RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) baseball team learned on Wednesday that junior first baseman Armani Raygoza is the first student-athlete to ever earn multiple Southland Conference Baseball Player of the Year honors, having now done so in back-to-back years. He leads a contingent of eight all-conference honorees, the second-highest total in the conference.
 
Raygoza is one of a conference-high three Vaqueros to earn all-conference first team honors, doing so at first base after earning the honor at designated hitter last season. He is joined on the first team by junior center fielder Rocco Garza Gongora and junior designated hitter and PSJA alum Julius Ramirez.
 
The Vaqueros placed two student-athletes on the all-conference second team, including senior reliever and Sharyland alum Kike Cienfuegos and junior third baseman Easton Moomau, the latter of whom is earning all-conference recognition for the second-straight season.
 
The Vaqueros also tied for the most picks on the all-defensive team, taking two outfield positions including Garza Gongora in center and senior Hank Warren in right.
 
In total, six student-athletes earned the eight honors, tied for the most in the conference.
 
Armani Raygoza
 
Raygoza was recognized nationally by D1Baseball throughout the season, first as one of the top hitters in the NCAA on March 6, then as the #16 first baseman through six weeks on March 24, and most recently as the #12 first baseman through 12 weeks on May 5. He has also been recognized with Southland Conference Hitter of the Week honors twice – on March 9 and 23 – in additional to honorable mention on Feb. 16.
 
Raygoza leads the Southland in six categories, ranking 13^th in the NCAA in walks (48), 32^nd in home runs (17), 39^th in walks per game (0.91), 72^nd in total bases (124), 73^rd in home runs per game (0.32), and 143^rd in slugging percentage (.623) while also ranking second in the Southland and 145^th in the NCAA in RBI (49) and third in the Southland and 141^st in the NCAA in runs scored (51).
 
Overall, Raygoza is hitting .307/.457/.623 with 17 home runs, 12 doubles, 49 RBI, and 51 runs scored. In conference play, Raygoza is hitting .325/.459/.675 with 11 home runs, eight doubles, 32 RBI, and 33 runs scored.
 
Rocco Garza Gongora
 
Garza Gongora is a doubles machine, hitting 19 doubles, tied for the second-highest single-season total in program history, behind only Garrett Bivone, who hit 23 in 2010. He also leads the Southland in doubles, ranking 24^th in the NCAA, doubles per game (0.36, 76^th in the NCAA), and runs scored (53, 101^st in the NCAA) while rankings second in hits (67, 146^th in the NCAA).
 
Overall, Garza Gongora is hitting .306/.405/.507 with seven home runs, 19 doubles, two triples, 37 RBI, 53 runs scored, and 16 stolen bases.
 
His numbers elevate in conference play, during which Garza Gongora hit .346/.428/.531 with 11 doubles, two triples, three home runs, 17 RBI, 30 runs scored, and eight stolen bases.
 
Defensively, Garza Gongora has played flawless defense, posting a 1.000 fielding percentage while making 154 putouts and adding an outfield assist. His 53 consecutive games without an error is tied for the 11^th-longest streak errorless in program history. He made 52 starts in center and one at first base, during which he flawlessly handled nine chances, including an assist that led to a double play.
 
Julius Ramirez
 
Ramirez ranks second in the Southland and 145^th in the NCAA in RBI with 49. Overall, he's hitting .299/.364/.505 with 11 home runs, seven doubles, 49 RBI, and 33 runs scored. During conference play, Ramirez hit .327/.374/.545 with seven home runs, three doubles, 31 RBI and 18 runs scored.
 
Kike Cienfuegos
 
Cienfuegos has been dynamic in 10 relief appearances, going 7-1 with two saves and a 2.08 ERA. In 39.0 innings he's allowed 35 hits, 29 of which are singles, while holding opponents to a .235 batting average. He's also struck out 41 while walking just seven. Cienfuegos leads the Southland in wins.
 
Easton Moomau
 
Moomau ranks fourth in the Southland and 79^th in the NCAA in walks with 39. Overall, he's hitting .283/.401/.405 with six home runs, five doubles, one triple, 40 RBI, 28 runs scored, and three stolen bases. During conference play, Moomau is hitting .301/.436/.389 with two home runs, four doubles, 19 RBI, 17 runs scored, and two stolen bases.
 
Hank Warren
 
Warren started 47 games in right field and played flawless defense, posting a 1.000 fielding percentage while making 73 putouts and adding two outfield assists, one of which resulted in a double play.
 
Warren has now gone 82-straight games without an error, including the final 35 games of last season, the second-longest streak in program history, trailing only the 86-game errorless streak by outfielder Leo Salinas (1998-00).
 
Up Next
 
UTRGV opens the Lamar Bracket of the Southland Conference Tournament as the No. 3 seed facing No. 6 seed Northwestern State Thursday at 1 p.m. The winner faces the winner of No. 2 Lamar and No. 7 Stephen F. Austin Friday at 6 p.m. while the losers of each game Thursday play an elimination game Friday at 1 p.m. All games of the Southland Conference Tournament are available on ESPN+.
 
Player of the Year: Armani Raygoza, UTRGV
Hitter of the Year: Peyton Woods, Southeastern
Pitcher of the Year: Chris Olivier, Lamar
Relief Pitcher of the Year: Eric Nachtsheim, McNeese
Newcomer of the Year: Travis Lutz, Lamar
Freshman of the Year: Brody Trosclair, Northwestern State
Coach of the Year: Bobby Barbier, Southeastern
 
First Team All-Conference
C         Jhett Creel, Stephen F. Austin
1B       Armani Raygoza, UTRGV
2B        Cade Sanchez, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
SS       A.J. Taylor, Lamar
3B        Alex Perry, Southeastern
OF       Danny Barbero, McNeese
OF       Rocco Garza Gongora, UTRGV
OF       Peyton Woods, Southeastern
UT       Julian Swift, Stephen F. Austin
DH       Julius Ramirez, UTRGV
SP       Chris Olivier, Lamar
SP       Dylan Marionneaux, Northwestern State
SP       Brody Trosclair, Northwestern State
RP       Eric Nachtsheim, McNeese
 
Second Team All-Conference
C         Logan Terry, Nicholls
1B        Thomas Marsala III, Northwestern State
2B        Ben Robichaux, Southeastern
SS       Cole Tabor, UIW
3B       Easton Moomau, UTRGV
OF       Preston Newberry, UIW
OF       Tab Tracy, Lamar
OF       Brooks Leonard, Northwestern State
UT       Tony DeJesus, UIW
DH       Nico Rijo-Berger, Nicholls
SP       Travis Lutz, Lamar
SP       Nik Toups, Southeastern
SP       Blake Lobell, Southeastern
RP       Kike Cienfuegos, UTRGV
 
All-Defensive Team
C         Connor Walker, McNeese
1B        Brody Capps, Southeastern
2B        Cade Sanchez, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
SS       A.J. Taylor, Lamar
3B        Alex Perry, Southeastern
LF        Isaiah Keller, McNeese
CF       Rocco Garza Gongora, UTRGV
RF       Hank Warren, UTRGV
P          Dylan Marionneaux, Northwestern State

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