New, familiar faces to shape baseball roster

By Carson Weaver Sports Editor

It’s no secret that Bobcat baseball has set a new standard for itself through last season’s deep playoff run to the Stanford Regional. Although the run ended short, the team managed to bring Texas State and its community to the national spotlight for the first time in school history.

The 2022 Texas State baseball team produced the best record in program history, largely in part to the contributions of that year's seniors.

Longtime lineup roster staples, however, like outfielders John Wuthrich and Isaiah Ortega-Jones, infielders Wesley Faison and Cameron Gibbons and reliever Trevis Sundgren have since graduated.

Dalton Shuffield and Tristan Stivors left the team via the 2022 MLB Draft. Both were drafted by AL Central teams the Minnesota Twins and Chicago White Sox, respectively.

This year, familiar faces look to carry more of the load that was left by the graduates and players who sparingly saw the field last year will get an increased opportunity in the new season.

Sophomore first baseman Daylan Pena will look to build on a respectable freshman season that saw him get consistent playing time as either designated hitter or first baseman. In his freshman year, Pena hit seven home runs, including a grand slam against the rival Texas Longhorns in the highestattended baseball game in Texas State history.

Pena gave glimpses of raw power last season, but with only seven home runs to his name in 2022 and the eightbest slugging percentage on the team, head coach Steve Trout will need Pena to translate that raw power into game power in order to fill the holes left by last year’s graduates.

SEE BASEBALL PAGE 6

Elections

Main Point: Stop suppressing the youth vote

By Editorial Board

Texas House Bill 2390, introduced on Thursday, Feb. 16, would ban the placement of polling locations on college campuses, including Texas State. Authored by District 73 House Rep. Carrie Isaac who represents parts of Hays and Comal Counties, the bill is an attack on students and young voters’ constitutional right to vote.

Colleges and universities are designed to house all the needs of students on campus. Housing, dining, classes and recreation are within walking distance. Requiring public transportation or a car to vote is inconvenient and will lower voter turnout. Voting should be easy and encouraged by government officials, not restricted so politicians can decide who is able to show up to vote just so they receive more favorable odds on Election Day.