NCAA Division I baseball power New Mexico State visits UTB-TSC

History will be made at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Scorpion Field as the first NCAA Division I opponent plays there when New Mexico State University takes on the University of Texas at brownsville and Texas Southmost College.

The two teams also meet at 6 p.m. Wednesday in the two-game series. 

"I had no idea that we were the first Division I team to play in your great city," NMSU coach Rocky Ward said. "I am very proud to hold that honor.   I truly do hope that we win, but I am very happy to provide the opportunity for UTB/TSC to line up against us."

The games were possible because NMSU planned a three-game series with NCAA Division I opponent University of Texas-Pan American Thursday through Saturday.

Ward was looking for other opponents in the area, and called last year about visiting Scorpion Field. The Aggies will spend their Spring Break in the Rio Grande Valley.

"Texas baseball in all regions of the state has a deep quality tradition that I want to be part of," Ward said. "I have always respected those programs nationwide that work towards success, and the willingness of UTB-TSC to play us to complete our 56-game schedule is appreciated."

NMSU is enjoying its best start in school history. The Aggies have a record of 20-3 and are averaging 13 runs a game against NCAA Division I competition.

Scorpions coach Bryan Aughney is looking forward to having a quality NCAA D-I opponent at Scorpion Field.

"It's pretty cool and exciting to have a D-I team come to our university and compete, and they are a good program," Aughney said. "It's a great opportunity for our guys to see what the D-I level is like."

While playing an D-I is exciting, Aughney knows competing with the Aggies poses a major challenge.

"We just need to go out and control what we can control, and we cannot concern ourselves with who is in the opposing dugout," Aughney said. "We will have the same mindset that we approach every other game with. We have to focus every pitch and compete. If we can do that, who knows what can happen?"

The Scorpions have played their best baseball of the season over the last three weeks. After starting the season 4-13, the Scorpions have a March record of 13-5 and are 17-18 for the season.

UTB-TSC won two of three games from Red River Athletic Conference opponent Texas College last weekend at Scorpion Field and is tied for the South Division lead with Huston-Tillotson, which they play host to this weekend.

Matt Warner has taken over the team lead in hitting with a .372 average. Gus Henggeler is batting .346, Ryan Macdonald .345 and Jacob Yousif .336. Dennis Ortiz (1-0) and Jesus Mendoza (0-1) are the expected starters for the Scorpions.

They will face an Aggies team that has a team batting average of .381 and has hit 58 home runs in 23 games.

College Hall of Fame coach Gary Ward helps son at New Mexico State

One of the biggest names in college baseball, Gary Ward, will be in the visiting dugout when UTB-TSC faces New Mexico State at 6 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday at Scorpion Field.

Ward, 68, is a collegiate baseball giant, posting the top winning percentage of all NCAA Division I coaches in history.

"Gary Ward is a legend," Scorpions coach Bryan Aughney said. "It will be an honor to have him on our field."

Ward is in his sixth season as an assistant coach for his son, Rocky. He is serving his second stint as an assistant coach. After being out of coaching for three years, he was the Aggies' assistant in 2000. He was the head coach in 2001-02.

Ward, who coached 19 years at Oklahoma State, was inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2008.

"Dad is the perfect assistant," coach Rocky Ward said. "I know that he is loyal to me to and program 100 percent of the time and I know that he will work continually to reach the same goals that I have for the program."

In the 1990s, the elder Ward was out of coaching to rehabilitate and recover from a back injury when his son asked him to coach with him at NMSU.

"Rock called me to New Mexico State, and asked me to come out here to the Valley," Ward said. "I didn't intend in work on the field again. He asked me to put a uniform on a couple of years ago, and I said I can do that. I get to work with my sons and get to serve the community college as well. I always loved the southwest."

Ward, who serves as the Aggies' hitting coach, took the head coaching position at OSU and turned an average baseball program into a national contender. In 19 seasons, the Cowboys won a national record 16 straight Big Eight Conference championships and 17 NCAA regional appearances, compiling a 953-313-1 record. They played in 10 College World Series tournaments, placing second three times and third twice. Ward's overall record at OSU was 953-331.

During his one year as head coach at NMSU, he led the Aggies to the Sun Belt Tournament championship and finished with an overall record of 1,022-361-1. The winning percentage of .738 is tops all-time and the total number of victories ranks him 24th in the NCAA all-time list.

Ward enjoys the quality time with his sons that few fathers can -- working with them daily.

"Coaching is kind of a labor of love," Ward said. "I get to work with my sons and get to know them as men."

Included in his tenure at OSU were 18 40-win seasons.  All 18 of those teams were ranked nationally at the end of the season.  Twelve of his teams finished in Baseball America's top-10.

Ward coached 14 first-team All-Americans and a total of 56 (first, second and third teams).  Among players coached by Ward were Robin Ventura, 1988 Golden Spikes Award winner and Baseball America's Player of the Decade for the 1980s, and Pete Incaviglia, the NCAA career home run leader and Baseball America's Player of the Century.

Ward competed in both baseball and basketball at NMSU from 1960-62 and played two seasons of baseball under Presley Askew.  During the 1960 season he led the team in win-loss record as a pitcher and ERA. Ward was inducted to the NMSU Hall of Fame for his accomplishments as an athlete.

Ward has produced a number of baseball instructional videotapes that have been sold around the world.  At Oklahoma State, he was founder and director of the Mid-America All-Star Baseball School in Stillwater.  More than 1,000 amateur baseball players attend the camp annually.

Ward is looking forward to returning to the Valley, where he brought Oklahoma State teams to play University of Texas-Pan American and his good friend and former coach Al Ogletree.

"I have some great friends down there," Ward said. "Coach Al and I go back a long time. We have many stories we can share."

Ward plans to continue coaching as long as he is physically able.

"I'm 68 now, and I think don't think I can do anything else," Ward said. "I cannot not work. I have to work. You spend your life preparing to do these things. I would be absolutely be bored to death. Each time I have gotten out of it, even for six months, I get stir crazy.

"As long as I'm physically capable of getting on the yard and work with young people, I will continue to do this as long as I'm healthy."

New Mexico State brings power, history of baseball success to UTB-TSC

The first NCAA Division I team to play a college baseball game in Brownsville is one loaded with offense.

New Mexico State, a member of the Western Athletic Conference, which produced 2008 NCAA Division I national champion Fresno State, may put an offensive show like it has throughout the 2009 season.

The Aggies are 20-3 so far this season under coach Rocky Ward, who is in his 11th year in the position at NMSU and who has won 254 games in his first 10 seasons.

Consider these statistics:

- The Aggies have scored 295 runs in 23 games, an average of almost 13 runs a game.

- They scored 28 runs in one game and have scored 20 or more runs three other times.

- They have hit 58 home runs, seven triples and 74 doubles in the 23 games.

- They have a team batting average of .381 and a slugging percentage of .702.

- The Aggies' hitting coach is Gary Ward, a member of the College Baseball Hall of Fame.

Although the numbers are impressive, Rocky Ward realizes he is competing in a conference that includes the defending national champion and universities with solid athletic programs like football power Boise State, San Jose State, Hawaii, and Nevada.

"We operate a program that is severely underfunded compared to our conference opponents," Ward said. "But this America and this country was founded on the simple fact that the underdog can compete and win. I am proud to represent the strength of the American underdog every time we play and win against the odds."

Ward knows that although his team is putting up superior numbers thus far this season, the team's success will be measured by what it does in the postseason.

Some of the individual offensive numbers coming to Scorpion Field include:

- Senior catcher Jeffrey Farnham, hitting .430, five homers, 28 RBIs

- Junior infielder Mike Sodders, 429, seven homers, 33 RBIs

- Junior infielder Wade Reynoso, .422, four homers, 31 RBIs

- Senior second baseman Bryan Marquez, .420, 11 homers, 38 RBIs

- Junior outfielder Nate Shaver, 385, five homers, 28 RBIs

- Senior infielder Richard Stout, .380, one homer, 15 RBIs, 31 walks

- Junior infielder Ben Harty (6-5, 220), .341, eight homers, 36 RBIs

- Junior first baseman Leo Aguirre (only 13 starts), .490, five homers, 22 RBIs

- Junior outfielder Steven Anderson (only 13 starts), .367, five homers,16 RBIs.

Five other players who have at least 11 at bats are hitting .300 or better.

Considering he wants to rest some of his starters and have them fresh for games against NCAA Division I opponent University of Texas-Pan American later in the week, Ward may use more reserves for the games against the Scorpions.

"I will use these games to test some of the players who have not gotten the opportunity to prove their worth to the team, but several of my mainstream players will compete in these games in Brownsville," Ward said. "We will play to win, and any win over UTB-TSC will be earned and definitely not cheap."

Venegas,Warner Named Red River Athletic Conference Players of Week

UYTB-TSC pitcher Jacob Venegas and outfielder Matt Warner have been named Red River Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week and Player of the Week, respectively, for their efforts during the week of March 16-22.

It was the first conference award for each player. They shared the awards with recipients from other conference teams.

Venegas, a freshman pitcher from Weslaco, tossed the first no-hitter in the four-year NAIA history of Scorpions baseball. In an 11-1 win over Valley City State (N.D.) last week, he struck out five hitters and walked three in six innings of work. . He also walked three while allowing one run to score on a dropped fly ball, the only error of the game.

Warner, a sophomore left fielder and designated hitter from Henderson, Nevada, scored 14 runs and drove in eight. He racked up four RBIs and scored three times in the 11-1 win over VCSU. He scored three times in the second game of that doubleheader despite only one official at-bat.

Warner then helped UTB-TSC start Red River Athletic Conference play at 2-1 by going 7-for-13 in a three-game set against Texas College. Warner accounted for three doubles, a home run, three walks and three steals last week as UTB-TSC improved its record to 17-18 for the season.

Joey Evans of Texas Wesleyan was named Co-Pitcher of the Week and Armando Arzate of Bacone College was named Co-Player of the Week.

Venegas' award was the fourth for a Scorpions pitcher this season. Junior pitcher Julian Moya received pitcher of the week three times within a four-week span in February and March.