- Last Season: 27-29 (13-17 Sun Belt Conference); missed Sun Belt tournament
- Final ranking: unranked
- Head coach (record at TXST): Steven Trout (146-106, 6th season)
With less than a week until Texas State baseball returns to the diamond against Binghamton, there is a litany of questions surrounding the program. In 2024, Texas State missed not only the NCAA tournament but the Sun Belt tournament as well, so no one quite knows what to expect in 2025.
The only certainty is the Bobcats will bring a drastically new look into the new season. With over 20 new faces on the roster and some changes on the coaching staff, Bobcat baseball looks revamped and ready to make a statement this season.
New Faces
It’s hard to determine what the opening day lineup will look like solely because there are 29 new faces on the Bobcat roster this year. Texas State head coach Steven Trout said mass roster turnover appears to be the new norm in college baseball and is something the team will learn how to deal with as the season goes.
“It seems like every year you’re going to have somewhere between 15 to 20 new guys. That’s just kind of how it plays out,” Trout said. “I’ve probably been most proud of this [new] group because of the way they work and get after it.”
In addition to new faces on the roster, the Bobcats added two new names to the coaching staff. Former Texas Longhorns head coach David Pierce and former Minnesota Twins assistant hitting coach Danny-David Linahan bring over 30 years of experience to the Bobcats’ staff.
Pierce has made 22 NCAA tournament appearances in his coaching career, and Linahan brings MLB coaching experience to San Marcos.
“[Pierce] is really big for myself and our staff because he sits back and views everything from a-z and helps us out on things he sees from his lens…[Pierce] is a great mentor for us,” Trout said. “Then Coach Linahan going right from the big leagues into our clubhouse. It’s been amazing the new things he’s brought to us on the hitting aspect.”
Key Returners
With a roster as reworked as Texas State’s, any veteran presence can’t be taken for granted. Those returning to the squad in 2025 will need to step into the leadership roles if the Bobcats are going to be successful this season.
On the offensive side, Chase Mora and Ryne Farber will be key to the Bobcats’ success this year.
As a sophomore, Mora was hailed as one of the best up-and-comers in the nation after hitting .316 with 17 HR and 57 RBI his freshman year. However, he didn’t live up to his expectations in 2024, as he only hit .251 with six home runs. Mora said he has been making some adjustments in his mindset to get ready for his junior campaign.
“I think last year I got too sped up, thinking I had to hit the home run or be [that guy], and that took me out of my routine and approach,” Mora said. “One thing this fall that I went to work with was being myself, hitting the baseball in the middle of the field and letting the home runs come.”
Farber had a breakout campaign as a freshman, slashing .340/.466/.468 in the 40 games he played. Following up his freshman season with one of a similar nature as a sophomore will be a driving factor in keeping the Bobcats’ offense on track.
“The past is the past, and my job is to get better every day,” Farber said. “For me, it’s just being focused every day and doing the little things right to try and get better.”
Austin Eaton, Matthew Tippie and Sam Hall should be three returning pitchers who will play a large part in determining the Bobcats’ success this season.
Eaton and Hall became two staples of the weekend rotation last year. Both showed flashes of their true potential but struggled at times to really hone in. If they can make the necessary tweaks to their game and pitch more consistently, they could be in line for big seasons.
Tippie was a cornerstone of the bullpen, functioning as a late-inning, high-leverage guy. He has electric stuff out of the bullpen but occasionally struggles with command. If he can reign in his control, Tippie could find himself as a true closer this year.
Games To Look Forward To
Every season comes with the excitement of big games. Based on the preseason polls, Texas State’s schedule features matchups against five teams in the top 25, including the number one team in the country, Texas A&M.
Along with A&M, the Bobcats’ out-of-conference slate will feature a home-and-home series against No. 19 Texas and matchups against No. 17 Oklahoma State and No. 23 TCU.
In the Sun Belt, Texas State’s big series includes No. 25 Troy, Coastal Carolina, Southern Mississippi and Louisiana; all of whom received top-25 votes in the preseason.
