Baseball

SPORTS: TAMIU’s baseball program promotes coach By Kaily OlivoStaff WriterPublished Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024 Just the day before the new school year, TAMIU officially promoted an assistant coach to lead the Dustdevils baseball team. Previously, Ruben Rodriguez served as an assistant coach alongside former coach Phillip Middleton. Rodriguez experienced Middleton’s leadership and influence on the team. “Coach Middleton was a great leader for us,” Rodriguez said. “He’s a guy that I personally look up to because … he’s great at keeping everything professional … So, being able to try to take over for him is some big shoes to fill, but we’re ready for it.” Bridge | FIleCoach Phillip Middleton speaks with a player near the dugout during a game. While the process was long and t...

SPORTS: Dustdevils set school record with 24 runs against Chaparrals By Cesar A. OldhamFormer Bridge InternPublished Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023 In some sports, a 24-20 score might seem quite typical. In baseball, not so much. Following that school-record-setting game, Texas A&M International University baseball coach Philip Middleton compared it to a football score. TAMIU beat Lubbock Christian University in Game 4 of a series on April 2. Neto Gonzalez | BridgeTAMIU sophomore outfielder Christopher Sauceda pulls back for a throw during practice on Nov. 1. Middleton said one day prior that he believed his team would score more runs in Game 4, and they did exactly that by scoring almost five times more runs than the day before. “We have the kind of offense that can do th...

SPORTS: Grand slam puts Dustdevils over Patriots By Cesar OldhamBridge Staff InternPublished Wednesday, May 3, 2023 With a resounding grand slam to left-center field in the bottom of the seventh inning, TAMIU’s baseball team put the pressure on UT-Tyler during the March 5 high-scoring game. The Sunday afternoon Lone Star Conference outing at Jorge Haynes Field ended up in a 14-12 win for the Dustdevils. Texas A&M International University junior catcher Joseph “JoJo” Cruz’s more than 380-foot-deep home-run led to the grand slam, which added enough points to the scoreboard to prevent a UT-Tyler comeback. “It was a big inning for us,” coach Philip Middleton recalled, “and a lot of times when you get a big hit you don’t know when it’s going to happen and so you have to stay pat...

SPORTS: Dustdevils fall to Buffalos in series By Cesar OldhamBridge Staff InternPublished Tuesday, April 4, 2023 Off to a rough start, the Dustdevils baseball team fell in a four-game series to the Buffalos on opening day at Jorge Haynes Field. Texas A&M International University opened its Lone Star Conference play Feb. 3 with a 10-1 loss against No. 17 ranked West Texas A&M University. The following Saturday afternoon doubleheader didn’t go any differently as the Dustdevils fell to the Buffalos in both games at 4-2 and 9-5 in closer games. On Sunday, TAMIU fell short again 2-17. David Gomez Jr. | BridgeTAMIU batter Daniel Quiroz makes contact with the ball and drives it down the middle of the field on Saturday, Feb. 4 against West Texas A&M at the Jorge Haynes Base...

Baseball team off to strong start By Glenys MaldonadoSports EditorPublished Saturday, Feb. 12, 2022 Sunflower seeds at hand, students filled the stands this past weekend at TAMIU’s Jorge Haynes Field for the official baseball opener. Kicking off the 2022 season, the Dustdevils faced off against the University of Texas–Permian Basin’s Falcons. With new faces and big expectations, the Dustdevils had a quick first three innings with an empty scoreboard as neither team was able to score. “I was anxious at first because I am a freshman and knew I was going to have to get up on that mound and be ready,” starting pitcher Christopher Sauceda said. Miriam Salinas | BridgePitcher Christopher Sauceda winds up for the first throw of the game at the mound on Feb. 5 at Jorge Haynes Field....

TAMIU baseball program reflects on new coach By Kenya GarciaBridge contributing writerPublished Thursday, Oct. 14, 2021 Lots of changes happened in TAMIU athletics during the novel coronavirus pandemic; for baseball, it involved the hiring of the program’s fifth coach. Texas A&M International University hired coach Phillip Middleton last semester to lead the team at Jorge Haynes Field. As Middleton entered the program, he brought with him a great amount of coaching experience from NCAA Divisions I, II and III. Middleton’s experience includes developing and working with players of the year, conference honorees and many successful programs. A new coaching staff took over and implemented its new techniques into the Spring 2021 baseball season for the Dustdevils. TAMIU baseb...

Dustdevils swept by Buffs By David Gomez Jr.Editor-in-chiefPublished Thursday, April 22, 2021 The Dustdevils baseball team fell to the Buffs during Sunday’s cool, overcast game. The Buffs held their No. 5 spot after taking the lead early on during the afternoon game at Texas A&M International University’s Jorge Haynes Field. T. Rob Brown | BridgeTAMIU senior outfielder Phillip Sanchez heads for home before scoring a run against West Texas A&M University on Sunday afternoon, April 18, 2021, at Jorge Haynes Field. TAMIU lost 9-4. By the dugouts, remnants of flower seeds covered the nearby floor on both sides of the field. Hollering distractions, and support, resounded from both teams since fans are still not allowed on the bleachers. Business started to pick up duri...

Dustdevils baseball rolls with changes By Nadia HerreraBridge contributing writerPublished Monday, Oct. 26, 2020 It's been a long and winding road for coach Kevin Griffin and the TAMIU baseball team. Due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, the Dustdevils veered in a different direction as they return and prepare for the upcoming season. Last season was cut short after playing only 22 of their 50 scheduled games. "It was frustrating,” Griffin recalls of the spring events. "It happened to everyone, not just us. Everybody got shut down.” He said many sophomores were big contributors to the team and needed the experience to "breakout" and develop but, "It slowed down for those guys.” In terms of eligibility, the NCAA granted players an extra year due to the pandemic and some w...