Baseball Returns to Diamond Three Weeks Prior to Opener

After an unusually cold week, the sun came out over UTRGV Baseball Stadium Friday as the temperatures reached the low 60s to usher in the 2025 baseball season.

Under clear skies, the Vaqueros completed their first of 18 practices in the lead up to the season opener on Feb. 14 at 6:30 p.m. against Southern Illinois.

“One thing that’s been positive in a short glimpse this early spring is our guys who were hurt in the fall are feeling good,” head coach Derek Matlock said. “The window of being ready to start in a game is 21 days. It’s so fast.”

After a short meeting in the dugout, the Vaqueros stretched, took part in fielding drills and bullpen sessions and then took batting practice before playing an intrasquad game.

Although this weekend’s practices are earlier in the day, to simulate the rigors of the season, the Vaqueros will play their intrasquads at their normal game times the next two weekends – 6:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 12 p.m. on Sundays.

“We’ve got a great group,” Matlock said. “This group’s been electric as far as the work ethic, the weights, and the culture. I’m really excited about this group of guys.”

One of the sources of electricity has been the athleticism of the position players, who have been running wild during the preseason.

“We’ll have a chance to set a school record for stolen bases,” Matlock said. “We have guys that can really run, and we’ve got power too. I think that combination of power and speed is going to give us a big advantage.”

The program record for stolen bases is 185, set in 1975. To get in the top five, the Vaqueros would have to steal at least 155 bases, an average of just under three bases per game. Presented with this information, Matlock reiterated his confidence in his team.

“You’ve never seen us steal bags, but we’ll steal some bags this year,” Matlock said. “We’re not going to have to get a hit every time we need to move a guy. We can steal a bag and not give up an out with a sacrifice, so we’re fired up about that.”

“This team is definitely a lot more versatile,” graduate student Isaac Lopez said. “Since the time I’ve been here we’ve been a real big slugging team – a lot more pop, doubles, extra-base hits, and home runs. This team can move. We’re going to bring some energy and juice to the bases and bring a ton of pressure to the other side to make them play the game that we want to play.”

Most importantly, though, the Vaqueros have focused on becoming more consistent. Part of that is always bringing the energy throughout every single game.

“Coach Matlock preaches a lot that we need to have fun when we’re playing,” Lopez said. “It’s a kids’ game that we play. A big thing that we do is just go out there with no stress on our shoulders and just get after it and play the game we’ve been playing since we’ve been four or five years old.”