2024 Incarnate Word Cardinals baseball team explained

Mode:	baseball
Year:	2024
Team:	Incarnate Word Cardinals
Conference:	Southland Conference
Short Conf:	Southland
Record:	26–31
Conf Record:	10–14
Head Coach:	Ryan Shotzberger
Hc Year:	5th
Asst Coach1:	Greg Evans
Asst Coach2:	Butch Rea
Asst Coach3:	Andrew Stumph - Volunteer Asst
Stadium:	Sullivan Field

The 2024 Incarnate Word Cardinals baseball team represented the University of the Incarnate Word during the 2024 NCAA Division I baseball season. The Cardinals played their home games at Sullivan Field and were led by fifth–year head coach Ryan Shotzberger.^[1] They are members of the Southland Conference. They compiled a 26–31 overall record and finished with a 10–14 record in conference play in a three–way tie for 6th place. The Cardinals qualified for the SLC tournament as the 8th seeded team. The team had a 1–2 record in tournament play defeating 1st seeded Lamar 6–3 and falling to 5th seeded McNeese 2–6 and Lamar 6–18.

Previous season

See main article: 2023 Incarnate Word Cardinals baseball team. The Cardinals had a regular season record of 28–26 and a conference record of 14–10 finishing in second place in SLC play. They participated in the 2023 Southland Conference baseball tournament as the second seeded team. The Cardinals were 0–2 in the conference tournament losing to fifth seeded Northwestern State 1–2 and sixth seeded McNeese 0–3.

Preseason

Southland Conference Coaches Poll

The Southland Conference Coaches Poll was released on February 8, 2024. Incarnate Word was picked to finish fourth in the Southland Conference with 81 votes.^[2]

Coaches poll
1	Nicholls	126 (14)
2	Lamar	106 (1)
3	New Orleans	92 (3)
4	Incarnate Word	81
5	McNeese	67
6	Texas A&M–Corpus Christi	55
7	Southeastern Louisiana	53
8	Northwestern State	42
9	Houston Christian	26

Preseason All-Southland team

Ray Mendoza was named to the conference preseason first team. Cameron Crotte, Isaiah Zavala, and Grant Randall were named to the conference preseason second team.^[2]

First Team

• Edgar Alvarez* (NICH, SR, 1st Base)
• MaCrae Kendrick (NICH, SR, 2nd Base)
• Ethan Ruiz (LU, SR, 3rd Base)
• Parker Coddou* (NICH, SR, Shortstop)
• Miguel Useche (UNO, SR, Catcher)
• Rey Mendoza* (UIW, GR, Designated Hitter)
• Mitchell Sanford* (UNO, RJR, Outfielder)
• Samuel Benjamin* (HCU, SR, Outfielder)
• Issac Williams (UNO, SR, Outfielder)
• Jacob Mayers* (NICH, SO, Starting Pitcher)
• Brooks Caple* (LU, SR, Starting Pitcher)
• Hunter Hesseltine* (LU, JR, Starting Pitcher)
• Gavin Galy* (NICH, RJR, Relief Pitcher)
• Kanin Dodge (LU, SR, Utility)

• -2023 Southland All-Conference Selection

Second Team

• Cameron Crotte (UIW, SR, 1st Base)
• Austin Roccaforte (LU, SR, 2nd Base)
• Dylan Mach (UNO, SR, 3rd Base)
• Jake Haze* (SLU, GR, Shortstop)
• Bo Willis (NWST, SR, Catcher)
• River Orsak (LU, SR, Designated Hitter)
• Garrett Felix (NICH, SR, Outfielder)
• Cooper Hext (MCNS, SR, Outfielder)
• Christian Smith-Johnson (TAMUCC, SO, Outfielder)
• Chase Prestwich (NWST, JR, Starting Pitcher)
• Isaiah Zavala (UIW, GR, Starting Pitcher)
• Jacob Ellis (LU, SR, Starting Pitcher)
• Jackson Cleveland (LU, JR, Relief Pitcher)
• Isaiah Zavala (UIW, SR, Utility)

• -2023 Southland All-Conference Selection

Personnel

Coaching staff

Name	Position	Seasons at Incarnate Word	Alma Mater
	Head Coach	5	McDaniel College (2004)
Greg Evans	Assistant Coach	5	Ole Miss (1985)
Butch Rea	Assistant Coach	1	Northeastern State
Andrew Stumph	Volunteer Assistant Coach	2	Texas State (2013)
Chance Medina	Director of Player Development	3	Incarnate Word (2021)

Schedule and results

Legend
	Incarnate Word win
	Incarnate Word loss
	Postponement/Cancelation/Suspensions
Bold	Incarnate Word team member
	Non-Conference game

2024 Incarnate Word Cardinals baseball game log
Regular season (25–29)
February (7–2) Date Opponent Rank Site/stadium Site Score Win Loss Save TV Attendance Overall record SLC Record February 16 Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX 12–7 215 1–0 February 17 Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX 7–6 144 2–0 February 18 Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX 9–6 ESPN+ 92 3–0 February 20 at * 8 Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park College Station, TX 3–9 None 4,870 3–1 February 21 Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX 22–7 (7 inn) ESPN+ 53 4–1 February 23 Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX 14–4 (7 inn) ESPN+ 74 5–1 February 24 Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX 15–0 (7 inn) ESPN+ 92 6–1 February 25 Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX 18–1 (7 inn) ESPN+ 94 7–1 February 27 Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX 10–15 ESPN+ 44 7–2
March (8–9) Date Opponent Rank Site/stadium Score Win Loss Save TV Attendance Overall record SLC Record March 1 at * Lou St. Amant Field Monroe, LA 5–6 936 7–3 March 2 at * Lou St. Amant Field Monroe, LA 7–4 967 8–3 March 3 at * Lou St. Amant Field Monroe, LA 1–7 961 8–4 March 5 Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX 7–5 ESPN+ 45 9–4 March 6 Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX 23–20 ESPN+ 37 10–4 March 8 Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX 11–4 ESPN+ 65 11–4 March 9 Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX 6–0 ESPN+ 195 12–4 March 10 Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX 11–4 ESPN+ 162 13–4 March 12 at * 23 UFCU Disch–Falk Field Austin, TX 1–7 7,211 13–5 March 19 at * UTRGV Baseball Stadium Edinburg, TX 4–5 ESPN+ 1,612 13–6 March 22 Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX 12–2 (7 inn) ESPN+ 103 14–6 1–0 March 23 Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX 5–11 ESPN+ 144 14–7 1–1 March 24 Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX 12–14 ESPN+ 152 14–8 1–2 March 26 at * Cecil Ballow Baseball Complex Stephenville, TX 4–8 403 14–9 Mar 28 at Maestri Field at Privateer Park New Orleans, LA 2–12 (8 inn) ESPN+ 324 14–10 1–3 Mar 29 at Maestri Field at Privateer Park New Orleans, LA 2–0 ESPN+ 308 15–10 2–3 Mar 30 at Maestri Field at Privateer Park New Orleans, LA 9–10 ESPN+ 367 15–11 2–4
April (8–9) Date Opponent Rank Site/stadium Score Win Loss Save TV Attendance Overall record SLC Record April 2 Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX 4–7 ESPN+ 88 15–12 April 5 at * Baylor Ballpark Waco, TX 7–13 1,783 15–13 April 6 at Baylor* Baylor Ballpark Waco, TX 3–15 1,837 15–14 April 7 at Baylor* Baylor Ballpark Waco, TX 14–1 (8 inn) 1,667 16–14 April 9 at * Reckling Park Houston, TX 11–5 1,783 17–14 April 10 at * Lee–Hines Field Baton Rouge, LA – – Apr 12 at Joe Miller Ballpark Lake Charles, LA 8–6 ESPN+ 945 18–14 3–4 Apr 13 at Joe Miller Ballpark Lake Charles, LA 10–3 ESPN+ 986 19–14 4–4 Apr 14 at Joe Miller Ballpark Lake Charles, LA 10–5 ESPN+ 989 20–14 5–4 April 16 Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX 10–8 ESPN+ 105 20–15 Apr 19 Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX 6–3 ESPN+ 75 21–15 6–4 Apr 20 Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX 10–6 ESPN+ 84 22–15 7–4 Apr 21 Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX 5–0 ESPN+ 94 23–15 8–4 April 23 at * Bobcat Baseball Stadium San Marcos, TX 0–10 (7 inn) 1,777 23–16 Apr 26 at Vincent–Beck Stadium Beaumont, TX 3–11 ESPN+ 1,307 23–17 8–5 Apr 27 at Vincent–Beck Stadium Beaumont, TX 2–3 ESPN+ 1,011 23–18 8–6 Apr 28 at Vincent–Beck Stadium Beaumont, TX 2–8 ESPN+ 1,009 23–19 8–7 Apr 30 at * John W. Tankersley Field Prairie View, TX 6–7 72 23–20
May (2–9) Date Opponent Rank Site/stadium Score Win Loss Save TV Attendance Overall record SLC Record May 3 Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX 7–6 ESPN+ 97 24–20 9–7 May 4 Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX 6–7 ESPN+ 115 24–21 9–8 May 5 Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX 7–10 ESPN+ 117 24–22 9–9 May 7 at * Crutcher Scott Field Abilene, TX 5–9 ESPN+ 337 24–23 May 10 Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX 0–9 ESPN+ 113 24–24 9–10 May 11 Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX 7–13 ESPN+ 136 24–25 9–11 May 12 Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX 11–12 ESPN+ 153 24–26 9–12 May 14 at * Roadrunner Field San Antonio, TX 3–13 (8 inn) 682 24–27 May 16 at Husky Field Houston, TX 2–4 113 24–28 9–13 May 18 vs Vincent–Beck Stadium Beaumont, TX^[4] 3–5 ESPN+ 24–29 9–14 May 18 vs Vincent–Beck Stadium Beaumont, TX 14–4 ESPN+ 25–29 10–14
Post-season (1–1)
(1–1) Date Opponent (Seed)/Rank Site/stadium Score Win Loss Save TV Attendance Overall record Tournament record May 22 vs. (1) Lamar (8) Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field Hammond, LA 6–3 ESPN+ 26–29 1–0 May 23 vs. (5) McNeese (8) Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field Hammond, LA 2–6 ESPN+ 26–30 1–1 May 24 vs. (1) Lamar (8) Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field Hammond, LA 6–18 (7 inn) ESPN+ 26–31 1–2 Schedule Source:^[5] ^[6] ^[7] ^[8] ^[9] ^[10] ^[11] ^[12] ^[13] *Rankings are based on the team's current ranking in the D1Baseball poll.|} See also 2024 Incarnate Word Cardinals softball team References ]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Ryan Shotzberger - Baseball Coach . University of the Incarnate Word Athletics . December 23, 2023 . en.
2. Web site: Nicholls Chosen to Repeat at Southland Baseball Champions; Preseason All-Conference Team Released . James Hill. Southland Conference . February 8, 2024 . February 8, 2024.
3. Web site: 2024 Baseball Roster. UIW Athletics. February 24, 2024.
4. Web site: BSB: Saturday's Doubleheader Moved to Lamar University at 2 pm - The Huskies and Cardinals will play two in Beaumont . Houston Christian University . May 18, 2024 . May 18, 2024.
5. Web site: 2024 Baseball Schedule . University of the Incarnate Word Athletics . December 23, 2023 . en.
6. Web site: Phil Stratton . Extra Bases - 2024 Team Schedules . College Baseball Insider . January 13, 2024 . September 25, 2023.
7. Web site: 2024 Baseball Schedule . The University of Texas at Austin Athletics . December 23, 2023.
8. Web site: 2024 Baseball Schedule . Texas A&M Athletics . December 23, 2023.
9. Web site: 2024 Baseball Schedule . Tarleton State University . December 23, 2023.
10. Web site: 2024 Baseball Schedule . Abilene Christian University . December 23, 2023.
11. Web site: 2024 Baseball Schedule . UTRGV . December 23, 2023.
12. Web site: 2024 Baseball Schedule . Texas State University . December 23, 2023.
13. Web site: 2024 Baseball Schedule . Rice University . December 23, 2023.