Editor's note: College Baseball Nation is joined by guest writer, Riley Zayas, for coverage of the Texas Collegiate League. Riley Zayas is a high school freshman and freelance journalist from Round Rock, Texas. He began his journalism career as a Sports Illustrated Kid reporter and has since become a regular contributor to Horns Illustrated, covering Texas Longhorn sports. His work also includes Fellowship of Christian Athletes publications, his personal blog 360 Sports, and Sports Spectrum, a national christian sports magazine and website. He is passionate about all things sports and can be followed on Twitter at @ZayasRiley. In an unfortunate turn of events, the Round Rock Hairy Men, the South division’s first place team heading into the weekend, are out for the rest of the season. Although it seemed like the Texas Collegiate League (TCL) had weathered the storm and finished the season unscathed during the Covid-19 pandemic, multiple members of the team tested positive, as was reported by the team Saturday. Following a series sweep over Brazos Valley, the Hairy Men were preparing for a home-away-home series against San Antonio to close out the regular season. All Round Rock needed was to win one game, and they would punch their ticket to the four-team playoff. That “one game” was never played, as Friday’s showdown was cancelled due to heavy rain and unplayable field conditions. Prior to Saturday’s matchup in San Antonio, team management put out a press release announcing the immediate cancellation of the season. It was a quick and sudden end to the season for the Hairy Men, who had finally gotten on a roll heading into the last week of the season. “With just two games remaining in our season, out of an abundance of caution, we felt it was in the best interest of our staff to end the season now,” said General Manager Tim Jackson. This will leave a negative mark on a season that brought live baseball to the Central Texas area and gave so many players the opportunity to perform in an environment like Dell Diamond and better themselves heading into fall workouts. However, players like first baseman Ryan Hernandez are not dwelling in the unfortunate occurrence of the situation, but rather, embracing the time they were able to spend in Round Rock. “When it comes to our safety and health, the Hairy Men Staff has done a great job all summer long,” said Hernandez, who will be a senior at Houston this fall. “Thank you for giving us a place to play and enjoy our summer. Lastly I’d like to thank all the fans and families that made it such a fun and loving atmosphere!” Unlike the Hairy Men, the Brazos Valley Bombers, who now by default lead the south division, have told College Baseball Nation that their season is set to continue. For now, everything will continue to move as planned, minus the presence of the Hairy Men in the league. Next week, the playoffs are set to begin, with the top two teams from the South and top two from the North each battling in a three game series. Saturday will conclude the 2020 season, with a winner-take-all championship game, between the North and South division winners. “We would like to thank the players, coaches and staff that made this such a memorable season,” said President Chris Almendarez, the father of Chase, who managed the squad, and Luke, a middle infielder for the team. “We would also like to thank the fans, media and everyone that supported this team as we brought baseball back to Central Texas.” The Hairy Men conclude their inaugural campaign with a 16-11 record. It is not yet known as to whether they will be back for the 2021 TCL season. Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content!

Editor's note: College Baseball Nation is joined by guest writer, Riley Zayas, for coverage of the Texas Collegiate League. Riley Zayas is a high school freshman and freelance journalist from Round Rock, Texas. He began his journalism career as a Sports Illustrated Kid reporter and has since become a regular contributor to Horns Illustrated, covering Texas Longhorn sports. His work also includes Fellowship of Christian Athletes publications, his personal blog 360 Sports, and Sports Spectrum, a national christian sports magazine and website. He is passionate about all things sports and can be followed on Twitter at @ZayasRiley. Cody Vannoy is loving it. Playing the entire summer in a stadium that he grew up going to as a kid. Helping the Round Rock Hairy Men battle for a playoff spot. And the thought that next year he will be playing D1 baseball. It still seems surreal, and is a summer Vannoy will never forget. There are times when sports transcends the importance of winning or losing. This summer has certainly been one of those times. “It is really cool, with everything going on to be playing here,” said Vannoy, a catcher for the Round Rock Hairy Men. “To be playing at Dell Diamond is something really near and special to my heart. Last year I played in Illinois, so my family couldn’t come see me play, but now they can come out. It’s been a blast.” Growing up in Leander, Texas, Vannoy took a different route than most playing at the high school level. Homeschooled through fifth grade, he began going to Summit Christian Academy (SCA) in middle school, a small private school in Central Texas, where the baseball team was still in its infancy stage. In fact, by the time Vannoy got to high school, he was one of, if not the only, player on the team who had played travel baseball. A starter as a freshman, the team was so small that he remembers begging friends to come play, just so the Eagles could field a team that spring. “Summit was such a small school and was such a big part of my life from 6th grade to 10th grade,” said Vannoy. “Being on a small team like that, you’re not going to get guys that have been playing for so long. There were several guys who I was begging to come play so we could field a baseball team.” While the baseball team may not have been at the level of competitiveness of many other area schools, Vannoy took away something much greater than just an improvement on the diamond by going to SCA. He gained in his maturity, as he calls the game from behind the plate at catcher, playing “quarterback” out on the field. Along with that, his coaches taught him how to lead. “I learned how to play with those guys, how to have fun, it taught me a lot,” said Vannoy. “The competition we played, I was lucky to be on varsity as a freshman. That gave me the opportunity to be mentored by some of the upperclassmen who maybe didn’t have as much experience baseball-wise, but maturity wise I learned a lot from them.. Coming in, I had played travel ball and was at a private school which is pretty rare, so I kind of had a big head early on, but my coaches, Chad Hoffman and Sean Pullard were guys who always kept me level headed and are still great friends, and lifetime mentors.” That was not the only unique part of his two years with the Eagles. Being that TAPPS baseball rules allow for girls to play baseball if the school does not offer a softball team, Vannoy’s younger sister, Bailey, was on the team along with Cody for one season before the two transferred to Rouse High school . Bailey currently plays college softball for D1 UNC-Charlotte, and like Cody, is a catcher. During games, it was often the Vannoy duo leading the way, with Cody on the mound and Bailey behind the plate, or the two swapping out time behind the plate. “It was really cool to play with my sister,” said Vannoy. “I’d catch for six innings and then she’d catch. It was super rare and she said it helped her on the softball side too. It was really great to see that dynamic and I never thought we would have been able to do it unless it was in like YMCA or something.” He then spent two successful years at Rouse High to close out his prep career, even earning the District 19-5A MVP as a senior. The baseball adjustment was not challenging, his level of play was already drawing interest from college coaches, but the obvious differences that came with transitioning to a public school still stick in his mind today. “It was funny, I always told people how I always thought public schools were movies like ‘high school musical’ and stuff you see on Disney Channel growing up because you don’t know what it is like. I was homeschooled, went to private school, then finished at public school, so I hit all three which is rare.” Vannoy moved onto the D1 level with UT-Rio Grande Valley to begin his college career. He transferred to Tarleton State, a D2 school, for the 2020 season. In 12 starts, he hit .366 with seven RBI and six walks. A two way player, he can also pitch, and has made two appearances on the mound so far with the Hairy Men. In July, Tarleton officially became a D1 program, and a member of the Western Athletic Conference. He is beyond thrilled about that huge advancement for the Texan baseball program. In just 30 years, the school has gone from a small NAIA institution to a D1 member. "I was in the WAC with UTRGV so now we get to go there [Tarleton State] and play against all those guys, so that will be really fun and cool.” -Cody Vannoy “It’s super cool. I was able to transfer down to a division two, play there, get that experience, is great. It’s really cool to see how the university is coming together, especially during this crazy time. We definitely need to be together as one. I’m a little bit different since I transferred there, so I was in the WAC with UTRGV so now we get to go there and play against all those guys, so that will be really fun and cool.” Vannoy says the high level of pitching he has faced in the Texas Collegiate League will help him greatly as he makes the transition to D1 pitching. While he spent one season in the WAC with UTRGV, he did not appear in a game for the Vaqueros. Heading into the final three games of the season, Round Rock is in prime position. Following a series sweep of Brazos Valley, the Hairy Men now lead the south division, and only need a win over San Antonio Saturday night to secure their spot in the TCL playoffs. “I think our big thing, especially behind the plate, I can’t speak much for the pitchers, is filling up the zone,” said Vannoy when asked about the message right now in the locker room. “At the plate we’re all just waiting for our pitch, making sure we get a good swing off and playing team baseball. Making sure we’re not hitting for the home run, and that we’re playing for each other and playing really well.” For Vannoy, this has been a memorable summer. And who knows? He has aspirations to one day return to Dell Diamond. Maybe it will be as a pro player, or maybe it will be in the press box. A journalism and broadcasting major, the junior catcher does not know what his future holds, but he wants to do something with baseball. “I don’t know what God has in future for me,” said Vannoy chuckling. “I love the Express, I’ve been coming [to Dell Diamond] all my life. When my college career ends, whether that be playing professional baseball, or finishing in college, I’ll definitely hit these guys up and if they don’t have a spot for me here, somewhere else. I’d love to be able to be around the game, that’s my passions, baseball and talking.” Here in the TCL, he’s done all the talking he has needed to with his bat, hitting .308 on the season with 12 hits, four runs, and three RBI. Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content!

Editor's note: College Baseball Nation is joined by guest writer, Riley Zayas, for coverage of the Texas Collegiate League. Riley Zayas is a high school freshman and freelance journalist from Round Rock, Texas. He began his journalism career as a Sports Illustrated Kid reporter and has since become a regular contributor to Horns Illustrated, covering Texas Longhorn sports. His work also includes Fellowship of Christian Athletes publications, his personal blog 360 Sports, and Sports Spectrum, a national christian sports magazine and website. He is passionate about all things sports and can be followed on Twitter at @ZayasRiley. “I think this year we did a really good job of shrinking the gap of years that the Cape Cod League has on us,” said Uri Geva, President of the Texas Collegiate League and Founder of the Brazos Valley Bombers. “I always joke that they’re like the big brother and we’re the little brother, and every year we have a birthday, but they have a big birthday too. Unfortunately for the Cape, they didn’t have a birthday this year. We did. So maybe this year, we were able to gain some national recognition about the level of baseball in the Texas Collegiate League.” The TCL is no longer the little brother in the world of college summer baseball. Over this past summer, the TCL has made a name for itself on the college baseball stage, finding a way to play out the 2020 season despite constant threats from the spread of COVID-19. In fact, the TCL has not simply existed in 2020, the league actually improved, with the addition of six temporary expansion teams, housed by minor league ballparks as a result of the cancellation of the minor league season. It proved to be a key advantage for the league, as competitive baseball with high-profile players drew fans from all over to the games. Even now in the final week of the season, eight of the ten teams in the league still have a chance to make the four-team playoff. “Anything can happen in these last six days of baseball,” said Geva on Monday. That is the beauty of summer league baseball, especially in 2020. Nearly every team has a chance to make the playoffs in a season that spanned just over five weeks. Interestingly, many of the new teams have been the ones leading the divisions rather than the four long-standing teams; Acadiana, Victoria, Brazos Valley and Texarkana. That is, with the exception of Brazos Valley. The Bombers, who are the defending league champs, have been jostling back and forth with Round Rock and San Antonio for the lead in the south division. With a phenomenal roster, the Bombers have managed to excel even with an increased level of competition and parity in the league. “The beautiful thing about the Bombers is that adversity has not gotten in our way,” Geva told College Baseball Nation. “It makes it that much sweeter to continue to contend for a title. We had a coaching change at the last minute. We had players with COVID before they reported. Through all of this, we’ve maintained a focus on small ball, solid pitching, and it’s just an incredible honor to be a part of this organization on the baseball side. Our goal before the season, I told Coach Dillard, was to just make the playoffs.” According to Geva, part of the reason as to why the newer teams have fared better in 2020, is because the teams assembled their rosters in mid-June, unlike many of the existing teams, who solidify their opening day roster for the most part, by the end of the fall. This allowed those new teams to take advantage of the lack of summer playing opportunities for college players, and stack their rosters with players who would have been otherwise playing in more established leagues such as the Cape Cod or Golden State league. “The thing is, as you look at the original TCL teams, they were all built early,” said Geva. “The original four all built their teams in the fall, maybe a little bit in the spring. The new teams that were formed in mid-June, formed their teams in mid-June, when the players knew there were really no other summer college leagues. So they were able to stack the deck in their favor. Even with that, the Bombers have been competitive, just showing you how good they were to begin with.” While it does not have the 100-year history of the Cape Cod League, the Texas Collegiate League is quickly adding its name to the list of the country’s premier summer leagues, recruiting a high number of elite D1 players from schools such as TCU, Texas A&M, LSU, Oklahoma and Baylor, along with several great D2, D3, and JUCO players. When one considers that it began as a league located solely in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, and has now expanded to three states and 10 teams for the 2020 season, it has come quite a long way in just 16 short seasons. “The great thing about the Texas Collegiate League is that it has adapted.” -Uri Geva “The great thing about the Texas Collegiate League is that it has adapted,” said Geva. “It started in the DFW area, with the kids staying at their parent’s houses and has evolved into a three-state league, with host-family programs, which do a fantastic job. It has continued to evolve, it has continued to develop and improve the ballparks that these kids get to play in.” A large part of that was Geva’s ability to find a way to play out the season in 2020, especially when many of the other leagues were making the decision to cancel. That included strictly monitoring player symptoms, limiting locker room usage, and each team determining if fans would be allowed at the stadium or not. After all, Geva notes, the TCL has been working with three states, with three different COVID-19 plans, and three separate decisions when it comes to mandates. Despite these minor changes, the season is now in the homestretch, with no confirmed positive cases amongst players or coaching staff, and only one stadium being closed to the public. This season has been a leap in the right direction for the TCL. “This has been sort of that “lightning in the bottle” opportunity for the Texas Collegiate League to leapfrog many of the leagues sidelined this year, because of the fact that we are one of the few elite leagues that is playing, especially in front of fans,” said Geva. “So you add in the ability to play in double-A and Triple-A ballparks, and that has led to an incredible summer of high level baseball.” Playing in minor league parks have been a great advantage, especially because many of those cities already had a great baseball following with a minor league team close by. Hodgetown Stadium in Amarillo is a prime example, where the Sod Squad and Sod Dogs have played their home games. With three games left to be played at the double-A stadium, home of the Amarillo Sod Poodles, 38,083 fans have shown up for live baseball. In fact, Amarillo currently has the largest attendance in the country across all sports pos-COVID-19. When it comes to the precautions taken this season, as well as in the College Summer Baseball Invitational (CSBI), which was played at Travis Field in Bryan, Texas and run by Geva and his team, a lot of thought went into ways to keep the teams safe and minimize the risk of a team-wide spread. The CSBI ended up being the first live baseball to be played post-COVID-19. “The CSBI was a great test of what it would be like to play baseball again in America post-COVID-19,” said Geva. “It really gave us that opportunity of what it was going to take on the health side, both with the fact that these players haven’t been playing, and on the COVID side. And from that tournament of three days, six games, using that knowledge gained, gave us some protocols and procedures that are easy to follow, you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to understand them. If you do everything to mitigate the risk while explaining the importance, the opportunity and the responsibility to these players, and you add all those things together, you get a formula for success that allows us to play in such a unique world that we all live in right now, and allows for fans to engage.” When asked, Geva said if the season had to be played again, under the exact same circumstances, it could definitely be done, without a spread throughout the league. “If you asked me could we play the season again, if the situation is exactly the same, I would tell you that yes, there’s a few things that we would refine but overall it has been a pretty, knock on wood, good summer of baseball,” said Geva. “It has taken a lot of hard work by a lot of people to make it happen.” Throughout the season, there ended up only being one minor road block, a sign that the players truly did understand the responsibility that came with this extraordinary opportunity. That roadblock happened in Frisco, when a number of front office staff tested positive. Fortunately, no players or coaches were sidelined with the virus. "They made the few tough decisions and we supported their decision-making and at the end, they’ve played some great baseball.” -Uri Geva “The challenge there was that it was the font office and not the players,” said Geva. “We’ve had players throughout the league tested, and the players have made sure to keep a safe distance from their host families. With the focus on being safe, the Frisco front office decided to no play in front of fans for the rest of the season. That is each ballpark’s decision. At the beginning of the season we asked each team, ‘Are you going to finish the season, even without fans?’ Everybody said that they focused on completing the season. They made the few tough decisions and we supported their decision-making and at the end, they’ve played some great baseball.” Finish the season they have, as a tight playoff race is in full swing with the Amarillo Sod Squad currently holding a slim .5 game lead in the North division while the Round Rock Hairy Men and Geva’s Brazos Valley Bombers remain tied for first in the South, each posting a 15-11 record. The addition of the six temporary expansion teams has truly made the TCL more competitive than it has ever been. Throw in a one-game championship game and you have a season in which every game can make or break your chances of hoisting the championship trophy. As Geva looks out at the league he has played a huge role in developing, he can’t help but think about where it is going. After seeing what new teams have done for the league’s notoriety and growing fan base, there is a good possibility that additional, permanent teams could be added in future seasons, in cities like San Marcos or Tyler. It is likely that this will be the only season we will see teams such as the Round Rock Hairy Men, Tulsa Drillers or Frisco Roughriders in the TCL, with minor league baseball coming back next summer, but who knows? “There are people who are talking about it, there is interest from other markets to join the TCL, even from some affiliates and independent teams in Texas who may not have been a part of the TCL for 2020,” Geva told College Baseball Nation. For right now, those thoughts are at the back of Geva’s mind. He is solely focused on finishing this season on a high note, watching his Bombers contend for the playoffs and enjoying the high level of baseball that this TCL season has provided in the wake of such a challenging time. “The focus for the next six days is the end of the season and then the TCL playoffs, which finish with a one and done championship game, a unique piece of our format in the Texas Collegiate League,” Geva said Monday. “It is the league’s two best teams, in a one and done game between north versus south. It’s going to be pretty exciting.” Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content!

Earlier this month, the NCAA released its COVID-19 guidelines for all sports (including college baseball), and on Wednesday the ACC offered a look ahead to the college baseball season. Both the NCAA and the ACC labelled college baseball as a "medium" risk sport, as opposed to "high" risk sports like football and volleyball or "low" risk sports like golf and tennis. The NCAA provided guidelines for the return of athletes to campus, but the ACC went one step farther and outlined minimum requirements that all ACC institutions must abide by in order to compete in athletics. According to the ACC COVID-19 Medical Advisory Group, the following are the most relevant guidelines for college baseball: "All members of the respective team and those that are in close contact with the team shall be tested every other week beginning with the week of the first competition against an opposing team." "Test[s] must be administered within three (3) calendar days of the first competition of the week (e.g., Wednesday test prior to a Saturday game)" "In all sports, all individuals (e.g., coaches, athletic trainers, non-coaching personnel) permitted in the team bench area shall wear a face covering." "In all sports, student-athletes in the team bench area shall wear a face covering while not in the game." The ACC COVID-19 Medical Advisory Group is comprised of medical experts representing each of the 15 member institutions of the ACC. Beyond testing and face covering rules, the full extent of the COVID-19 pandemic on college baseball will likely not be realized until there is more clarity around the revenue impact from potential changes to the college football season. North Carolina State has already withdrawn from the 2021 Round Rock College Classic due to budget concerns. It is likely that both the health and economic impact of COVID-19 will impact college baseball scheduling next season. Find the full report from the ACC here. Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content! If you like what you are seeing from us and want to support us, consider becoming a Patreon supporter. We depend upon the support of our amazing fans! #collegebaseball

Editor's note: College Baseball Nation is joined by guest writer, Riley Zayas, for coverage of the Texas Collegiate League. Riley Zayas is a high school freshman and freelance journalist from Round Rock, Texas. He began his journalism career as a Sports Illustrated Kid reporter and has since become a regular contributor to Horns Illustrated, covering Texas Longhorn sports. His work also includes Fellowship of Christian Athletes publications, his personal blog 360 Sports, and Sports Spectrum, a national christian sports magazine and website. He is passionate about all things sports and can be followed on Twitter at @ZayasRiley. The “Hodgetown Showdown” features power at the plate A 12-8 offensive battle in game one of this six game series between the Amarillo Sod Dogs and Amarillo Sod Squad set the tone for a series of hot-hitting, and several home runs. Both teams play at Hodgetown Stadium, leading to this series between city rivals being dubbed the “Hodgetown Showdown”. The Sod Squad stunned its North division rivals, taking the series four games to two. The Sod Dogs, who were leading the North division heading into the week, fell from first to third in the division standings, based on win total, while the Sod Squad now holds a one-game lead as the North’s first place team. Five of the six contests featured at least one of the teams scoring more than 10 runs. The highest scoring affair came in a 20-11 Sod Dogs victory in game three, as five different players hit home runs. As a result of an errant night from the Sod Squad’s pitching staff, pitching coach Blake Rogers used eight pitchers, all but one giving up one run or more. The 3 hour, 34 minute contest in front of 1,831 Amarillo fans earned a place in the record books as the highest scoring game of the 2020 season. College Baseball Nation’s Hitter of the Week Lyle Miller-Green led the way offensively for the Sod Squad, even hitting for the cycle in game two, while Lubbock Christian’s Eduardo Acosta went an impressive 10-for-26 with six runs scored for the Sod Dogs. Top two teams in the South collide When the San Antonio Flying Chanclas and Brazos Valley Bombers met for a six game series, everyone knew what was on the line. With just two spots in the playoffs, one of the top three in the south (Round Rock, San Antonio, Brazos Valley), would be left out of the postseason. Each game from here on out is crucial to a team’s chances to finish in the top two, especially in a division as tight as the south has been. The Bombers showed up and showed out, winning the final three games, using home field advantage, and great pitching to take down what was previously the South’s first place team. The Bombers won the series four games to two. In game one, San Antonio jumped out to a 3-0 lead. Once the Bombers found their rhythm, though, the game changed completely as they settled in to score six unanswered and win the contest 6-3. Three extra base hits helped drive the offense late in the game. Game two was all about the pitching for Brazos Valley, with three pitchers combining for a two-hit, 4-0 shutout victory. Starter Tristian Stivors out of Texas State threw four innings, and allowed just two base runners. Game three did not feature a high level of hitting, with just six hits for Brazos Valley, but the Bombers found ways to score the baserunners, with just one runner left on base all game. San Antonio attempted to mount a comeback, pushing two across in the eighth, but it was too late. The Bombers ecured the series sweep with a 7-2 win. Heading into the last week of the season, the defending league champs are in first place in the south division with a 15-9 record. Playoff picture will be assembled on the last day of the season With as tight as both divisions are, even as we enter into the final week of this shortened season, the four playoff teams truly will not be decided until the last days of the season. In the north, four teams, including Frisco, who had 13 of its games either forfeited or cancelled, still have a shot to be one of those two to represent the north in the postseason. Currently, the Sod Squad holds first place by one game over Tulsa, and the Sod Dogs remain two games back from first place. This sets up a crucial, must-see three game series as the Sod Squad hosts the Tulsa Drillers to close out the season. This battle could easily decide who makes it to next week, and who does not. Factor in now that the Sod Dogs face Tulsa for three games starting Tuesday, adding to the drama a bit more. Between these three, who are the most likely to make the postseason from the north, one will be left out. Right now, that would be the Sod Dogs of Amarillo. However, knowing every game from here on out will be a “must-win”, the Sod Dogs will have something to drive them, with their playoff hopes on the line. In the South, it is virtually the same story, with Brazos Valley holding a slightly larger lead over San Antonio and Round Rock. Round Rock is in a great position, as the Hairy Men will face both Brazos Valley and San Antonio this week, giving them a great opportunity to control their own destiny in the final week of the season. Currently, the Hairy Men are two games back, but that is a margin that can easily be covered, especially with five of the six contests at home. The Victoria Generals, who are just 7-17, could play the upset role, as Brazos Valley finishes the season off with three games against the fifth place team in the South. San Antonio does not have an easy road from here on out, battling the Amarillo Sod Squad Tuesday-Thursday, before taking on Round Rock Friday-Sunday. Hitter of the Week: Lyle Miller-Green, George Mason University, Amarillo Sod Squad Miller-Green exploded onto the stage in the “Hodgetown Showdown” as the two Amarillo teams battled it out over a six game series. Miller-Green played a key role in the Sod Squad winning the first two games of the series, as he went 5-for-8, with 10 RBI and a home run. That was no ordinary homer; it was a grand slam, which accounted for four of Miller-Green’s 8 RBI in the series opener, as the outfielder hit for the cycle. That tremendous performance is one that Miller-Green will remember for seasons to come. “I’m doing my part to help the team win,” Lyle Miller-Green, George Mason, Amarillo Sod Squad “I’m doing my part to help the team win,” said Miller-Green. “The Sod Dogs are a good team and we’re trying to distance ourselves from them in the standings. I’ve been trying to not miss pitches I should hit, like a fastball down the middle. I think that is the biggest part of my approach, being more aggressive at the plate.” On the week, the George Mason sophomore had a .429 batting average, 12 RBI and two walks. He has a hit streak of five games and counting. Pitcher of the Week: Chandler Best, Southern Miss, Acadiana Cane Cutters Best posted one of the best performances of the week, as the southpaw threw five scoreless frames in the Cane Cutters’ 3-0 victory over Round Rock. He allowed just one hit, while striking out a season-high 11 batters. He kept the Hairy Men’s bats at bay, and earned his first win of the season. Best’s ERA is down to 2.70 and is the co-team leader in strikeouts. Power rankings Brazos Valley Bombers 15-9- It was close, but Brazos Valley’s huge 4-2 series victory over the South division’s first place team earns them the top spot in this week’s rankings, the second time this season the Bombers have held that title. Amarillo Sod Squad 15-9- The incredible performances by the Sod Squad against a very good Sod Dogs team over six games this week, as well as the jump to first place in the north, earns them a four position jump in this week’s power rankings. Tulsa Drillers 14-9- The Drillers are riding a three game win streak after sweeping Victoria over the weekend and carrying a surge of momentum heading into the final week of the regular season. Round Rock Hairy Men 13-11-The Hairy Men barely edged out the Sod Dogs for the fourth spot in the rankings, thanks to a midweek sweep of Victoria and the pitching performances throughout the week, especially the 10-0 shutout win against Acadiana Saturday night. Texas Tech’s TJ Rumfield, who was just added to the team last week, is hitting the ball well. Also important to note is that Ryan Hernandez, the Houston first baseman, has sat out the last two games for an unknown reason. Amarillo Sod Dogs 13-11- The Sod Dogs dropped five places from last week to this week, a large part of it due to the lack of quality pitching against the Sod Squad in the “Hodgetown Showdown”. The Sod Dogs still have a good shot to make the postseason, but will likely need to win the upcoming series against Tulsa to fight for second place in the division. San Antonio Flying Chanclas 13-10- The Chanclas had a good opportunity with six straight games against Brazos Valley, and a chance to distance themselves from the rest of the pack. The offense simply did not score enough to keep up with the Bombers, causing San Antonio to drop back four spots after losing the series four games to two. Frisco Roughriders 12-10- Frisco has endured 13 of its scheduled games being either cancelled or forfeited and has somehow remained in the playoff hunt, entering the week three games back from first place. Acadiana Cane Cutters 10-12- The Cane Cutters are one of those underrated teams whose record is not great, but has surprised some teams throughout the season. This weekend, Acadiana won the series against Round Rock, and also took down Texarkana two games to zero after the first game of that series was cancelled. Victoria Generals 7-17- It can not be a good feeling for Victoria, being swept in back to back series and on a six game losing skid. This week saw the team ERA swell to 5.21. Texarkana Twins 4-18- The Twins found themselves in a rut early on, and despite a lot of effort from the entire team, Texarkana was overmatched, resulting in a five game losing skid heading into the final week of this season. Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content! If you like what you are seeing from us and want to support us, consider becoming a Patreon supporter. We depend upon the support of our amazing fans!

Editor's note: College Baseball Nation is joined by guest writer, Riley Zayas, for coverage of the Texas Collegiate League. Riley Zayas is a high school freshman and freelance journalist from Round Rock, Texas. He began his journalism career as a Sports Illustrated Kid reporter and has since become a regular contributor to Horns Illustrated, covering Texas Longhorn sports. His work also includes Fellowship of Christian Athletes publications, his personal blog 360 Sports, and Sports Spectrum, a national christian sports magazine and website. He is passionate about all things sports, and can be followed on Twitter at @ZayasRiley. Jackson Ryan could not believe the news. Baseball would be played after all at The Dell Diamond. It would not be the hometown minor league team, the Round Rock Express, in action, though. Instead, it would be a different brand of players. A different group of opponents. And a new name. Taking the field would not be Triple AAA players, one call away from the big leagues. It would be college players, spending the summer honing their skills and fighting for a chance to make it to pro ball. “My first initial reaction was ‘It’s really good we’re having this league and expanded teams in this league so these college kids will be able to play’,” said Ryan, who is a former pitcher at the University of Mary Hardin Baylor and will be a student assistant coach for the Round Rock Hairy Men. “Most of their seasons were only about 15 games long this year, and talking to different college coaches that I know, it is a good deal to be able to have these guys play and get in some innings, games and at-bats. The Round Rock Hairy Men are one of ten teams set to play in the Texas Collegiate League (TCL) this summer, which will kick off on June 30. All-TCL Preseason Team When President and Founder of the Texas Collegiate League Uri Geva heard the news about mass cancellations across the world of sports in March due to the Covid-19 pandemic, he had to be wondering about the future of the TCL. After all, his league, which had played its inaugural season in 2004, had been gaining more and more popularity as each season went by. It had started as a league based out of the Dallas metroplex, but had now shifted to be based more in the southeast, with Bryan, Texas, serving as headquarters. Despite odds being stacked against the possibility of having a season, Geva expanded his league for the 2020 season, taking advantage of the players who lost out on opportunities to play in premier wood-bat leagues such as the Cape Cod League, Northwoods League and the Golden State league, all of which were cancelled along with several more. In addition to the four existing teams; the Brazos Valley Bombers, Acadiana Cane Cutters, Victoria Generals, and Texarkana Twins, six others, such as the Hairy Men, will be added as temporary expansion teams, giving minor league stadiums across Texas and Oklahoma the chance to host baseball this summer, especially as a minor league season appears quite unlikely. Tim Jackson, who is the General Manager for the Round Rock Express and the Hairy Men, says the idea for minor league teams to start temporary TCL teams for 2020 came from some of their “counterparts”, the teams in San Antonio and Amarillo, who are both owned by the Elmore Group. Working with the TCL, they then recruited other teams in Texas and Oklahoma. “They approached us saying ‘Hey, there’s a chance to have a temporary franchise for this year as we continue to not know a status on the minor league season’,” said Jackson. “They put it in front of us, and I knew a little bit about the league from playing in it when I was in college at Baylor. Obviously for us it has been a devastating time financially so we had to make sure it penciled out, and then we dove in through phone calls and zoom meetings and discussed everything that would go into it. “ “As we all cope with the changing landscape in sports in 2020, it is a true honor for all of our ownership groups to team up with these great operators from Triple & Double-A minor league baseball to help propel the TCL forward as one of the best summer wood-bat leagues in the country.” -Uri Geva, President of the TCL The Hairy Men will play in Round Rock at the home of the Triple AAA Express and San Antonio, which was upped to Triple AAA status for 2020, will be home to the Flying Chanclas. These two, along with Brazos Valley, Acadiana, and Victoria, will make up the South division. In the north division, Amarillo will have two teams, the Sod Dogs and Sod Squad, both teams named derived from the local Double AA team, the Sod Poodles. Both will split time at HODGETOWN stadium. The Tulsa Drillers will be farthest north, as Oklahoma’s lone team while the Frisco Roughriders will take on the same name as the Double AA team that plays in the Dallas suburb. Texarkana will round out the group of northern teams. “As we all cope with the changing landscape in sports in 2020, it is a true honor for all of our ownership groups to team up with these great operators from Triple & Double-A minor league baseball to help propel the TCL forward as one of the best summer wood-bat leagues in the country,” said Geva in a press release issued by the TCL. He is not kidding. A simple look at any roster is evidence of that. Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American outfielder Jared McKenzie from Baylor will play for Round Rock, TCU’s Connor Shepherd, a 2019 All-Big 12 infielder, will play for San Antonio, and Dallas Baptist’s Dan Pruitt, a 2019 MLB Draft pick, will star at first base for Frisco. Those are just a few of the college stars that will join the ranks for the TCL this summer. While the teams are often made up of players from the local areas, a diverse group of college teams are represented. In fact, according to the league’s website, over 100 universities have players in the league, from powerhouse programs such as Texas A&M and TCU, to JUCO schools like Paris JC and Wharton County JC. In 2020, several power five conference teams will be represented such Texas A&M, who will have four playing for Brazos Valley. Ole Miss, who finished the abbreviated season ranked at No. 1 by Collegiate Baseball, has Drew McDaniel playing for Acadiana. LSU also will be represented on Acadiana’s team. Baylor will be represented on multiple teams while players from northern schools such as Oregon State and West Virginia will be spending their summers in the Lone Star state. Additionally, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, TCU, Washington State ad Arizona State will all be represented. As with many summer leagues, players representing smaller D1 programs will also be in attendance. Some of those teams with a significant number of players are Incarnate Word, UT-San Antonio, Northwestern State and Texas State. Schools from all over the country have players who will be improving their skills this summer in the TCL. In the case of the Texarkana Twins, ballplayers from northeastern schools such as Lehigh, Akron and Murray State will be joining the team. As Jackson points out as well, even if the players are not D1, the level of talent each team is recruiting is far from subpar, creating for a tight battle in the division standings from start to finish. It will closely resemble a typical college season in the sense that every single game matters. Each win will put a team closer to making the playoffs, while a loss could greatly set them back. “The quality of baseball is going to be kids who are playing at the D1 level, and even the lower levels, such as junior college, it is top tier talent,” said Jackson. “Kids who have a really great chance of getting drafted, and if that’s the case, have a good chance of coming back to The Dell Diamond. There is a kid from Southwestern (D3 school), who throws upper 90s, we have a kid committed from the University of Oklahoma, you’re going to see some really quality talent. I think easily three quarters of this team has a good chance of playing professionally.” It is a bold statement, but one that appears to be more than likely, not just when it comes to the Hairy Men, but every team in the league. The season has been abbreviated due to nearly a month of scheduled play lost. The season will now be 30 games with games played nearly everyday except for Mondays. Come playoff time, which will begin on August 4th, the top two teams in each division will face off in a three game series. Once both of those series’ are decided, the two winners will move on to a single game, winner-take-all battle, for the TCL Championship. In spite of a year in which college baseball was hardly even played, the Texas Collegiate League will soon provide a version of college baseball that is sure to excite fans across the state of Texas and around the nation. One of the only premier leagues to be playing their season in 2020, the level of talent seen on any given day in the TCL will begin to give a live look into what the 2021 college season will hold, and provide an atmosphere of college baseball that has been sorely missed so far this year. Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content! If you like what you are seeing from us and want to support us, consider becoming a Patreon supporter. We depend upon the support of our amazing fans! #collegebaseball

Editor's note: College Baseball Nation is joined by guest writer, Riley Zayas, for coverage of the Texas Collegiate League. Riley Zayas is a high school freshman and freelance journalist from Round Rock, Texas. He began his journalism career as a Sports Illustrated Kid reporter and has since become a regular contributor to Horns Illustrated, covering Texas Longhorn sports. His work also includes Fellowship of Christian Athletes publications, his personal blog 360 Sports, and Sports Spectrum, a national christian sports magazine and website. He is passionate about all things sports, and can be followed on Twitter at @ZayasRiley. For Chase and Luke Almendarez of the Round Rock Hairy Men, The Dell Diamond is home. “I’ve grown up here, it’s home,” said Luke Almendarez of the Round Rock Hairy Men when talking about the team’s home stadium, The Dell Diamond. “From being in the clubhouse, to being with all the guys, it’s comfortable. It’s a family and I mean that.” For Luke, and his brother Chase, the 11,631 seat stadium in Central Texas is much more than just a place where they will be playing this summer. It truly is a second home. It is the field where both worked as batboys. It is a stadium in which they saw their father, Chris’, work ethic first hand, as he started out in the ticket office, before ascending to his current position as the President of the city’s Triple AAA team, the Round Rock Express. It is where, in front of hometown family and friends, Luke earned his first career collegiate at bat. Tomorrow, it will be where they, with Chase as the manager of the Hairy Men, and Luke out on the field as a middle infielder, take part in the first ever collegiate summer league game at The Dell Diamond. “I’ve been ready to play and just get back at it,” Luke told the media. “Just to be back home with family and enjoying the game. It’s exciting, and I’m blessed. I’m looking forward to coming out here everyday.” As the Hairy Men took batting practice a day prior to the season opener at Brazos Valley, a few things became evident when it comes to the Almendarez brothers. Baseball and hard work run in their veins, with the passion for the first having driven the second to this point. Chase might be just two years removed from college, having finished his baseball career at the University of Houston-Victoria, but based on his confidence, leadership and direction, one would assume managing has been something he has done his entire life. In a way, he has. Throughout his playing career, he was a catcher, first at Round Rock High, then at Cisco College and Eastfield College, before finishing off his time behind the plate at Houston-Victoria. Catchers have always been known as the “quarterbacks” of the field, directing the other eight players, and having to stay in the game on every single pitch. In fact, Houston-Victoria head coach Terry Puhl told RRExpress.com that “it was like having another coach on the field” when Chase was behind the plate. “I was fortunate enough to play catcher, and play for enough coaches where they taught me the game and kind of let me ‘coach’ the defense and run all those aspects,” said Almendarez. In some ways, he is just one of them, another young guy who is passionate about the game of baseball. After all, he is only 24 years old. However, as I watch him lead a team workout, it is obvious there is a high level of respect amongst the players towards him. He knows exactly what he is doing, and the team knows that he was one of them just a couple of years ago. Ultimately, it is how he exemplifies the qualities of leadership by being the thermostat, regulating the atmosphere around him, that makes him ideal for this job. His attitude was ice-cool as he threw batting practice, hit fungo, and spoke to the media. His is someone the players look up to, including Luke. Luke is the same way. He has that cool, calm attitude that has allowed for improvement over just half of a freshman season at the University of Houston. During the abbreviated 2020 campaign, he started eight contests, finishing with a batting average of .240, including a road showdown with UNLV in which he had a season-high two doubles. Before the plan to add expansion teams in the TCL came about, he had planned to go spend the summer playing in the Maryland Collegiate League. Of course, Covid-19 drastically altered his plans, and gave him this unique opportunity to improve his skills in his hometown, playing at the ballpark he grew up around, with his brother as manager. He could not ask for a better setup. “Chase is the best person, coach, player, and friend,” said Luke. “He’s very respectable, he’s very mature, he knows what he’s doing, so he knows the guys very well and he knows what we want and need. He’s structured and everything here is first-class.” He does acknowledge that the aspect of his brother as manager means Chase will push him just a little bit more, but in Luke’s words, “Chase knows me well enough, he knows what I want and need. He knows me better than I know myself at times. So he is hard, but it is in a good way. He wants me to be the best I can be.” The brothers may be five years apart in age, but there are a few things that they will always share. For one, a deep love of baseball. Both are also strong Christians. And they will always have a special place in their hearts for their late mother, Jana Almendarez, who passed away from Brain cancer in 2016. In many ways, it is because of her that they keep perspective and don’t take the losses, errors and rough days at the plate so bad. On their Twitter bios, both Luke and Chris have the hashtag #TeamJanaForever, which has become a part of Round Rock Express baseball. "As many of you know, yesterday was the five year anniversary of my wife, Jana, being diagnosed with a brain tumor. I say that because, in life, we’re all going to go through tough times and the closest thing that I can compare to how I felt during that time, is what we’ve gone through over the past few months." - Chris Almendarez Just the other day, Chris told the local media, “This past week has been a tough week for me. As many of you know, yesterday was the five year anniversary of my wife, Jana, being diagnosed with a brain tumor. I say that because, in life, we’re all going to go through tough times and the closest thing that I can compare to how I felt during that time, is what we’ve gone through over the past few months. The uncertainty, the anxiety, the things you’re going through.” Those are not words just told to give the reporters a good quote or add to an inspiring story. Those are words lived out by all three on a daily basis, a reminder that the most needs to be made out of every single day, just as their mother did throughout her courageous fight in the face of a grim diagnosis. In a way, that likely contributes to their attitudes towards the Covid-19 pandemic. In no way did Luke or Chase seem worried about a possible spread in the league. Both were just thankful to get out on the field. “Everything here has been top-notch, there’s nothing to worry about,” said Luke. “I feel safe being on the field, being around the guys I feel safe. If I ever felt that I wasn’t feeling safe, I’d tell someone on the team and they would handle it. Everything here is high-class and everything they are doing as an organization is perfect.” Baseball was, in many ways, an escape from all the hard things going on in life five years ago, when Jana was first diagnosed. It allowed them to do something they loved, and allowed for some kind of control. In life, we cannot control many things, but on the baseball field, we can control a bit more. Now, four years later, a similar situation has arisen for the entire nation. With everything going on with Covid-19, we as a country need something to allow us to take our minds off of it. The same is true for players. These players need to get on the field and play, not have to worry about scholarship money or their college program being cut because of lack of funds. The TCL, and baseball, has once again allowed the Almendarez brothers that opportunity. “Back in 2015, when she got sick, I could come up here and my solace was Dell Diamond,” said Chris. “I could watch the game, eat a hot dog and get away from it. I still remember that feeling of knowing it was my place to get out. The problem right now is, there are no sports going on, so people don’t have that outlet to go do those type of things. We’re in the business of bringing people joy through the game of baseball, so whether it is the high school game tomorrow or the TCL, we’re going to give everybody in central Texas a chance to do this.” In a time when so many people are caught up in problems and challenges, Luke, Chase, and Chris Almendarez understand there is something bigger than it all. They lead with a servant-attitude, and exemplify what college baseball is truly about. Teams of kids coming together, not for fortune, and most of the time, not for fame either. Simply for a love of the game and a desire to be better every time they step onto the field. The Hairy Men experienced a slow start to their inaugural campaign, starting the season 0-2 against Brazos Valley before earning the franchise’s first victory in the series finale in Bryan, by a score of 10-3. The Hairy Men bounced back to take two out of three games from the Amarillo Sod Dogs to even their record at 3-3. With the Almendarez brothers at the forefront, this team promises to soon add more wins to that total, especially when they return to Round Rock for the home opener against the Victoria Generals on July 7. This squad, which boasts players such as Houston’s Ryan Hernandez, Baylor’s Jared McKenzie and future Oklahoma Sooner Austin Smith, is very much still in the fight for the South division title, as the season is only six games in. According to Chase, communication and getting the hitters adjusted to live pitching are the main keys to success. “Really just communication,” said Almendarez. “If everybody is tight and we’re communicating with one another we’ll be fine. Everybody is on the same team; nobody is better than anyone else. [Also], pitching is not really a big problem, it is getting the hitters to see live pitching and making sure they are up to speed on what they are seeing, especially since most of them haven’t live pitching since March.” The preparation and practice has paid off, as the Hairy Men are currently second in the league in team batting average (.285) and fourth in runs (35). Recap of Week One in the Texas Collegiate League Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content! If you like what you are seeing from us and want to support us, consider becoming a Patreon supporter. We depend upon the support of our amazing fans! #collegebaseball

Editor's note: College Baseball Nation is joined by guest writer, Riley Zayas, for coverage of the Texas Collegiate League. Riley Zayas is a high school freshman and freelance journalist from Round Rock, Texas. He began his journalism career as a Sports Illustrated Kid reporter and has since become a regular contributor to Horns Illustrated, covering Texas Longhorn sports. His work also includes Fellowship of Christian Athletes publications, his personal blog 360 Sports, and Sports Spectrum, a national christian sports magazine and website. He is passionate about all things sports, and can be followed on Twitter at @ZayasRiley. With the wealth of talent heading into this upcoming season in the Texas Collegiate League (TCL), there will definitely be a strong group of players to look out for who are projected to make a big impact on the various teams. The TCL has helped develop the skills of hundreds of major leaguers, including current three-time All-Star Matt Carpenter, who went to TCU, two-time World Series champion Brandon Belt, who starred at Texas, and Cy Young award winner Jake Arrieta, who is also an alum of TCU. A significant number of players this season have a good chance of following in the footsteps of those big-leaguers, and getting drafted at some point in the future. That is not based solely on their stats, but also from what pro scouts and experts have noted. Tim Jackson, who is the general manager of the Round Rock Express and now the Round Rock Hairy Men, even went as far as to say, “The quality of baseball is going to be kids who are playing at the D1 level, and even the lower levels, such as junior college, it is top tier talent,” said Jackson. “Kids who have a really great chance of getting drafted, and if that’s the case, have a good chance of coming back to The Dell Diamond. You’re going to see some really quality talent. I think easily three quarters of this team has a good chance of playing professionally.” It is a bold statement, but one with a high probability when you look through the rosters. In fact, here is our look at an All-TCL Preseason starting lineup, the best of the best in the TCL, with the college each player represents or will be attending for the 2021 season, the TCL team they are playing for, as well as one key stat from the 2020 season: C-Vince Ippoliti, West Virginia, Victoria, (6 RBI) 1B-Ryan Hernandez, Houston, Round Rock, (14 RBI over 15 games) 2B-Garrett Gouldsmith, Washington State, Frisco (.965 fielding percentage) 3B-Logan Satori, Texas A&M, Brazos Valley (12 runs scored) SS- Max Hewitt, Oklahoma State, Tulsa (.410 Batting Average) OF-Jared McKenzie, Baylor, Round Rock (.406 Batting Average) OF-Jordan Thompson, Texas A&M, San Antonio (5 HR) OF- Grayson Tatrow, Abilene Christian, Brazos Valley (.431 Batting average) DH- Connor Shepherd, TCU, San Antonio, (4 HR) SP-Austin Smith, Southwestern, Round Rock (14 strikeouts in 3 starts) RP-Austin Krob, TCU, San Antonio, (0 runs over 11.2 innings pitched) Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content! If you like what you are seeing from us and want to support us, consider becoming a Patreon supporter. We depend upon the support of our amazing fans! #collegebaseball

Editor's note: College Baseball Nation is joined by guest writer, Riley Zayas, for coverage of the Texas Collegiate League. Riley Zayas is a high school freshman and freelance journalist from Round Rock, Texas. He began his journalism career as a Sports Illustrated Kid reporter and has since become a regular contributor to Horns Illustrated, covering Texas Longhorn sports. His work also includes Fellowship of Christian Athletes publications, his personal blog 360 Sports, and Sports Spectrum, a national christian sports magazine and website. He is passionate about all things sports, and can be followed on Twitter at @ZayasRiley. Covid-19 strikes in Frisco, cancelling series It did not take long for Covid-19 to turn up in the TCL, as one member of the Frisco Roughriders’ front office, who is not involved with baseball activities, tested positive for the virus. It led to the complete shutdown of the Roughriders’ front office, and stadium, Dr. Pepper Ballpark. According to the team all employees have been tested, and General Manager Andy Milovich said a number of them tested positive. Perhaps the toughest thing about this when it comes to the TCL is the fact that the opening series at Dr. Pepper Ballpark between Frisco and the Amarillo Sod Squad, was cancelled. This caused a major kink in the standings as both of those teams will now play three games less than the rest of the north division. In addition, unlike the rest of the league, if the series was planned for July 7-9 were to go on, the stadium would be closed to the public. “We certainly feel a responsibility to our friends and colleagues in the League and do not want our actions to create a burden for them or their communities.” -Andy Milovich, GM Frisco Roughriders Even more worrisome, there is talk of the Roughriders possibly pulling out of the league, although it would be a last resort. “We certainly feel a responsibility to our friends and colleagues in the League and do not want our actions to create a burden for them or their communities,” said Milovich. “We also have tremendous empathy for our players, who just want to play and have already lost so many opportunities to do so this year. We are confident our discussions with the League will produce a thoughtful plan going forward that will not jeopardize the League, its members or our players.” There is only hope that this situation in Frisco can be resolved soon, that everyone stays safe and that the schedule can be played out as planned. Due to this unforeseen circumstance, both Frisco and Amarillo will be ranked near the bottom of our power rankings, as they played only three games in comparison to six, like the rest of the league. Houston hitters guide Round Rock Hairy Men to series win Coming into the series against Round Rock, the Amarillo Sod Dogs were running as the TCL’s top team. After all, the Sod Dogs were the only undefeated team left in the league. Despite home field advantage, Round Rock’s bats in game one overwhelmed Amarillo, as the Hairy Men handed the Sod Dogs their first loss in franchise history (Amarillo is a first year team). Houston’s Rey Mendoza, Ryan Hernandez and Luke Almendarez combined for six hits and three runs in that first game. All three had at least one hit in each game of the series, with Round Rock taking game two, 7-6 before falling in the finale 10-3. Texarkana rallies with 10 runs in the final two innings to take down Tulsa It seemed as if Texarkana’s first win of the season was not going to come on Saturday night at home against Tulsa. After all, they were trailing the Drillers 12-5 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning. However, the Twins did not abandon the fight, and found themselves stringing together runs, starting with an RBI single by Sam Creed, which scored Reed Spenrath from third. Ricardo Leonett had perhaps the biggest hit of the inning, as he hit a double which scored three, to close the gap to 11-9. Two more runs would follow in the seventh, with the Twins trialing by just one, 12-11, heading into the eighth. Tulsa only mustered one base runner, in the top of the frame, which gave way to another multi-run inning for Texarkana. Leonett again came up big, as he reached base on a hit by pitch and came around to score on a Charlie Welch double, which put them in front for good. A total of four runs would cross the plate in the eighth for the Twins, as they claimed their first lead of the ballgame. In the top of the ninth, Tulsa could not muster any kind of offensive production, resulting in an improbable, come-from-behind, 15-12 victory for Texarkana. Hitter of the Week: Eduardo Acosta, Lubbock Christian, Amarillo Sod Dogs Chase Almendarez, manager of the Round Rock Hairy Men told me early on in the week, that getting his hitters to see live pitching would be crucial, because they had not seen it in over three months. That obviously did not affect Acosta’s fantastic hitting, as he got off to a hot start to begin the TCL season. A native of San German, Puerto Rico, the outfielder strung together multiple hits in Amarillo’s first four games, and currently has a six-game hit streak going. He finished the week with a .429 batting average and nine RBI. Pitcher of the Week: John Cheatwood, Marshall, Brazos Valley Cheatwood was superb in two outings for the Bombers, allowing zero runs while striking out five. He allowed a total of just seven runners (three walks, four hits), in 20 batters faced. A skilled reliever, he was who Brazos Valley manager Brian Nelson went to in the season opener against Round Rock, as Cheatwood did three innings of work in the 9-4 victory in which he earned the win. Power Rankings Brazos Valley Bombers (4-2): It was a battle for the top spot, with four teams finishing week one with a 4-2 record, but ultimately, it was Brazos Valley who showed the biggest potential moving forwards. Facing two quality opponents in the Round Rock Hairy Men and Victoria Generals, the Bombers struggled at times but found ways to earn victories. Partially, it was thanks to their hitting as they finished the week with a team batting average of .250. Amarillo Sod Dogs (4-2): After sweeping the opening series against Texarkana, Amarillo suffered two losses to Round Rock before rebounding to win the rubber match on Sunday night. The Sod Dogs had more trouble with Round Rock than was expected, but the fact that they lost both by a difference of three runs or less keeps them in the conversation for the TCL’s best team thus far. San Antonio Flying Chanclas (4-2): It took a combined effort on the mound for San Antonio, as the Flying Chanclas used 14 pitchers who assembled a 3.44 ERA in week one. While they dropped their first series of the season to the Amarillo Sod Squad, the Chanclas stomped all over Acadiana to sweep the series, including a 12-2 rout on Independence Day. Tulsa Drillers (4-2): Being that the Drillers strength of schedule was a bit lower than both Amarillo’s and Brazos Valley’s, they finished week one ranked fourth in our rankings. Although pitching was a bit errant (5.11 team ERA) and there was not a lot of offense (.150 team batting average), the Drillers found ways to win their opening series against Frisco and the weekend showdown with Texarkana. Round Rock Hairy Men (3-3): A slow start plagued the Hairy Men, who dropped their first two games of the season against Brazos Valley. The fact that they managed to beat both the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in our rankings at least once (Brazos Valley once, Amarillo twice) says a lot about the strength and depth of the squad moving forwards. Victoria Generals (3-3): The Generals faced Acadiana to open things up, and grinded it out to win that series two games to one. Against the Bombers, Victoria struggled to combat the hot-hitting, although Baylor’s Tre Richardson went 6 for 19 in the series. Acadiana Cane Cutters (1-5): The Cane Cutters held their own against Victoria, losing two games by a margin of just one run, and earning their only victory in game two of that series, before being swept by San Antonio. Southern’s Zavier Moore led the way at the plate, and looks to continue to be a key fact for Acadiana. He finished the week batting .353, with six hits, three walks, and two runs scored. Texarkana Twins (1-5): The only high point of the week, in terms of wins, came on the 4th in that come-from-behind victory at Tulsa. Besides that, Texarkana struggled, as the Twins were swept by the Sod Dogs to kick off the season, and were defeated by Tulsa two games to one. Pitching was likely the cause, as eight of the team’s pitchers registered ERAs above nine. Amarillo Sod Squad (2-1): The Sod Squad’s week was cut short after the series at Frisco was cancelled due to positive Covid-19 results in Frisco’s front office, but we saw plenty from their pitchers as they took the opening series against San Antonio, winning the first two games by scores of 9-6 and 1-0. Frisco Roughriders (1-2): The Riders found a way to defeat Tulsa in game two of that opening series on the road, but dropped the other two. The team lacked offensive firepower, registering a team batting average of .188. Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content! If you like what you are seeing from us and want to support us, consider becoming a Patreon supporter. We depend upon the support of our amazing fans! #collegebaseball

Editor's note: College Baseball Nation is joined by guest writer, Riley Zayas, for coverage of the Texas Collegiate League. Riley Zayas is a high school freshman and freelance journalist from Round Rock, Texas. He began his journalism career as a Sports Illustrated Kid reporter and has since become a regular contributor to Horns Illustrated, covering Texas Longhorn sports. His work also includes Fellowship of Christian Athletes publications, his personal blog 360 Sports, and Sports Spectrum, a national christian sports magazine and website. He is passionate about all things sports, and can be followed on Twitter at @ZayasRiley. IH-35 series: part one, sees San Antonio sweep Round Rock The stifling Texas heat did not slow the hot-hitting from both the San Antonio Flying Chanclas and Round Rock Hairy Men when the two South division rivals met in a weekend series. Dubbed the IH-35 rivalry because of the interstate that runs through the two Texas cities, these proved to be three crucial games because of the standing implications in the ever-competitive South division. Coming into the series, Round Rock was in first place, with a 6-3 record after sweeping Victoria at home. San Antonio was two games back with a 4-4 record, as the Flying Chanclas had dropped both games against Acadiana in a midweek, three-game set in which the first was canceled due to rain. Both sides had vocal dugouts throughout the series, as Saturday’s game was played in Round Rock and Friday and Sunday’s showdowns were played in the “City of the Alamo”. Whether it was at home or away, it did not seem to matter, as momentum shifted back and forth through all three games. In game one, the Flying Chanclas outhit the Hairy Men, 10-6. For the most part, Round Rock was playing from behind, a result of an early deficit accumulated by the defense and starter Jacob Ashkinos, four earned runs over two innings. Only five hits were allowed for the remainder of the game by the bullpen, but it was enough for San Antonio to earn the 7-2 victory. The second meeting between the two had 787 fans in attendance, the highest number for the Hairy Men thus far, and about 1,710 less than the max capacity, with social distancing measures in place. In the bottom of the second, Houston’s Ryan Hernandez swatted a double down the left field line and later came around to score on a Kyle Froemke RBI single, scoring the game’s first run. San Antonio’s offense took a little longer to get going, but soon enough, the Flying Chanclas found themselves ahead 5-2, after a two-run fifth and a Leyton Barry RBI double in the sixth. While starter Luke Malone allowed just one hit over 3.2 innings pitched, the bullpen struggled against the potent San Antonio offense. Six different relievers toed the rubber, three of those giving up at least one run. Four errors did not help Round Rock’s cause. Things quickly unwinded in the ninth. The Flying Chanclas held a 9-3 lead, but added to that on a single Grant Smith with the bases loaded, scoring two. Following that, Round Rock could not get an out, as San Antonio put together three consecutive RBI singles through the infield gaps, widening the margin to 13-3. Normally a catcher, Vannoy found himself on the mound to close out the game. He did allow one hit, which loaded the bases and scored one, before he struck out Leyton Barry to end the inning. In the series finale on Sunday night in San Antonio, the Flying Chanclas again got off to a quick start, holding a 3-1 lead after four innings, while Round Rock’s offense sputtered against great pitching from Sam Houston State’s Lance Lusk, who threw four innings, allowed a single hit, and a run, although it was unearned. On the day, San Antonio’s pitching held Round Rock to a mere four hits, as they took home the series sweep by a score of 6-1. Up next, San Antonio travels to Victoria for a three game set against the Generals, while Round Rock returns home to play six straight games at the Dell Diamond. These two teams will clash once again from July 31-August 2 in the final weekend of the season. Offensive outbursts lead the way Tuesday night gave way to two offensive outbursts as the Hairy Men put up 19 runs on the Victoria Generals and the Amarillo Sod Dogs scored 21 against Texarkana. Each won the series thanks to phenomenal performances at the plate in the opener. Amarillo’s Eniruqe Porchas, who plays for Bethune-Cookman, went 3-for-5 on the day, two of those hits being home runs. He also scored twice. His teammate, TCU’s Kurtis Byrne, went a perfect 2-for-2, with an impressive four RBI. For Round Rock, only six players had hits, but five of those had multiple hits, including Baylor outfielder Jared McKenzie, who went 2-for-5 with two runs scored. Cody Vannoy, the catcher from Tarleton State, scored once, and had three hits, not to mention, three RBI. Ryan Hernandez swatted the game’s only home run deep over the left field wall. Marcano Twins lead the Sod Squad Since they were in high school, the Marcano twins, David and Julio, have starred for the same team. In high school, it was Obra D. Tompkins High in Katy, Texas. In college, it has been up north for the New Jersey Institute of Technology Highlanders, where both are heading into their senior year. Now, this summer in the TCL, it has been for the Amarillo Sod Squad, a team on which the twins have become focal parts of the offense. With two weeks of the season complete, they are in the top three in batting average, Julio second with .333, David in third, .300. Each has scored seven times, good enough for third in that category, while Julio has also swatted two home runs. Also great students in the classroom, both are mechanical engineering majors on track to graduate next year, although both have an additional year of eligibility due to the 2020 baseball season being canceled due to Covid-19. NJIT will begin its first season in the 10-team America East Conference next spring. Hitter of the Week: Ryan Hernandez, 1B, Houston, Round Rock The soft-spoken, Amherst, Massachusetts native carries a big stick, and it showed in his outburst of home runs this past week. Over the course of six games, the junior out of Houston hit .473 with three home runs, and 7 RBI. His power fueled a 19-run outburst by the Hairy Men as the team opened the home schedule against Victoria on Tuesday night. In that huge win to begin the week, Hernandez went 3-for-5 with three runs scored, two extra base hits and four RBI. It was also the debut of the “Trojan helmet”, something the team brought back from Amarillo and is given to each player who hits a home run. Hernanez was the first to wear the helmet, which he says has given the team motivation on offense. After the 14-3 loss on Saturday night to San Antonio, I caught up with Hernandez to talk about hitting with a wood bat, his week at the plate, and the story behind the trojan helmet. Pitcher of the Week: Arturo Guajardo, UTSA, San Antonio Guajardo was superb for San Antonio, as the Flying Chanclas won the key series against Round Rock. The Laredo, Texas native came in relief in game one of the weekend showdown with the Hairy Men, and tossed three scoreless innings, allowing just one baserunner. He earned the win, his first of the season, and preceded that with 2.2 innings of scoreless work last Sunday night. Not to mention, he struck out five of the ten batters faced against the Hairy Men. Power Rankings San Antonio Flying Chanclas (7-4)- The top spot in these rankings was hard to select, however, the quality of teams that the Chanclas defeated combined with a three game win streak put San Antonio just ahead of the Amarillo Sod Dogs and Tulsa Drillers. The Flying Chanclas jumped up two spots in our rankings, as they came into the weekend showdown against one of the league’s hottest teams in the Round Rock Hairy Men and swept what was previously the south division’s first place squad. Amarillo Sod Dogs (7-5)- The Sod Dogs fared quite well, but struggled at times such as in the series’ finale against Frisco, where they fell 6-3. Despite this, going 4-2 on the week and holding the lead in the North division standings for another week earns the Sod Dogs second place in these rankings. Brazos Valley Bombers (6-3)- With a midweek bye, the Bombers have played three games less than the majority of the league’s teams, but have continued to hold first place in the South division standings. Over the weekend, the Bombers won their third series of the season, meaning Brazos Valley has now won every series they have played this season. The fall from first to third is partially due to the midweek bye but will be ironed out after next week’s games. Round Rock Hairy Men (6-6)- The Hairy Men started the week off as one of the TCL’s hottest teams, sweeping the Victoria Generals in the opening homestand, including a 19-run outburst in game one of the series. However, the squad quickly cooled off in the road-home-road series against San Antonio over the weekend. The offense faltered, as Round Rock was outscored 27-6. Tulsa Drillers (7-5)- The squad from Oklahoma won the final two games of the midweek series at home versus the Amarillo Sod Squad, before falling in the first two games of a road series at Victoria. Although the Drillers did earn an 8-5 victory in the series finale, the inconsistency against two middle-of-the-pack opponents slotted them as the last of the teams with seven wins. The Drillers retain the same position as they did in last week’s power rankings. Amarillo Sod Squad (5-4)- Tied with Tulsa for second place in the North division, the Sod Squad went 3-3 on the week, facing top competition in Tulsa, although the loss to Texarkana on Sunday came as a surprise. They aren’t a power-hitting group (.370 team slugging percentage) but find ways to get on base (.380 team on-base percentage). Victoria Generals (5-7)- The Generals have talent, and against two quality teams in the Tulsa Drillers and Round Rock Hairy Men, it showed. While Round Rock swept them early on in the week, the Generals went 2-1 against Tulsa winning a key series against their only North division opponent of the year. Acadiana Cane Cutters (4-7)- There were expectations that the Cane Cutters would rebound from a 1-5 start this week. That did not prove to be the case, as Acadiana struggled at the plate (.237 team batting average this week). While the squad earned the series victory against San Antonio, the South division’s first-place ballclub, Brazos Valley took the Cane Cutters down over the weekend, winning the series two games to one. Texarkana Twins (3-9)- The Twins fall back one slot from last week’s rankings as a result of a 2-4 record for the week. Pitching continues to be a weak spot, as the Twins’ have registered a 9. 34 ERA heading into next week’s games. Frisco Roughriders (3-9)- Returning to action after six games were forfeited due to Covid-19 concerns, the Roughriders won the second and third games of the season against the Sod Dogs of Amarillo, but remain a distant fifth in the north standings. That is a direct result of six forfeits over this past week. Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content! If you like what you are seeing from us and want to support us, consider becoming a Patreon supporter. We depend upon the support of our amazing fans! #collegebaseball

Editor's note: College Baseball Nation is joined by guest writer, Riley Zayas, for coverage of the Texas Collegiate League. Riley Zayas is a high school freshman and freelance journalist from Round Rock, Texas. He began his journalism career as a Sports Illustrated Kid reporter and has since become a regular contributor to Horns Illustrated, covering Texas Longhorn sports. His work also includes Fellowship of Christian Athletes publications, his personal blog 360 Sports, and Sports Spectrum, a national christian sports magazine and website. He is passionate about all things sports and can be followed on Twitter at @ZayasRiley. Round Rock Hairy Men have a series to remember against Acadiana In a series victory over Acadiana, the Round Rock Hairy Men experienced some season highlights. The Hairy Men didn’t overwhelm the Cane Cutters, but found ways to win both game one and game three, bringing the team one step closer to taking control of first place in the TCL South division. On Tuesday night, the series began with Acadiana putting up three runs as the Cane Cutters strung together five hits in the fourth, which scored two. The Hairy Men battled back, with two of their own in the bottom half of the seventh, and Baylor’s Estaeban Cardoza-Oquendo scored in the eighth after he led off the inning with a single. It set up the perfect scenario for future Baylor Bear Chandler Freeman, who stepped to the plate with Ryan Hernandez in scoring position. After starting the at-bat with an 0-2 count, Freeman ripped an RBI double down the right field line, before being mobbed by his teammates. It was the first walk-off of the season for Round Rock. “The camaraderie [of this team] has been awesome. Our college season got cancelled early so getting to get back into the swing of things as a team has been really cool.” -Chandler Freeman, Baylor, Round Rock “That was a highlight for sure, but just getting to be around this group of guys is special,” said Freeman after Wednesday’s game. “The camaraderie [of this team] has been awesome. Our college season got cancelled early so getting to get back into the swing of things as a team has been really cool.” Game two was a different story. Unlike game one, Round Rock’s bats got going early, with Jared McKenzie, a Baylor outfielder, beating out a bunt in the opening at bat of the game. Both Round Rock and Acadiana exchanged fire on offense, with the Cane Cutters striking first with a two-run second. The Hairy Men countered, scoring three in the bottom of the frame, but only to see the one-run lead evaporate with a three-run Cane Cutters’ third. Round Rock again scored, this time two runs to tie it up, thanks to Hernandez’ first triple of the season, which scored Freeman. That was all Round Rock could push across for the remainder of the game, as relief pitching dominated the ballgame. While Acadiana only scored three in the final six frames, the fact that they combined for 13 hits on the day showed just how effective their bats were in the 8-5 victory. To cap it off, the Hairy Men put on a show on the mound Thursday night to claim the series win. Three pitchers, Trent Baker (Angelo State), Austin Smith (Arizona), and Carter Poulson (Wharton County JC) combined for a no-hitter, the first of the season for Round Rock, as Acadiana managed to reach base just five times on walks. In addition, Smith, who recently announced his transfer to Arizona, fanned eight batters. Texas Stix fill in for Frisco against the Amarillo Sod Squad As Frisco continued to struggle with simply putting a team on the field, the Texas Stix from the Five Tool League in Dallas were called upon to face the Amarillo Sod Squad over the weekend. Frisco, who has now forfeited or not played in 12 of their scheduled games, remains in fifth place in the north division with just five victories. The Stix, who fielded a roster this season of Lone Star State players from schools such as Dallas Baptist, Texas A&M, and TCU, challenged the Sod Squad, although the three game series does not count towards Amarillo’s TCL record. In game one, the Stix surprised many by taking down Amarillo, 7-4, but the Sod Squad roared back to win games two and three, by scores of 8-3 and 3-1, respectively. Shane Davenport, head coach of the Texas Stix, said both he and his team were honored to be asked to play this past weekend. “It was an honor to be asked to help fill a weekend series for the Sod Squad,” said Davenport following the series. “The players didn’t know much about the league but are always game for playing good competition. That all changed once we arrived and saw the amazing ballpark and facilities. The staff took good care of the team and the players could not have been happier.” Davenport attributed much of the Sod Squad’s success this season to an elite coaching staff of Brett Wellman and Tyler Coolbaugh. “Their team is definitely put together well and have good leadership in Brett Wellman and Tyler Coolbaugh,” said Davenport. “ Both guys have great knowledge of the game and a good pedigree. The Sod Squad are lucky to have those guys leading that team every night. The Sod Squad players are a mix of good quality college players and more important were great young men.” The Stix had solid performances from shortstop Izzy Lopez, who is heading into his sophomore season at Texas A&M, and McLennan JC second baseman Miguel Santos. Drillers rebound from rough start The Tulsa Drillers had big expectations heading into the week, tied for first place in the north division standings. However, facing the division’s top team, the Amarillo Sod Dogs in a midweek showdown, Tulsa struggled offensively, losing game one 4-0 and game two in a nailbiter, 2-1. Those losses did not seem to douse the team morale. If anything, they increased it, as the Drillers won the series finale against Amarillo before sweeping Texarkana, out scoring the Twins, 28-9. Nebraska’s Cam Chick, who batted leadoff in the series finale against the Twins, went 3-for-5 in a 11-0 shutout victory Sunday. Those four straight victories also helped move Tulsa up to No. 3 in this week’s College Baseball Nation Power Rankings. Hitter of the Week: Kelby Weyler, Lamar, Brazos Valley The infielder out of Lamar started just four games this week, but made the most of his opportunities at the plate, tallying eight hits on the week, including a 4-for-5 performance in a 15-12 road victory against Acadiana. He had two RBI and a walk in that contest as well. His phenomenal week at the plate moved him up to first in the league in batting average, with .459 on the season. He scored three of his 11 runs this season this past week over the course of two games against Frisco and two against Acadiana. Pitcher of the Week: Trent Baker, Angelo State, Round Rock He started just one game, but played a critical role in the first no-hitter in Round Rock’s history, throwing five scoreless innings against the Cane Cutters. He was the only pitcher in the league this week to throw at least five innings and not surrender a single hit, much less a single run. He fanned six batters in the 3-0 victory in the series finale Thursday evening. Power Rankings Amarillo Sod Dogs, 11-6- The Sod Dogs flipped spots with San Antonio in this week’s rankings as the result of series wins over both Tulsa and Round Rock, two of the TCL’s top teams. Pitching led the way, especially on the road against Round Rock, where the Sod Dogs rolled to a 4-2 victory, followed by a 2-1 win, in games one and two. On the week, the pitching staff posted a team ERA of 3.00. San Antonio Flying Chanclas, 11-6- San Antonio played six straight games against Victoria, starting with a three game set on the road before returning back to Wolff Stadium in San Antonio for another three. The Flying Chanclas went 4-2 on the week, with four of those games being decided by one run. Tulsa Drillers, 11-7- The Drillers jumped from fifth to third in our latest power rankings, thanks to a four game win streak to end the week. With a high octane offense, the Drillers batted .276 as a team. Brazos Valley Bombers, 9-6- The Bombers are just one game back in the South division standings, following two losses to Frisco to begin the week. The Bombers earned the win in game one of an 11-inning contest at Acadiana, a high scoring affair that ended 15-12. Brazos Valley also took game two, before falling 5-2 in the series finale. Round Rock Hairy Men, 9-9- The Hairy Men came back to beat the Sod Dogs in the eighth inning of the series finale Sunday night, as Baylor’s Estaban Cardoza-Oquendo raced home to score on a wild pitch, but dropped two crucial home games to the North division’s first place team. Amarillo Sod Squad, 7-5- The Sod Squad took two of three games from Texarkana this week. Amarillo’s ability to compete with Tulsa and the Amarillo Sod Dogs, keeping themselves just one game out of first place in the north standings, is reason enough for them to remain at No. 6 in this week’s rankings. Victoria Generals, 7-11- Having to play six straight games against San Antonio was not easy, but Victoria kept the games close, as four of them were decided by a single run, two of those won by the Generals. Acadiana Cane Cutters, 6-11- While Acadiana is in fifth place in the south, the Cane Cutters have surprised many throughout the season by beating opponents with much better records, such as the Round Rock Hairy Men this past week. Playing with five less on their roster than Round Rock (when playing on the road, teams can only bring 30 players), the Cane Cutters nearly won game one, and ended up taking game two, 8-5, in a game that felt one-sided offensively in favor of the Cane Cutters. Texarkana Twins, 4-14- The Twins have struggled in more ways than one this season. They lost two of three against the Sod Squad last week. Frisco Roughriders, 5-10- It is not Frisco’s fault that Covid-19 has cancelled more than half of their season, but the Roughriders only played six games over the past two weeks, and have not faced as much competition in comparison to the league’s other teams. Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content! If you like what you are seeing from us and want to support us, consider becoming a Patreon supporter. We depend upon the support of our amazing fans! #collegebaseball

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to threaten collegiate athletics, the NCAA has released guidelines for practices and games across all sports. Some sports, including football, are at a substantial disadvantage due to the impossibility of social distancing and mask wearing. However, the NCAA has identified baseball as a sport where it is possible to "successfully implement physical distancing and universal masking practices during all sport activities" which means that "the risk of potential spread related to [baseball] will decrease." While it is difficult to predict the extent to which COVID-19 will impact revenues, schedules, and even the very existence of teams, the new set of guidelines from the NCAA at least provide a path forward for college baseball to continue in the spring. The specifics of the NCAA recommendations for "medium contact" sports like baseball include: Diagnostic testing upon arrival to campus. During summer athletic activities and out-of-season athletic activities: surveillance PCR testing, for example, testing 25%-50% of athletes and “inner bubble” personnel every two weeks if physical distancing, masking and other protective features are not maintained, plus additional testing for symptomatic and high-contact risk individuals. During in-season (preseason, regular season and postseason): surveillance PCR testing, for example, 25%-50% of athletes and “inner bubble” personnel every two weeks if physical distancing, masking and other protective features are not maintained, plus additional testing for symptomatic and high contact risk individuals. Symptomatic testing and high-contact risk testing as appropriate. Also relevant to college baseball are the NCAA's recommendations around travel. "When feasible, schools should aim to travel and play the same day to avoid overnight stays," suggests the NCAA. "For overnight stays or same-day travel, prepackaged meals or room service should be considered." Weekend series make it such that overnight stays are unavoidable in college baseball. North Carolina State has already withdrawn from the 2021 Round Rock College Classic due to budget concerns, so it is likely that COVID-19 will have both a health and economic impact on college baseball scheduling next season. While no schools or conferences have cancelled spring sports, the Ivy League was the first to suspend athletic activities for the rest of the calendar year. The Ivy League was also the first conference to suspend athletic activities during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The full extent of the COVID-19 pandemic on college baseball will likely not be realized until there is more clarity around the revenue impact from potential changes to the college football season. Thanks for stopping by! Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram to keep up with all of our content! If you like what you are seeing from us and want to support us, consider becoming a Patreon supporter. We depend upon the support of our amazing fans! #collegebaseball