#RV Baseball Wins Home Opener Over UMHB, 5-4

SEGUIN, Texas --#RV Texas Lutheran Baseball opened the 2025 home slate at Katt-Isbel Field with a 5-4 win over the previously unbeaten Mary Hardin-Baylor Crusaders Tuesday night in Seguin.

The Bulldogs (4-0, 3-0 SCAC) extended their season opening win streak to four games.

Carson Hues (Mont Belvieu/Barbers Hill) made his collegiate debut, pitching four innings and allowing three runs on three hits. He struck out two batters and allowed two walks to pick up the win.

Parker Schutte (Arlington/Lamar) closed the game for his first save of the season in his Bulldog debut, coming in in the fifth and allowing one run on four hits and a walk over three innings of work.

Texas Lutheran had seven hits, all singles, on the night but it would be freshman Caleb Small (Round Rock/Gateway College Preparatory) who would lead the Bulldogs offensively with two runs scored including stealing home. Small would finish 0-for-1, reaching base twice via hit by pitch.

Xavier Arias (La Vernia/Nixon-Smiley) and Cooper Jen (Kyle/Hays) both finished 1-for-3 with an RBI single while Tyler Helpenstill (Pearland/Lutheran South) finished 1-for-2 with an RBI and a walk.

Mary Hardin-Baylor opened the scoring with a two-run homer in the first inning.

Texas Lutheran had a quick response, scoring two runs in the second to tie the game at two. Adam Peavy (Houston/Memorial) led off the inning with a single to right before Caleb Small was hit by a pitch to put two Bulldog base runners on. Brayden Sprencel (Robstown/Calallen) moved the runners over with a sacrifice bunt before a Tyler Helpenstill RBI single got the first TLU run on the board while the first of three UMHB errors on the night allowed Small to come around and score.

After the Crusaders scored a run to regain the lead in the top of the fourth, TLU responded with two of their own to take their first lead of the night. Tyler Helpenstill drew a two out walk for the Bulldogs first runner of the inning and was quickly moved into scoring position after an error on a failed pick off moved him to third base. An RBI single from Xavier Arias tied the game at three before an RBI single from Cooper Jen gave the Bulldogs a 4-3 lead.

A well-executed double steal with two outs led the Bulldogs to extending their lead to 5-3 as Caleb Small stole home.

A UMHB rally in the sixth came to an abrupt halt after what looked like a potential one-out RBI double with a TLU error moving the runner to third as the game-tying run was called out due to missing first base while rounding the bases. UMHB attempted yet another rally in the seventh, loading the bases with two outs but Parker Schutte closed the door by getting a ground out to third base to end the seven-inning game.

The two teams were scheduled to follow this game with a nine-inning game but it was cancelled due to rain in Seguin. The game may be made up at a later date.

Texas Lutheran shifts its focus back to SCAC play as they welcome the No. 15/17 Trinity Tigers to Katt-Isbel Field to renew their rivalry one last time as SCAC foes starting on Friday, Feb. 21. First pitch is tentatively scheduled for 6 PM with the game being streamed on TLU+. All streaming and live stats links can be found on tlubulldogs.com.