The Teams: Tarleton State (22-18, 12-9 WAC) vs. Abilene Christian (23-17, 11-7 WAC)
Where: Abilene, Texas
Ballpark: Crutcher Scott Field
Day and Time: Tuesday, 6 p.m.
Streaming Platform: ESPN+
 
About the Matchup
 
Game Notes
 
• The midweek action between the Wildcats and Texans will be the fourth meeting of the season for the two.
• The rivals went head-to-head earlier this season as Tarleton State hosted ACU for a weekend series. The home team took the first game but the visitors took the series after securing the final two games. 
• A long history between the two teams sees an overall record of 53-66 in favor of the Wildcats.
• The 2023 record saw both teams take three games to go 3-3 in season meetings.
• The Texans are coming into the midweek battle after securing the series over UTRGV. Tarleton State took Game 1 and 3 over the Vaqueros. 
• The Wildcats went 1-2 in the past weekend series with CBU. Back-to-back losses started off the weekend for ACU, but the Wildcats took the final game of the series with a 4-0 shutout. 
• The home record for the Texans over the Wildcats favors the visitors at 26-28. The road record for Tarleton State at ACU is 26-37 for the home team.
 
Quick Hits
   • Mason Hammonds had an incredible weekend at Utah Tech after claiming new personal season-highs in HR per game (2), RBI per game (7), runs per game (4), and hits per game (5). Hammonds finished the weekend with a .923 SLG%, .385 BAVG, and a .476 OB %.
• Sophomore Tyson Drake had an incredible weekend at the plate against Stephen F. Austin with three home runs on the weekend to take the lead in home runs for Tarleton State. Drake compiled new season highs in four statistical categories. Drake tallied the lone homer, his 6th of the season, for the Texans in the midweek battle against DBU.
• Senior Grant Garza is tied for second most wins without a loss in the nation a 8-0. 
• 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 was also named The Grove Student Athlete of the Month for February.
• With 18 total home runs on the season for the Purple and White, seven Texans have contributed to the success at the plate. Tyson Drake comes in first with five, Brandon Howell follows closely behind with four, Cole Miears and Mason Crews have three each while Kooper Shook, Cris Enriquez and Mason Hammonds each have one a piece. 
• The Texans welcome a new head coach in the 2024 season, Fuller Smith. Smith is accompanied by Nick Zaleski, RD Spiehs and Cody Semler in their inaugural year with the Texan Baseball program. 
•  Saw their best record since 2018, when the Purple and White claimed the LSC Championship and closed out the year with a record of 35-17.
• 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 2024 season, the Purple and White will face the Bears in Waco on May 7, and the A&M Aggies in College Station, Texas, on April 30. 
 
 
In the Box
 A handful of returners have put up some impressive stats in the 2024 season and have proven to be a leading force for the Texans at the plate. Tyson Drake leads the team in several categories including runs (48), home runs (7), and slugging percentage (.571) and is tied for most triples (2) and hits (45). Mason Crews is tied for third with three home runs on the season. Trace Morrison is tied for fourth in doubles (8) and RBI (24) and is one of five Texans that have tripled this season. Kooper Shook is tied for fourth in doubles (8) and has one homer on the season and a .388 on-base percentage. Cole Miears is tied for most hits (45) and the highest batting average at .336. Miears also has six doubles on the season, 30 RBI, and is sitting at a .470 slugging percentage and .494 on-base percentage. Mason Hammonds has also found his stride in the box as one of the Purple and White's leaders in doubles (10). Hammonds has four home runs on the season, is tied for third in hits (42) and has tallied 22 RBI on the season. Cris Enriquez leads the team in RBI (36) and is sitting at .302 at the plate. Enriquez has 39 hits, 10 doubles, one triple, and three homers on the season. He has a .465 slugging percentage and a .383 on-base percentage. 
 
 
 
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 with ACU, the Texans will head to the West Coast to take on Sacramento State for a three-game weekend series beginning Friday at 6 P.M. CT.
 
 
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. Howell also received The Grove Student Athlete of the Month for the month of February. He also took the Purple Thursday Special Performance of the Month for February. 
 
       
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. The Purple and White are currently in 6th.
 
 
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 in the 2023 season 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 .316 with 24 runs on 43 hits, eight doubles, one triple and 24 RBI.