Texas State baseball (11-13, 3-3 SBC) is back home looking to rebound from a loss with an in-season rematch against the Incarnate Word Cardinals (13-14) at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday at Bobcat Ballpark.
The two teams previously met at the beginning of March, and a back-and-forth game ultimately culminated in a walk-off victory for the Cardinals. Since then, both teams have followed a similar trajectory of cooling off.
The Bobcats are coming off a mid-week loss to rival UTSA (20-7). Texas State attempted to mount a late comeback in the last few innings, but it was far too late, as UTSA won 12-9.
Incarnate Word will conclude its seven-game road trip following its matchup against Texas State. The Cardinals have won two straight, most recently holding off a comeback in an 8-7 victory against Prairie View A&M.
The last time Texas State and UIW met, the Cardinals possessed one of the top-ranked offenses in the country. Although their offense has trended downward a bit, they are still a top-hitting team, tied 14th in the nation for hits with 265. The Cardinals are currently hitting .293/.410/.456.
Leading the charge for the Cardinals are centerfielder Daniel Calabrese and first basemen Rob Liddington Jr, the two most consistent and best players UIW has to offer. Calabrese leads the team in batting average (.371) and hits (43). His infield counterpart leads the team in home runs (9) and RBIs (30).
Pitching-wise, Incarnate Word lacks stability and strength. Only two have an ERA below 4.00.
The Bobcats, despite the loss, are looking to carry their offensive momentum from the previous night’s attempted comeback.
Shortstop Ryne Farber continues to lead the charge offensively for Texas State, with the rest of the lineup looking to put it together amid injuries. Texas State is currently hitting .256/.355/.388 heading into Wednesday’s rubber match.
It is undetermined at this time who the starting pitchers will be for either team going into Wednesday night. Texas State utilized its bullpen quite a bit against UTSA and will likely not be using any of its top pitchers on the staff in anticipation for a big in-conference series against No. 21 Coastal Carolina (18-7, 4-2 SBC).
The matchup between Texas State and Incarnate Word will not be available to stream. University Star sports reporter Paige Wilson (@paige_wilson_14) will provide live updates on X.
