Prescott, AZ. - The Oklahoma Panhandle State baseball team opened their season in the Coach Calderone Invitational against the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Ariz.) Eagles. The Aggies came out hot at the plate but would be stifled as the game progressed. Plagued by walks and errors, the Eagles would walk it off to a final score of 9-8 despite being down 6-1 through the first five innings of play. 

Head Coach Shawn Joy would say that they "played very well early in the game but didn't finish it out."

Senior RHP Austin Jacobs would highlight the season's first game as he went 5.2 innings of work while only giving up three hits. Jacob threw a no-hitter into the bottom of the six innings. His effectiveness in the game came from his three-pitch mix that seemed to keep the Eagles off balance. Thus, leading to groundouts and flyouts for the first half of the game. Unfortunately, Jacobs would get the no-decision against the Eagles as he was followed by freshman Tate Nebhut and senior Joe Roundtree. Roundtree would get the loss for the game. 

Zach Madrigal and Luis Dermas would also play essential roles in the limited success for the Aggies on the day. Senior second baseman Dermas would chop a two-run single through the right side in the first inning to extend the Aggies' lead to 5-0. The senior showed patience at the plate, finishing day 1 for 3 with two RBIs and, 2 walks.

Senior catcher Zach Madrigal would put in a hard day's work against the Eagles. He played all ten innings for the Aggies behind the plate and shot a two-run double into the gap in the top of the 7th inning to try and give the Aggies some insurance. Madrigal would finish 1 for 4 on the day; however, the scorebook does not do him justice. Nevertheless, his consistency behind the plate and ability to put the ball in play gave the Aggies their best chance against the Eagles. 

In previous years, Jacobs came into the game as a staple right-handed pitcher for the Aggies. However, he returned for another year to head the pitching rotation and finish his 2021 campaign with a team-best 4.57 ERA, 41 strikeouts, and an opponent batting average of .278. Jacobs was also listed as one of the top NAIA baseball players to watch in the 2022 season. 

Despite the disastrous ending, the Aggies looked to put their best foot forward in the game against ERAU. Aggies look to come out with a strong sense of what they want to do early, looking to capitalize on the seniority on the team. Despite said seniority, freshman Hunter Hutchinson would be the first to see the field for the Aggies in the 2022 season. Drawing a walk in the first at-bat spelled something of a good omen for the Aggies' season. The Aggies would follow Hutchinson with more walks and then a single by senior third baseman Lane Field to give the Aggies an early 2-0 lead.

The Aggies would just be getting started as they would make it through the entire lineup before the end of the inning. Having scored five runs in the first. Junior Manrique Mora and seniors Luis Dermas and Ethan Hunt would also bring home some Aggies before the inning. However, the Aggie bats would quiet down as the Eagle pitcher settled in. The Aggies did not score another run until the seventh inning off the bat of Madrigal,

The Aggies look to recoup as they look down the barrel of a double-header in Phoenix, Arizona Friday, January 28th at 10:30 AM MST and 2:00 PM MST against the College of Idaho Yotes and The Master's University Mustangs.