2023 Incarnate Word Cardinals baseball team

American college baseball season

2023 Incarnate Word Cardinals baseball

Conference	Southland Conference
Record	28–26 (14–10 Southland)
Head coach	Ryan Shotzberger (4th season)
Assistant coaches	Greg Evans Quintin Crandall
Home stadium	Sullivan Field
Seasons ← 2022 2024 →

2023 Southland Conference baseball standings
v t e	Conf				Overall
Team	W		L	PCT	W		L	PCT
Nicholls ‍†‍‡‍^y	15	–	9	.625	34	–	24	.586
Incarnate Word ‍‍‍	14	–	10	.583	28	–	26	.519
New Orleans ‍‍‍	13	–	11	.542	36	–	24	.600
Lamar ‍‍‍	13	–	11	.542	32	–	23	.582
McNeese ‍‍‍	12	–	12	.500	35	–	23	.603
Northwestern State ‍‍‍	12	–	12	.500	29	–	27	.518
Texas A&M–Corpus Christi ‍‍‍	12	–	12	.500	24	–	30	.444
Southeastern Louisiana ‍‍‍	9	–	14	.391	25	–	25	.500
Houston Christian ‍‍‍	7	–	16	.304	11	–	37	.229

† – Conference champion ‡ – Tournament champion y – Invited to the NCAA Tournament As of June 3, 2023^[1] Rankings from D1Baseball

The 2023 Incarnate Word Cardinals baseball team represented the University of the Incarnate Word during the 2023 NCAA Division I baseball season. The Cardinals played their home games at Sullivan Field and were led by fourth–year head coach Ryan Shotzberger.^[2] They are members of the Southland Conference.

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 3, 2023. Incarnate Word was picked to finish ninth in the Southland Conference with 20 votes.^[3]

Predicted finish	Team	Votes (1st place)
Coaches poll
1	McNeese	118 (7)
2	Southeastern Louisiana	115 (10)
3	Lamar	88
4	New Orleans	87
5	Northwestern State	65 (1)
6	Nicholls	59
7	Texas A&M–Corpus Christi	55
8	Houston Christian	41
9	Incarnate Word	20

Preseason All-Southland team

One Incarnate Word player was named to the conference preseason first team. ^[3]

First Team

Alec Carr (UIW, SR, Utility)

Personnel

Roster

2023 Incarnate Word Cardinals Roster^[4]

Pitchers

6 – Isaiah Zavala – RHP – senior (5'11, 145)
11 – Larry Westall – RHP – junior (6'4, 185)
12 – Kayden Cassidy – LHP – senior (6'0, 180)
15 – Steve Hayward – RHP – senior (6'5, 188)
16 – Seth Higdon – RHP – senior (6'2, 205)
17 – Westin Walls – RHP – junior (6'5, 215)
18 – Luis Rodriguez – RHP – junior (6'0, 215)
19 – Garrett Coiner – RHP – freshman (5'10, 165)
20 – EJ Garcia – RHP – freshman (5'9, 170)
23 – Braden Berry – RHP – junior (6'2, 230)
27 – Dave Johnson – RHP – junior (6'4, 180)
28 – Otto Stacey – RHP – senior (6'2, 195)
31 – Danny Davis – RHP – junior (6'6, 215)
34 – Carson Rollins – LHP – junior (6'2, 200)
37 – Sawyer Hansen – LHP – junior (6'1, 180)
38 – Ryan Schlotzhauer – LHP – junior (6'3, 190)
41 – Hunter Murray – RHP – senior (6'0, 200)
43 – Micah Berens – RHP – junior (6'4, 235)

Catchers

8 – Jared Rhodes – R/R – junior (6'0, 185)
24 – Hernan Yanez – R/R – senior (6'0, 200)
30 – Tommy McCormick – R/R – junior (6'0, 215)

Infielders

0 – Jacob Ruiz – R/R – freshman (6'0, 195)
2 – Grant Randall – R/R – junior (5'10, 165)
3 – Tyler Preece – R/R – junior (6'0, 195)
5 – Alec Carr – R/R – senior (6'0, 210)
13 – Cameron Crotte – R/R – junior (6'4, 195)
21 – Tony DeJesus – R/R – freshman (6'0, 190)
22 – Til Nalle – R/R – freshman (6'1, 195)
25 – Joe Jimenez – R/R – senior (6'3, 190)
26 – Matt Crump – R/R – junior (6'1, 200)
32 – Jimmy De Leon – R/R – senior (5'8, 180)

Outfielders

1 – Daniel Calabrese – R/R – sophomore (5'11, 170)
4 – Sterling Sutcliffe – L/L – junior (6'2, 185)
7 – Warren Laster – L/L – senior (5'10, 170)
9 – Jamey Richey – R/R – senior (6'5, 205)
29 – Sam Tormos – R/R – junior (6'3, 205)
33 – Rey Mendoza – L/L – senior (6'5, 210)
35 – Wilson Ehrhardt – L/L – senior (6'1, 215)
36 – Jacob Caraway – L/L – freshman (6'3, 190)
46 – Matthew Flores-King – R/R – freshman (6'0, 175)

Coaching staff

Name	Position	Seasons at Incarnate Word	Alma Mater
Ryan Shotzberger	Head Coach	4	McDaniel College (2004)
Greg Evans	Assistant Coach	4	Ole Miss (1985)
Quintin Crandall	Assistant Coach	2	Kansas State (2017)
Andrew Stumph	Volunteer Assistant Coach	1	Texas State (2013)
Chance Medina	Director of Player Development	2	Incarnate Word (2021)

Schedule and results

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

2023 Incarnate Word Cardinals baseball game log

Regular season (28–26)

February (3–5)
Date	Opponent	Rank	Site/stadium Site	Score	Win	Loss	Save	TV	Attendance	Overall record	SLC Record
February 17	SIU Edwardsville*		Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX	L 0–2	J. Bockenstedt (1-0)	K. Cassidy (0-1)	Z. Ponder (1)	ESPN+	95	0–1
February 18	SIU Edwardsville*		Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX	W 5–1	I. Zavala (1-0)	H. Cooper (0-1)	None	ESPN+	149	1–1
February 19	SIU Edwardsville*		Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX	L 5–9	T. Conrad (1-0)	C. Rollins (0-1)	J. Kampf (1)	ESPN+	165	1–2
February 21	Tarleton*		Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX	L 3–5	G. Garza (1-0)	E. Garcia (0-1)	Z. Poe (1)	ESPN+	128	1–3
Klegberg Bank College Classic
February 24	Texas A&M–Corpus Christi*		Whataburger Field Corpus Christi, TX	W 10–4	K. Cassidy (1-1)	H. Thomas (1-1)	None		883	2–3
February 25	Utah*		Whataburger Field Corpus Christi, TX	L 6–13	M. Ashman (1-0)	S. Higdon (0-1)	None		173	2–4
February 26	Houston*		Whataburger Field Corpus Christi, TX	W 10–8	S. Hayward (1-0)	J. Torrealba (1-2)	None		233	3–4

February 28	Texas State*		Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX	L 8–12	O. Wofford (1-0)	E. Garcia (0-2)	None	ESPN+	220	3–5

March (10–8)
Date	Opponent	Rank	Site/stadium	Score	Win	Loss	Save	TV	Attendance	Overall record	SLC Record
March 1	at UTSA*		Roadrunner Field San Antonio, TX	L 1–2	S. Miller (3-0)	L. Rodriguez (0-1)	None	None	391	3–6
March 3	Louisiana–Monroe*		Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX	W 5–4¹³	S. Hayward (2-0)	C. Orton (1-1)	None	ESPN+	75	4–6
March 4	Louisiana–Monroe*		Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX	W 14–4⁸	I. Zavala (2-0)	C. Cressend (1-2)	E. Garcia (1)	ESPN+	178	5–6
March 5	Louisiana–Monroe*		Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX	W 12–4	R. Schlotzhauer (1-0)	C. Menard (1-1)	None	ESPN+	90	6–6
March 7	at Texas A&M*		Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park College Station, TX	L 5–13	B. Rudis (2-0)	S. Higdon (0-2)	None		4,653	6–7
March 10	Southern*		Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX	W 6–5	O. Stacey (1-0)	E. Ozoa (0-1)	None	ESPN+	84	7–7
March 11	Southern*		Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX	W 11–4	I. Zavala (3-0)	N. Wilson (0-2)	None	ESPN+	112	8–7
March 12	Southern*		Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX	W 12–2⁷	M. Berens (1-0)	C. Davis (0-2)	None	ESPN+	83	9–7
March 14	at Prairie View A&M*		John W. Tankersley Field Prairie View, TX	W 5–4	L. Westall (1-0)	G. Busch (0-2)	S. Hayward (1)		132	10–7
March 17	at Tarleton *		Cecil Ballow Baseball Complex Stephenville, TX	L 6–10	J. Burcham (2-1)	L. Rodriguez (0-2)	None	ESPN+	348	10–8
March 18	at Tarleton *		Cecil Ballow Baseball Complex Stephenville, TX	L 4–5	R. Elston (2-0)	S. Hayward (2-1)	None	ESPN+	402	10–9
March 19	at Tarleton *		Cecil Ballow Baseball Complex Stephenville, TX	L 7–8	R. Jacobs (1-0)	D. Johnson (0-1)	None	ESPN+	438	10–10
March 21	at Texas*		UFCU Disch–Falk Field Austin, TX	L 11–17	C. Hurley (2-0)	S. Higdon (0-3)	None		6,182	10–11
March 24	Houston Christian		Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX	W 7–3¹¹	S. Hayward (3-1)	J. Smitherman (0-1)	None	ESPN+	230	11–11	1–0
March 25	Houston Christian		Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX	W 7–6	R. Schlotzhauer (2-0)	D. Farrow (0-1)	E. Garcia (2)	ESPN+	110	12–11	2–0
March 26	Houston Christian		Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX	L 6–7	C. Ricker (3-2)	S. Hayward (3-2)	J. Smitherman (1)	ESPN+	157	12–12	2–1
March 28	Prairie View A&M*		Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX	W 6–2	C. Rollins (1–1)	K. Carrick (0–2)	W. Walls (1)	ESPN+	83	13–12	2–1
March 31	at Southeastern Louisiana		Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field Hammond, LA	L 2–10	B. Stuprich (3–2)	K. Cassidy (1–2)	None	ESPN+	1,254	13–13	2–2

April (9–7)
Date	Opponent	Rank	Site/stadium	Score	Win	Loss	Save	TV	Attendance	Overall record	SLC Record
April 1	at Southeastern Louisiana		Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field Hammond, LA	W 5–2	I. Zavala (4–0)	W. Kinzeler (4–1)	S. Hayward (2)	ESPN+	1,275	14–13	3–2
April 2	at Southeastern Louisiana		Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field Hammond, LA	W 11–1	M. Berens (2–0)	A. Landry (2-4)	L. Rodriguez (1)	ESPN+	1,258	15–13	4–2
April 4	UTSA*		Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX	W 9–6	S. Hayward (4-2)	D. Shafer (0-1)	None	ESPN+	276	16–13	4–2
April 6 (1)^[a]	at Nicholls		Ben Meyer Diamond at Ray E. Didier Field Thibodaux, LA	W 9–8	L. Rodriguez (1–2)	C. Evans (0–1)	S. Hayward (3)		165	17–13	5–2
April 6 (2)	at Nicholls		Ben Meyer Diamond at Ray E. Didier Field Thibodaux, LA	L 1–8	M. Quevedo (2–0)	S. Higdon (0–4)	None		107	17–14	5–3
April 8	at Nicholls		Ben Meyer Diamond at Ray E. Didier Field Thibodaux, LA	W 8–3	I. Zavala (5-0)	N. Saltaformaggio (2-1)	M. Berens (1)		534	18–14	6–3
April 14	Lamar		Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX	W 9–7	O. Stacey (2-0)	J. Cleveland (3-3)	None	ESPN+	191	19–14	7–3
April 15	Lamar		Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX	W 5–1	I. Zavala (6-0)	J. Ellis (2-2)	S. Hayward (4)	ESPN+	230	20–14	8–3
April 16	Lamar		Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX	L 1–6	H. Hesseltine (2-1)	M. Berens (2-1)	None	ESPN+	202	20–15	8–4
April 18	UTRGV*		Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX	L 12–15	Z. Tjelmeland (2-1)	S. Hayward (4-3)	N. Rodriguez (2)	ESPN+	109	20–16
April 19	at Grambling*		Wilbert Ellis Field at Ralph Waldo Emerson Jones Park Grambling, LA	19–3 (7 inn)	Higdon, Seth (1-4)	Jacorey Boudreaux (1-4)	None		75	21–15
April 21	at Northwestern State		H. Alvin Brown–C. C. Stroud Field Natchitoches, LA	11–5 (10 inn)	Hayward, Steve (5-3)	Prestwich, Chase (4-2)	None		673	22–15	9–4
April 22	at Northwestern State		H. Alvin Brown–C. C. Stroud Field Natchitoches, LA	4–10	Makarewich, Alex (4-3)	Zavala, Isaiah (6-1)	None		915	22–16	9–5
April 23	at Northwestern State		H. Alvin Brown–C. C. Stroud Field Natchitoches, LA	0–10 (8 inn)	Brown, Drayton (3-5)	Berens, Micah (2-2)	None		769	22–17	9–6
April 25	UTRGV*		UTRGV Baseball Stadium Edinburg, TX	8–9	Loya, Bobby (1-0)	Higdon, Seth (1-5)	Rodriguez, Nico (3)		2,262	22–18
April 28	McNeese		Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX	8–7	Hayward, Steve (6-3)	Abraham, Ty (1-1)	None	ESPN+	84	23–18	10–6
April 29	McNeese		Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX	8–6	Cassidy, Kayden (2-2)	Jones, Burrell (3-2)	Hayward, Steve (5)	ESPN+	147	24–19	11–6
April 30	McNeese		Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX	2–9	Barthelemy, Brock (2-0)	Berens, Micah (2-3)	None	ESPN+	110	24–20	11–7
^{^[a]}Rescheduled from April 8 as a single-admission doubleheader due to the threat of inclement weather.^[5]

May (4–4)
Date	Opponent	Rank	Site/stadium	Score	Win	Loss	Save	TV	Attendance	Overall record	SLC Record
May 2	at Texas State*		Bobcat Baseball Stadium San Marcos, TX	5–10	Medrano, Nathan (2-2)	Garcia, EJ (0-3)	None		1,434	24–21
May 9	at Rice*		Reckling Park Houston, TX	10–1	Rollins, Carson (2-1)	Ryland Urbanczyk (0-1)	None		1,738	25–21
May 12	New Orleans		Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX	1–12⁽⁷⁾	Mitchell, Brandon (9-3	Schlotzhauer, Ryan (2-1)	()	ESPN+	86	25–22	11–8
May 12	New Orleans		Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX	11–10	Hayward, Steve (7-3)	Blanchard, Beau (0-4)	None	ESPN+	112	26–22	12–8
May 14	New Orleans		Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX	5–15	LeBlanc, Tyler (3-3)	Berens, Micah (2-4)	None	ESPN+	114	26–23	12–9
May 18	Texas A&M–Corpus Christi		Chapman Field Corpus Christi, TX	9–6	Cassidy, Kayden (3-2)	Watson, Matthew (6-4)	Hayward, Steve (6)	ESPN+	334	27–23	13–9
May 19	Texas A&M–Corpus Christi		Chapman Field Corpus Christi, TX	3–7	Purcell, Colin (5-6)	Schlotzhauer, Ryan (2-2)	None	ESPN+	405	27–24	13–10
May 20	Texas A&M–Corpus Christi		Chapman Field Corpus Christi, TX	5–1	Rollins, Carson (3-1)	Garcia, Zach (2-5)	Hayward, Steve (7)	ESPN+	345	28–24	14–10

Post-season (0–2)

Southland Tournament (0–2)
Date	Opponent	(Seed)/Rank	Site/stadium	Score	Win	Loss	Save	TV	Attendance	Overall record	Tournament record
May 24	vs. (5) Northwestern State	(2)	Joe Miller Ballpark Lake Charles, LA	1–2	Carver, Cal (7-3)	Cassidy, Kayden (3-3)	Prestwich, Chase (2)	ESPN+		28–25	0–1
May 25	vs. (6) McNeese	(2)	Joe Miller Ballpark Lake Charles, LA	0–3	Hudgens, Bryson (1-0)	Berens, Micah (2-5)	Barthelemy, Brock (3)	ESPN+		28–26	0–2

Schedule Source:^[6]

*Rankings are based on the team's current ranking in the D1Baseball poll.

References

^ "2023 Southland Conference Baseball Standings". southland.org. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
^ "Ryan Shotzberger - Baseball Coach". University of the Incarnate Word Athletics. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
^ ^a ^b "McNeese picked to win 2023 Southland Conference baseball crown; Preseason All-Conference Teams announced". Southland Conference. February 3, 2023. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
^ "2023 Baseball Roster". UIW Athletics. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
^ "Baseball shifts weekend schedule starting with Thursday doubleheader". geauxcolonels.com. Nicholls Colonels Athletics. April 5, 2023. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
^ "2023 Baseball Schedule". University of the Incarnate Word Athletics. Retrieved January 26, 2023.