Ryne Farber and the Texas State Bobcats (3-0) will take on Nolan Schubart and the No. 19 Oklahoma State Cowboys (1-2) at 6:30 tonight. The game will be at Globe Life Field, home of the Texas Rangers, in Arlington.
“We respect everybody, but we fear nobody,” Texas State head coach Steven Trout said. “We’ve had big wins in this program, and our goal obviously is to beat those [top-ranked] teams every year.”
Texas State last played at a Major League stadium in the 2024 Astros Foundation Classic, where it went 2-1, winning against Texas and Houston at Minute Maid Park in Houston.
“I know that we will all be really excited and looking forward to getting up [to Arlington] and playing at a big league stadium,” Farber said.
Left-hander Jesus Tovar will start on the mound for Texas State to mark his first in-game appearance representing the Bobcats, as the redshirt junior transferred from New Mexico Junior College this season. He hasn’t pitched since 2023 due to an arm injury, but he impressed with a 3.11 ERA with 82 strikeouts in 63 2/3 innings in his freshman year and a 1.78 ERA in 30 1/3 innings the following season.
Oklahoma State’s starting pitcher is unknown, but Hunter Watkins, Gabe Davis and Harrison Bodendorf all pitched last weekend, which all but eliminated their chances of facing the Bobcats tonight.
The Bobcats started the 2025 season with a 3-0 sweep over the Binghamton Bearcats last weekend. Their offense went 28-for-95 at the plate, and their pitching staff allowed 10 earned runs in 27 innings. Farber hit .400 with two doubles, Ethan Farris went 5-for-12 with a triple and Zachary Gingrich collected four hits and two walks in 11 at-bats.
Oklahoma State is already in Arlington and competed in the Shriners Children’s College Showdown last weekend, beating Louisville and losing to No. 15 Clemson and No. 19 Texas. Schubart, ranked 20th on D1Baseball’s Top 50 college baseball prospects for the 2025 MLB Draft, went 4-for-10 with three walks in the tournament. Jayson Jones had five hits, including a home run, and Avery Ortiz smashed two home runs.
While the matchup between Texas State and Oklahoma State will be a non-conference game, a win for the Bobcats against a ranked team could boost their confidence and prove vital come NCAA tournament selection day.
“I think it’s going to be awesome,” Farris said. “We’re geared up for it, we’re ready for it, but we’re also going to treat it just like another baseball game.”
