The Texas State baseball team is entering the 2024 season following strong 2023 and 2022 seasons.Head Coach Steven Trout and the Bobcats will look to build on their previous success this year, with a combined record of 53-37 in the past two seasons. With returning key players Davis Powell and Chase Mora, the team expects a good season in 2024. Although any spot on the field is up for grabs with new players entering the school, let’s take a look at the pitching rotation and new players
Pitcher
Levi Wells pitched the most for the Bobcats last year, putting up 80 innings. But now that he’s been drafted by the Baltimore Orioles, Texas State will rely on other arms to carry the workload. Aside from Wells, the main inning eaters last year were Tony Robie, Zeke Wood, Triston Dixon, Nathan Medrano and Jack Stroud.
Robie saw the second-most time on the mound last season. He started 12 games and appeared in 20 last year, pitching 60 total innings. He went 5-4 with a 4.33 ERA and will pursue another winning season in 2024. Wood pitched 58.2 innings and had an ERA of 4.91 while starting in the second most games for Texas State. Besides Robie and Wood, starters included Peyton Zabel, who started in nine of his 14 appearances, and Nathan Medrano, who started in six of his 21 appearances.
In NCAA baseball, teams typically have a designated Friday-night starter, or, “ace.” Games usually occur every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with the ace starting on Fridays. Levi Wells filled that role for the team in 2023, and someone else will have to step up. Based on last year’s stats, Robie and Wood have the best chances to fill that role.
Senior lefty Jack Stroud was arguably the best relief pitcher on the team in 2023. Stroud posted an ERA of 3.56 with 67 strikeouts in 48 innings. Levi Wells is the only Bobcat who had more strikeouts. Stroud should be counted on in high-leverage situations this year. When it comes to pitching, there will be many different players who get opportunities.
Cameron Bush got a decent amount of innings last year with 32.1, meaning he will probably get innings in 2024. Jonathan Martinez had a solid 3.93 ERA in 18.1 innings, so he should be getting appearances this year. Other names to look out for are Austin Smith, Rhett McCaffety, Carson Keithley, Otto Wofford and Reece Gould.
New Players
As stated earlier, each of these jobs are up for grabs. Last year, Chase Mora was one of the most productive players on the team as a true freshman. For all we know, there could be a new Chase Mora this year.
Redshirt sophomore pitcher Keller Eberly is someone to look out for. He pitched for Central Florida University last season, going 6-0 with an ERA of 4.20. Additional redshirt-sophomore pitchers are Max Hamilton and Taylor Seay. Hamilton posted a 2.84 ERA in 12.2 innings with 13 strikeouts at McLennan College last year, and Seay recorded a 1.98 ERA over 41 innings for Angeline College. Both transferred to Texas State during the offseason.
One more pitcher who transferred to Texas State is redshirt sophomore left-hander Tyler Cooper. Cooper posted an ERA of 2.62 with 54 strikeouts in 34.1 innings with Temple College last year. All four of these new pitchers have pitched well in college already, and the Bobcats hope to see this continue in the coming season.
Last but not least, there will be new freshmen on the team. College is a big jump from high school, so predicting who will stand out immediately is challenging. Freshmen include outfielders Samson Pugh and Ben Merriman, infielders Ethan Farris and Tyler Garritano.
