No. 12 ASU Continues LSC Championships Against St. Mary's

SAN ANGELO, TX — The second-seeded No. 12 Angelo State baseball team travels to Tyler this week to open bracket play in the Lone Star Conference Championship against third-seeded St. Mary’s.

First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. Thursday at Irwin Field.

Angelo State (38-15) advanced to the double-elimination portion of the tournament after winning two of three games against Texas A&M-Kingsville in the opening round, with both victories coming via run rule.

The Rams’ pitching staff delivered multiple strong outings in the series, highlighted by Luke Spencer, who posted a 1.80 ERA over five innings, and Nick Gray, who recorded a 1.50 ERA with five strikeouts across six innings. Isaac Godard earned the series-clinching win out of the bullpen, tossing the final 4 2/3 innings.

Offensively, Angelo State scored 30 runs over the three-game series. Brett Smajstrla led the team with a .545 batting average and a 1.583 OPS, while Tate Greene and Chase Pendley each drove in six runs. Blake Wilhoite, Gamaliel Jones, Austin Beck, Hunter Holt and Payton Bush all reached base consistently with on-base percentages above .300.

The four-team bracket features top-seeded UT Tyler, Angelo State, St. Mary’s and fifth-seeded Lubbock Christian.

UT Tyler (40-10) enters as the regular-season champion and earned the tournament’s only bye into bracket play. The Patriots won three of four games against St. Mary’s in their most recent series.

St. Mary’s (38-15) also needed three games to advance, defeating West Texas A&M in the opening round. The Rattlers are hitting .298 as a team and have recorded 399 strikeouts on the mound this season.

Lubbock Christian (33-19) advanced after sweeping St. Edward's on the road. The Chaparrals are batting .309 and averaging eight runs per game.

Angelo State holds a 44-12 all-time advantage over St. Mary’s, including a four-game sweep earlier this season. The Rams are 14-15 all-time against UT Tyler and 41-25 against Lubbock Christian.

The Rams will face either top-seeded UT Tyler or Lubbock Christian in their second game Friday, with first pitch set for either 11 a.m. or 3 p.m., depending on tournament results.