Texas State baseball left College Station on Sunday, having been eliminated from the NCAA Tournament after 17-2 and 15-4 losses to Texas A&M and USC.
But reducing the season to those lopsided defeats doesn’t tell the full story of the 2026 Bobcats, who ended the year with a completely revamped starting rotation and without their starting shortstop and first baseman. Following a tough stretch in April, it seemed like they hardly had a puncher’s chance to make the NCAA Tournament at all.
Instead of falling apart, Texas State coach Steven Trout and his seniors pulled the team together. What followed was a tightrope act that led to one of the most successful years in Bobcats history.
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“This group, I thought, competed to the last pitch,” Trout said. “As a coach, that’s all you can ask.”
MORE: Texas State baseball’s refusal to give in powered USC upset in College Station Regional
In a season where adversity came at Texas State in waves, Trout and his staff found ways to adjust where they could. Texas State’s 116 home runs set a season and Sun Belt record, but it wasn’t just one Bobcat with a hot bat. Six players reached double-digit homers. Ethan Farris had eight before a season-ending injury in April and infielder Dawson Park, the former team leader in long balls, left the team around the same time after a dispute with a teammate.
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Despite losing two players with arguably the most raw power in the lineup, Texas State remained resilient. It became a team capable of performing in the clutch instead of relying on homers. Trout told the American-Statesman during the Sun Belt Tournament that the players “got some stuff off their chest to each other” following the South Alabama series.
“It was kind of a team bonding moment,” Trout said. “They just decided to play for one another.”
Texas State Bobcats infielder Manny Salas (33) bats during the second inning as the Texas Longhorns and Texas State Bobcats face off in San Marcos Tuesday, March 10, 2026.
Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman
Texas State closed the regular season by winning seven of its last eight. And although it suffered two disappointing losses to the Ragin’ Cajuns in the Sun Belt tournament, the NCAA selection committee decided it had done enough to earn an at-large bid.
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When it became clear that the starting pitching’s performance was unsustainable, Trout turned right-handers Wade Cooper and Cade Smith into starters. As Smith started to struggle, Trout turned to right-hander Ryan Markwardt to pick up the slack.
The shifting and overall lack of depth forced Texas State to ask more of its pitchers than it probably would’ve liked. The Bobcats were barely hanging with the Trojans in the opening game of the College Station Regional. With Texas State’s best relievers proving ineffective against USC, the Bobcats sent Cooper to the mound, essentially pushing all of their chips in. The move paid off, but the ripple effect would soon arrive.
USC entered the rematch with a far fresher bullpen. The Bobcats fought valiantly. To their credit, they scored more runs against the Trojans than any other team in the regional did. But the lack of reliable arms would eventually be their downfall.
“Start looking at the teams that are making these runs; you’ve got to be deep on the mound,” Trout said.
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This is the kind of season that strengthens a program’s culture. Coaches discuss it all the time, but actually showing toughness and keeping players who’ve overcome adversity are building blocks that secure a team’s foundation.
Trout said the first job in the offseason is retention. Cooper and freshman Clayton Namken immediately spring to mind as players who could draw attention from Power Four programs. Trout hopes that any potential transfer will look at Chase Mora, who stayed at Texas State for four seasons and left a legendary mark in San Marcos.
The Bobcats are on the verge of entering the Pac-12. Although Sunday marked the end of the season, it also set the stage for some exciting beginnings.
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“This was a big moment for our program, to get back to regionals, to establish ourselves heading to a new conference,” Trout said. “Now, we’ve got to continue to step in the right direction.”