CANYON, Texas – The Buffaloes of West Texas A&M close out the regular season this weekend at Wilder Park as they host the #2 Angelo State Rams in a four-game Lone Star Conference series beginning on Friday night with first pith set for 6:00 p.m. in Canyon.
 
A LOOK AT THE RAMS
Angelo State enters the final weekend of the regular season with an overall record of 40-6 with a 38-6 mark in league action following a sweep over then #8 St. Edward's last weekend in San Angelo as the Rams claimed the 2023 LSC Championship. ASU is ranked second in the National Collegiate Baseball Writer's Association (NCBWA) Division II Top-25 Poll while sitting atop of the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper poll.
 
Jacob Guerrero leads the way offensively for the Rams as the senior outfielder from Colleyville, Texas is hitting .418 on the year with 14 doubles, three triples and three homeruns to drive in 42 RBI for a slugging percentage of .616 to go along with 19 walks and 11 strikeouts for an on-base clip of .520. Potential game four starter Kade Bragg has dominated on the mound as the junior lefty from Ennis, Texas is 11-0 with a 0.27 ERA, allowing five runs (two earned) on 33 hits with 26 walks and 88 strikeouts in his 67.2 innings of work for an opposing batting average of .143.
 
ASU HEAD COACH KEVIN BROOKS
Kevin Brooks has built the ASU Baseball program into a national power during his time in San Angelo, holding an overall record of 726-330 over the past 19 years with five trips to the Division II College World Series (2007, 2015, 2016, 2021, 2022). Last year's ASU squad went 51-14 overall as they claimed the South Central Regional Championship on their way to the College World Series.
 
SERIES HISTORY
The Buffs and Rams will take the diamond for the 103rd time on Friday evening in Canyon as ASU holds a 62-40 all-time lead in the series that dates back to 2005. The Rams are 22-20 all-time at Wilder Park with their last trip to Canyon coming in 2021. The two teams split their six meetings last season as the Buffs took the series at Foster Field in San Angelo before ASU claimed a pair of victories during the LSC Tournament in San Angelo.
 
WT HEAD COACH MATT VANDERBURG
Matt Vanderburg has built West Texas A&M Baseball into a regional and national contender as the Norman, Oklahoma native enters his 15th season at the helm of the Buffs. He holds an overall record of 476-265 (.647) during his time in Canyon while registering a career record of 575-336 (.635) in his 18 seasons in collegiate baseball.
 
THE COACHING STAFF
Cory Hall is now in his 13th year at West Texas A&M as the Buffs' Pitching Coach, serving the last seven as the program's Associate Head Coach. Hall has had four different pitchers drafted in the Major League Baseball Draft during his time in Canyon with multiple other professional players learning under one of the top pitching minds in collegiate baseball. Assistant Coach Shawn Neale was named WT's Recruiting Coordinator in 2022 as the Toronto native returns for his seventh season in Canyon.
 
2023 LSC PRESEASON POLL
Defending South Central Regional Champion Angelo State picked up 23 of the possible 32 first place votes to sit atop of the poll with 407 points followed by WT (eight first place, 388), Texas A&M-Kingsville (one first place, 315), Lubbock Christian (298), St. Edward's (296), UT Tyler (291), Oklahoma Christian (206), St. Mary's (203), Texas A&M International (160), UAFS (131), Eastern New Mexico (88), Cameron (82) and UT Permian Basin (47).
 
Adam Becker from West Texas A&M claimed Preseason Player of the Year accolades while Wesley Gafford from St. Edward's was named the LSC Preseason Pitcher of the Year.
 
THIS IS LSC BASEBALL
The LSC Championship will feature a two-week tournament comprised of the top eight teams with the opening round at on-campus sites May 5-7. The winners of each opening round series will advance to a double-elimination tournament played May 11-13.
 
LSC DIGITAL NETWORK
The LSC Digital Network is in its fourth season showcasing the academic and athletic events of the league and its 18 member institutions. Volleyball, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's basketball, baseball and softball broadcasts will be available via conference-wide pay-per-view passes.
   
The LSC Digital Network will offer season passes for football, volleyball, soccer, basketball, baseball and softball, giving fans access to all regular-season contests for that sport. In addition, viewers will continue to have the option to purchase a $10 day pass that provides access to all broadcasts aired that day and access to all archived content for 24 hours.