HOBBS, N.M. — The University of the Southwest baseball team hosted Texas A&M Texarkana over the weekend at The Jake, opening the series with a Saturday doubleheader before closing the set Sunday afternoon. Despite falling in all three contests, the Mustangs showed resilience throughout the series, highlighted by multiple offensive surges and a one‑run battle in the finale.
Game 1: Texas A&M Texarkana 10, Southwest 1
The Mustangs kept the opener close early, but Texas A&M Texarkana broke the game open with a four‑run third inning and went on to claim a 10–1 victory in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader.
Through the first two innings, Southwest starter Miguel Olivas worked around traffic to keep the game scoreless. The Mustangs nearly struck first in the opening inning, putting two runners on base before TAMUT escaped the frame.
Texas A&M Texarkana capitalized in the third, stringing together timely hits to take a 4–0 lead. Southwest answered in the bottom half of the inning when J.J. Rosales doubled down the right‑field line and later scored on an RBI single by Mark Gonzales, cutting the deficit to 4–1.
Offensively, the Mustangs finished with six hits, including multi‑hit performances from Rosales and Alesandro Morrison. Southwest continued to battle at the plate, but TAMUT added runs in four different innings and limited the Mustangs' chances with strong pitching.
Game 2: Texas A&M Texarkana 18, Southwest 9
Game two of the doubleheader turned into a high‑scoring affair, as the Mustangs erased deficits multiple times and mounted a late push before ultimately falling 18–9.
Texas A&M Texarkana jumped out early with six runs in the first two innings, but Southwest responded with one of its strongest offensive performances of the weekend. In the third inning, the Mustangs broke through with a three‑run double from Vyncent Chavez, driving in three and bringing Southwest back within striking distance.
Southwest continued to pressure TAMUT throughout the contest. Jadon Trujillo delivered a key three‑run double during a seven‑run seventh inning that cut into the deficit and shifted momentum late.
The Mustangs totaled nine runs, with RBIs from Chavez, Trujillo, Izeyah Manzaneras, Elijah Arenibas, and Colby Martinez. Southwest worked through several pitching changes as it looked to slow TAMUT late, but the visitors added insurance runs in the eighth and ninth innings to secure the victory.
Game 3: Texas A&M Texarkana 10, Southwest 9
Sunday's series finale showcased Southwest's determination, as the Mustangs battled to the final out in a tightly contested 10–9 loss.
Texas A&M Texarkana built an early lead, but Southwest chipped away and remained within reach throughout the afternoon. The Mustangs surged in the sixth inning, scoring four runs to briefly take the lead. The inning was highlighted by a two‑run home run from Mark Gonzales, energizing the home bench.
Gonzales finished the game with three runs scored and two RBIs, while Alesandro Morrison, Alex Montiel, Colby Martinez, Jadon Trujillo, and Santiago Garcia also contributed offensively. Southwest continued to apply pressure at the plate, extending innings with timely hits and patient at‑bats.
Out of the bullpen, the Mustangs limited TAMUT in the eighth inning to keep the game within one run and set the stage for a late comeback attempt. Texas A&M Texarkana, however, capitalized on baserunners in the ninth inning to push across the eventual go‑ahead runs.
Southwest brought the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the ninth, but the rally was halted, ending the game by a single run.
Head Coach Steve Appel
"We came out extremely flat on the first day and TAMUT took full advantage. Things have not gone the way we thought this year and I think guys are frustrated overall. After a very bad first day I thought our guys responded, but we made some key mistakes whether making a crucial error, not taking advantage of opportunities offensively, or missing key pitches in while ahead in the count 0-2.
We have some work to do now as we will be on the road for a couple of weeks. We will see what type of team guys we have in the dugout and hopefully we can pull out a couple wins on the road before senior weekend at home. Ultimately it's up to the guys on how they respond and how they want the remainder of the year to go."
While the results did not fall in their favor, the Mustangs demonstrated continued growth across the weekend, highlighted by improved offensive production and late‑game competitiveness. Southwest will look to build on that momentum as conference play continues on Thursday and Friday at LSU-Shreveport.
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