(RV) Baseball opening practice on Tuesday
The UHV baseball team is setting its sights on more history in 2025.
The Jaguars (34-17 in 2024), who are receiving votes in the NAIA Preseason Poll for the first time ever, open practice on Tuesday looking to build off a season in which they tied the single-season wins record.
"We're very excited to get the season started," said third-year head coach Jonathan Stavinoha. "A lot of those guys are coming back, especially on the mound, and are hungry after tying the program record in wins. That hunger looking forward to this season has been seen all fall. We've been busting our tail and getting to work. We couldn't be more excited."
Pitching figures to be a key piece to the Jaguars' hopes of reaching the NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho.
UHV returns a large majority of its pitching staff, which ranked fifth nationally in ERA (3.95), from last year including All-Red River Athletic Conference First Team selections Julian Garcia and Jacob Baker. Garcia tied the single-season wins mark on the mound. All-RRAC Second Teamers Brady Parker and Mason Longoria also return this season after combining for 15 wins. Longoria also notched 100 strikeouts a year ago.
The Jaguars' pitching staff was also bolstered with the addition of Jonathan Jones, a transfer senior from Southeastern (Fla.). The Manvel native was drafted twice in the MLB Draft, first to the Philadelphia Phillies in the 28th round of the 2018 draft as a senior in high school and then to the Milwaukee Brewers in the 31st round of the 2019 draft after his freshman season at San Jacinto College.
"I've always said a winning culture starts with pitching and defense," Stavinoha said. "We have 300-some-odd innings returning. Between those guys – Julian, Mason, Brady and Jacob – they've all got potential to be first-string guys. Then, adding Jonathan Jones and a couple of really good bullpen guys we have returning, we should have one of the top pitching staffs in the nation, in my opinion."
UHV also returns two-time All-RRAC catcher Hal Perez after a strong summer in which the Camuy, Puerto Rico, native earned Mr. General honors and won the Texas Collegiate League championship with the Victoria Generals. Behind the plate, Perez gunned down 21 would-be base-stealers, a mark which ranked ninth in the NAIA. He also hit .308 with a team-leading eight home runs.
Jean Michael Gonzalez and RRAC Gold Glover Juan Perez also return this season.
Gonzalez boasted a team-leading 24 stolen bases while slashing .293 with a .387 on-base percentage. Perez boasted a .977 fielding percentage.
Stavinoha is confident in the offense with those returners as well as the additions of Cristian Garcia, a graduate senior from Western Kentucky University; Rafael Gutierrez, a graduate senior from NCAA Division II Oklahoma Baptist University; and Terry Burrel III, a junior from Ranger College.
"We had our Fall World Series with two teams and our coaching staff was sitting there saying, 'We could take either one of these teams and compete for a conference championship,'" Stavinoha said. "When you have that talent and that depth, it's great because you know if one guy's not getting it done or struggling, you have the next man up. We've got this team built where we've got good depth."
The Jaguars open the season on Jan. 24 with a three-game series against Wiley University.