The 2021 Incarnate Word Cardinals baseball team represented the University of the Incarnate Word during the 2021 NCAA Division I baseball season. The Cardinals played their home games at Sullivan Field and were led by second–year head coach Ryan Shotzberger. They were members of the Southland Conference.
Preseason
Southland Conference Coaches Poll
The Southland Conference Coaches Poll was released on February 11, 2021, and the Cardinals were picked to finish seventh in the conference with 144 votes.[2]
| Coaches poll |
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Sam Houston State | 276 (17) |
| 2 | Central Arkansas | 247 (5) |
| 3 | McNeese State | 244 (1) |
| 4 | Southeastern Louisiana | 243 (3) |
| 5 | Northwestern State | 193 |
| 6 | Texas A&M–Corpus Christi | 146 |
| 7 | Incarnate Word | 144 |
| 8 | Nicholls | 108 |
| 9 | New Orleans | 101 |
| 10 | Abilene Christian | 98 |
| 11 | Stephen F. Austin | 92 |
| 12 | Lamar | 87 |
| 13 | Houston Baptist | 49 |
Preseason All-Southland Team & Honors
[3]
First Team
- Ryan Flores (UIW, 1st Base)
- Nate Fisbeck (MCNS, 2nd Base)
- Beau Orlando (UCA, 3rd Base)
- JC Correa (LAMR, Shortstop)
- Gavin Johnson (SHSU, Catcher)
- Clayton Rasbeary (MCNS, Designated Hitter)
- Sean Arnold (UIW, Outfielder)
- Brandon Bena (HBU, Outfielder)
- Colton Cowser (SHSU, Outfielder)
- Noah Cameron (UCA, Pitcher)
- Will Dion (MCNS, Pitcher)
- Kyle Gruller (HBU, Pitcher)
- Conner Williams (UCA, Pitcher)
- Itchy Burts (TAMUCC, Utility)
Second Team
- Preston Faulkner (SELA, 1st Base)
- Logan Berlof (LAMR, 2nd Base)
- Anthony Quirion (LAMR, 3rd Base)
- Reid Bourque (MCNS, Shortstop)
- Chris Sandberg (NICH, Catcher)
- Lee Thomas (UIW, Designated Hitter)
- Josh Ragan (UCA, Outfielder)
- Jack Rogers (SHSU, Outfielder)
- Tyler Smith (NSU, Outfielder)
- John Gaddis (TAMUCC, Pitcher)
- Gavin Stone (UCA, Pitcher)
- Luke Taggart (UIW, Pitcher)
- Jeremy Rodriguez (SFA, Pitcher)
- Jake Dickerson (MCNS, Utility)
Roster
| 2021 Incarnate Word Cardinals roster |
| | Pitchers - 1 Justin Anaya - Sophomore
- 3 Jaren Warwick - Freshman
- 12 Kayden Cassidy - Redshirt Sophomore
- 15 Steve Hayward - Redshirt Sophomore
- 17 Aaron Celestino - Senior
- 18 Isaiah Zavala - Sophomore
- 19 Michael McElmeel - Senior
- 23 Luis Martinez - Sophomore
- 25 Michael Garza - Junior
- 27 Johnny Foral - Senior
- 31 Carson Rollins - Redshirt Sophomore
- 33 Bryson Walker - Freshman
- 36 Larry Westall - Freshman
- 37 Colin Jackson - Freshman
- 38 Brandon Troxler - Redshirt Freshman
- 39 Derek Saenz - Freshman
- 42 Cole Beddingfield - Freshman
- 43 Shea Walker - Freshman
- 45 Jake Zatopek - Redshirt Junior
Utility - 35 Trey Triolo - Freshman
Catchers - 32 Trent Koerner - Senior
| | Infielders - 2 Grant Smith - Sophomore
- 4 Ryan Guerra - Freshman
- 6 Taylor Darden - Sophomore
- 7 Chance Medina - Senior
- 8 Zach Limas - Sophomore
- 9 Shaughn Kelly - Redshirt Sophomore
- 11 Walt Evans - Sophomore
- 13 Ryan Flores - Senior
- 16 Scott Siebenthall - Freshman
- 22 Lee Thomas - Senior
- 24 Devon de Leon - Freshman
- 26 Kendall Achilles - Redshirt Junior
- 28 Josh Lackner - Sophomore
- 29 Landen Kimbro - Redshirt Senior
- 30 Noah Brewer - Freshman
- 40 Kaddin Mikulik - Redshirt Sophomore
- 41 Ron Brown - Senior
- 44 Jordan McFarland - Senior
Outfielders - 0 Braxton Gerek - Junior
- 5 Ridge Rogers - Senior
- 14 Jack Jalufka - Freshman
- 20 Wilson Ehrhardt - Junior
- 21 Drew Minter - Senior
- 34 Landon Etzel - Senior
- 48 Alex Bustamante - Junior
- 49 Jacob Rosales - Sophomore
- 50 Steven Villagran - Redshirt Sophomore
|
Coaching staff
| 2021 Incarnate Word Cardinals coaching staff |
- Ryan Shotzberger – Head Coach – 2nd year
- Greg Evans – Assistant Head Coach – 2nd year
- Kyle Winkler – Assistant Head Coach – 2nd year
- Jake Arledge – Volunteer Assistant Coach – 2nd year
|
Schedule and results
| Legend |
| | Incarnate Word win |
| | Incarnate Word loss |
| | Postponement/Cancelation/Suspensions |
| Bold | Incarnate Word team member |
| 2021 Incarnate Word Cardinals baseball game log |
| Regular season (21-28) |
| February (3-0) | | Date | Opponent | Rank | Site/stadium | Score | Win | Loss | Save | TV | Attendance | Overall record | SLC Record | | Feb. 19 | Oral Roberts | | Sullivan Field • San Antonio, TX | Game cancelled | | Feb. 20 | Oral Roberts | | Sullivan Field • San Antonio, TX | Game cancelled | | Feb. 21 | Oral Roberts | | Sullivan Field • San Antonio, TX | Game cancelled | | Feb. 26 | Texas Southern | | Sullivan Field • San Antonio, TX | W 12-1 | Rollins (1-0) | Fields (0-2) | Garza (1) | | 115 | 1-0 | | | Feb. 27 | Texas Southern | | Sullivan Field • San Antonio, TX | W 16-6 | McElmeel (1-0) | Olguin (0-2) | None | | 115 | 2-0 | | | Feb. 28 | Texas Southern | | Sullivan Field • San Antonio, TX | W 13-5 | Zavala (1-0) | Williams (0-2) | None | | 115 | 3-0 | | |
| March (7-8) | | Date | Opponent | Rank | Site/stadium | Score | Win | Loss | Save | TV | Attendance | Overall record | SLC Record | | Mar. 3 | Texas A&M | | Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park • College Station, TX | L 4-6 | Menefee (2-1) | Hayward (0-1) | None | | 894 | 3-1 | | | Mar. 10 | Houston | | Sullivan Field • San Antonio, TX | L 7-13 | Deese (1-1) | Hayward (0-2) | None | | 115 | 3-2 | | | Mar. 12 | at Northwestern State | | H. Alvin Brown–C. C. Stroud Field • Natchitoches, LA | L 4-5 | Harmon (1-2) | Rollins (1-1) | Makarewich (1) | | 463 | 3-3 | 0-1 | | Mar. 13 | at Northwestern State | | H. Alvin Brown–C. C. Stroud Field • Natchitoches, LA | W 2-1 (7 inns) | Zavala (2-0) | Carver (2-1) | None | | 305 | 4-3 | 1-1 | | Mar. 13 | at Northwestern State | | H. Alvin Brown–C. C. Stroud Field • Natchitoches, LA | W 3-2 | Foral (1-0) | Michel (0-1) | None | | 305 | 5-3 | 2-1 | | Mar. 14 | at Northwestern State | | H. Alvin Brown–C. C. Stroud Field • Natchitoches, LA | L 5-6 | Daigle (1-0) | Hayward (0-3) | None | | 427 | 5-4 | 2-2 | | Mar. 19 | Southeastern Louisiana | | Sullivan Field • San Antonio, TX | W 6-5 (13 inns) | Garza (1-0) | Hughes (1-1) | None | | 115 | 6-4 | 3-2 | | Mar. 20 | Southeastern Louisiana | | Sullivan Field • San Antonio, TX | W 5-0 (7 inns) | Zavala (3-0) | Warren (3-1) | None | | | 7-4 | 4-2 | | Mar. 20 | Southeastern Louisiana | | Sullivan Field • San Antonio, TX | L 6-7 | Bartley (2-1) | Foral (1-1) | Hoskins (2) | | 115 | 7-5 | 4-3 | | Mar. 21 | Southeastern Louisiana | | Sullivan Field • San Antonio, TX | W 5-3 | Hayward (1-3) | Stuprich (1-1) | Garza (2) | | 115 | 8-5 | 5-3 | | Mar. 23 | at No. 9 Texas | | UFCU Disch–Falk Field • Austin, TX | L 1-10 | Quintanilla (2-0) | Walker (0-1) | None | | 1,538 | 8-6 | | | Mar. 26 | Central Arkansas | | Sullivan Field • San Antonio, TX | L 7-12 | Haley (1-0) | Rollins (1-2) | Gregson (1) | | 82 | 8-7 | 5-4 | | Mar. 27 | Central Arkansas | | Sullivan Field • San Antonio, TX | W 12-11 (7 inns) | Garza (2-0) | Verel (0-1) | None | | 115 | 9-7 | 6-4 | | Mar. 27 | Central Arkansas | | Sullivan Field • San Antonio, TX | W 10-2 | McElmeel (2-0) | Janak (2-2) | Hayward (1) | | 115 | 10-7 | 7-4 | | Mar. 28 | Central Arkansas | | Sullivan Field • San Antonio, TX | L 3-4 | Cleveland (3-2) | Martinez (0-1) | None | | 92 | 10-8 | 7-5 | |
| April (4-16) | | Date | Opponent | Rank | Site/stadium | Score | Win | Loss | Save | TV | Attendance | Overall record | SLC Record | | Apr. 1 | at Stephen F. Austin | | Jaycees Field • Nacogdoches, TX | L 0-14 (7 inns) | Gennari (2-2) | Rollins (1-3) | None | | 124 | 10-9 | 7-6 | | Apr. 2 | at Stephen F. Austin | | Jaycees Field • Nacogdoches, TX | L 1-11 (7 inns) | Todd (2-2) | Zavala (3-1) | None | | 116 | 10-10 | 7-7 | | Apr. 2 | at Stephen F. Austin | | Jaycees Field • Nacogdoches, TX | W 15-9 | Garza (3-0) | Stobart (0-3) | None | | 118 | 11-10 | 8-7 | | Apr. 3 | at Stephen F. Austin | | Jaycees Field • Nacogdoches, TX | L 1-11 (8 inns) | Sgambelluri (2-1) | Walker (0-2) | None | | 140 | 11-11 | 8-8 | | Apr. 6 | Prairie View A&M | | Sullivan Field • San Antonio, TX | W 12-1 (8 inns) | Warwick (1-0) | Maldonado (0-3) | Beddingfield (1) | | 52 | 12-11 | | | Apr. 9 | at McNeese State | | Joe Miller Ballpark • Lake Charles, LA | L 6-10 | Abraham (2-0) | Zavala (3-2) | Duplechain (1) | | 311 | 12-12 | 8-9 | | Apr. 10 | at McNeese State | | Joe Miller Ballpark • Lake Charles, LA | L 1-19 (7 inns) | Dion (4-3) | Rollins (1-4) | None | | 429 | 12-13 | 8-10 | | Apr. 10 | at McNeese State | | Joe Miller Ballpark • Lake Charles, LA | L 1-4 | Ellison (2-1) | Garza (3-1) | Foster (1) | | 429 | 12-14 | 8-11 | | Apr. 11 | at McNeese State | | Joe Miller Ballpark • Lake Charles, LA | L 4-10 | Vega (1-3) | Minter (0-1) | None | | 368 | 12-15 | 8-12 | | Apr. 13 | at Rice | | Reckling Park • Houston, TX | L 12-15 (10 inns) | Larzabal (1-0) | Foral (1-2) | None | | 1,045 | 12-16 | | | Apr. 16 | New Orleans | | Sullivan Field • San Antonio, TX | L 4-5 | Erbe (1-2) | Cassidy (0-1) | Seroski (4) | | 64 | 12-17 | 8-13 | | Apr. 17 | New Orleans | | Sullivan Field • San Antonio, TX | L 5-13 (7 inns) | Turpin (6-1) | Garza (3-2) | None | | | 12-18 | 8-14 | | Apr. 17 | New Orleans | | Sullivan Field • San Antonio, TX | L 1-3 | Mitchell (2-1) | Minter (0-2) | Seroski (5) | | 102 | 12-19 | 8-15 | | Apr. 18 | New Orleans | | Sullivan Field • San Antonio, TX | W 6-3 | Zavala (4-2) | LeBlanc (0-3) | McElmeel (1) | | 88 | 13-19 | 9-15 | | Apr. 23 | at Abilene Christian | | Crutcher Scott Field • Abilene, TX | W 12-1 (7 inns) | Cassidy (1-1) | Morgan (0-3) | None | | 238 | 14-19 | 10-15 | | Apr. 24 | at Abilene Christian | | Crutcher Scott Field • Abilene, TX | L 7-10 (7 inns) | Huffling (5-1) | Garza (3-3) | None | | 481 | 14-20 | 10-16 | | Apr. 24 | at Abilene Christian | | Crutcher Scott Field • Abilene, TX | L 3-8 | Glaze (1-1) | Westall (0-1) | None | | 411 | 14-21 | 10-17 | | Apr. 25 | at Abilene Christian | | Crutcher Scott Field • Abilene, TX | L 4-8 | Chirpich (4-3) | Zavala (4-3) | None | | 616 | 14-22 | 10-18 | | Apr. 27 | at No. 3 Texas | | UFCU Disch–Falk Field • Austin, TX | L 3-5 | Shifflet (1-0) | Celestino (0-1) | Nixon (5) | | 1,610 | 14-23 | | | Apr. 30 | at Nicholls | | Ben Meyer Diamond at Ray E. Didier Field • Thibodaux, LA | L 1-2 | Gearing (4-3) | Cassidy (1-2) | Taylor (8) | | 784 | 14-24 | 10-19 | |
| May (7–4) | | Date | Opponent | Rank | Site/stadium | Score | Win | Loss | Save | TV | Attendance | Overall record | SLC Record | | May 1 | at Nicholls | | Ben Meyer Diamond at Ray E. Didier Field • Thibodaux, LA | W 6-1 | Minter (1-2) | Desandro (3-2) | None | | 637 | 15-24 | 11-19 | | May 1 | at Nicholls | | Ben Meyer Diamond at Ray E. Didier Field • Thibodaux, LA | W 3-2 | Zavala (5-3) | Kilcrease (2-6) | Garza (3) | | 684 | 16-24 | 12-19 | | May 2 | at Nicholls | | Ben Meyer Diamond at Ray E. Didier Field • Thibodaux, LA | L 5-7 | Balado (3-1) | Garza (3-4) | Taylor (9) | | 777 | 16-25 | 12-20 | | May 4 | at No. 3 TCU | | Lupton Stadium • Fort Worth, TX | Game cancelled | | May 7 | Houston Baptist | | Sullivan Field • San Antonio, TX | W 9-4 (7 inns) | Celestino (1-1) | Austin (3-2) | None | | 50 | 17-25 | 13-20 | | May 7 | Houston Baptist | | Sullivan Field • San Antonio, TX | W 5-4 | Cassidy (2-2) | Coats (2-7) | Garza (4) | | 94 | 18-25 | 14-20 | | May 8 | Houston Baptist | | Sullivan Field • San Antonio, TX | W 5-4 | McElmeel (3-0) | Reitmeyer (2-3) | Foral (1) | | 115 | 19-25 | 15-20 | | May 9 | Houston Baptist | | Sullivan Field • San Antonio, TX | W 3-2 | Hayward (2-3) | Zarella (0-6) | Garza (5) | | 92 | 20-25 | 16-20 | | May 11 | at Baylor | | Baylor Ballpark • Waco, TX | Game cancelled | | May 18 | at UTSA | | Roadrunner Field • San Antonio, TX | Game cancelled | | May 20 | Lamar | | Sullivan Field • San Antonio, TX | L 0-7 (7 inns) | Michael (6-2) | Cassidy (2-3) | None | | 75 | 20-26 | 16-21 | | May 20 | Lamar | | Sullivan Field • San Antonio, TX | L 4-13 | Mize (2-1) | Minter (1-3) | None | | 112 | 20-27 | 16-22 | | May 21 | Lamar | | Sullivan Field • San Antonio, TX | W 6-4 | Celestino (2-1) | Douthit (1-3) | Garza (6) | | 112 | 21-27 | 17-22 | | May 22 | Lamar | | Sullivan Field • San Antonio, TX | L 3-13 (7 inns) | Dallas (2-2) | Rollins (1-5) | Cole (1) | | 75 | 21-28 | 17-23 | - Schedule Source:[4]
*Rankings are based on the team's current ranking in the D1Baseball poll. |
Postseason
Conference accolades
- Player of the Year: Colton Cowser – SHSU
- Hitter of the Year: Colton Eager – ACU
- Pitcher of the Year: Will Dion – MCNS
- Relief Pitcher of the Year: Tyler Cleveland – UCA
- Freshman of the Year: Brennan Stuprich – SELA
- Newcomer of the Year: Grayson Tatrow – ACU
- Clay Gould Coach of the Year: Rick McCarty – ACU
| All Conference First Team - Chase Kemp (LAMR)
- Nate Fisbeck (MCNS)
- Itchy Burts (TAMUCC)
- Bash Randle (ACU)
- Mitchell Dickson (ACU)
- Lee Thomas (UIW)
- Colton Cowser (SHSU)
- Colton Eager (ACU)
- Clayton Rasbeary (MCNS)
- Will Dion (MCNS)
- Brennan Stuprich (SELA)
- Will Warren (SELA)
- Tyler Cleveland (UCA)
- Anthony Quirion (LAMR)
| All Conference Second Team - Preston Faulkner (SELA)
- Daunte Stuart (NSU)
- Kasten Furr (UNO)
- Evan Keller (SELA)
- Skylar Black (SFA)
- Tre Obregon III (MCNS)
- Jack Rogers (SHSU)
- Pearce Howard (UNO)
- Grayson Tatrow (ACU)
- Chris Turpin (UNO)
- John Gaddis (TAMUCC)
- Trevin Michael (LAMR)
- Caleb Seroski (UNO)
- Jacob Burke (SELA)
| All Conference Third Team - Luke Marbach (TAMUCC)
- Salo Iza (UNO)
- Austin Cain (NICH)
- Darren Willis (UNO)
- Ryan Snell (LAMR)
- Tommy Cruz (ACU)
- Tyler Finke (SELA)
- Payton Harden (MCNS)
- Mike Williams (TAMUCC)
- Cal Carver (NSU)
- Levi David (NSU)
- Dominic Robinson (SHSU)
- Jack Dallas (LAMR)
- Brett Hammit (ACU)
| All Conference Defensive Team - Luke Marbach (TAMUCC)
- Nate Fisebeck (MCNS)
- Anthony Quirion (LAMR)
- Darren Willis (UNO)
- Gaby Cruz (SELA)
- Julian Gonzales (MCNS)
- Colton Cowser (SHSU)
- Avery George (LAMR)
- Will Dion (MCNS)
|
References:[5]
References
