Kaston Mason.

After putting together one of their best offensive series in program history, the No. 16 UT Tyler baseball team opens their home season with a four-game series with No. 2 Angelo State.

The Patriots, coming off a four-game sweep of No. 12 Lubbock Christian in Lubbock to open the season, have games set for Friday (6 p.m.), Saturday (2 and 5 p.m.) and Sunday (1 p.m.). The games are scheduled for Irwin Field.

The Rams are also 4-0 after sweeping UT Permian Basin in a series in San Angelo.

UT Tyler scored a dramatic 7-6 10-inning opening win on Jan. 31 in Lubbock. The Patriots followed with a doubleheader sweep on Saturday (18-6 in 7 innings, 16-4 in seven innings) and a closeout win on Sunday (15-8).

The Patriots scored 56 runs in the four-game series against the Chaps, their most since scoring 61 runs against Eastern New Mexico on April 1 and 2 of 2023.

In the first game against the Chaparrals, UT Tyler rallied from a 3-1 deficit to take a 6-3 lead. LCC tied the game with a run in the eight and two in the ninth to force extra innings.

Garrett Arredondo picked up the win after a shutdown 10th inning as Justin Williams delivered an RBI groundout in the top half of the inning to put the Patriots ahead for good.

Rawley Hector went six full innings while allowing three runs, one earned, three total hits and striking out a pair. Drew Schmidt led the offense with a 3-for-3 effort while scoring two runs and driving in one.

Blake LaBuda had a home run for UT Tyler with doubles from Tanner Hornback and Schmidt. LaBuda had two hits.

LaBuda had two RBIs with one each from Mason Hammonds, Cade Conway, Williams, Kaston Mason and Schmidt.

On Saturday, Mason became the Patriots’ home leader with his 25th long-ball in the first inning of UT Tyler’s game one win.

That home run broke a tie with both Ethan Bedgood and Joe Towns for the top spot.

Patriots starter Kyle Froelich secured the win in game one as he pitched five full innings while delivering three strikeouts. He gave up just one hit through the first three innings and by the time he gave up his first of four earned runs UT Tyler already had nine runs on the board.

Conway also had a homer with doubles from Mason Hammonds, Kyle Atkinson, Connor Clark, Hornback and Schmidt.

RBIs were from Conway (4), Mason (3), Clark (2), LaBuda (2), Hornback (2), Brock Bearden (1), Williams (1), Atkinson (1) and Schmdit (1).

Clark led the Patriots with four hits, followed by Conway, Atkinson and LaBuda with two each.

In the second game of the DH, Dylan Blomquist started on the mound for the Patriots as he delivered five solid innings notching four strikeouts.

Eight Patriots recorded a hit in game two, with Drew Schmidt leading the way going 3-for-4 with a run, a walk and six RBIs.

In Sunday’s finale, five different Patriots hitters recorded at least two hits, while Clark, Mason, and Hammonds each drove in at least three runs in a monster day.

Kolby Parker got the win after going two innings in relief.