Baseball 2/15/2013 10:54:00 AM by Kirsten Jennings - Sports Intern

TAMIU baseball earning national recognition

TAMIU baseball has opened the 2013 season with back-to-back sweeps over conference opponents and picked up two additional wins along the way, in what has been the best start in program history. The Dustdevils 8-0 start has garnered national attention, as TAMIU is currently ranked in the top 40 teams in the country (NCAA Division-II poll).

(Follow this link to see NCAA Division-II national poll: http://www.ncaa.com/rankings/baseball/d2)

Although their journey has just begun, Head Coach Chad Porter said receiving a national ranking is a great motivator for the team and has resulted from hard work, commitment, and a high level of mental toughness.

“The 8-0 start is a great way to open the season, but it’s important to keep our ultimate goal in mind - we are playing for one of the top four spots in the conference. That’s what we have to accomplish if we want a shot at the conference championship and a chance to move on to regionals.”

It took a full team effort from both the offense and defense to reach this goal as well as chemistry from within the team. Senior pitcher Jerry Hawkins pitched thirteen straight scoreless innings over the first two weekends, while second starter Abdel Rivera went eight straight without a run scored.

Sophomore reliever Stephen Dickerson contributed five shutout innings in a 10-5 win over Oklahoma Panhandle State, while Baylr Bickerton, Dino Cristiani, and Donald Fennell have allowed only seven runs over 16.1 innings of work.

Senior Ramon Sandoval homered twice in the opening series against UT-Permian Basin and newcomer Alex McKeon is making it look easy with his batting average sitting slightly above the .400 mark.

Sandoval believes that along with team chemistry, TAMIU’s preseason conference ranking - which placed the Dustdevils at number five – was enough motivation to push the team to achieve more, “We are considered the underdogs and we are going to fight to prove to everyone that we belong here”.

TAMIU will play to keep their undefeated season alive this weekend in Arkansas where they will face the University of Arkansas Fort Smith, a team coming off a 2-1 series win over no.1 St. Mary’s University. Game time is set for 1 p.m. on Saturday February 16 and a double header on Sunday February 17 starting at 1 p.m. If the Dustdevils can continue to build off their early season success, they will surely be on their way to a top 25 ranking and pull another step closer to their goal of a conference championship.

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