College baseball: UTPB sweeps away foes in Classic style

MIDLAND For the first time in program history, the UTPB baseball team feels like it has some leadership with seven seniors on the roster.

UTPB is used to coach Brian Reinke’s style, and it paid off in a big way Friday and Saturday.

UTPB (4-0 overall) beat Schreiner College and Eastern New Mexico on Saturday to finish undefeated at the first UTPB Classic held at UTPB’s Roden Field in Odessa and Citibank Ballpark in Midland.

“We had hoped for this,” UTPB senior Eric Gutierrez said. “We started 0-3 last year, but we only had three seniors. We have seven seniors, and the leadership has picked up.”

UTPB hung on for a wild 11-9 win over Eastern New Mexico at Citibank in the nightcap after defeating Schreiner 14-3 in seven innings at Roden Field earlier in the day.

“It’s a big refreshment after the last three years,” Gutierrez said. “(The program) has grown, we have a new coach and we are getting better recruits by being NCAA. It is a whole lot better all the way around.”

On Saturday night, Gutierrez went 3-for-6 with three runs scored and two RBIs to help UTPB rally from early 4-0 and 5-2 holes. The Falcons took the lead for good with a seven-run fifth inning.

“It’s taken us three years to get to the place where we have guys that have been in the system,” Reinke said. “The guys that have been here know what to expect, and the junior college transfers follow their lead.”

UTPB used disciplined hitting and solid starting pitching to dominate throughout the weekend.

Brent Hardy, the starter on Saturday night, was the first starter to allow a run. The previous three starters combined to go 18 shutout innings.

“The starting pitching was better than expected this early in the season,” Reinke said, “but we’ve got some issues in the bullpen that need to be ironed out. We are going to rely on those guys heavily this season.”

UTPB’s bullpen allowed four runs in 5 2/3 innings Saturday, though reliever Corey Roberson did pick up the victory.

“Pitchers were just throwing strikes and getting ahead of hitters,” Gutierrez said. “They weren’t walking anyone, which leads to runs.”

While UTPB started undefeated, the Falccons still have areas in which they can improve, including capitalizing on baserunners.

“This is what you always want,” Reinke said. “We did some things right, but we have a lot to work on this week in practice.”

UTPB opens Heartland Conference play Friday when they play a four-game series at Texas A&M International.

UTPB Classic

UTPB 14, Schreiner 3 (7)

UTPB 103 136 0 — 14 13 2

Schreiner 000 001 2 — 3 7 4

Kyle Frets, Anthony Gilliland (6) and Robert Leigh. Arnijo, Pape (5), Nicholson (5), Barrientos (6), Houser (6) and Ibieta, B. Pena, Peterson. W — Frets (1-0). L — Arnijo. 2B — UTPB: Will Basom 3, Tyler Haines 2; Schreiner: Ambrose, Sanchez 2.

Highlights: UTPB's Will Basom was 3-for-3 with three doubles, an RBI and two runs scored in the win.

UTPB 11, Eastern New Mexico 9

ENMU 301 102 020 — 9 10 2

UTPB 002 071 10x — 11 12 4

Seth Clabaugh, Doug McIntyre (5), Ismael Solis (6) and Paden Vedrely. Brent Hardy, Corey Roberson (4), Jordan Strode (7), Matt Scheffer (9) and Derek Dibbens. W — Corey Roberson. L — Seth Clabaugh. S — Matt Scheffer. 2B — ENMU: Tyler Hayes 2; UTPB: Derek Dibbens. 3B — None. HR — ENMU: Jonathon Marbury.

Highlights: UTPB's Derek Dibbens was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and RBI and a double.

Eastern New Mexico 6, Howard Payne 4

ENMU 020 010 300 — 6 10 2

Howard Payne 000 000 310 — 4 7 2

Tyler Doughty, Antwhan Yazzie (7), Doug McIntyre (8), K. Balderaz (8) and Freddy Carmona. Colby Rowley, Adam Garcia (2), Jimmy May (7), Chase LaPenna (7) and Jose Sierra. W — Doughty. L — Rowley. Sv — Balderaz. 2B — ENMU: Jonathon Marbury, Tyler Hayes, Freddy Carmona, Seth Clabaugh; HPU: Cale Thompson 2. 3B — ENMU: Clayton Young, Tyler Hayes.

Highlights: ENMU's Tyler Hayes finished 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored in the victory.

Howard Payne 18, Sul Ross State 14

SRSU 334 100 210 — 14 18 6

HPU 150 022 350 — 18 21 3

Jaime Rojo, Eddie Vela (5), James Johnson (7), Javier Arrieta (7), Ritchie Ortega (8) and Monte Piper. Ramiro Garza, Gilbert Barrera (3), Mason Rihn (3), Billy Ray Cruz (7) and Ben Ogle. W — Cruz. L — Arrieta. 2B — SRSU: Chris Rodriguez, Javier Arrieta; HPU: Nick Loving, Taylor Zambreski, Salvador Tijerina, Jose Sierra. 3B — SRSU: Javier Arrieta 2; HPU: Nick Loving. HR — HPU: Luke Leftwich.

Highlights: HPU's Taylor Zambreski was 4-for-6 with four RBIs and three runs scored in the victory.