Texas State baseball’s rollercoaster of a 2026 season ended in the NCAA Tournament regionals. The Bobcats’ lack of pitching depth cost them against Texas A&M and USC.
But Texas State still recorded an all-time offensive season, hitting 116 home runs to set a new program and Sun Belt record.
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Following the disastrous South Alabama series loss, Texas State could’ve easily fallen apart at the seams. Instead, it rallied together and closed the season with a strong stretch of games, earning an at-large NCAA bid for the first time since 2022 and the second time this decade.
Here’s how the Bobcats’ 2026 season graded out.
Offense: A
The most impressive part about Texas State’s power boom was that it wasn’t built upon the bat of one single player. Head coach Steven Trout and hitting coach Danny-David Linahan’s teachings bore fruit for the entire roster.
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Seven different Bobcats hit double-digit home runs. The number likely could’ve been eight if not for Ethan Farris’ season-ending injury. Even after Texas State lost Farris and infielder Dawson Park, two players with arguably the most pop on the team, it continued to churn. The bats, which hit a slump in mid-April, averaged 6.3 runs per game past May 3rd.
Outfielder Rashawn Galloway was a contact machine, racking up 153 total bases, a .318 batting average and a .948 on-base plus slugging percentage. Catcher Clayton Namken, outfielder Jaquae Stewart and Manny Salas were the team’s next best hitters by OPS, with Salas’ .995 leading the team.
Texas State outfielder Rashawn Galloway (7) steps up to bat during the game against Niagara University at Bobcat Ballpark on Saturday, February. 14, 2026 in San Marcos, Texas.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
Pitching: C-
Texas State’s pitching was a tale of two halves.
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The staff got strained immediately after left-hander Nolan Moore went down with a season-ending injury. For awhile the Bobcats rolled with right-hander Kyle Froehlich, right-hander Sam Hall and left-hander Jesus Tovar as their weekend starters. Although they were winning games, Trout could sense instability in his starters’ performances.
Before the weekend series against Southern Miss, Trout replaced Froehlich and Hall with right-handers Wade Cooper and Cade Smith. By the postseason, Texas State could only truly count on Cooper as a starter. The Bobcats scraped by, using right-hander Ryan Markwardt as a starter and trying to use their arms in different roles to maximize efficiency. But it became clear toward the end that they did not have the ammunition to keep up with other bullpens.
Texas State pitcher Cade Smith (!6) throws a pitch during the game against Louisiana at Bobcat Ballpark on Saturday, March. 21, 2026 in San Marcos, Texas.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman
Cooper finished with a 4.75 ERA and 1.35 walks and hits per inning pitched. Right-hander Dylan Kerbow emerged as Texas State’s best reliever, recording a 2.82 ERA and 1.07 WHIP.
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Fielding: D
The Bobcats were not a strong defensive team. They committed 67 errors, the fourth-most in the Sun Belt. Chase Mora led the team with 10 and had a .930 fielding percentage as the primary third baseman. Park added 10 errors to the total while outfielder Jackson Cotton and infielder Brady Boles both had eight.
Boles, who played second base for most of the season, recording three errors at the position. Things changed when he had to move to shortstop. He committed five errors in 14 games there, eventually being shifted back to second in favor of infielder Justin Vossos. Cotton, meanwhile, struggled defensively in the outfield, showing some improvement in the later months.
Namken provided a bright spot as a freshman catcher. He caught nine of 40 base stealers, and despite not being spectacular behind the dish, was more than satisfactory for a first-year starter.
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Coaching: A
Trout spoke the entire season about having a short-term memory. The teaching can come off a bit cliché, but the way Texas State managed to close the year shows that his team truly absorbed his culture.
No matter the distraction, tough losses or general struggles up and down the lineup, Trout managed to find ways to keep Texas State winning. The Bobcats had to scrap and claw their way to the NCAA Tournament, and they even managed to steal a win away from the team that emerged out of the regional.
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Trout had to make difficult decisions time after time this season. But in the end, he made the right ones more often than not.