# 2023 Incarnate Word Cardinals baseball team

The 2023 Incarnate Word Cardinals baseball team represented the University of the Incarnate Word during the 2023 NCAA Division I baseball season. The Cardinals played their home games at Sullivan Field and were led by fourth–year head coach Ryan Shotzberger. They are members of the Southland Conference.
The Cardinals had a regular season record of 28–26 and a conference record of 14–10 finishing in second place in SLC play. They participated in the 2023 Southland Conference baseball tournament as the second seeded team. The Cardinals were 0–2 in the conference tournament losing to fifth seeded Northwestern State 1–2 and sixth seeded McNeese 0–3.

## Preseason
### Southland Conference Coaches Poll

The Southland Conference Coaches Poll was released on February 3, 2023. Incarnate Word was picked to finish ninth in the Southland Conference with 20 votes.
Coaches poll :
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | McNeese | 118 (7) |
| 2 | Southeastern Louisiana | 115 (10) |
| 3 | Lamar | 88 |
| 4 | New Orleans | 87 |
| 5 | Northwestern State | 65 (1) |
| 6 | Nicholls | 59 |
| 7 | Texas A&M–Corpus Christi | 55 |
| 8 | Houston Christian | 41 |
| 9 | Incarnate Word | 20 |

### Preseason All-Southland team

One Incarnate Word player was named to the conference preseason first team.

#### First Team

* Alec Carr (UIW, SR, Utility)

## Personnel
### Coaching staff

| Name | Position | Seasons at Incarnate Word | Alma Mater |
| Ryan Shotzberger | Head Coach | 4 | McDaniel College (2004) |
| Greg Evans | Assistant Coach | 4 | Ole Miss (1985) |
| Quintin Crandall | Assistant Coach | 2 | Kansas State (2017) |
| Andrew Stumph | Volunteer Assistant Coach | 1 | Texas State (2013) |
| Chance Medina | Director of Player Development | 2 | Incarnate Word (2021) |

## Schedule and results

Legend :
| | Incarnate Word win |
| | Incarnate Word loss |
| | Postponement/Cancelation/Suspensions |
| Bold | Incarnate Word team member |
| * | Non-Conference game |
2023 Incarnate Word Cardinals baseball game log :
Regular season (28–26) :
February (3–5) :
| Date | Opponent | Site/stadium Site | Score | Win | Loss | Save | TV | Attendance | Overall record |
| February 17 | SIU Edwardsville* | Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX | L 0–2 | J. Bockenstedt (1-0) | K. Cassidy (0-1) | Z. Ponder (1) | ESPN+ | 95 | 0–1 |
| February 18 | SIU Edwardsville* | Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX | W 5–1 | I. Zavala (1-0) | H. Cooper (0-1) | None | ESPN+ | 149 | 1–1 |
| February 19 | SIU Edwardsville* | Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX | L 5–9 | T. Conrad (1-0) | C. Rollins (0-1) | J. Kampf (1) | ESPN+ | 165 | 1–2 |
| February 21 | Tarleton* | Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX | L 3–5 | G. Garza (1-0) | E. Garcia (0-1) | Z. Poe (1) | ESPN+ | 128 | 1–3 |
| Klegberg Bank College Classic ||||||||||||
| February 24 | Texas A&M–Corpus Christi* | Whataburger Field Corpus Christi, TX | W 10–4 | K. Cassidy (1-1) | H. Thomas (1-1) | None | | 883 | 2–3 |
| February 25 | Utah* | Whataburger Field Corpus Christi, TX | L 6–13 | M. Ashman (1-0) | S. Higdon (0-1) | None | | 173 | 2–4 |
| February 26 | Houston* | Whataburger Field Corpus Christi, TX | W 10–8 | S. Hayward (1-0) | J. Torrealba (1-2) | None | | 233 | 3–4 |
| February 28 | Texas State* | Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX | L 8–12 | O. Wofford (1-0) | E. Garcia (0-2) | None | ESPN+ | 220 | 3–5 |
March (10–8) :
| Date | Opponent | Site/stadium | Score | Win | Loss | Save | TV | Attendance | Overall record | SLC Record |
| March 1 | at UTSA* | Roadrunner Field San Antonio, TX | L 1–2 | S. Miller (3-0) | L. Rodriguez (0-1) | None | None | 391 | 3–6 | |
| March 3 | Louisiana–Monroe* | Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX | W 5–4$^{13}$ | S. Hayward (2-0) | C. Orton (1-1) | None | ESPN+ | 75 | 4–6 | |
| March 4 | Louisiana–Monroe* | Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX | W 14–4$^8$ | I. Zavala (2-0) | C. Cressend (1-2) | E. Garcia (1) | ESPN+ | 178 | 5–6 | |
| March 5 | Louisiana–Monroe* | Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX | W 12–4 | R. Schlotzhauer (1-0) | C. Menard (1-1) | None | ESPN+ | 90 | 6–6 | |
| March 7 | at Texas A&M* | Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park College Station, TX | L 5–13 | B. Rudis (2-0) | S. Higdon (0-2) | None | | 4,653 | 6–7 | |
| March 10 | Southern* | Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX | W 6–5 | O. Stacey (1-0) | E. Ozoa (0-1) | None | ESPN+ | 84 | 7–7 | |
| March 11 | Southern* | Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX | W 11–4 | I. Zavala (3-0) | N. Wilson (0-2) | None | ESPN+ | 112 | 8–7 | |
| March 12 | Southern* | Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX | W 12–2$^7$ | M. Berens (1-0) | C. Davis (0-2) | None | ESPN+ | 83 | 9–7 | |
| March 14 | at Prairie View A&M* | John W. Tankersley Field Prairie View, TX | W 5–4 | L. Westall (1-0) | G. Busch (0-2) | S. Hayward (1) | | 132 | 10–7 | |
| March 17 | at Tarleton * | Cecil Ballow Baseball Complex Stephenville, TX | L 6–10 | J. Burcham (2-1) | L. Rodriguez (0-2) | None | ESPN+ | 348 | 10–8 | |
| March 18 | at Tarleton * | Cecil Ballow Baseball Complex Stephenville, TX | L 4–5 | R. Elston (2-0) | S. Hayward (2-1) | None | ESPN+ | 402 | 10–9 | |
| March 19 | at Tarleton * | Cecil Ballow Baseball Complex Stephenville, TX | L 7–8 | R. Jacobs (1-0) | D. Johnson (0-1) | None | ESPN+ | 438 | 10–10 | |
| March 21 | at Texas* | UFCU Disch–Falk Field Austin, TX | L 11–17 | C. Hurley (2-0) | S. Higdon (0-3) | None | | 6,182 | 10–11 | |
| March 24 | Houston Christian | Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX | W 7–3$^{11}$ | S. Hayward (3-1) | J. Smitherman (0-1) | None | ESPN+ | 230 | 11–11 | 1–0 |
| March 25 | Houston Christian | Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX | W 7–6 | R. Schlotzhauer (2-0) | D. Farrow (0-1) | E. Garcia (2) | ESPN+ | 110 | 12–11 | 2–0 |
| March 26 | Houston Christian | Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX | L 6–7 | C. Ricker (3-2) | S. Hayward (3-2) | J. Smitherman (1) | ESPN+ | 157 | 12–12 | 2–1 |
| March 28 | Prairie View A&M* | Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX | W 6–2 | C. Rollins (1–1) | K. Carrick (0–2) | W. Walls (1) | ESPN+ | 83 | 13–12 | 2–1 |
| March 31 | at Southeastern Louisiana | Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field Hammond, LA | L 2–10 | B. Stuprich (3–2) | K. Cassidy (1–2) | None | ESPN+ | 1,254 | 13–13 | 2–2 |
April (9–7) :
| Date | Opponent | Site/stadium | Score | Win | Loss | Save | TV | Attendance | Overall record | SLC Record |
| April 1 | at Southeastern Louisiana | Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field Hammond, LA | W 5–2 | I. Zavala (4–0) | W. Kinzeler (4–1) | S. Hayward (2) | ESPN+ | 1,275 | 14–13 | 3–2 |
| April 2 | at Southeastern Louisiana | Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field Hammond, LA | W 11–1 | M. Berens (2–0) | A. Landry (2-4) | L. Rodriguez (1) | ESPN+ | 1,258 | 15–13 | 4–2 |
| April 4 | UTSA* | Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX | W 9–6 | S. Hayward (4-2) | D. Shafer (0-1) | None | ESPN+ | 276 | 16–13 | 4–2 |
| April 6 (1) | at Nicholls | Ben Meyer Diamond at Ray E. Didier Field Thibodaux, LA | W 9–8 | L. Rodriguez (1–2) | C. Evans (0–1) | S. Hayward (3) | | 165 | 17–13 | 5–2 |
| April 6 (2) | at Nicholls | Ben Meyer Diamond at Ray E. Didier Field Thibodaux, LA | L 1–8 | M. Quevedo (2–0) | S. Higdon (0–4) | None | | 107 | 17–14 | 5–3 |
| April 8 | at Nicholls | Ben Meyer Diamond at Ray E. Didier Field Thibodaux, LA | W 8–3 | I. Zavala (5-0) | N. Saltaformaggio (2-1) | M. Berens (1) | | 534 | 18–14 | 6–3 |
| April 14 | Lamar | Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX | W 9–7 | O. Stacey (2-0) | J. Cleveland (3-3) | None | ESPN+ | 191 | 19–14 | 7–3 |
| April 15 | Lamar | Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX | W 5–1 | I. Zavala (6-0) | J. Ellis (2-2) | S. Hayward (4) | ESPN+ | 230 | 20–14 | 8–3 |
| April 16 | Lamar | Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX | L 1–6 | H. Hesseltine (2-1) | M. Berens (2-1) | None | ESPN+ | 202 | 20–15 | 8–4 |
| April 18 | UTRGV* | Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX | L 12–15 | Z. Tjelmeland (2-1) | S. Hayward (4-3) | N. Rodriguez (2) | ESPN+ | 109 | 20–16 | |
| April 19 | at Grambling* | Wilbert Ellis Field at Ralph Waldo Emerson Jones Park Grambling, LA | 19–3 (7 inn) | Higdon, Seth (1-4) | Jacorey Boudreaux (1-4) | None | | 75 | 21–15 | |
| April 21 | at Northwestern State | H. Alvin Brown–C. C. Stroud Field Natchitoches, LA | 11–5 (10 inn) | Hayward, Steve (5-3) | Prestwich, Chase (4-2) | None | | 673 | 22–15 | 9–4 |
| April 22 | at Northwestern State | H. Alvin Brown–C. C. Stroud Field Natchitoches, LA | 4–10 | Makarewich, Alex (4-3) | Zavala, Isaiah (6-1) | None | | 915 | 22–16 | 9–5 |
| April 23 | at Northwestern State | H. Alvin Brown–C. C. Stroud Field Natchitoches, LA | 0–10 (8 inn) | Brown, Drayton (3-5) | Berens, Micah (2-2) | None | | 769 | 22–17 | 9–6 |
| April 25 | UTRGV* | UTRGV Baseball Stadium Edinburg, TX | 8–9 | Loya, Bobby (1-0) | Higdon, Seth (1-5) | Rodriguez, Nico (3) | | 2,262 | 22–18 | |
| April 28 | McNeese | Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX | 8–7 | Hayward, Steve (6-3) | Abraham, Ty (1-1) | None | ESPN+ | 84 | 23–18 | 10–6 |
| April 29 | McNeese | Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX | 8–6 | Cassidy, Kayden (2-2) | Jones, Burrell (3-2) | Hayward, Steve (5) | ESPN+ | 147 | 24–19 | 11–6 |
| April 30 | McNeese | Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX | 2–9 | Barthelemy, Brock (2-0) | Berens, Micah (2-3) | None | ESPN+ | 110 | 24–20 | 11–7 |
| Rescheduled from April 8 as a single-admission doubleheader due to the threat of inclement weather. |||||||||||
May (4–4) :
| Date | Opponent | Site/stadium | Score | Win | Loss | Save | TV | Attendance | Overall record | SLC Record |
| May 2 | at Texas State* | Bobcat Baseball Stadium San Marcos, TX | 5–10 | Medrano, Nathan (2-2) | Garcia, EJ (0-3) | None | | 1,434 | 24–21 | |
| May 9 | at Rice* | Reckling Park Houston, TX | 10–1 | Rollins, Carson (2-1) | Ryland Urbanczyk (0-1) | None | | 1,738 | 25–21 | |
| May 12 | New Orleans | Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX | 1–12$^{(7)}$ | Mitchell, Brandon (9-3 | Schlotzhauer, Ryan (2-1) | | ESPN+ | 86 | 25–22 | 11–8 |
| May 12 | New Orleans | Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX | 11–10 | Hayward, Steve (7-3) | Blanchard, Beau (0-4) | None | ESPN+ | 112 | 26–22 | 12–8 |
| May 14 | New Orleans | Sullivan Field San Antonio, TX | 5–15 | LeBlanc, Tyler (3-3) | Berens, Micah (2-4) | None | ESPN+ | 114 | 26–23 | 12–9 |
| May 18 | Texas A&M–Corpus Christi | Chapman Field Corpus Christi, TX | 9–6 | Cassidy, Kayden (3-2) | Watson, Matthew (6-4) | Hayward, Steve (6) | ESPN+ | 334 | 27–23 | 13–9 |
| May 19 | Texas A&M–Corpus Christi | Chapman Field Corpus Christi, TX | 3–7 | Purcell, Colin (5-6) | Schlotzhauer, Ryan (2-2) | None | ESPN+ | 405 | 27–24 | 13–10 |
| May 20 | Texas A&M–Corpus Christi | Chapman Field Corpus Christi, TX | 5–1 | Rollins, Carson (3-1) | Garcia, Zach (2-5) | Hayward, Steve (7) | ESPN+ | 345 | 28–24 | 14–10 |
Post-season (0–2) :
Southland Tournament (0–2) :
| Date | Opponent | (Seed)/Rank | Site/stadium | Score | Win | Loss | Save | TV | Attendance | Overall record | Tournament record |
| May 24 | vs. (5) Northwestern State | (2) | Joe Miller Ballpark Lake Charles, LA | 1–2 | Carver, Cal (7-3) | Cassidy, Kayden (3-3) | Prestwich, Chase (2) | ESPN+ | | 28–25 | 0–1 |
| May 25 | vs. (6) McNeese | (2) | Joe Miller Ballpark Lake Charles, LA | 0–3 | Hudgens, Bryson (1-0) | Berens, Micah (2-5) | Barthelemy, Brock (3) | ESPN+ | | 28–26 | 0–2 |