The Teams: Tarleton State (6-2,0-0 WAC) vs. Incarnate Word (7-1, 0-0 LSC)
Where: San Antonio, Texas 
Ballpark: Sullivan Field, Sponsored by H-E-B
Day and Time: Tuesday at 2 p.m.
Streaming Platform: ESPN+
 
About the Matchup
 
Game Notes
•  Tarleton State is tied for the longest winning streak in the WAC with five consecutive wins after sweeping the Northern Colorado Bears.
• Junior Brandon Howell earned the title of WAC Player of the Week on Feb. 26 after one of the best games of his collegiate career at the home opener for the Texans. Howell tied the game against the Roadrunners in the seventh with a two-run home run, then took the game for the Purple and White with a walk-off grand slam for a 14-10 final.  
•  Mason Crews pulled some series weight in the nightcap of the doubleheader against the Northern Colorado Bears on Saturday. A two-run homer in the fourth from Crews doubled the score for the Texans. After five scoreless innings, the home team headed into the 12th inning down by two and another two-run homer from Crews tipped the game in favor of the Purple and White for a 10-8 final. 
•  Tyson Drake and Cole Miears also claimed their first homers of the season on Tuesday evening against the Roadrunners and Miears earned another in the final game of the series against Northern Colorado for the first run of the game.
 
Quick Hits
• Zach Poe claimed a spot on the 2024 Preseason All-WAC Team.
• The WAC Coaches poll saw Tarleton picked to finish 9th out of 11.
• The Texans welcome a new head coach in the 2024 season, Fuller Smith.
• Coach Smith is accompanied by Nick Zaleski, RD Spiehs and Cody Semler in their inaugural year with the
Texan Baseball program. 
• The 2024 Texan Baseball program is comprised of 21 returners and 19 newcomers
• Right handed pitcher, Will Stevens was selected by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 15th round of the MLB Draft. Stevens takes the slot as the ninth Texan in program history to be selected in the MLB's first year player draft.
 
Fuller Smith Era
       On June 8, 2023, Fuller Smith was named the newest leader of Tarleton State's Baseball program. The Alabama, native, has had a hand in the success of various programs, several of which the Texans will face in conference play. In the previous season, Smith wrapped up his three-year stint as an assistant coach for Sam Houston State University. Prior to his time in Huntsville, Smith spent six seasons at UT Arlington as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. The 2008 Ole Miss graduate has a plethora of experience that will be a core source of success for the Purple and White this season. The Fuller Smith Era (on the field) will officially commence with the weekend series against the SLU Lions. 
 
First Power 5 Victory
       With a 6-2 win over Baylor in Waco, Texas, on Tuesday, April 25, 2023, Tarleton baseball picked up its first win over a Power 5 team in program history. The Texans took struck first in the first inning and never gave the lead up. Piercen McElyea played a big part in the win, striking out a season-high 10 in 5.0 innings of work, walking none. McElyea threw a first pitch strike to 18 of 23 batters he faced.
 
In the Box
    A handful of returners have put up some impressive stats in the 2023 season and have proven to be a leading force for the Texans at the plate. Brandon Howell leads the team with an impressive .500 batting average and a 1.357 slugging percentage as well as home runs (3) and RBI (10). Senior Cole Miears holds the top spot on the team in hits (14) and doubles (3) with a .467 average at the plate. Mason Crews is sitting at a .421 batting average with the second highest slugging percentage at .842.
 
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.
 
 
Strength in Numbers
With a 40-man roster in the 2024 season, the Texans have a great balance of experience within the program. The Tarleton State roster is made up of nine freshman, five sophomores, 15 juniors, and 10 seniors. Out of the 25 upperclassmen on the team, only nine are new to Texan Nation. 
 
 
Next Up
Following the matchup against the Cardinals, the Texans will continue their time on the road with a trip to Conway, Arkansas. The Purple and White will face the Central Arkansas Bears for a a four-game series starting Friday at 2 p.m. Saturday will see a doubleheader starting at 4 p.m. and another presumably at 7 p.m. The final game will take place on Sunday at 1 p.m. 
 
Recognition
To kick off the season, Senior, Zach Poe
found his name on the 2024 Preseason All-WAC Team. The Madisonville, Texas, native is a strong arm for the Texans leading the team with the best ERA and WHIP. The right-handed pitcher also leads the team in appearances for the third consecutive season with 23, all out of the bullpen. The most recent recognition for the Texans came on Feb. 26 with Brandon Howell taking the WAC Player of the Week title. In the home opener for the Purple and White, Howell had one of his best collegiate career games with two home runs, one tying the game for the home team and the second winning the game with a walk-off grand slam.  
 
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 2024 baseball and softball home games on ESPN+. All games that are not broadcasted
on ESPN+ will be broadcasted on WAC International. 
 
WAC Preseason Poll
       Tarleton was chosen to finish 9th out of 11 schools in the WAC preseason poll. The poll was released on February 6.  The Texans received 34 total votes and slotted in ahead of Stephen F. Austin and Utah Tech. Grand Canyon was picked to win the league, followed by Utah Valley and California Baptist.
 
Hometown hero
       Trace Morrison is a Stephenville, Texas, native, that has made a large impact on the Texan Baseball program. The outfielder does a stellar job in the box leading the Purple and White with a .365 average at the plate. In his first two seasons at Tarleton, Morrison has started in 57 games and made saw time in a total of 68 matchups. The junior has amassed 97 put outs, with only two errors in two years for a .981 fielding percentage. Morrison's experience as a lifelong Texan paired with his consistent dedication to the game makes him a key player for Tarleton Baseball.  In the 2024 season, Morrison is batting .360 with seven runs on nine hits, one double, one triple and five RBI.