Stephen F. Austin secured a 5-3 victory over the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley on April 11, taking the baseball series at Pilgrim’s Park in Nacogdoches, Texas. Jhett Creel delivered a two-out single down the left field line in the fourth inning, driving in two runs and giving SFA a lead they would not relinquish.
The win marks Stephen F. Austin’s fifth Southland Conference series victory this season and moves them into a tie for second place in the conference standings. The team’s consistent performance has contributed to their best Southland Conference record since 2023.
Creel had three hits during the game, including his sixth multi-RBI effort of the season, while teammates Josh Ibe and Ethan Peña also contributed runs during a four-run fourth inning. Julian Swift added an insurance run with a groundout in the sixth inning after UTRGV scored earlier that frame.
Starting pitcher Gabriel LeBlanc overcame an early deficit by holding UTRGV scoreless after the first inning, earning his second win of the season. Relief pitchers Elian Balmaceda and Reid Bowyer combined to hold off UTRGV through the final innings, with Bowyer picking up a save by allowing just two hits across two frames.
The Lumberjacks’ latest home win is their twelfth this year—the most at Pilgrim’s Park since 2019—and marks their twentieth overall victory of the season for the first time since 2023. Mark Henning extended his streak of reaching base safely to sixteen games as well.
Looking ahead, Stephen F. Austin will attempt to sweep UTRGV on Sunday afternoon at Pilgrim’s Park.
