RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vice President and Director of Athletics Chasse Conque announced on Thursday an agreement with head baseball coach Derek Matlock on a multi-year contract extension that will keep Matlock with the Vaqueros through at least 2030.
 
Matlock has led the Vaqueros for the last eight seasons and is coming off his most successful campaign, winning the Southland Conference Championship, his second conference title at UTRGV, while leading the team to program record RPI of 43. The Vaqueros ranked No. 1 in the RPI from March 9-13 and in the top 25 from March 2-April 3. The Vaqueros received votes in two different top 25 polls, including during weeks 4-15 in the NCBWA poll and week 4-6 in the USA Today Coaches Poll, and were ranked as high as 14^th in 11.7 College Baseball's mid-major power rankings.
 
"Derek Matlock is a winner, and we could not be more grateful to Coach and Michel for all they have done and will continue to do for UTRGV baseball," Conque said. "Coach Matlock's dedication, love for his student-athletes, and passion for the Valley has ignited our region. Over the past several years, we have seen our baseball program bring tremendous regional and national attention to our university. Our program has experienced countless marquee wins and two conference championships under Coach Matlock's leadership, and I look forward to working with Coach and his staff as we continue to work together to elevate our program."
 
Under Matlock's guidance, the Vaqueros went 36-18 (.667), the team's most wins since 1991 (37) and highest winning percentage since 1987 (.667). The Vaqueros won a program record-tying 15 true road games and program record 16 games away from home, including a win over No. 20 Dallas Baptist at Globe Life Field and two wins at Texas Tech, all three of which were quad one wins at the time, in addition to wins at Houston, Rice, and Louisiana.
 
The Vaqueros pulled off this historic season while competing against the 83^rd toughest schedule in the nation, a program record since the metric started being tracked just over two decades ago. This includes a program record 67^th toughest schedule in non-conference play, helping the Vaqueros to finish a program record 33^rd in non-conference RPI.
 
The Vaqueros won a program record 22 conference games while tying the program record for conference winning percentage (.733) previously set in 1979 in a Southland Conference that ranked ninth in conference RPI. This includes winning a program record-tying 10 conference road games.
 
Matlock coached seven players to a Southland-high 13 All-Conference honors, including Player of the Year and designated hitter Armani Raygoza and Newcomer of the Year and starting pitcher Víctor Loa. Both were first team selections along with catcher Steven Lancia and third baseman Easton Moomau. Shortstop Isaac Lopez, first baseman Jacob Sanchez, and second baseman Thomas Williams all earned second team honors while Lancia, Lopez, Moomau, and Williams were on the all-defensive team.
 
The Vaqueros were one of just three teams, along with Georgia Tech and North Carolina, with semifinalists for the Dick Howser Trophy (Raygoza), given to the best player in NCAA Division I, Buster Posey Award (Lancia), given to the best catcher, and Brooks Wallace Award (Lopez), given to the top shortstop, in addition to a pitcher on the national Pitcher of the Year Award watch list (Loa).
 
The Vaqueros ranked among the top 100 in the nation in 15 categories, ranking 18^th in fielding percentage (.979), 20^th in double plays per game (0.87), 22^nd in double plays (47), 29^th in hitting (.307), 33^rd in shutouts (4), 40^th in winning percentage (.667), 42^nd in on-base percentage (.411), 46^th in scoring (8.0), 55^th in sacrifice flies (28), 61^st in runs scored (431) and hits (564), 65^th in ERA (4.92), 84^th in hits allowed per nine innings (9.17), 87^th in walks (273), and 89^th in WHIP (1.51). The Vaqueros also led the Southland in hitting (.307), scoring (8.0), and fielding (.979).
 
The .979 fielding percentage is the best in program history. The Vaqueros rewrote the record books in seven other categories as well, tying for third in saves (13), ranking fourth in runs scored (431) and RBI (390), fifth in hitting (.307) and strikeouts (439), and sixth in home runs (57) and doubles (99).
 
Matlock guided the team to 16-3 start, tied for the fifth-best in program history and best since 1979, and a 9-0 start in Southland play, the longest undefeated conference start in program history, breaking the record of 8-0 set in 2012. The Vaqueros won their first five conference road games for the first time in program history. The Vaqueros went on a pair of seven game winning streaks and won 10 of their final 13 games, allowing them to host Southland Conference Tournament bracket play as the No. 2 seed.
 
"I'm honored and thankful for the opportunity to remain as the head coach at UTRGV for years to come," Matlock said. "We are going to continue to work tirelessly to make sure our baseball program is one of which the entire Valley can be proud. We are going to continue to compete for Southland Conference Championships and a spot in the NCAA Regionals. Considering the incredible support of our administration and our fans, there's no place I'd rather be."
 
During Matlock's time at UTRGV, the Vaqueros are 228-179 (.560), including a 116-89 (.556) record during conference play. The 228 wins are the second most by a head coach in program history while the 116 conference wins are a program record. The Vaqueros have won two conference championships and twice been the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament, including the Western Athletic Conference in 2019. Matlock was also named WAC Coach of the Year in 2019.
 
UTRGV has won at least 29 games in six-straight full seasons (not including the COVID-shortened 2020 season), finishing with a winning record in each of the last seven seasons.
 
Highlights from Previous Years at UTRGV
•2024 – Led the Vaqueros to their first win over Texas since 1971, breaking a 48-game skid.
•2023 – Coached the Vaqueros to a winning road record (11-10) for the first time since 2000 (8-7-1).
•2022 – Guided the Vaqueros to a winning record in conference road games (8-7) for the first time since 1997.
•2021 – Led the Vaqueros to the WAC Tournament Championship Series for first time in program history. The Vaqueros won their first three WAC Tournament games ever that season.
•2020 – Coached team to two home wins over Kansas State, and 11-inning road win at Houston, and an eight-game winning streak to close out an 11-7 campaign.
•2019 – Led the Vaqueros to the WAC Championship, the program's first conference title since 1955 and first at the NCAA Division I level.
•2018 – Guided the Vaqueros to their first-ever road win over a Pac-12 opponent by knocking off eventual NCAA Super Regional participant Washington.
 
Year    Record                       Conference    Accolades
2025    36-18 (.667)                22-8 (.733)      Southland Conference Champions
2024    29-25 (.537)                15-15 (.500)
2023    30-26 (.536)                15-14 (.517)
2022    33-25 (.569)                17-13 (.567)
2021    32-26 (.552)                20-15 (.571)
2020    11-7 (.611)                  0-0 (.000)
2019    34-21 (.618)                19-8 (.704)      WAC Champions … WAC Coach of the Year
2018    23-31 (.426)                8-16 (.333)
            228-179 (.560) 116-89 (.566)

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