RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros baseball team had 24 student-athletes compete in various collegiate summer leagues throughout the offseason. 
 
Returning Vaqueros to compete in summer leagues were redshirt senior Alex Verdugo, senior Angel De La Cruz, redshirt sophomore Isaac Lopez, junior Jacob Sanchez, sophomore Steven Lancia, redshirt sophomore Eduardo Salinas, graduate student RJ Ochoa, graduate student Spencer Serven, junior Angelo Cabral and junior Zach Tjelmeland. 
 
Also representing UTRGV across the country in summer collegiate leagues were senior Roberto Gonzalez, junior Kade York, redshirt freshman Michael Ramos, junior Ulises Tovar, redshirt sophomore Jack Lopez, junior Sebastian Mejia, redshirt sophomore Mason Millett, graduate student Kris Massey, junior Damian Rodriguez, junior Milo Behrens, sophomore Tyler McCloskey, sophomore Erick Martinez, redshirt junior Andre Martinez and redshirt sophomore Freddy Cavazos.
 
Alex Verdugo
Verdugo pitched for the Alaska Goldpanners, which went 34-14-1 throughout the summer. He made five appearances – all starts – and boasted a 4-0 record with a 1.33 ERA in 27 innings pitched, tying for second on the team with the most wins. He tallied 35 strikeouts to just four walks and allowed eight runs, four earned, on 16 hits. Verdugo closed the summer on a high note, getting the win in a six-inning outing Aug. 5 in which he allowed three runs, none earned, on four hits and had 10 strikeouts and no walks. 
 
Roberto Gonzalez 
Gonzalez played every infield position for the Victoria HarbourCats in the West Coast League, spending most of his time at third base. He hit .370 and had an .812 OPS through 35 games. Gonzalez tallied 54 hits with nine doubles and five walks, scoring 18 runs and drive in 24 RBI while stealing 12 bases and only striking out seven times. He had 18 multi-hit games, including seven three-hit games and one four-hit game in June. Gonzalez was tied for second for most hits on the team and worked a nine-game hitting streak from July 7 to July 16, with four three-hit games in that stretch. Defensively, he recorded 75 putouts and 33 assists with seven errors while playing 161.1 innings at third, 80 innings at first, 29 innings at shortstop and 9.2 innings at second base. Victoria went 26-28. 
 
Angel De La Cruz 
In 25 games with the North Platte Plainsmen (31-21) in the Independence League, De La Cruz earned a .352 batting average and .906 OPS. He tallied 32 hits, four doubles, one triple and two homeruns while driving in 19 RBI and scoring 15 runs. He worked five walks and stole two bases. De La Cruz had 10 multi-hit games, including two four-hit games in June and one three-hit game. He made just two defensive errors in the infield. 
 
Isaac Lopez
Lopez played 29 games with the Western Nebraska Pioneers in the Independence League. He notched a .330 batting average and .842 OPS, knocking 35 hits, two doubles, one triple and one homerun to drive in 18 RBI and score 21 runs. He stole nine bases and was walked 10 times. Lopez recorded 12 multi-hit games, including one four-hit game and one three-hit game. He ended the summer on a five-game hitting streak, aiding a five-game winning streak for the Pioneers. He committed only three defensive errors in the infield. Lopez helped the Pioneers go 36-21 and had them sitting atop the Nebraskaland Divison standings by the end of the summer. 
 
Kade York 
York played 28 games as the shortstop for the Kansas Cannons of the Kansas Collegiate League Baseball. He notched a .315 batting average and an .858 OPS. York knocked 35 hits, including eight doubles and one triple to drive in 21 RBI and score 36 runs. He worked 24 walks and stole 18 bases. He made 35 putouts and had 66 assists and a .935 fielding percentage at shortstop. York had 14 multi-hit games and two solid streaks at the plate throughout the summer. From June 7 to June 21, he was on a nine-game hitting streak, then from July 5 to July 26 he had a 13-game hitting streak. The Cannons went 31-3 to win the league. 
 
Jacob Sanchez 
In 24 games as a catcher and first baseman with the Arroyo Seco Saints of the California Collegiate League (CCL), Sanchez tallied 21 hits, six doubles and one homerun while driving in 14 RBI and scoring 14 runs. He had a .273 batting average and .777 OPS, worked nine walks and stole six bases. Sanchez recorded three hits in three games and had five multi-hit games to help the Saints go 15-8. Sanchez notched a .989 fielding percentage in 74 innings behind the plate, committing only one error. He had 36 putouts and a .947 fielding percentage as a first baseman. 
 
Steven Lancia 
Lancia played 33 games with the Mat-Su Miners in the Alaska Baseball League, helping the team go 28-12. He hit .263, knocking 30 hits, seven doubles, one triple and two homeruns to record 14 RBI and 14 runs scored. Lancia worked 19 walks and a .770 OPS. Lancia suited up behind the dish for 167.2 innings and tallied 160 putouts, 13 assists and committed only one error to boast a .994 fielding percentage. 
 
Michael Ramos 
Ramos made nine appearances and seven starts on the mound for the Clarinda A's of the Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas (MINK) League, helping the team go 30-14. He notched a 4-1 record and a 2.68 ERA in 53.2 innings pitched – he led the MINK League in ERA and innings pitched and was tied for second with four wins. Ramos allowed 46 hits and 19 runs, 16 earned, with 30 strikeouts and 25 walks throughout the summer. 
 
Eduardo Salinas
Salinas pitched 30.1 innings for the Seguin River Monsters in the Texas Collegiate League (TCL), the most on the team. He held a 3.26 ERA and went 1-2 on the bump. Salinas allowed 11 earned runs on 31 hits and 10 walks while striking out 24. He pitched in eight games and made four starts. Seguin went 10-33. 
 
Ulises Tovar
Tovar made one start and appeared in 10 games with the Seguin River Monsters (10-33) in the TCL, pitching 23 innings. He notched a 3.91 ERA, allowing 10 earned runs on 16 hits and 26 walks while tallying 30 strikeouts, third-most on the pitching staff. He had two no-hit outings, first against Baton Rouge in 1.2 innings of work and then against Brazos Valley in 3.2 innings of work. 
 
Jack Lopez 
Lopez appeared in nine games, pitching 18.1 innings for the Seguin River Monsters in the TCL. He worked a 4.41 ERA, striking out 14 and walking only three while allowing 17 hits. His longest game was a five-inning outing against Baton Rouge, when he allowed two earned runs on four hits while notching six strikeouts and not walking anyone. Seguin went 10-33. 
 
Sebastian Mejia 
Mejia pitched for the Rochester Honkers in the Northwoods League and Lonestar-Austin in the Centex Collegiate Baseball League this summer. With Rochester (32-36), he pitched 13 innings in six appearances and went 2-1 with a save and notched a 0.69 ERA and a 0.85 WHIP. He struck out 14 batters and walked four while allowing five runs (one earned) on seven hits. Mejia made three one-inning appearances for Lonestar-Austin, giving up one unearned run and one hit. 
 
Mason Millett 
In seven games with the Covington Lumberjacks (19-23) of the Valley Baseball League, Millett pitched 16 innings and made two starts. He had an ERA of 4.50, allowing 15 runs (eight earned) on 11 hits and 15 walks while striking out 20. He also had a .833 fielding percentage on the bump. 
 
Kristopher Massey 
With the West Virginia Miners of the Prospect League, Massey made 10 appearances and four starts on the mound, going 1-2 while the team notched a 20-37 record. Massey pitched 30 innings and had a 7.50 ERA, allowing 19 hits and 30 runs (25 earned) with 38 strikeouts and 38 walks. 
 
Damian Rodriguez 
Rodriguez played nine games at third base with the Frederick Keys in the MLB Draft League. He hit .280 with seven hits, two doubles, eight runs, two RBI, three walks and one stolen base. 
 
RJ Ochoa
Ochoa played nine games at catcher for the Kokomo Jackrabbits of the Northwoods League. He had a .200 batting average and a .946 fielding percentage in 74 innings behind the dish, making 77 putouts and 11 assists. He notched six hits with three doubles and scored five runs with three RBI. Kokomo went 19-52. 
 
Spencer Serven 
Serven played for the Orange County Riptide of the CCL. In five games, he tallied one hit, one walk, one hit-by-pitch, scored one run, drive in two RBI and stole two bases. 
 
Milo Behrens 
Behrens played for Dallas Select in the North Texas Five Tool Summer Collegiate League. The team went 10-7 and Behrens played in eight games, working a .200 batting average as he recorded four hits and three walks, scored five runs and had three RBI. 
 
Angelo Cabral 
Cabral also participated in the North Texas Five Tool Summer Collegiate League with TSL Black, which went 11-6. Cabral pitched in eight games and made three starts, going 1-0. In 20.2 innings of work, he had a 1.02 ERA with 26 strikeouts, six walks, 16 hits and seven runs (three earned). He also worked seven walks and one hit in nine at-bats to score one run and tally three RBI. 
 
Tyler McCloskey pitched for the Houston Aces, helping them win the first Perfect Game Collegiate League championship. He gave up just four hits and struck out 30 in 16 innings on the bump. Zach Tjelmeland pitched once for Lonestar-Austin in the Centex Collegiate Baseball League, getting the win after four innings with two hits, one earned run, two walks and nine strikeouts. Erick Martinez played for the Souris Valley Sabre Dogs in The Expedition League. Andre Martinez helped the Emerald Beach Hurricanes win the Texas Coastal Baseball League championship. Freddy Cavazos played with the Action Baseball Club. 

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