Coming off a three-game sweep of Prairie View A&M, Tarleton is set to host Randall University on Tuesday evening.
 
The Texans will host the Saints (NCCAA) in the fourth of 11 consecutive home games in Stephenville. Tarleton will then turn its attention to the weekend when WAC newcomer UT Arlington comes to town for the opening conference series of 2023.
 
The game with Randall will be streamed on ESPN+ and can be followed via live stats.
 
The Teams: Tarleton Texans (9-3, 0-0 WAC) vs. Randall University Saints (1-9)
Where: Stephenville, Texas
Stadium: Tarleton Baseball Complex
Day and Time: Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. CT
Streaming Platform: ESPN+
 
Matchup Notes
 
•  The meeting between Randall and Tarleton on Tuesday will be the first all-time.
•  Randall competes in the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Division 2, Southwest Region. Some of their regional foes include Arlington Baptist, Champion Christian, Dallas Christian and Southwest Adventist, all Texas schools.
• Tarleton has four remaining home midweek contests after the game with Randall. They host Oral Roberts (March 14), TCU (April 4), Wiley College (April 19) and Baylor (May 16).
•  Tarleton is coming off a series sweep of Prairie View A&M and Randall is coming off a doubleheader split with Lyon College on Saturday.
 
Quick Hits
•  The Texans outscored PVAMU 46-4 in three games this past weekend. In the first seven home games played this season, the Texans have outscored their opponents 110-22 and are averaging 15.7 runs a game at the Tarleton Baseball Complex.
•  As a team vs. PVAMU, Tarleton hit .425 with 45 hits in 106 at-bats. They had a team on-base percentage of .526, slugged .755 and had 18 extra base hits including seven home runs.
•  The Texan pitching staff was on point as well, with a staff ERA of 1.12 in the series, allowing just four runs the entire weekend. The Texans struck out 40 batters while walking just six. They held the Panthers to a team batting average of .173 on just 14 hits in three games.
•  Jack Wagner finished the series 8-13 at the plate with nine RBI, scored five runs, and hit two home runs. The junior leads the Texans with four home runs and 18 RBI.
•  Mason Hammonds was another Texan to have a big series at the plate, also finishing 8-13. Hammonds hit his first home run, had two triples and scored eight runs. He leads the team with 21 hits and a .457 batting average.
 
Notables
FACILITY UPGRADES
    The Tarleton Baseball Complex saw a significant facelift in the offseason. Capacity was increased with the complex now seating over 1,000. A cantilever roof structure providing cover was added and a new press box was installed. This comes after new turf, lights and outfield wall were installed prior to the 2022 season. This scope was phase two for the baseball facility that will continue to see renovations over the coming months.
 
DIVISIONS NO LONGER
    After playing in the Southwest Division of the WAC in 2022, the conference moved to scrap the divisions ahead of 2023. The Texans will play GCU, NM State, California Baptist, Seattle U, Utah Valley and newcomer UT Arlington this season, teams they did not see in 2022.
 
WAC PRESEASON POLL
       Tarleton was chosen to finish 10th out of 13 schools in the WAC preseason poll. The poll was released on February 10.  The Texans received 40 total votes and slotted in ahead of Utah Valley, Seattle U and Stephen F. Austin. Grand Canyon was picked to win the league, followed by Sam Houston and California Baptist.
 
PRESEASON RECOGNITION
       Three Texans saw their names on preseason 2023 MLB Draft prospect lists released this preseason. RHP Will Stevens came in as the No. 11 2023 MLB Draft prospect in the WAC by D1Baseball.com. He was followed by LHP Dylan Delvecchio at No. 22. Jordan Andrade was rated as the No. 10 2023 MLB Draft prospect in the WAC by Perfect Game. All three players are transfers new to the team in 2023. Stevens is a Kansas City, Mo. native that played last season at Wichita State. Delvecchio comes to Stephenville by way of Palomar College in California, a juco. Andrade transferred to the Texans following a three-year stint at UNLV and figures to see time at second base and shortstop.
 
WHAT D1BASEBALL.COM HAD TO SAY
       "This group shows improved athleticism that will hopefully better a defense that struggled significantly in 2022. Pitching depth also looks to have taken a step forward and that would be a key development. Lefthander Dylan Delvecchio will take the ball on Friday/Saturday nights and the coaching staff is excited about his competitive demeanor. This is not a soft lefty either, as Delvecchio features a fastball into the low-90s and good breaking ball. Righthander Isiah Campa was TSU's top starter a year ago before he went down with an injury. Campa's numbers through three starts were excellent (4.15 ERA, 17.1 IP, 16 Ks, 5 BBs, .197 BAA). he bullpen is a very interesting group, and it starts with 6-foot-8, 260-pound righthander Zane Badmaev. Badmaev is the healthiest he's been, and this is a power arsenal. Speaking of power arms, junior Will Stevens is the most electric arm on the staff. If his command continues to improve, he could be a gamechanger. Finally, Zach Poe is a crafty sidewinder who has led the staff in appearances (62) in each of the last two seasons. Alec Williams is a top returner for the Texans. He is the best athlete in this position player group and the run tool is impactful. Transfer Jordan Andrade (UNLV) is a quality defender who should shore things up at second base. He hit a very respectable .286 in 91 at-bats with the Rebels."
- Mike Rooney, D1Baseball. Subscribe here: D1baseball.com/subscribe.
 
TRANSFER PORTAL
The Texans added 17 newcomers to the roster via the transfer portal. 10 come from the junior college ranks while seven come from other four year universities.
 
A STORY TO WATCH
Grant Kerry is a newcomer to the Texan roster in 2023 after playing the last two seasons at Northwest Nazarene, a D2 school in Idaho. Kerry was born in Hong Kong, his family hails from England and he has lived in Kuwait, Australia and the United States. He played his high school ball in Australia before coming to the United States to play for a Boise State baseball program that was revived in 2019 after being dormant since 1980. After the covid-19 pandemic hit and the Broncos had played just 14 games, Boise State officials moved to cut the baseball program, citing budget issues. Kerry transferred to NNU where he was an All-American and helped lead them to the Division 2 World Series in 2021. Kerry is a utility player that could see time at first base as well as in the outfield.
 
BIG TIME BASEBALL IN STEPHENVILLE
Tarleton will host the likes of Oral Roberts (March 14), TCU (April 4), NM State (April 21-23), Grand Canyon (May 5-7), Baylor (May 16), and Sam Houston (May 18-20) this year at the newly renovated Tarleton Baseball Complex.
 
PLAYING FOR POSTSEASON
The Western Athletic Conference announced that for the 2022-2023 calendar year, Tarleton Athletics will now be postseason eligible for all conference postseason events despite the Texans being in year three of a reclassification period from Division 2. That means that if the Texans finish in the top eight of the WAC standings, they will travel to Mesa, Arizona, to participate in the 2023 WAC Baseball Tournament at Hohokam Stadium.
 
FRESHMEN
       Tarleton added six true freshmen to its roster ahead of the 2023 season. Five of the six hail from the great state of Texas. Tyson Drake is an outfielder that won the 2022 Texas 6A state championship at Southlake Carroll. Landry McKittrick led Godley to a regional semifinal appearance in 2021, hitting .427. Reece Elston hails from Stephenville where he was an all-state pitcher and all-state wide receiver. Tyler Sudderth struck out 70, holding a 2.22 ERA his senior season at Granbury. Breck Bradshaw played at Lake Dallas HS and shined for the travel ball team USA Prime. Dominic Corgiat played at Fenwick HS in Illinois where he was ranked the No. 15 LHP in the state in 2022 by Perfect Game.
 
BROADCASTING ON THE WORLDWIDE LEADER
Part of the latest renovations to the Tarleton Baseball Complex and Tarleton Softball Complex included the capability to match ESPN standards of multiple camera angles on the broadcast. With that, Tarleton will stream select 2023 baseball and softball home games on ESPN+ for the first time ever.
 
BEHIND THE DISH
    Last season the Texans featured two catchers primarily. Mason Crews and Jaime Perez each started 19 games as both missed time with injury. Crews is a transfer from Kansas State and last season with the Texans he threw 10 runners out from behind the dish and finished with an on-base percentage of .303. He brings leadership and stellar defense to the Tarleton roster. Perez was a true freshman last season, hailing from Edinburg, Texas. He hit .318 with 21 hits, 11 RBI and nine walks to pair with an on-base percentage of .432. Both student-athletes bring tremendous talent to the table and should challenge each other for playing time.

GREAT PLAINS TO THE COWBOY CAPITAL
Redshirt junior utility player Jack Wagner has seen his fair share of experience at the Division 1 level. He spent four seasons as a member of the Kansas Jayhawks in the Big 12. Wagner missed last season due to an injury and took a redshirt, but prior to that he performed well in Lawrence. As a redshirt sophomore in 2021, he appeared in 43 games, starting 31 and hit .257 with 17 RBI and a .385 on-base percentage. Wagner also added a 10-game reached base streak. Wagner looks to slide in on the infield, potentially at first base and brings an all-around game to Stephenville.

NEXT UP 
The Texans will open Western Athletic Conference play as they host UT Arlington at the Tarleton Baseball Complex for a three-game series this weekend. All three games will be streamed on ESPN+. First pitch on Friday is set for 6 p.m. CT. Friday's game is a 'Purple Out' where fans are encouraged to wear purple. Purple rally towels will be given out.