STEPHENVILLE, Texas – On Tuesday, the Western Athletic Conference announced its postseason baseball awards, with six Texan student-athletes earning spots on the All-WAC Teams and Tarleton State head coach Fuller Smith tabbed the WAC Coach of the Year.
 
Outfielder Rayner Heinrich was named All-WAC First Team. Starting pitcher Matthew McCullough, relief pitcher Anthony Treto, catcher Sergio Guerra, and outfielder Jake Tatom were all named All-WAC Second Team. Shortstop Ike Shirey was one of five named to the WAC All-Defensive Team.
 
The WAC postseason awards were voted on by the conference's seven head coaches. Head coaches were not allowed to vote for themselves or members of their own team.
 
Smith was named the WAC Coach of the Year in his third season at the helm of Texan Baseball. Tarleton State Baseball has posted a historic 2026 campaign thus far, winning its second regular season conference championship in program history, its first since 2013. The Texans are the No. 1 seed heading into the WAC Tournament, with already the most wins in their NCAA Division I era. Year-over-year, Smith has turned a 24-32 2025 team into a 34-19 2026 club, with the same amount of conference wins in six fewer conference games, a 12-6 WAC mark. Tarleton State has posted some of its best wins in program history this season, including a 6-1 road win at No. 2 Texas, a 6-5 home win vs. Baylor and a 5-1 road win at Baylor. The Texans entered 2026 with one Power Four conference victory in program history, and have three such victories this season. Tarleton State is 10-4 against SEC, Big 12 and Mountain West Conference opponents this season, with a 7-0 mark against the MWC (four-game sweep at New Mexico, three-game sweep vs. Air Force). With one win in the upcoming WAC Tournament, Tarleton State will post a 35-win season for the ninth time in program history and first since 2018.
 
Smith has won the fifth conference coach of the year award in Tarleton State Baseball's modern era, joining Bryan Conger (LSC Coach of the Year in 2013), Trey Felan (LSC Coach of the Year in 2003), and Jack Allen (twice LSC Coach of the Year, 1999 and 1998). Across Tarleton State Athletics, Smith is now one of five head coaches named WAC Coach of the Year this season (Texan Men's Golf's Chance Cain, Texan Indoor Track and Field's Bobby Carter, Texan Women's Golf's Isabel Jimenez, Texan Tennis' Elianne Douglas-Miron).
 
Heinrich earns his second All-WAC postseason recognition in as many years, his first on All-WAC First Team after a spot on the All-WAC Second Team as a freshman last year. Heinrich leads the Texans in nine offensive categories, including batting average (.372), OPS (1.129), runs (47), hits (73), doubles (21), home runs (12), RBI (58), total bases (136) and slugging percentage (.694). Conference-wise, Heinrich finished in the top-seven across nine offensive categories, taking third in batting average, third in OPS, third in doubles, fourth in RBI, fourth in triples (three), fourth in slugging percentage, fifth in total bases, seventh in hits and seventh in home runs. Heinrich also posted a .435 on-base percentage, had 10 steals in 12 attempts, and recorded a .968 fielding percentage on 95 attempts (88 putouts, four assists). Heinrich started all of his 49 games played across Tarleton State's 53 regular season games, earning a hit in 43 games, with 14 multi-hit games, five with three hits or more and two with four hits. He posted a season-long 17-game hitting streak and had 14 games with multiple RBI. His best game of the year came in a neutral-site win against Cleburne, where he hit two home runs and finished 4-for-5 at the plate. He was named the WAC Player of the Week on March 30 after he batted 10-for-18 (.556) with two home runs, two doubles, six RBI, seven runs scored, and one stolen base in four games against Air Force and Lamar.
 
McCullough was named Second Team All-WAC in his true freshman year. The right-hander has the tied-second most wins on the team, owning a 5-2 record across 15 appearances and eight starts. He's posted a 4.71 ERA and 1.60 WHIP across 42.0 IP (fourth most on the Texans), allowing a .264 average with 31 strikeouts. In conference play, McCullough especially shined, going 3-0 across six appearances and five starts with a 1.96 ERA and 1.26 WHIP in 23.0 IP. He allowed a .221 average with 15 strikeouts. Across McCullough's eight starts on the year, the Texans went 6-2.
 
Treto has earned All-WAC Second Team status in his first year at Tarleton State. The junior RHP has been one of the best relievers in the nation, owning a 3.30 ERA and 1.17 WHIP across 43.2 IP in 23 appearances. He has the tied-most saves on the Texans with seven, and also sports a 2-0 record, allowing a .218 average with 55 strikeouts, most on the team. Treto has the tied-second most saves in the WAC this season, only behind Utah Tech's Ryan Kroepel (10) and tied with fellow Texan Tai Phetluangsy. Treto's seven saves are tied-second most by a Texan in their D1 era, trailing only AJ Wood's nine in 2021.

Guerra had one of the hottest starts in the nation and excelled in conference play to earn his second straight All-WAC Second Team nod in his three years at Tarleton State. Guerra batted .294 in 43 games (40 starts), with 39 RBI, five home runs and nine doubles. In conference play, he batted .339 with an .808 OPS in 17 games with 14 RBI, a pair of doubles and a home run. He also had 14 multi-hit games and six multi-RBI performances, twice posting five RBI or more. Behind the plate, Guerra posted a .987 fielding percentage on 76 chances, with three caught stealing assists. He had one of the best opening series across the nation, named both Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Week and WAC Baseball Player of the Week, batting .667 (6-for-9) with 13 RBI, six runs, three home runs, and a double in a three-game opening sweep. His weekend performance resulted in a 2.511 OPS, highlighted by a 1.778 slugging percentage and a .733 on-base percentage. In the opener, he belted two home runs and earned eight RBI in a 3-for-3 day, and added five RBI with a home run and a double in a 2-for-4 day in the finale.
 
Tatom was one of the best players in conference-action, earning him an All-WAC Second Team spot in his lone year at Tarleton State. Altogether this season, Tatom batted .290 with seven home runs, five doubles, 30 RBI and 75 total bases, adding 22 walks in 48 games (44 starts). In WAC play, Tatom batted .435 with a 1.207 OPS in 17 games, belting four home runs and four doubles, with 15 RBI, 43 total bases and 12 walks. He posted a .513 on-base percentage in WAC-play, with five steals. Tatom also had a .970 fielding percentage on 100 chances, with 92 putouts and five assists. Tatom had a 5-for-6 day at Utah Tech in the series opener on May 1, with a home run, two RBI and three runs. He had a season-high four RBI on a 3-for-4 day with a home run and double against Incarnate Word on Feb. 24.
 
Rounding out Tarleton State's representation in the WAC awards is Shirey on the WAC All-Defensive Team, his second straight such honor in his third season at Tarleton State. Shirey made all of his 48 starts at shortstop, posting a .939 fielding percentage on 198 chances (120 assists, 66 putouts). He was part of 34 double plays across Tarleton State's 50 on the year, the 10th most by a team across NCAA Division I this season. Shirey also had a strong season offensively, batting .315 with seven doubles, five triples, two home runs and 34 RBI, adding 14 steals.
 
The full list of the WAC's 2026 baseball honors and awards can be found below.
 
WAC Player & Defensive Player of the Year
Chris Ramirez, So., SS, California Baptist

WAC Pitcher of the Year
Michael Malki, So., RHP, California Baptist 

WAC Freshman of the Year
Cole Hansen, DH/UTL, California Baptist

WAC Coach of the Year
Fuller Smith, Tarleton State

All-WAC First Team
SP – Michael Malki, So., RHP, California Baptist 
SP – Ethan Lay, Sr., RHP, Sacramento State
RP – Zachary Yates, Gr., California Baptist
C – Ty Johnsen, R-Sr., Utah Tech
1B – Hunter Katschke, Sr., Utah Valley
2B – Kyle McDaniel, Jr., Utah Tech
3B – Ryan Kroepel, Jr., Utah Tech
SS – Chris Ramirez, So., California Baptist
OF – Erick Dessens, Jr., Sacramento State
OF – Rayner Heinrich, So., Tarleton State
OF – Kaden Carpenter, Sr., Utah Valley
DH/UTL – Diego Cardenas, Sr., Abilene Christian

All-WAC Second Team
SP – Matthew McCullough, Fr., RHP, Tarleton State
SP – Caylon Dygert, Jr., RHP, UT Arlington
RP – Anthony Treto, Jr., RHP, Tarleton State
C – Sergio Guerra, Sr., Tarleton State
1B – Miller Durham, Jr., Utah Tech
2B – Xavier Melendez, Sr., UT Arlington
3B – Connor Ross, Jr., California Baptist
SS – Zandt Payne, Gr., Abilene Christian
SS – Petey Soto Jr., Jr., Utah Tech
OF – Bryce McFeely, Gr., California Baptist
OF – Sam Harry, Fr., Sacramento State
OF – Jake Tatom, Sr., Tarleton State
DH/UTL – Cole Hansen, Fr., California Baptist

WAC All-Defensive Team
SS – Zandt Payne, Gr., Abilene Christian
SS – Chris Ramirez, So., California Baptist
C – Matt Chavez, Sr., California Baptist
SS – Ike Shirey, Sr., Tarleton State
SS – Petey Soto Jr., Jr., Utah Tech