UTRGV baseball players earn 13 all-conference honors

UTRGV REPORT

EDINBURG — The UTRGV baseball team learned on Wednesday that the Vaqueros have earned a Southland Conference-high 13 all-conference honors, led by sophomore Armani Raygoza, the Southland Conference Player of the Year, and junior Los Fresnos alum Víctor Loa, the Southland Conference Newcomer of the Year.

Raygoza and Loa are also first team all-conference selections at designated hitter and starting pitcher, respectively. They are joined on the first team by senior catcher Steven Lancia and sophomore third baseman Easton Moomau. UTRGV is tied with Southeastern for the most players on the first team with four.

UTRGV also has three players on the second team, tied for the conference-lead with Southeastern, including graduate student Vela alum shortstop Isaac Lopez, graduate student PSJA alum first baseman Jacob Sanchez, and junior second baseman Thomas Williams.

UTRGV placed a conference-best four players on the all-defensive team, led by Lancia, Lopez, Moomau, and Williams.

Armani Raygoza

Raygoza is hitting .387/.478/.706 with 15 home runs, 17 doubles, 55 RBI, 43 runs scored and two stolen bases in 49 games, including 47 starts at designated hitter and two at first base.

Raygoza ranks 33^rd in the NCAA and second in the SLC in total bases (137), 36^th in the NCAA and first in the SLC in hits per game (1.53), 36^th in the NCAA and second in the SLC in hits (75), 41^st in the NCAA and second in the SLC in hitting (.387), 42^nd in the NCAA and first in the SLC in slugging (.706), 71^st in the NCAA and first in the SLC in home runs (15), 74^th in the NCAA and third in the SLC in doubles (17), 81^st in the NCAA and first in the SLC in home runs per game (0.31), 94^th in the NCAA and second in the SLC in RBI (55), 104^th in the NCAA and third in the SLC in on-base percentage (.478), 105^th in the NCAA and fourth in the SLC in doubles per game (0.35), and 108^thin the NCAA and second in the SLC in RBI per game (1.12).

Raygoza is having one of the top individual seasons in program history, as he ranks fifth in home runs (15), seventh in total bases (137), tied for eighth in doubles (17), tied for 10^th in RBI (55), and 13^th in hits (75). He also has 21 home runs over the last two years, tied for the fourth-highest career total in program history.

Víctor Loa

One of 54 pitchers in NCAA Division I on the Pitcher of the Year Award Watch List, Loa is 5-1 with a 3.02 ERA. In 12 starts, he has pitched 53.2 innings, striking out 51 while allowing just 38 hits and 33 walks. Opponents are batting .198 off Loa, who has allowed just one hit in three starts and two hits in two starts. That means in five of his 12 starts, Loa has held opponents to two hits or less.

After missing all of last season due to injury, Loa ranks 38^th in the NCAA and second in the SLC in hits allowed per nine innings (6.37) and 58^th in the NCAA and fifth in the SLC in ERA (3.02).

Steven Lancia

One of 56 catchers in NCAA Division I on the Buster Posey Award Midseason Watch List, Lancia ranks third in the NCAA in caught stealing percentage at 47.06% (16 out of 34). He also sports a .989 fielding percentage, having helped turn three doubles plays.

Offensively, Lancia is hitting .329/.430/.516 with five home runs, 11 doubles, two triples, 42 RBI, 37 runs scored and four stolen bases in 44 games, including 42 starts at catcher.

Lancia is leaving his mark on the program, as for his career, Lancia ranks third in putouts (1,123), ninth in RBI (111), 10^th in hits (184), and tied for 16^th in home runs (16).

Easton Moomau

Overall, Moomau is hitting .320/.405/.414 with three home runs, 10 doubles, 46 RBI, 47 runs scored and five stolen bases in 50 games. He has played sparkling defense, not only helping to turn 10 double plays, but making barehanded plays with ease.

Moomau stepped up during conference play, hitting .352/.441/.443 with two home runs, five doubles, 25 RBI, 30 runs scored, and four stolen bases in 30 games.

Isaac Lopez

One of 100 shortstops in NCAA Division I on the Brooks Wallace Award Watch List, given to the best shortstop in the country, Lopez is hitting .347/.418/.503 with six home runs, 13 doubles, 38 RBI, 51 runs scored, and 11 stolen bases in 47 games.

Lopez ranks 74^th in the NCAA and fourth in the SLC in hits per game (1.47), 79^th in the NCAA and second in the SLC in sacrifice flies (5), 106^th in the NCAA and sixth in the SLC in hits (69), 125^th in the NCAA and fifth in the SLC in runs per game (1.09), and 237^th in the NCAA and eighth in the SLC in hitting (.347).

Lopez is leaving his mark on the program, as for his career, Lopez ranks first in assists (491), second in hits (219), third in home runs (22), RBI (125), runs scored (157), and at-bats (705), and tied for eighth in games played (192).

Defensively, Lopez has a .971 fielding percentage and has been part of turning 27 double plays. This is Lopez’s third-career all-defensive honor after previously being honored by the Western Athletic Conference at shortstop in 2022 and second base in 2023.

Jacob Sanchez

After missing all of last year due to injury, Sanchez is hitting .326/.443/.500 with eight home runs, seven doubles, 29 RBI, 48 runs scored, and four stolen bases in 48 starts at first base. He has also been strong defensively, making just one error for a .997 fielding percentage while helping to turn 37 double plays.

For his career, Sanchez is tied for 12^th in program history with 17 home runs.

Thomas Williams

Williams is hitting .268/.380/.463 with eight home runs, 13 doubles, 49 RBI, 41 runs scored and five stolen bases in 50 starts at second base. Williams leads the SLC with six sacrifice flies, the 34^th-most in the NCAA. He’s also played strong defense, posting a .987 fielding percentage while helping to turn 33 double plays.

SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE HONORS

Player of the Year: Armani Raygoza, UTRGV

Hitter of the Year: Damian Ruiz, Lamar

Pitcher of the Year: Brennan Stuprich, Southeastern

Relief Pitcher of the Year: Brady St. Pierre, Southeastern

Newcomer of the Year: Víctor Loa, UTRGV

Freshman of the Year: Cermodrick Bland, SFA

Coach of the Year: Bobby Barbier, Southeastern

First Team All-Conference

C             Steven Lancia, UTRGV

1B          Rob Liddington, UIW

2B          Matt Ryan, Lamar

SS          TJ Salvaggio, Southeastern

3B          Easton Moomau, UTRGV

OF          Damian Ruiz, Lamar

OF          Conner Westenburg, McNeese

OF          Dane Watts, Southeastern

UT          Bryce Calloway, New Orleans

DH         Armani Raygoza, UTRGV

SP          Brennan Stuprich, Southeastern

SP          Riely Hunsaker, Lamar

SP          Víctor Loa, UTRGV

RP          Brady St. Pierre, Southeastern

Second Team All-Conference

C             Conner O’Neal, Southeastern

1B          Jacob Sanchez, UTRGV

2B          Thomas Williams, UTRGV

SS          Isaac Lopez, UTRGV

3B          Rocco Gump, Northwestern State

OF          Rhett Hendricks, HCU

OF          Tristan Moore, New Orleans

OF          Reese Lipoma, Northwestern State

UT          Giovanni Licciardi, Southeastern

DH         Rey Mendoza, UIW

SP          Grant Edwards, New Orleans

SP          Blake Lobell, Southeastern

SP          Alexis Gravel, McNeese

RP          Peyton Havard, Lamar

All-Defensive Team

C             Steven Lancia, UTRGV

1B          Austin Russell, A&M-Corpus Christi

2B          Thomas Williams, UTRGV

SS          Isaac Lopez, UTRGV

3B          Easton Moomau, UTRGV

LF           Dane Watts, Southeastern

CF          Conner Westenburg, McNeese

RF          Parker Coley, Southeastern

P             Zach Garcia, A&M-Corpus Christi

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