SAN ANTONIO -- The University of the Incarnate Word baseball team hosts two Power-5 schools in a pair of midweek matchups on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Cardinals play No. 7 Texas on Tuesday at Nelson Wolff Stadium at 7 p.m. (CT). The team then hosts Missouri on Wednesday at Daniel Sullivan Field, sponsored by H-E-B, at 6:30 p.m. (CT).
 
THE GAMES
No. 7 Texas- Tuesday, March 26, at 7 p.m. (CT)
Missouri- Wednesday, March 27, at 6:30 p.m. (CT)
 
HISTORY VS NO. 7 UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS

• The Longhorns have a 2-0 advantage over the Cardinals.
• The teams first played on March 10, 2015, when the Longhorns took a 7-1 victory over the Cardinals.
• The squads last played on May 16, 2017, when the Longhorns won, 10-3, against UIW.

 
HISTORY VS UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI
This is the first meeting between the Cardinals and Tigers.
 
HIGHLIGHTS FROM LAST WEEK

• The Cardinals captured a 6-1 victory over Texas State on March 19.
• Lee Thomas went 3-for-4 with a double and a run.
• Tyler Miller earned the win, striking out three batters in 2.0 innings pitched.
• UIW then completed a three-game series sweep against conference opponent McNeese on Friday-Sunday (March 22-24). 
• The Cardinals won the opening game against McNeese (4-1) on Friday. 
• Sean Arnold had a perfect 2-for-2 outing with a double, two runs, and three walks.
• Luke Taggart earned the win, striking out seven batters in 4.2 innings pitched.
• UIW then secured the series win against McNeese on Saturday with a 6-5 extra-inning victory. 
• Ryan Gonzalez hit the game-tying home run in the top of the ninth before Lee Thomas hit the game-winning home run in the top of the tenth. 
• Bernie Martinez earned the win on Saturday, striking out three batters and holding the Cowboys to one run in 5.0 innings pitched.
• The Cardinals closed out the series with an 8-6 triumph on Sunday to complete the series sweep against McNeese.
• Aaron Celestino earned the win, striking out two batters in 2.1 innings pitched.
• Johnny Foral recorded the save in Sunday's game, striking out three batters in 2.0 innings pitched.
• Sean Arnold had a perfect 2-for-2 outing, including a run and three walks.
• Ryan Flores went 3-for-5 with a double, a home run, three runs and four RBI in Sunday's game.

 
SCOUTING THE LONGHORNS

• Texas is 17-10 overall, 3-3 in the Big 12, after a 12-8 loss against TCU on Sunday. 
• Eric Kennedy leads the Longhorns with 32 hits, 27 runs, 20 RBI, and a .320 batting average.
• The Longhorns lead the Big 12 Conference with 148 walks.

 
SCOUTING THE TIGERS

• Missouri is 15-9 overall, 2-4 in the Southeastern Conference (SEC), after an 8-5 win against Ole Miss on Sunday. The Tigers take on UTSA on Tuesday prior to facing UIW on Wednesday.
• Chris Cornelius leads the Tigers with 31 hits, 16 runs, 22 RBI, and a .360 batting average.
• The Tigers are third in the SEC with 45 stolen bases.

 
SUCCESS AGAINST POWER FIVE OPPONENTS

• The Cardinals defeated No. 23 Texas A&M, 6-5, on Feb. 27. This win marked their second win over a Power 5 opponent in the same week, the first time the Cardinals have done so in program history. 
• The game was highlighted by a Jordan Thompson three-run home run, which ended up being the hit that secured UIW's victory.
• Bernie Martinez earned the win, pitching 4.2 innings while holding the Aggies to just two hits and one run.
• The Cardinals lost, 2-1, against Notre Dame on Feb. 22 but exploded for a 15-7 win against the Fighting Irish on Feb. 23. 
• Tyler Miller notched a career-high 10 strikeouts in 6.0 innings of work in the 2-1 loss to Notre Dame, allowing just one run on five hits (Feb. 22).
• 15 runs in the 15-7 win against Notre Dame (Feb. 23) marks the most runs scored against a Power 5 opponent in program history. 
• Taylor Smith went 4-for-6 while registering his first two home runs as a Cardinal in the game against Notre Dame on Feb. 23. He also tallied five RBI. This was Smith's second multi-hit game of his career and marked a career high in both hits (four) and RBI (five).
• Ryan Flores and Tyler Pettit contributed three hits each against the Fighting Irish; UIW amassed 11 hits overall, marking the fourth game of the season where the Cardinals have had double-digit hits.

 
MARTINEZ ON THE MOUND

• Martinez was named Southland Conference Pitcher of the Week on March 5 after a successful week on the mound.
• He led the Cardinals to a 6-5 win against No. 23 Texas A&M on Feb. 27.
• Martinez also notched his first save of the season in UIW's 6-2 win over UT-Arlington on March 3.
• He earned his second save of the season in UIW's 8-2 win over Sam Houston State on March 16.
• Martinez has five wins, good for third in the nation.

 
THREE CHEERS FOR SMITH

• Freshman catcher Taylor Smith has started in 23 of 24 games so far. He has notched 33 hits, 25 runs and 29 RBI; he has a .384 batting average. 
• Smith has also tallied eight home runs and eight doubles for a conference-best .756 slugging percentage. He has amassed six two-hit games, a three-hit game, and two four-hit games. 
• His season has been highlighted by a 4-for-6 outing with two home runs and five RBI in UIW's 15-7 win over Notre Dame on Feb. 23. 
• Smith followed the Notre Dame game with a perfect 4-for-4 outing with two RBI in the Cardinals' 6-2 win over UT-Arlington on March 3.
• Smith recorded his second two-home run game in UIW's 11-6 loss to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on March 10, blasting a solo home run as well as a three-run bomb for four RBI.
• Smith racked up his third two-home run game in the Cardinals' 19-4 win over UMass on March 12, hitting a three-run blast and a grand slam.
• Smith leads the conference with eight home runs.

 
CARDINALS SWOOP IN AND STEAL YOUR BASE

• Jordan Thompson has amassed eight stolen bases in the first 24 games of the season – ranking sixth in the conference -- while Sean Arnold has registered six.
• Eddy Gonzalez and Antonio Valdez have recorded five stolen bases, while Shea Gutierrez has logged four stolen bases. 
• Ryan Gonzalez, Kyle Bergeron and Ridge Rogers have all notched two stolen bases.
• The Cardinals have 35 stolen bases this season, third in the SLC.

 
TAKE ONE FOR THE TEAM

• The Cardinals have amassed a nation-leading 18 sacrifice flies.
• Ryan Gonzalez and Antonio Valdez lead the team with four sacrifice flies -- best in the conference and seventh in the nation -- while Jordan Thompson has recorded three sacrifice flies.
• Kyle Bergeron, Ridge Rogers and Taylor Smith have recorded two sacrifice flies each.
• Ryan Flores chipped in one sacrifice fly. He also leads the team with two sacrifice hits.
• Sean Arnold, Ryan Gonzalez, Lee Thomas, Shea Gutierrez, Eddy Gonzalez, Tyler Pettit and Chance Medina have contributed one sacrifice hit each.

 
AROUND THE CONFERENCE

• UIW leads the conference in the Southland Conference in sacrifice flies (18).
• The Cardinals lead the conference with 21 home runs and nine triples.
• UIW leads the conference with a .401 on-base percentage and a .463 slugging percentage.
• The Cardinals ranks second in the conference with 259 hits.
• UIW has a .975 fielding percentage, second-best in the conference.
• The Cardinals are third in the conference with 35 stolen bases.
• UIW is second in the conference with a .311 batting average.

 
IN THE NATION

• The Cardinals have amassed a nation-leading 18 sacrifice flies. 
• The Cardinals are 10th in the nation in batting average (.311).
• UIW ranks No. 10 in the nation with 259 hits.
• Taylor Smith ranks No. 14 nationally with eight home runs.
• Ryan Gonzalez and Antonio Valdez are eleventh in the nation with four sacrifice flies.
• Bernie Martinez is third in the nation with five wins. 
• Antonio Valdez is fourth in the nation with four triples.

 
TALK ABOUT THOMPSON

• Freshman centerfielder Jordan Thompson is off to a hot start as a Cardinal, starting in 22 games. 
• Thompson has a .306 batting average, including 22 hits, 13 runs, and 19 RBI.
• Thompson's hot start was driven by a 2-for-4 outing with a double and five RBIs in UIW's 12-1 win over Hofstra on Feb. 16.
• Thompson was 2-for-4 with a run and three RBI against the 23rd-ranked Aggies on Feb. 27, including a three-run bomb that ended up securing the victory for UIW.

 
HALLMARK HITS FROM 2018

• In his first year as head coach, Patrick Hallmark led the program to its most overall (29) wins and most conference (13) wins -- and its first winning season -- since joining Division I and the Southland Conference.
• Ridge Rogers was selected Southland Conference Freshman of the Year after the 2018 season.
• Rogers was also named to the 2018 Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-America team, becoming the program's first All-American since joining Division I in 2014. 

 
WHAT'S IN A NAME
Sullivan Field, now sponsored by H-E-B, underwent renovations in the fall. Astroturf was
installed in the infield, and the stadium received new backstops, netting, and other visual
improvements.
 
PRESEASON HONORS

• Kyle Bergeron and Eddy Gonzalez earned preseason first-team All-SLC, while Ryan Flores earned preseason second-team All-SLC.
• Cody Allen was named to the NCBWA 2019 Stopper of the Year Preseason Watchlist.
• Bergeron was named to the Bobby Bragan Collegiate Slugger Award Watchlist.

 
EXPERIENCED LINEUP
The Cardinals' entire starting rotation returns, and the team lost only one outfielder from
the starting lineup.
 
UP NEXT
The Cardinals host the University of New Orleans for a three-game conference series on Friday-Sunday. First pitch of game one is set for 6:30 p.m. (CT) at Daniel Sullivan Field, sponsored by H-E-B.
 
FOLLOW ALONG
For the most up-to-date information on UIW Athletics, visit uiwcardinals.com, follow the Cardinals on Twitter @UIWAthletics and like UIW Athletics on Facebook at UIW Athletics.