Angelo State Rams baseball
| Angelo State Rams | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Founded | 1923 |
| University | Angelo State University |
| Head coach | Kevin Brooks (19 (2005) season) |
| Conference | Lone Star South Division |
| Location | San Angelo, Texas |
| Home stadium | Foster Field (Capacity: 4,200) |
| Nickname | Rams |
| Colors | Blue and gold[1] |
| NCAA Tournament champions | |
| 2023 | |
| College World Series appearances | |
| 2007, 2015, 2016, 2021, 2022, 2023 | |
| NCAA Tournament appearances | |
| 2007, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 | |
| Regular season conference champions | |
| 2007, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2022, 2023 | |
The Angelo State Rams baseball team represents Angelo State University in NCAA Division II college baseball. The team belongs to the Lone Star Conference and plays home games at Foster Field, an on-campus field.
History
2005 to present
The baseball program at Angelo State was resurrected in 2005 after a long hiatus due to continued student requests and support.
The Rams are the fastest team in NCAA history to start a program and advance to the D2 World Series by doing so in their 3rd year (2007).[citation needed] They are the only current Lone Star Conference team to ever make the College World Series (Central Oklahoma in 1997, SE Oklahoma State in 2000, and Abilene Christian in 2003 are the others). The team has advanced to the series six times in their 19 seasons.
The Rams have had over 100 All-Lone Star Conference selections, 40 All-Region picks and 23 All-American selections. 22 former Rams have played or are currently playing professional baseball.
Stadium
Foster Field was constructed in 2000, and features 4,200 seats, a Triple-A lighting system and an inning-by-inning scoreboard with a video display. It features major league style dugouts and locker rooms and a complete training facility, making it one of the most modern facilities in NCAA Division II college baseball.
In 2015 2.1 million dollars of renovations were made to the facility, including adding an AstroTurf playing field, all new blue chair back seats, and padding the outfield wall. In addition, the ASU Sports Complex consists of two NCAA regulation fields used for practice, along with indoor practice facilities.
Head coaches
| Coach | Years | Record | CWS Appearances | NCAA Appearances | Conf Championships |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kevin Brooks | 2005-Present | 742-333 (.690) | 6 | 11 | 7 |
Selected season results
2007
The Rams finished the season with a 51-20 (.718) record, and reached the 2007 Division-II College World Series in only the team's third season of existence, the fastest such trip in NCAA history. For his efforts in 2007, Brooks earned the Sportsman of the Year award from the San Angelo Standard-Times for his outstanding leadership and success on the field.[2]
2012
The Rams went 20-8 in LSC play and celebrated the LSC tournament title on their home field. ASU hit .321 as a team in 2012 with 120 doubles, 36 home runs, 23 triples and stole 105 bases. The pitching staff had an earned run average of 3.87 in 457.2 innings of work and limited opponents to a .270 batting average. The Rams outscored their opponents 409-241 in the course of the 57-game season. ASU owned its home field, going 24-4 at Foster Field.
2013
The Rams advanced to the NCAA DII South Central tournament for the fourth time in 2013 with an at-large bid as the region's fourth seed. ASU went 1-2 at the tournament, ending their season. The 2013 team included ten players who were honored with LSC postseason awards and Lee Neumann who earned the ABCA/Rawlings South Central Player of the Year and was named an All-American for the second straight season. Andrew LaCombe, who was the LSC's first-team catcher, earned first-team Capital One Academic All-American honors.
2015
The Rams advanced to the College World Series for the second time in program history after sweeping their way through the LSC Championship and then winning the NCAA DII South Central Championship by taking four straight elimination games for their second regional title. The Rams were eliminated in the second round with a record of 1-2. The 2015 team set multiple records, including a 15-game winning streak at the beginning of the season. Paxton DeLaGarza, Steve Naemark, Blake Bass and J.C. Snyder were each named All-Americans, and David Goggin earned the Lone Star Conference Academic Player of the Year, and was named the NCAA DII Baseball ELITE 89 winner for having the best GPA at the National Finals. ASU had 13 players earn LSC postseason honors, highlighted by Naemark being named the LSC Pitcher of the Year and DeLaGarza the LSC Player of the Year. Both players were in their first year in the program.
2016
The Rams repeated as regular season Lone Star Conference champions, and swept their way to the D2 World Series, winning four straight games at the South Central Regional to advance in back to back years. The team 2016 broke an attendance record for Division 2 baseball by averaging over 1,200 fans a game. This figure ranked 51st in all of college baseball regardless of division.
2022
The team made the 2022 Division II College World Series, exiting in the second round with a record of 1-2.[3]
2023
The Rams made the College World Series again, and came home with their first NCAA baseball championship, posting a perfect 4-0 series record in the process.[4]
Kevin Brooks
Kevin Brooks is a graduate of Baylor University, earning his bachelor's degree in secondary education while playing baseball for the Bears baseball team from 1988-1991. He also holds a master's degree in physical education from Incarnate Word.
Brooks started his coaching career in the Jayhawk Collegiate League, working as a summer coach in 1993, and for the Hays (Kan.) Larks in 1995. The 1995 Larks included Major League Baseball National League All-Star Lance Berkman. With Brooks’ guidance, the Larks finished second in the 1995 National Baseball Congress (NBC) World Series behind the 1996 USA Olympic Baseball Team. He served as an assistant coach at the University of Incarnate Word from 1994-1998, and was a volunteer assistant coach at Texas A&M Aggies baseball in 1999, helping the Aggies to the Big XII title in their run to the NCAA Division I College World Series. From 2000-2003, Brooks was an assistant coach at the University of Texas-San Antonio in 2000, and an assistant coach at Hardin-Simmons University (2000-03).
Rams in Major League Baseball
- Jim Morris – former MLB player for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays; inspiration for the film The Rookie
References
- ^ "Official Logos & Visual Elements". Retrieved April 19, 2016.
- ^ "Head Coach Kevin Brooks". angelosports.com. Retrieved June 14, 2023.
- ^ "2022 DII Baseball Championship Official Bracket". ncaa.com. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
- ^ "2023 DII Baseball Championship Official Bracket". ncaa.com. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
