The University of the Southwest Baseball Team was in Sterlington, LA to play in the 2022 RRAC Baseball Championship Tournament this past weekend. The tournament featured the top eight teams from the Red River Athletic Conference this year and was a double-elimination format. The Mustangs entered as the five seed a year after earning the fifth seed and knocking off the second-seeded LSU Shreveport Pilots in the opening round before dropping their next two games. Last year was the first conference tournament victory for the program since 2004 and the Mustangs were hoping to make a deeper run this year. 
 
Game 1: The opening game of the tournament for the Mustangs on Friday afternoon had them taking on Louisiana Christian University, who was the four seed in the tournament after going (22-11) in RRAC play. When the two teams matched up earlier in the year LCU was able to take two of three from the Mustangs. This game featured a strong breeze out to centerfield and made the game into an offensive battle between the two teams. The Mustangs collected 18 hits and five walks in the contest en route to 13 runs in the game but they were unable to contain the wildcat bats and dropped the game 17-13. Omar Baldenegro, Brian Rodriguez, and Nicholas Palomino all had three hits on the day, including four RBIs for Baldenegro and two home runs and six RBIs for Palomino. Gabriel Perez-Torres, Tariq Levesque, and Jesus Baldonado all had two hits in the contest as well. 
 
Game 2: Saturday afternoon USW matched up in an elimination game with the top-seeded LSUS Pilots who were (47-3) during the regular season before dropping their opening game of the tournament to UHV. Cody Stone got the start on the mound for the Mustangs and was able to mostly contain the high-powered Pilot offense that was third in the country in runs scored on the year. He went five innings, and scattered seven hits, allowing three earned runs. Rocky Sanchez Came on in relief throwing three innings, allowed two runs, and struck out three. Isaac Baeza tossed a scoreless top of the ninth to get the Mustangs to the bottom of the ninth trailing 6-3. The Mustangs would create some magic in the bottom half. Brian Rodriguez and Jesus Baldonado would both reach on errors by the LSUS shortstop before Nicholas Palomino would knock an RBI single into center field to make the score 6-4. A pitching change followed by a failed bunt attempt left the Mustangs with first and second and one out. Michael Davis III came into pinch hit and would single to left field to score Baldonado and bring the Mustangs within one. Omar Baldenegro would follow with a game-tying RBI single to right-center and left Mustangs on the corners with one out and Freshman Hayden Woods coming to the plate. Woods dropped down a squeeze bunt on a very low pitch that would score pinch-runner Dair Ornelas from third base and give the Mustangs the 7-6 walk-off victory. Senior Gabriel Perez-Torres had a two-run home run in the contest as one of the nine hits for the Mustang offense. 
 
Game 3: In another elimination game Sunday afternoon, the Mustangs would take on the sixth-seeded Eagles from Texas A&M-Texarkana who Southwest had just taken on the previous weekend winning the series two games to one. The Mustangs came out on fire in the contest scoring four in the first, six in the second, three in the third, and four in the fourth in route to a 17-2 seven-inning run-rule victory. The offense collected 14 hits and nine walks in the contest led by three hits apiece from Hayden Woods, Gabriel Perez-Torres, and Nicholas Palomino. One of the three hits for Perez-Torres was a three-run home run to right-center field. Senior Jacob Chavarria got the start on the mound against the Eagles for the second time in eight days and was brilliant, going five and a third innings, did not allow a run, and earned the win in his final appearance as a Mustang. 
 
Game 4: Sunday Evening the Mustangs would take on the red hot offense of the University of Houston-Victoria. The Mustangs put three on the board in the top of the first but the Cougars of UHV would answer back with one in the first, five in the second, and one in the third. The Mustang offense would scatter 11 hits and six walks throughout the game and score six runs. The offense was led by Senior Gabriel Perez-Torres who was four for five with six RBIs, and two home runs. Ultimately it was not enough as UHV would put up 11 runs and claim the 11-6 victory to eliminate the Mustangs. Senior Michael Downs tossed one and two thirds scoreless innings and Cade Contreras tossed a scoreless eighth inning as well. 
 
After the Tournament, Head Coach Steve Appel explained "Although we did not achieve the ultimate goal of winning the conference tournament, I am proud of how our kids performed this weekend and throughout the year.  Throughout the year, the kids played the game the right way and the blue-collar way.  Since taking over this program 7 years ago, our goals were to improve every year and I believe we have done that.  We have shown people that we can play with anyone at any time." 
 
All-Tournament: Senior Gavy Perez-Torres was given the Hustle Award and named the All-Tournament Team shortstop after going ten for eighteen, with four home runs, and 15 RBI's in the Tournament. Fellow Senior Nicholas Palomino was named the All-Tournament Team DH after going nine for twenty, with two home runs, and nine RBI's in the tournament. 
 
All-Conference: On the first day of the tournament the all-conference teams were announced and several Mustangs were honored. Gabriel Perez-Torres was named the first-team shortstop. Tariq Levesque was named the second-team first baseman. Hayden Woods was named a second-team outfielder, and AJ Cordova was named a second-team starting pitcher. Tariq Levesque received the gold glove for first base and Brian Rodriguez received his third career gold glove as an outfielder. 
 
Records: The 2022 Mustangs set several team and individual records as well as countless top-five finishes in program history. One of these includes 33 wins, the most since 2004, and tied for second in program history. They recorded the second most RRAC wins in a season with 21. They finished 1^st in program history in runs in a season, runs in a game, hits in a season, RBIs in a season, triples, total bases in a season, walks in a season, on-base percentage, stolen bases in a game, saves, and assists in a game. They finished second in program history in runs per game, batting average, doubles, stolen bases, ERA, lowest WHIP, strikeouts as a pitching staff, innings pitched, and fielding percentage. On the individual side, there were several records broken as well. Gabriel Perez-Torres broke the records for career batting average, career slugging percentage, doubles in a career, hits in a season, slugging percentage in a season, doubles in a season, RBIs in a season and tied for home runs in a season. Brian Rodriguez set the record for runs scored in a career and career at-bats. Hayden Woods set the record for most runs scored in a season. Tariq Levesque set the record for most walks in a season. Isaac Baeza now holds the career saves record. AJ Cordova set the record for most games started as a pitcher in a season and tied the record for most wins in a season. All of the record books have been updated and can be found at the following links. Individual: https://bit.ly/individualrecords Team:https://bit.ly/Teamrecords22  
 
Coach Appel explained "Setting records is not something we look at doing at the beginning of the season. Setting records happen when teams improve and guys improve over the period of time they wear a Mustang jersey.  I have always believed in developing players and when that happens, they develop what the program is supposed to be."
 
Seniors: The Mustangs will have some big shoes to fill as they replace ten seniors from this year's record-setting club. Those seniors include Gabriel Perez-Torres, Tariq Levesque, Brian Rodriguez, Nicholas Palomino, Caden Ledbetter, Michael Davis III, Braxton Ashford, Jacob Chavarria, Hunter McLarry, and Michael Downs. 
 
On the senior class, Coach Appel said "Losing 10 seniors will be tough.  These are kids that have invested a lot of time into this program and they will all be missed.  They have certainly set a precedent around here and the younger guys now will have to carry the traditions they have put in place.  I am happy they were able to put together a good season for them to remember for a very long time.  Each senior has played a huge role in this program and replacing their value will be tough."