MESA, Ariz. – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) baseball team learned on Monday that junior catcher Steven Lancia and senior starting pitcher Zach Tjelmeland are part of the All-Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Second Team, and senior Kade York is part of the WAC All-Defensive Second Team as voted on by the WAC head coaches.
 
Steven Lancia
Lancia is among the top hitters in the nation, ranking 162^nd in the NCAA and sixth in the WAC in hitting at .356 (62-for-174) with three home runs, 12 doubles, 28 RBI, 37 runs scored, a .434 on-base percentage, which ranks 10^th in the WAC, and a .577 slugging percentage in 47 games (45 starts). He has made 44 starts at catcher this year, the most for a UTRGV catcher since 2015, when Jacob Huckabay made 45 starts behind the dish.
 
Zach Tjelmeland
Tjelmeland has consistently been one of the top pitchers in the WAC all season, starting every weekend except for the last one while ranking 121^st in the NCAA and second in the WAC in strikeouts (78) and 134^th in the NCAA and fifth in the WAC in ERA (3.72) among pitchers with at least one inning pitched for every game played by the team. Tjelmeland ranks second in the WAC in innings per game (5.77), sixth in innings pitched (75.0), and tied for sixth in batter struck out looking (20). In 13 games and starts, Tjelmeland has a 5-3 record. He recorded his first career complete game and shutout at Seattle U on March 17. Tjelmeland is allowing about a hit per inning (78 hits) while holding opponents to a .268 batting average. He has walked just 24 or about one every three innings while amassing more than three times as many strikeouts.
 
Kade York
York has started all 50 games at shortstop, helping to turn 37 doubles plays, which ranks third in the WAC, while recording 129 assists, which ranks tied for eighth. York anchors a UTRGV defense that ranks 17^th in the NCAA and first in the WAC in doubles players per game (0.94), 23^rd in the NCAA and second in the WAC in total double plays (47), and 55^th in the NCAA and second in the WAC in fielding percentage (.976).
 
No. 7 UTRGV opens the WAC Tournament on Tuesday at 2 p.m. against No. 6 UT Arlington at Hohokam Stadium, the spring training home of the Oakland A's. The game will be broadcast domestically on ESPN+ and internationally via WAC International.

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