Ayden Oredson
Texas State freshman outfielder Zachary Gingrich (12) celebrates his first collegiate home run against Texas Christian University with Texas State sophomore outfielder Samson Pugh (8), Tuesday, March 11, 2025, at Bobcat Ballpark.
The last two weeks have seen Texas State baseball go from a 6-2 start to falling to .500 at the end of non-conference play. Since Texas State’s victory over Texas A&M on Feb. 25, the Bobcats dropped weekend series against Grand Canyon and Campbell while also losing two midweek tilts to Incarnate Word and TCU. With conference play on the horizon, the Bobcats are going to have to figure things out fast.
Here are some takeaways from Bobcat baseball’s final stretch of non-conference games:
It’s time to pick a lineup and stick with it
There’s nothing wrong with experimenting with lineups and starting rotations during non-conference play. Most coaches and those familiar with college baseball would probably say if a team isn’t experimenting, they’re doing it wrong.
True to that, the Bobcats certainly did their share of experimenting through the first month of the season. But, now that conference play is about to begin, it’s time for Texas State head coach Steven Trout to pick his guys and stick with them.
February is over, which means the time for experimenting is over. The most important games of the season loom, and continuing to shift around the lineup and pitching rotation will likely cause more harm than good to a team that still has postseason aspirations.
Can’t afford to keep losing weekend series
A strong opening weekend sweep of Binghamton propelled Texas State to a quick 3-0 record. Since then, the Bobcats dropped the next three weekend series they played. Texas State won one game a piece against Illinois, GCU and Campbell for a combined 3-6 record in weekend series since the opening weekend sweep.
Unfortunately for Texas State, many of the teams they will play in the Sun Belt will be as good or better as the teams they have been losing to thus far. The SBC may not be considered a power conference, but when it comes to baseball, it is widely regarded as a top-four conference in the country, with some only ranking it behind the SEC and ACC.
Texas State doesn’t have to sweep every series, they don’t even have to outright win every series in a conference like the Sun Belt that is sure to eat itself alive in some ways, but there are far fewer teams in the SBC like Binghamton, and much more like GCU or Illinois. The Bobcats are going to have to step up if they want a chance to win the conference.
Win the games you’re supposed to win
A midweek loss shouldn’t seem like a big deal. In many respects, it’s not a deal at all. But if it’s a game that’s supposed to be won, it has to be won.
Going into their March 4th contest with Incarnate Word, The Bobcats had won five straight games against the Cardinals, and after opening up an early lead, it looked like they would make it six straight. Nine innings later, UIW walked off the Bobcats, ending its five-game skid against Texas State.
The loss to UIW is only one example of a bad midweek loss in a young season, but when an opportunity to win a game against what is viewed as an inferior opponent presents itself, it has to be taken.
The most important part of the season starts now
To preface, every game is important. Playing interesting non-conference series or beating schools like Texas and Texas A&M might sell more tickets and draw more attention to the program.
But none of that matters in comparison to conference play. The Bobcats’ ultimate goal as of this moment is to get back to the NCAA tournament. Some ranked non-conference wins can help their case, but the quickest way back is to win the conference.
With conference play beginning this weekend, it’s time to throw out whatever has already happened and treat this weekend like the beginning of a new season, one that the Bobcats can’t afford to start .500 in.