EDINBURG, Texas – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) baseball team secured a 2-1 series victory over the Rhode Island Rams with a commanding 15-1 win on Monday at UTRGV Baseball Stadium in Edinburg.

Senior Zach Tjelmeland made an impressive return to the mound after three years, pitching a career-high 4.2 innings and striking out seven while allowing just one run. The bullpen also shined, with senior Nico Rodriguez and junior Mason Kosowick delivering strong performances.

Offensively, junior Steven Lancia and graduate student CJ Valdez led the way, with Lancia going 5-for-5 with two doubles, three RBIs, and two runs scored, and Valdez hitting a home run, driving in six RBIs, and scoring two runs.

The Vaqueros (2-1) opened the scoring in the first inning and never looked back, scoring in every inning except the second. They put the game out of reach with a five-run third inning, highlighted by a 3-run home run from Valdez. The team added nine more runs over the next four innings to secure the victory.

UTRGV will now prepare to face Milwaukee in a three-game nonconference series starting at 6:30 p.m. on Friday at UTRGV Baseball Stadium. Tickets for the game are already on sale and can be purchased through GoUTRGV.com/Tickets.

The win over Rhode Island serves as a strong start to the UTRGV baseball team’s season and sets a positive tone for the upcoming series against Milwaukee. With strong performances from both their pitching staff and offense, the Vaqueros are looking to carry this momentum forward as they continue their campaign.