CANYON, Texas – The Buffaloes of West Texas A&M open up the 2024 campaign on Friday afternoon as they welcome the Dustdevils of Texas A&M International to Canyon for a four-game Lone Star Conference series beginning on Friday afternoon with first pitch set for 2:00 p.m.
A LOOK AT THE DUSTDEVILS
The Dustdevils finished the 2023 campaign with an overall record of 19-31 with an 18-30 mark in LSC play as they have been tabbed 10th in the LSC Baseball Preseason Poll. TAMIU hit .284 as a team last season with 299 runs scored to average 6.0 per game. On the mound the Dustdevils had a 8.39 ERA with 332 strikeouts in 381.0 innings for an opposing batting average of .322.
Joseph Cruz is the top offensive returner for the Dustdevils as the senior from Villallba, Puerto Rico hit .331 last season with 13 doubles and three homeruns to drive in 26 RBI for a slugging percentage of .455 to go along with 30 walks and 18 strikeouts for a .444 on-base percentage while stealing four bases. Right-hander Jan Cabrera returns on the mound as the senior from Denton, Texas went 6-3 during the 2023 season with a 4.54 ERA, allowing 37 runs (34 earned) on 74 hits with 16 walks and 86 strikeouts during his 67.1 innings of work for an opposing batting average of .276.
TAMIU HEAD COACH PHILIP MIDDLETON
Philip Middleton is now in his fourth season at the helm of the Texas A&M International baseball program, holding an overall mark of 48-87 during his time in Laredo. Middleton was tabbed the program's new skipper in the October of 2020 following seven seasons as the top assistant at Texas A&M-Kingsville where the Javelinas claimed a pair of LSC Championship and three trips to the NCAA Postseason including a run to the Division II College World Series in 2018.
SERIES HISTORY
The Buffs and Dustdevils will take the diamond for the 17th time on Friday afternoon as WT is 15-1 in the all-time series that dates back to the 2014 campaign. The Dustdevils are 1-8 all-time at Wilder Park. Last year's series saw the Buffaloes pick up a sweep over TAMIU in Laredo by a combined score of 40-10.
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 16th season at the helm of the Buffs. He holds an overall record of 478-269 (.639) during his time in Canyon while registering a career record of 577-340 (.629) in his 19 seasons in collegiate baseball.
THE COACHING STAFF
Cory Hall is now in his 14th year at West Texas A&M as the Buffs' Pitching Coach, serving the last eight 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 eighth season in Canyon. The Buffs welcome Bret SImmermacher as a Volunteer Assistant for the 2024 campaign.
NCBWA PRESEASON ALL-REGION
Senior right-hander Nick Marshall has been named a Preseason Honorable Mention All-Region selection by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA). The Wisconsin product went 8-1 in 2023 with a 4.50 ERA as he allowed 45 runs (38 earned) on 85 hits with 33 walks and 76 strikeouts during his team-leading 76.0 innings of work for an opposing batting average of .282. He was named a First Team All-LSC honoree for his efforts on the diamond while also picking up D2CCA Second Team All-Region accolades.
LONE STAR CONFERENCE PRESEASON POLL
Defending National Champion Angelo State claimed 38 of the possible 39 first place votes for a total of 503 points to sit atop of the poll followed by UT Tyler (one first place, 450), St. Edward's (396), Lubbock Christian (388), West Texas A&M (379), Texas A&M-Kingsville (313), St. Mary's (257), UT Permian Basin (217), Eastern New Mexico (188), Texas A&M International (162), Oklahoma Christian (127), Cameron (97) and UAFS (72)
ASU outfielder Jacob Guerrero was named the league's Preseason Player of the Year while teammate Braxton Pearson was tabbed the Preseason Pitcher of the Year. Additionally, 25 players – 13 position players and 12 pitchers including Guerrero and Pearson – were selected for the LSC Baseball Preseason Players to Watch list. The student-athletes were nominated by their member institution.
Throughout the year, all 13 LSC teams will play a single round-robin schedule beginning on Opening Weekend with a four-game weekend series against each league opponent. The LSC Championship will feature a two-week tournament comprised of the top eight teams. The opening round (three-game series) will be May 3-5 at the sites of the top four seeds. The winners will advance to a double-elimination tournament played May 9-11 at the site of the top remaining seed. The LSC Tournament Champion will receive the conference's automatic qualifier to the NCAA postseason.
LSC DIGITAL NETWORK
The LSC Digital Network is in its fifth 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.
