STEPHENVILLE – The Tarleton State Baseball Complex was rockin’ on Tuesday, as the Texans beat the Baylor Bears in a midweek matchup. This marked the first Power Four conference home victory for Tarleton State in program history.
The Texans (7-5) beat the Bears (6-6) 6-5 in front of packed house in Stephenville, winning their second game against Baylor over the past four seasons. The Texans beat the Bears on April 25, 2023, in Waco 6-2, for their first Power 4 victory. And now, after several narrow losses to Power Four teams at home, and even a narrow 3-1 loss to No. 7 ranked Arkansas at a neutral site location this year alone, Tarleton State finished the job on Tuesday to send Texan Nation into a frenzy.
After trailing early, Tarleton State scored three unanswered runs between the sixth and seventh innings to take the lead for good. The Texans allowed just a single baserunner in each of the sixth, seventh and eighth innings, then Tai Phetluangsy closed the door in the ninth with back-to-back strikeouts and an induced foul out to first to earn his second save of the year. Ethan Jaques earned the win, improving to 2-0, with scoreless innings in the seventh and eighth.
The Bears started the night with two runs on no hits in the first inning, and had just one hit through three. Tarleton State built together a momentum-shift bottom half of the third, totaling three runs on three hits and an error to take its first lead. Brady Englett reached on an error to start, then Kendyl Johnson doubled to right center to put the Texans in business. Rayner Heinrich followed with a two RBI single to right to tie the game. Eventually Heinrich scored on a wild pitch to boost the Texans ahead.
Baylor responded with two in the fourth to take back the lead 4-3, then led off the fifth with a solo shot to left field for a 5-3 advantage. In the sixth, the Texans got a run back on an Englett RBI single to score Ike Shirey. Tarleton State then plated two in the seventh to take the lead back for good, using three straight singles by Slade McCloud, Carson Lorch and Cage McCloud (RBI), followed by an RBI sacrifice bunt by Shirey.
Tarleton State didn’t allow a hit over the final three innings, and outhit Baylor 12-7 on the night. Each of the Texans’ first eight batters in their lineup got a hit, with four multi-hit outings by Johnson, Heinrich (two RBI), Slade McCloud and Lorch. Johnson reached base three times with a double and a walk, and Slade McCloud had a double, as well. Johnson is now batting .471 on the season, going 11-for-19 (.579) over the last five games with six doubles.
The Bears got eight free passes on the night, five hit by pitches and three walks, but failed to capitalize.
Tarleton State used six pitchers throughout. Kobe Minchey got the start, his first action since 2024 with Dallas Baptist. He allowed two earned runs on three hit batters and a walk before he got an out. Andrew Hardin settled things down, allowing no runs and one hit with five strikeouts across three innings. Jackson Elizondo allowed two earned runs on three hits in an inning, Conner Doucet allowed one earned run on three hits with three strikeouts in two innings, Jacques allowed no runs and no hits in two innings, and Phetluangsy went three-up three-down with two strikeouts in the save.
Baylor used five pitchers in the game, with Luke DeVasher (0-1) taking the loss. He allowed two earned runs on three hits in an inning, with two strikeouts.
The Texans will now play their first true road games of 2026, as they head to Albuquerque, New Mexico, for a four-game series against the New Mexico Lobos. The first game is scheduled for Friday at 3 p.m. CT. Tarleton State is back at home next March 13-15 against Houston Christian.
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