sophomore Melania Reeves scored on a wild pitch from third for what would become the game winning run.

Junior pitcher Madison Azua earned her 19th win of the season while Strood earned the save to complete the sweep of the Trojans.

The Bobcats return home Wednesday as Texas State hosts No. 1-ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders. The Red Raiders enter the midweek with a 40-3 overall record coming off a conference series win against the Utah Utes.

First pitch is set for 6 p.m. Wednesday at Bobcat Softball Stadium.

Mauritz-Barboza takes 1st place in Pole Vault

District 29 6A Meet Top six finishers Top four advance to Area Boys

200 M Dash - 6th Place Landen Zuniga [23.16]

800 M Run - 4th Place Griffin Julian [1:59.24],

5th Place Marcus Friedman [2:00.75] 

1600 M Run - 6th Place Moses Garcia [4:41.80]

3200 M Run - 6th Place Moses Garcia [10:13.64]

110 M Hurdles - 4th Place Rowdy Proctor [15.73]

4x100 M Relay - 6th Place San Marcos [44.53]

4x200 M Relay - 5th Place San Marcos [1:31.01] 

4x400 M Relay - 6th Place San Marcos [3:36.85] 

High Jump - 4th Place Rowdy Proctor [6-4.00] Long Jump - 4th Place Dylan Bell [21-4.75] 

Girls

400 M Dash - 4th Place Nellie Mauritz-Barboza [59.29]

800 M Run - 2nd Place Aaralyn Julian [2:19.37]

1,600 M Run - 4th Place Aaralyn Julian [5:20.81]

4x100 M Relay - 7th Place San Marcos [51.16]

4x200 M Relay - 6th Place San Marcos [1.49.11]

4x400 M Relay - 4th Place San Marcos [4:06.40] 

Pole Vault - 1st Place Nellie Mauritz-Barboza [11-6.00]

Lady Texans back in state championship game

The Lady Texans are bound for Georgetown.

Looking to make a return trip to the state title game after falling short in penalty kicks the year before, Wimberley defeated the Hardin-Jefferson Hawks 2-0 in the state semifinals to punch its ticket to the championship game.

Wimberley improves to 24-2-1 for the season while Hardin-Jefferson finishes the season with a 16-10-2 overall record.

The Lady Texans jumped out on the Hawks, scoring two goals in the first half to lead 2-0 at halftime.

Despite Wimberley not scoring in the second half, the Lady Texans’ dominating defense kept Hardin- Jefferson off the scoreboard as the Hawks were unable to find the back of the net.

As the clock hit zero, the Lady Texans celebrated their 2-0 win.

Earlier in the week, Wimberley competed for the regional title against Corpus Christi London.

The Texans scored two goals in the first before adding another three in the second half. The Lady Texan defense was once again a stone wall as London was unable to find the back of the net, leading to Wimberley capturing the UIL Region IV Class 4A Division II title, winning 5-0.

It has been a commanding run for the Lady Texans during the playoffs, who have outscored their playoff opponents 28-0.

For the second time in program history, the Lady Texans will play for a state championship.

Wimberley played in the state championship game the season before, falling to Canyon Randall in penalty kicks in the Lady Texans’ inaugural appearance in the title game.

Standing in the way of Wimberley’s first ever state championship is the Sunnyvale Raiders.

The Raiders enter the title game with a 24-3-1 overall record, having captured the District 12 Class 4A championship.

Sunnyvale defeated Frisco Panther Creek 3-0 in bi-district before defeating Dallas Pinkston 10-0 in the area round. In regional semi-finals, the Raiders defeated Athens 5-1 before capturing the regional title against Aubrey 3-2.

In the state semifinals, Sunnyvale defeated Godley 2-1.

The title game will be a showcase between the best of the best with Sunnyvale’s offense entering the game averaging 5.03 goals per game while the Wimberley defense has held opposing offenses to an average of 1.92 goals per game.

On the flip side, Wimberley’s offense has averaged 4.62 goals per game while Sunnyvale’s defense has allowed an average of 1.86 goals per game.

Kickoff for Wimberley and Sunnyvale is set for 4 p.m. Thursday at Georgetown’s Birkelbach Field.

The Rattlers fell in their district road game to the rival Buda Johnson Jaguars, losing 9-3.

San Marcos falls to 9-19 for the season and 2-9 in district play.

The Rattlers scored first in the top of the first inning when Julianna Garcia was hit by the pitch with the bases loaded.

Buda Johnson tied the game in the top of the first, hitting an insidethe park home run on a Rattler error.

The Jaguars later took the lead on a two-run RBI double before tacking on another run on a sacrifice fly as the Rattlers trailed 4-1.

Emalyn Martinez responded for the Rattlers in the top of the second, hitting a two-run double, making it a one-run game at 4-3.

Johnson extended their lead in the bottom of the second, scoring on a Rattler error. A fielder’s choice tacked on another run to make it a 6-3 Jaguar lead.

In the bottom of the fourth, the Jaguars hit back to back RBI doubles, pushing the Rattler deficit to 8-3.

Buda Johnson tacked on one last run in the bottom of the sixth inning making it a 9-3 game.

San Marcos is back home Friday for their last home game of the season against Schertz Clemens.

First pitch is set for 7 p.m. Friday in San Marcos.

Texas State hosts Texas A&M Tuesday night

Texas State split their doubleheader against the Georgia Southern Eagles, winning Game 1 15-5 before falling in Game 2 9-8.

The Bobcats captured the conference series to improve their overall record to 21-10 and their conference record to 8-4, sitting in sole possession of second place. Georgia Southern falls to 11-21 for the season and 4-8 in conference play.

“Obviously Game One today, we did a really good job of swinging the bats, right?” Head Coach Steven Trout said.

”Obviously scored a lot of runs, a lot of homers, drove a lot of baseballs so I thought it was a really good job of attacking and putting them on their heels.

“Then Game Two, they’re going to fight, right? That’s a proud program over there.

They’re trying not to get swept. Their guy came out, threw the ball well for the first three innings. Obviously, Tovar’s on twoday short rest.

We knew that was going to be tough, but you can’t control the weather and can’t control what’s happening. But I thought [Alizaeh Gutierrez] did a great job in the middle to calm them down a little bit then we were just trying to find ways to win innings. In this ballpark with this team, we are never out of a game so we fought down to the very last pitch. And so to me, our compete was off the charts.”

BOBCATS HAMMER EAGLES IN RUNRULE WIN

Texas State hammered out six home runs against Georgia Southern as the Bobcats run-ruled the Eagles 15-5 in eight innings.

The win clinched the series for Texas State as the Bobcats have won three consecutive conference series since being swept by Louisiana Monroe in the conference opener.

The Bobcats struck first as Rashawn Galloway hit a two-run home run, extending his hitting streak to 23 games and putting the Bobcats up 2-0 in the bottom of the first.

Jaquae Stewart followed up with an RBI single to extend the lead.

Georgia Southern responded in the top of the second on an RBI single for their first hit of the game.

The Eagles loaded up the bases with two outs but Sam Hall got out of the jam by forcing the groundout.

In the bottom of the second, Justin Vossos extended the lead to 4-1, hitting his first homer in a Bobcat uniform.

The Eagles answered back in the top of the fourth, hitting a two-run home run in left field, making it a one-run game at 4-3.

Georgia Southern later took the lead in the top of the fifth, scoring on a two-run home run to go up 5-4 over Texas State.

The Bobcats answered in the bottom of the fifth. Following a leadoff double by freshman Jackson Cotton, junior Manny Salas connected with an RBI single through the right side, tying the game at 5-5.

Later in the inning with runners on first and second, Stewart crushed a three-run homer in right that went off the roof of the equipment shed and bounced onto the railroad tracks.

But the hits kept on coming for the Bobcat offense.

In the bottom of the sixth, Dawson Park crushed a 450-foot threerun home run in left field, extending the Bobcat lead to 11-5, his 10th of the season. In the same inning, redshirt sophomore Ethan Farris hit a tworun home run of his own, making it a 13-5 lead.

In the bottom of the eighth, the home run show continued as Jackson Cotton hit a leadoff homer in center, making it a 14-5 game.

With the bases loaded, Farris scored the game-winning run, hitting a sacrifice fly to score freshman pinch runner Zachary Gingrich at third, winning the game for the Bobcats via run-rule.

Eagles rally in the ninth to spoil Bobcat sweep Texas State rallied from a 6-0 deficit but the team was unable to overcome a ninth-inning rally by Georgia Southern as the Bobcats fell 9-8.

Texas State closes out the weekend with a 21-10 overall record and an 8-4 conference record while Georgia Southern improves to 11-21 and 4-8 in conference play.

Georgia Southern struck first in the top of the second, scoring on a sacrifice fly then an RBI single to lead 2-0 over the Bobcats.

The Eagles added another run in the top of the third, scoring on a bases- loaded walk.

Later in the at-bat, the Eagles connected with a two-run RBI double, extending the lead to 5-0. Georgia Southern tacked on another run on a sacrifice fly, making it 6-0.

In the bottom of the fourth, sophomore Dawson Park connected with a solo home run for the Bobcats’ first run of the game.

Following the home run, redshirt sophomore Farris connected with a double then freshman Clayton Namken forced a two-out walk, bringing up Mora.

Mora crushed a threerun home run, not only to make it a 6-4 game but he also became Texas State’s new leader in all-time home runs, passing Paul Goldschmidt with 37.

Texas State continued to chop into the deficit in the bottom of the fifth when Jackson Cotton connected with a leadoff double. After moving to second on a fielder’s choice, Cotton was brought home on a Manny Salas fielder’s choice, making it a onerun game at 6-5.

The Eagles tacked on a run on a Bobcat error to go up by two once more in the top of the sixth before Texas State answered in the bottom of the seventh, scoring on a fielder’s choice.

In the bottom of the eighth, Jaquae Stewart reached base on a hit by pitch, bringing Farris up to the plate.

The sophomore crushed a two-run home run in left, giving the Bobcats an 8-7 lead.

But Georgia Southern answered back with two runs in the ninth inning, scoring on a wild pitch and an RBI single.

The top of the ninth saw Texas State use Park as a pitcher after playing the game at shortstop, which Trout said was done due to the limited amount of arms in the bullpen.

“Some guys are down and threw too much this week,” Trout said. “Obviously, [Wade] Cooper threw on Thursday. We could risk it with those guys back there but they have big careers and we care about them more, their long-term health and things like that.

“We’ve been prepping for [Park to pitch] for a long time. He throws bullpens and those SIM games every week. It’s not like we threw him out there and said ‘Hey, go try to get an inning out there.’

He’s throwing a ton. He’s got great stuff and had a lot of success in the fall and spring. So he throws a bullpen every week. We were to the point in our staff where it’s like he’s got our best stuff to go get the outs. It didn’t work out our way tonight. Obviously we want to get some guys healthy and lengthen out that bullpen a little bit more.”

Texas State returns to play Tuesday as the Bobcats host the Texas A&M Aggies. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. Tuesday in San Marcos.

When Will Windham took over as Texas State’s new defensive coordinator, he had one goal in mind.

Make the Bobcats known for their defense and earn the respect of their peers.

“I told the defense this from the very first time that I met with them, everything I’ve ever heard about Texas State over the last few years has been Texas State’s offense,” Windham said. “That’s been earned and I’m not saying to take anything away from the offense, but I want people to change that narrative a little bit and talk about the defense. We have to practice and play with a chip on our shoulder if we want people to do that.

They’re not just going to do it because we say ‘Hey, please talk about us.’ They’re going to do it because of the product we put on the field.”

In order to reach those goals, Windham stressed the importance of playing with a chip on their shoulder and playing with a new defensive mindset.

“When you walk through the building, we wear shirts that say ‘Habits reflect the mission,’” Windham said.

”Well, if our mission is to be great on defense, then our habits have to reflect that daily. So we’re just trying to instill a mindset of how we play, how we play with that chip on our shoulder, how we practice with that chip on our shoulder, and as we go through those days, we’ll have to continue to stack days.”

Windham also stressed the urgency needed for the defense to be playing at a high level, accomplish their goal and be ready for the season opener.

“We can’t say, ‘Well, it’ll happen next week,’” Windham said. “We need to have intentional urgency as coaches, staff members, support staff and players to get those things fixed or nothing’s going to change and people are going to say the same things about the defense and only talk about the offense. We want to be included in that conversation, but it’s going to be up to us. We’re going to have to force that hand.”

Windham was hired at the end of the 2026 season, replacing previous defensive coordinator Dexter McCoil.

Before coming to Texas State, Windham was the defensive coordinator at South Alabama for the last two seasons and previously the linebackers coach for the Jaguars from 2021 through 2023.

In 2024, the Jaguars allowed the fourth fewest points in the conference, holding opponents to an average of 25.1 points per game. Last season, South Alabama held opponents to 30.4 points per game.

On his decision to come to Texas State, Windham noted the team culture Head Coach G.J. Kinne has built in San Marcos.

“Going against Coach Kinne for three seasons, you see the kind of offense that’s built and the kind of culture he has as a head coach,” Windham said. “Then throughout the process, just being able to talk to him, visit with him, and just the vision he had. Obviously going to the Pac-12, as a defensive coach you like when the offensive side of the ball scores a lot of points so it’s fun. Again, he creates a great culture for players.

I knew that he had 3 kids that were similar ages to mine. So outside of football, there was going to be some good camaraderie within that our kids were going to be kind of in those same age ranges so there’s a lot of it that is not just football.”

Windham also talked about the opportunity of coaching in the new Pac-12 Conference which to him presents a new challenge from the number of different offenses.

“Career path wise in terms of joining the Pac-12, it’s a new challenge for me,” Windham said. “If you look back at my history, one of the things that probably I struggled with is we have to look at our faults to be able to grow against spread offenses. Now I get to go against one every single day in practice. So for me as a defensive coordinator, it makes you better to be able to play those spread type offenses.

So a lot of different things that really went into it, but ultimately, it was Coach Kinne, his vision and where this program is headed.”

Having seen the Bobcat defense firsthand, Windham was impressed by the team’s length and how it made it difficult for the South Alabama offense.

“The one thing that I always thought was prominent here was length, especially in the secondary,” Windham said. “We even talked about it when we got done with our game when we got back to Mobile.

It was the length of defense. And I was on the other side of the ball talking about the offense, but you could hear the offensive coaches say ‘They got length on defense.’ They made it hard, and it was like we need to change how we recruit in Mobile to get more length on defense.

“The pieces were there. I think we had to instill and again, I don’t know what was here before in terms of coaching staff and those types of things, but to me it’s instilling the mindset. That’s the biggest thing is staying hungry, continuing to push and having that chip on your shoulder.”

One of the players that has stood out to Windham is senior defensive lineman DonTerry Russell.

For Windham, he has seen firsthand Russell’s improvement from his junior season to his senior year.

“Today was probably the first time a lot of guys jumped out,” Windham said. “DonTerry [Russell] has done a great job. Coach Kinne even made a comment yesterday, he’s practicing a little bit different than he has in the past. You can see those guys, as time waits for no man, right?

When you get to the end of your career, it’s like that light went on. Like they had a junior day where they met with some NFL scouts and it’s ‘All right, well, this is my chance now. This is where I have to go, shine,’ and he’s done a great job.

He’s being a leader for us.”

Along with Russell, Windham also saw a number of defensive players that have made a significant impact on the defense.

“The guy who really has jumped out a good bit at linebacker is Cole Nilles,” Windham said. “He’s done a great job picking up on the scheme very fast. He’s extremely intelligent and he’s done a great job for us in that linebacker room.

“I thought that the guys that we brought in portal-wise to help bolster the defensive tackle spot has been huge for us. Guys like Tae Woody and Chancellor Owens. They’re doing such a great job of buying into Coach [Chris Gistorb] and what he’s preaching.

Then on the back end, Malik [Willis] had two picks today. He’s so twitchy and great to watch. Craig [Royal] had a pick today, [Jaden Lawton] had a pick today. So those guys are really starting to find their way.”

Texas State will continue spring practice throughout the month of April, concluding with the Maroon and Gold Spring Showcase on Saturday, April 25.

Mora surpassed Goldschmidt for most career home runs

For many, the king of Slam Marcos is current New York Yankee and former Texas State Bobcat Paul Goldschmidt, who held the program record for most career home runs at 36.

But on Friday night, the Slam Marcos crown was ceremoniously given to senior Chase Mora, who set a new Texas State record for most career home runs at 37 during the Bobcats doubleheader against Georgia Southern.

“They were kind of pitching me slow all weekend,” Mora said. “After seeing the first fast ball, he wasn’t really commanding it. I shifted my sights to off speed and sure enough that’s what I got.

“I’ve had a lot of big swings, but that one will obviously be one of my favorites, so it’s a really cool moment.”

It was a proud moment for head coach Steven Trout, who saw Mora develop during his record breaking freshman season and stressed the importance of why breaking the home run record is important during this era of college baseball.

“Anytime you break Goldschmidt’s record it’s just outstanding,” Trout said. “[Mora] has been a superstar since he walked on campus and more importantly, has been loyal to us since he walked on campus as well. You don’t see a lot of records broken anymore in this day and age because guys don’t stay in a place for all four years. Guys bounce around and do different things, and so that’s credit for [Mora], sticking with us, and sticking with the program. He can walk around as the home run champion.”

Mora’s career started in record-breaking fashion, becoming the first ever collegiate player to hit a home run in his first three plate appearances.

Later in the season, Mora broke the record for most home runs hit in a single game with four against North Dakota State.

Mora set a new freshman record for most home runs in a single season with 17, the fourth-highest in program history.

After his record-breaking freshman season, Mora believed he could catch Goldschmidt’s record.

“Everybody’s confident in themselves,” Mora said. “So yeah, I would say I had a chance, and I’m glad that I can do it.”

Coming into the 2026 season, Mora was six home runs away from breaking the record.

Though he initially wasn’t worried about the record, Mora did feel the pressure as he closed in on the record.

But after surpassing the record, Mora could finally feel the release of pressure.

“It’s good to have the monkey off my shoulder,” Mora said. “[Now] I can just go play and not worry about anything.

“I think early on, it was just kind of in the back of my head. Then as I got closer, it started to weigh on me a little more. But it’s just about showing up every day and competing.”

The home run ball was found and later given to Mora’s mother Tara who watched from the stands as her son broke the record.

For Mora, his mother is one of the main reasons he was able to be where he is today.

“That woman has done more things for me in my life than I can even thank her for,” Mora said. “I wouldn’t be standing here today talking to y’all without her and my friends. Everything that I do on this field is because of her.”

The Bobcats rallied to score five runs in the top of the seventh to defeat the South Alabama Jaguars 6-3, to take the conference series.

Texas State improves to 24-16 overall and 6-6 in conference play while South Alabama falls to 25-16 and 8-4 in conference play.

The Jaguars scored first in their first at-bat of the game, scoring on a wild pitch before a sacrifice fly added to their lead, making it a 2-0 game.

After four scoreless innings, the Bobcat offense scored their first run of the game as senior Karmyn Bass hit a sacrifice fly in right field to score senior Keely Williams, making it a 2-1 game.

South Alabama added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth, hitting a solo home run as Texas State entered their final at-bat of the game down 3-1 in the top of the seventh.

The Bobcats loaded up the bases to start their final at-bat on a leadoff walk from senior Sami Hood, a single by Williams, then a walk by senior Sydney Harvey.

Redshirt freshman Harley Vestal connected with a two-run RBI single in left field as the Bobcats tied the game at 3-3.

Vestal later advanced to second on a wild pitch that put runners on second and third with one out.

Senior Katrina Zarate cleared the bases with a two-run double in left-center as the Bobcats took their first lead of the game at 5-3.

Senior Aiyana Coleman brought home Zarate with an RBI double of her own, as Texas State entered the bottom of the seventh leading 6-3.

Junior pitcher Madison Azua closed out the game, keeping the Jaguars off the board and sealing the win.

Texas State is back home this week for their midweek game against UTSA. This is the second meeting between the two teams with the Bobcats winning the first game 8-1.

First pitch is set for 6 p.m. Tuesday at Bobcat Softball Stadium.

Texas State was unable to pull off the upset as the Bobcats fell to the No. 2-ranked Texas Longhorns 10-8 in an offensive shootout.

Texas State falls to 19-9 for the year while Texas improves to 24-4.

The Bobcats struck first in the top of the first inning when senior Rashawn Galloway hit a solo home run in left field to give Texas State the lead and extend his hitting streak to 21 games.

Junior Jaquae Stewart followed up with an RBI double before redshirt sophomore Ethan Farris hit an RBI single as Texas State led 3-0.

Texas answered in the bottom of the first, hitting a two-run home run followed by scoring on a wild pitch in the bottom of the second to tie the game.

Texas State took back the lead in the top of the fourth as Farris connected with a solo home run. In the top of the fifth, junior Manny Salas hit a solo home run of his own as Texas State led 5-3.

But the Longhorns answered in the bottom of the sixth.

After a solo home run made it a one-run game, Texas took the lead on an RBI double to go up 6-5. The Longhorns then added three more runs in the same at-bat as the Bobcats found themselves trailing 9-5.

However, Texas State refused to give in.

Going into the top of the seventh, Galloway connected with an RBI double to score freshman Jackson Cotton. Salas then hit an RBI double of his own to score Gallowy before an RBI groundout by sophomore Dawson Park scored Salas as Texas State cut Texas’ lead down to 9-8.

Texas added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth on a solo home run to extend their lead as the Bobcats were unable to complete the comeback, falling 10-8.

Conference Series Preview Texas State returns to San Marcos for the start of a nine-game home stand as the Bobcats take on the Georgia Southern Eagles for a three-game conference series.

The Eagles enter the series with a 10-19 overall record and a 3-6 conference record coming off a series win against the Troy Trojans.

Georgia Southern’s offense comes to San Marcos averaging 6.25 runs per game with a team batting average of .287. The Bobcats are currently averaging 7.67 runs per game with a team batting average of .292.

On defense, the Eagles have a team ERA of 8.74 while the Bobcats have a team ERA of 5.28.

First pitch for Game 1 is set for 6 p.m. Thursday at Bobcat Ballpark.

Head Coach Ricci Woodard captured her 900th win as Texas State defeated arch-rival UTSA 8-1.

Woodard is just the second coach in the history of Texas State Athletics to have won 900 career games, following former Bobcat volleyball head coach Karen Chisum.

The Bobcats improve to 22-15 for the season while UTSA falls to 1919.

Texas State scored first in the top of the first when senior Keely Williams hit a solo home run in right field to put the Bobcats up 1-0.

UTSA tied the game in the bottom of the second, scoring on an RBI groundout.

In the top of the third, senior Aiyana Coleman crushed a two-run home run in left field, giving Texas State the lead back at 3-1.

Later in the fourth, senior Sami Hood reached first base on a UTSA error which allowed junior Kate Bubela to score from third. Then with the bases loaded, senior Karmyn Bass hit a two-run double, extending the lead to 6-1.

Senior Megan Kelnar tacked on a run with a sacrifice fly in center to score Bubelaa before senior Sydney Harvey scored on UTSA error.

Junior pitcher Madison Azua shut down the UTSA offense, throwing five innings while allowing just five hits, one earned run, one walk and five strikeouts. Senior pitcher Analisa Soliz closed out the game, throwing two innings with no hits, no runs, one walk and striking out three batters.

Conference Series Preview Texas State continues their road trip, on to South Alabama to face off with the Jaguars.

South Alabama comes into the weekend with a 23-15 overall record and a 7-2 conference record coming off a sweep of James Madison.

South Alabama’s offense averages 3.92 runs per game along with a team batting average of .252. Texas State’s offense averages 4.11 runs per game with a batting average of .274.

On defense, South Alabama has a team ERA of 3.23 while Texas State has a team ERA of 2.77.

First pitch for Game 1 is set for 6 p.m. Thursday at South Alabama.

Texas State ties record again with eight home runs

Slam Marcos took their show to Atlanta last weekend, sweeping the Georgia State Panthers as the Bobcats won their Sunday game 12-3.

Texas State improves to 19-8 for the season and 6-3 in conference play while Georgia State falls to 13-16 overall and 2-7 in conference play.

The weekend started with Texas State defeating Georgia State on Friday 18-6 as the Bobcats once again tied a program record by hitting eight home runs in a single game.

Freshman Jackson Cotton, senior Rashawn Galloway, freshman Clayon Namken and senior Chase Mora all had one home run apiece while junior Jaquae Stewart and redshirt-sophomore Ethan Farris both had two home runs apiece.

Farris was 5-5 from the plate with two homers, two doubles and one triple with five RBIs. Mora’s home run puts him one homer behind Paul Goldschmidt for most career home runs at Texas State.

Senior pitcher Kyle Froehlich earned his third win of the season.

The offensive firework show turned into a pitcher’s duel on Saturday as the Bobcats defeated the Panthers 1-0 to clinch the series.

The lone run of the game came from freshman Jackson Cotton who hit a solo home run in the top of the eighth inning.

Senior starter Sam Hall pitched through six innings, striking out 10 batters and allowing three hits while freshman closer Wade Cooper earned his third win of the season, pitching the final three innings with no hits.

On Sunday, the Bobcats completed the sweep, defeating the Panthers 12-3.

The Bobcats scored 11 unanswered runs through the first seven innings with sophomore Dawson Park leading the charge with two home runs and three RBIs while going 4-5 from the plate. Mora also went 4-5 from the plate with two RBIs.

Senior pitcher Jesus Tovar earned his sixth win of the season, allowing just three hits, no earned runs and striking out five batters.

The Bobcats enter their midweek game with a showdown against the No. 2-ranked Texas Longhorns in the second meeting between the two teams.

The Texas State-Texas series dates back to 1986 and has been played every year since 1988 with the exception of 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Since the expansion of Bobcat Ballpark, the series has shifted to a homeand- home outing with both teams visiting the other’s ballpark starting in 2014.

Texas leads the series 57-17 but Texas State has won five of the last nine outings played between the two programs, including winning four straight at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.

First pitch is set for 6 p.m. Tuesday at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.

The Rattlers fell to Cibolo Steele on the road, losing to the Knights 17-2 through four innings.

San Marcos falls to 9-17 overall and 2-5 in district play.

Cibolo Steele struck in the first inning, scoring on a two-run home then adding another run on an error to lead 3-0.

The Knights followed up in the second inning, adding seven more runs to take a commanding 10-0 lead.

Steele added another four runs before the Rattlers scored on a tworun RBI single by Emery Cisneros as San Marcos trailed 14-2. The Knights scored three more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to seal the win at 17-2.

The Rattlers will be on the road Monday against Antonian Prep before returning home against New Braunfels Canyon on Thursday.

DISTRICT STANDINGS East Central 7-1 Cibolo Steele 6-1 NB Canyon 5-2 Buda Johnson 3-3 Schertz Clemens 2-5 San Marcos 2-5 Converse Judson 0-8

TOP 20 FINISHERS GIRLS

800 M Run - 13th Aaralyn Julian [2:23.70]

1,600 M Run - 5th Place Aaralyn Julian [5:19.05]

4x100 M Relay - 12th Place San Marcos [51.73]

4x200 M Relay - 6th Place San Marcos [1:47.22]

4x400 M Relay - 7th Place San Marcos [4:11.13] Triple Jump - 17th Place Ciana Polega [32-3.00] Discus - 11th Place Mia James [71-7.00] Shot Put - 18th Place Mila Lopez [24-6.00],

19th Place Vynae Degree [23-6.00]

BOYS

200 M Dash - 14th Place Laden Zuniga

[22.51], 20th Place Aiden Gerhart [22.70]

400 M Dash - 8th Place Laden Zuniga [51.47],

20th Place Griffin Julian [52.80]

800 M Run - 6th Place Griffin Julian [1:59.53]

1,600 M Run - 17th Place Marcus Friedman [4:38.92]

3,200 M Run - 20th Place Moses Garcia [10:14.29]

110 M Hurdles - 5th Place Rowdy Proctor [15.42]

300 M Hurdles - 20th Place Rowdy Proctor [43.03]

4x100 M Relay - 19th Place San Marcos [45.40]

4x200 M Relay - 11th Place San Marcos [1:31.85] High Jump- 3rd Place Rowdy Proctor [6-4.00], 13th Place Izzak Garcia [6-0.00] Discus - 6th Place Jordan Howard [122-8.00] Shot Put - 12th Place Raymond Juergens [42-0.00]

San Marcos played their most complete game of the season, defeating the Converse Judson Rockets 13-1 for their second district win. San Marcos improves to 9-15 overall and 2-5 in district play.

“This is what we’re capable of doing,” Head Coach Cathy Stoughton said. “They’ve been really good this year about keeping and bringing the energy, and Juju [Juliana Garcia] had a great game in the circle tonight. We had some great defensive plays. Kez [Keziah Rios] made an amazing catch at the fence in center. But for us to play good defense, to pitch the ball well, and then on the offensive side, to come in, not only to get timely hits, but we played the short game tonight.

“That’s something we’ve been desperately needing. We had so many girls that came through tonight with the short game, putting the ball in play when we needed it. Good contact, smart base running, it was a complete game for us and it was fun to watch them play when they play like that.”

The Rattlers struck first as Juliana Garcia scored from third on a wild pitch to take the early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second.

Later in the at-bat with runners on second and third, Kendra Robledo connected with a tworun RBI triple as the Rattlers went up 3-0.

Emery Cisneros then brought Robledo home on a sacrifice bunt, making it a 4-0 game.

The Rattlers put runners on second and third once more as Emalyn Martinez scored on a wild pitch from third before Arianna Flores scored on a Selena Silva infield hit, which turned into three bases for Silva on the Rockets throwing error, extending the lead to 6-0.

The Rockets answered back in the top of the third, hitting an RBI double to cut their deficit to 6-1.

Cisneros added on to San Marcos’ lead in the bottom of the third, hitting a two-run RBI, pushing the Rattler lead up 8-1.

Later in the bottom of the fourth, the Rattlers struck again as Rios laid down the sacrifice bunt with runners on second and third to score a run before a Judson throwing error moved the runners up a base.

Cisneros added another run on a sacrifice fly before an RBI single by Martinez made it an 11-1 game.

Up next, Flores connected with a two-run RBI double, making it a 13-1 game.

Garcia closed out the game from the circle, getting one strikeout while forcing both a groundout and an infield flyout as the Rattlers sealed the win.

Garcia earned the win, throwing a complete game while allowing just five hits, one earned run, one walk and striking out six batters. Cisneros led the offense with four RBIs while Rios went 2-3 from the plate.

The Rattlers will look to add another district win to their record as San Marcos goes on the road to Cibolo Steele. The Knights are 18-7-1 overall, coming off a non-district win over the Austin Bowie Bulldogs, who are 11-1 overall and 5-1 in district play, with their lone loss coming against state ranked East Central.

First pitch is set for 7 p.m. Friday at Cibolo Steele.

UTRGV took a 3-0 lead over the Bobcats in the first three innings, scoring on an RBI single, an RBI double and a Bobcat error before Boles infield single to score pinch runner Austin Munguia from second in the bottom of the ninth.

Texas State improves to 16-8 for the season while UTRGV falls to 13-12 in the 76th alltime meeting between the South Texas universities.

“We didn’t play great baseball,” Head Coach Steven Trout said. “But we found a way to get a win on a Tuesday which is most important.”

The Bobcats celebrated in walk-off fashion, defeating the UTRio Grande Valley Vaqueros 8-7 on a Brady Texas State made their comeback.

Texas State got on board in the bottom of the fourth when sophomore Dawson Park hit a solo home run. Later in the at-bat, sophomore Ethan Farris connected with an RBI double in right-center field to make it a one-run game at 3-2.

The Bobcats took the lead in the bottom of the fifth when senior Rashawn Galloway hit a two-run double, putting Texas State up 4-3. Later, Manny Salas scored Galloway on a ground-out RBI to extend the lead 5-3.

The Vaqueros made it a one-run game in the top of the sixth, hitting a solo home run in top of the sixth to cut the Bobcats’ lead down 5-4.

Freshman Jackson Cotton added on to the Bobcats’ lead in the bottom of the seventh, hitting a two-run home run to right field, pushing the Vaquero deficit to 75.

However, the Vaqueros made one last push in the top of the ninth.

UTRGV scored one run on an RBI single before tying the game on another RBI single and threatened to retake the lead. Despite giving up two runs and facing runners on the corners with two outs, freshman Wade Cooper got the Bobcats back into the dugout, striking out the batter to end the Vaquero at-bat.

Freshman Clayton Namken led off the Bobcat at-bat, reaching first base on a Vaquero throwing error and representing the game-winning run. Munguia came in to pinch run for Namken and later stole second on a Chase Mora strikeout to be in scoring position with one out.

Facing a 1-2 count, Boles made contact with the pitch and Munguia started running on the base hioet. The hard-hit single was stopped by the diving shortstop as Munguia rounded third towards home plate. The shortstop made the throw home but Munguia slid head first into home plate, beating the throw and scoring the run as the Bobcats rushed the field to celebrate the win.

WEEKEND PREVIEW

Texas State is back on the road this weekend as the Bobcats make the trip to Atlanta to faceoff with the Georgia State Panthers in a threegame conference series.

The Panthers are 1313 for the season and 2--4 in conference play, coming off a 7-4 loss to Alabama State. Last weekend, the Panthers won their conference series against the Arkansas State Red Wolves, taking two games out of three.

Georgia State averages 6.20 runs per game and maintains a team batting average of .259 while having a team ERA of 5.65.

The Bobcats enter the weekend averaging 7.30 runs per game along with a team batting average of .290. On the mound, Texas State’s team ERA is at 5.65.

First pitch for Game 1 is set for 5 p.m. Friday at Georgia State.

The Texans improve to 9-6-1 for the season and 1-0 in district play.

Wimberley jumped on Canyon Lake early in the bottom of the first inning, loading up the bases on a Sage Hall single, Alex Abrusley walk and a Maverick Jacobs hit-by-pitch.

Jacob Abrusley scored the first run for the Texans on a bases-loaded walk followed by another bases-loaded walk by Carter Meeks.

Jake Dewell then broke the game open, hitting a grand slam in left field as Wimberley took a commanding 6-0 lead.

Canyon Lake answered in the top of the second, scoring on a RBI double.

The Texans responded in the same inning as Alex Abrusley hit an RBI single followed by an RBI single by Maverick Jacobs, pushing Wimberley’s lead to 8-1.

Meeks scored another run for the Texans with an RBI single in the bottom of the fourth, extending the lead to 9-1 The Hawks came roaring back in the bottom of the fifth, scoring runs on two bases-loaded walks and a two-run RBI single as Canyon Lake trailed 9-5.

Sage Hall added to the Texans’ lead in the bottom of the fifth, hitting an RBI groundout before a Canyon Lake error allowed two more runs to score.

Canyon Lake responded with an RBI double in the top of the sixth but were unable to complete the comeback as the Texans won 12-6.

Wimberley will look to complete the two-game sweep Friday as the Texans travel across the Devil’s Backbone to Canyon Lake for Game 2.

First pitch for Game 2 is set for 7 p.m. Friday at Canyon Lake.

The Rattlers won their third consecutive game, beating the Converse Judson Rockets 10-0 in district play.

San Marcos improve to 13-9-1 for the season and 3-3 in district play.

Jack Vasquez started the scoring fest in the top of the first, hitting an RBI single to put San Marcos up 1-0.

Following Vasquez, Charlie Helgeson hit sacrifice fly to score Elijah Ramirez before an RBI triple by Landon Munoz made it a 3-0 lead.

A Rockets error led to another score for the Rattlers as San Marcos finished their at-bat up 4-0.

The Rattler offense continued to strike against the Rockets in the next inning as Ramirez connected with a two-run RBI triple to extend the lead.

A sac fly by Vasquez brought Ramirez home, putting San Marcos up 7-0 going into the third inning.

San Marcos loaded up the bases in the top of the fourth inning on three consecutive walks by Juan ‘Tres’ Munos, Ramirez and Vasquez.

Helgeson connected with two-run RBI single before Colson Geesee hit an RBI single to extend the lead 10-0.

The Rockets were unable to score any runs in the bottom of the fifth inning as the Rattlers ended the game early, winning 10-0.

Cole Wiatrek earned the win on the mound, throwing four innings and allowing just two hits, no runs while striking out three batters. Caleb Gomez closed out the fifth inning allowing just one hit.

Helgeson led the offense, going 2-2 from the plate with three RBIs followed by Vasquez who went 1-1 from the plate with two RBIs. Ramirez also went 1-1 from the plate with two RBIs.

San Marcos is back home Friday for the conclusion of their twogame series against Judson.

First pitch is set for 7 p.m. Friday in San Marcos.

The Rattlers fell in their district matchup with the No. 4-ranked East Central Hornets, losing 15-2.

San Marcos falls to 815 overall and 1-4 in district play while East Central improves to 22-2 overall and 6-0 in district play.

The Hornets scored first in the top of the first with an RBI double. The Rattlers answered back in the bottom of the first as Arianna Flores hit an RBI single, tying the game at 1-1.

After a scoreless second inning, the Hornets struck in the top of the third, scoring on a solo home run to take the lead. East Central later added four more runs in the same atbat to lead San Marcos 61.

The Hornets added another five runs in the fifth inning as the Rattler deficit grew to 11-1.

Kendra Robledo stopped the bleeding for the Rattlers, hitting an inside the park home run with the help of an error by East Central, cutting the deficit down to 11-2.

But the Hornets tacked on four runs in the top of the sixth to end the game early at 15-2.

San Marcos returns home Tuesday for district play as the Rattlers host the Converse Judson Rockets.

The Rockets are coming off a 12-0 loss to Cibolo Steele on Friday. Judson enters the week with a 0-6 district record and a 1-16 overall record.

First pitch is set for 7 p.m. Tuesday at San Marcos.

Texas State hosts No. 1-ranked Texas Wednesday

Texas State dropped their conference series to the rival Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns, falling in the third game on Sunday 6-1.

The loss drops the Bobcats’ overall record to 20-12 and their conference record to 3-3. The Cajuns improve to 1913 overall and 3-3 in conference play.

Texas State scored first, scoring their lone run of the game on a Katarina Zarate solo home run in the top of the second inning, putting the Bobcats up 1-0.

The Cajuns did their damage in the third inning, tying the game on a fielder’s choice. The Cajuns later took the lead on a three-run home run before scoring another on a RBI infield single as the Bobcats trailed 5-1.

The Cajuns tacked on another run in the bottom of the fifth, scoring on an RBI bunt to make the final score 6-1.

Texas State won Game 2 of the series 4-2 on Saturday after the Bobcats scored four unanswered runs through the first four innings.

In Game 1 on Friday, the Cajuns outlasted the Bobcats 2-1 in pitcher’s duel after scoring the game winning run on an RBI double in the bottom of the fifth.

Texas State returns to play Wednesday as the Bobcats host the No. 1ranked and defending national champions Texas Longhorns.

The Longhorns are coming off a two-game sweep of Baylor and enter the week on a 27game winning streak. Texas is 28-1 for the year with their lone loss coming against Nebraska.

First pitch is set for 6 p.m. Wednesday at Bobcat Softball Stadium.