STEPHENVILLE, Texas – There is an air of excitement surrounding the Tarleton baseball program heading into the 2023 season.
For a multitude of reasons, Texan baseball appears primed for an exciting season come the spring. Head coach
Aaron Meade enters his fourth season at the helm with a talented squad in tow, they will debut a brand-new stadium on the home opener Feb. 24 and the Texans will be eligible to compete in the Western Athletic Conference Baseball Tournament for the first time.
The Texans are coming off a competitive fall full of practices and exhibitions. Laying the groundwork for what you want the team to look like, adding new faces to the mix and getting better daily are all important in the fall especially with the number of new student-athletes on this Texan roster.
"Some of the biggest things for us were trying to stay healthy and establishing what our identity was going to be," said Meade. "Overall, we saw some growth and I am excited for what this team will look like when the guys get back."
Change is expected year over year in the world of collegiate athletics, so making sure to add the right people to a roster is key.
"The newcomers have fit well and meshed with what we are trying to do on the field and in the locker room," said Meade. "We tried to bring in the right guys. Obviously you seek out talent but you want the right people, guys that are going to fit into the culture that we are trying to create and this group has impressed me so far."
Meade mentioned a few standout newcomers that played well over the course of the fall and could potentially be key pieces for the Texans this season.
"For the newcomers on the pitching side, Piercen McElyea (NOC-Enid transfer), Will Stevens (Wichita State transfer), Hunter Day (North Iowa Area CC transfer), Matt Haley (New Mexico transfer) and Dylan Delvecchio (Palomar College transfer) have all shown the ability to make an impact in the rotation," said Meade. "As far as position players, Brandon Howell (Grayson College transfer), Jack Wagner (Kansas transfer) and Grant Kerry (Northwest Nazarene transfer) all have Division 1 experience and should play a key role for us offensively."
"Our middle infield has really been impressive. There are a bunch of new guys there between Mason Hammonds (Bossier Parish CC transfer), Payton Pennington (Kent State transfer) and Jordan Andrade (UNLV transfer). It is probably as athletic of an infield as we have had since I have been here."
Meade also made a change to his coaching staff over the summer, bringing in Wes Hunt as an assistant coach. Hunt had successful stints as an assistant at Campbell and UTPB and previously spent two seasons with the Texan baseball program as a graduate assistant under former head coach Bryan Conger.
"He (Hunt) has been great for our staff and our players," said Meade. "He is very passionate about what he does, and our student-athletes see that and feed off that. It's nice as a head coach to know your assistants are expecting the same things and are holding our guys as well as each other accountable."
The Texans played in three exhibitions this fall including a 9-8 win over 2022 NCAA tournament team Texas State at The Depot in Cleburne.
"It was probably as competitive of baseball as I have seen our group play," said Meade. "Every inning we were plugged in and engaged. We had very productive at-bats and were aggressive on the base paths. On the pitching side the guys attacked the zone and never backed down regardless of the situation."
As far as returning student-athletes that have been impressive as leaders as well as with their play, there have been quite a few.
"
Jake Escalon has done a great job of being a leader," said Meade. He cares about this program, his teammates and wants to win."
"(Dylan Kurahashi) Choy Foo has taken his game and work ethic to a whole new level. Dylan always worked but his focus and deliberateness has changed this fall and I have been impressed with him."
Knowing that the Tarleton Baseball Complex is going to be completely renovated and bigger and better than ever when the season kicks off is a big motivating factor for the team.
"Our alumni, players and a lot of people in this community are excited to see how this facility is coming along. They are making progress quickly and hopefully come Feb. 24 when we play our first home game this place is packed and rocking."
Season tickets are now on sale to catch the Texans in action at the newly renovated Tarleton Baseball Complex. Packages include reserved seating season tickets, general admission season tickets and weekend general admission season tickets. Tickets can be purchased
here or by visiting the Tarleton Ticket Office on the west side of Memorial Stadium during normal business hours.
