Kansas Wins Opening Series at UTRGV with 8-7 Victory Sunday

Sunday, February 15

Edinburg, Texas

1 p.m. CT

University of Kansas

2-1

UTRGV

1-2

Kansas

UTRGV

Kansas Wins Opening Series at UTRGV with 8-7 Victory Sunday

2/15/2026 6:22:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Season Statistics

EDINBURG, Texas – A dramatic Sunday afternoon that included three ties and four lead changes ended in an 8-7 Kansas baseball victory against UTRGV. That clinched an opening series win for the second consecutive season.

UTRGV (1-2) loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth inning trailing by one run, but junior pitcher Caleb Deer struck out the side and ended the game on a strikeout looking. The Kansas bullpen of Carter Fink, Riane Ritter, Boede Rahe, Toby Scheidt and Deer allowed only three runs over seven innings of relief and recorded 12 strikeouts.

Kansas (2-1) got production from its offense with four runs in the second inning, one run in both the fifth and sixth innings and two runs in the eighth to take the lead for good. Cade Baldridge hit a solo homer for his first of the season in the win. Baldridge finished with two RBIs and three runs scored. Jordan Bach also had three singles and Dariel Osoria had two hits.

HOW IT HAPPENED
• UTRGV was able to score early with a run in the first inning. The Vaqueros plated an unearned run on a passed ball to take a 1-0 lead.
• Kansas had an answer in the top of the second with a four-run frame. The Jayhawks loaded the bases with no outs on two walks and a hit by pitch. Baldridge drove in the first run on an RBI fielder's choice. Landen Lozier followed with a sacrifice fly to give the Jayhawks the lead. Bach came up next with a single and Baldridge would come in to score on a throwing error. Brady Ballinger drove in the fourth run of the inning on an RBI single. The four-run inning gave Kansas a 4-1 advantage.
• The Vaqueros answered back with three runs in the bottom of the third to tie the game. Julius Ramirez had an RBI double and Easton Moomau hit a two-run homer to even the game at 4-4.
• UTRGV took the lead back on another two-run homer, this one by Armani Raygoza in the fourth inning to make it 6-4.
• The Jayhawks trimmed the deficit to one run in the fifth with an RBI single by Josh Dykhoff. KU trailed 6-5 at the end of five innings.
• Kansas was able to tie the game back up in the top of the sixth on the solo home run by Baldridge.
• Rahe entered the game with two outs in the sixth and a runner on second base and got a strikeout to get out of the inning and keep the game tied.
• Ramirez would do more damage in the seventh though as he hit a solo homer to give UTRGV the lead back at 7-6.
• The Jayhawks responded in the eighth by loading the bases with no outs. Ballinger hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game and Augusto Mungarrieta drove in the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly. Kansas led 8-7 midway through the eighth.
• Scheidt pitched the eighth for Kansas and left a runner stranded on third base with a strikeout looking to end the inning.
• Deer navigated his way through the bottom of the ninth and ended the game with a strikeout looking to give Kansas the win and series victory.

PITCHERS OF RECORD
Win: Boede Rahe (1-0)
Final line: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 1 SO
Loss: Daren Barrera (0-1)
Final line: 2.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 0 SO
Save: Caleb Deer (1)
Final line: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO

SOCIAL POST OF THE GAME

Opening series W?? pic.twitter.com/2fxm8N8IzT
— Kansas Baseball (@KUBaseball) February 15, 2026

QUOTABLES & NOTABLES
"First and foremost, UTRGV is a really good team. What an unbelievable environment to play in and one that we were intentional in scheduling to get an atmosphere like this and get a great challenge early on. Super proud of the guys and how they battled. Tough one on Friday night and then to come back yesterday and play how we did and then show up today. We delivered the first punch, but we knew they were going to throw another punch. It became a dog fight. Our bullpen did a fantastic job holding it together. We had some key hits in some key spots to produce some runs. Unbelievable job by the entire bullpen. From Fink, who passed it to Ritter, who passed it to Rahe, then passed it to Toby and then Caleb Deer was absolutely electric. I'm super proud of the entire team, but I'm really proud of how Caleb competed right there." – Head Coach Dan Fitzgerald

"To be honest, I just felt calm and at peace on the mound. I knew my guys were behind me, so I just felt confident and ready to go out there and dominate. Being able to pick up a series win is huge for the team and I thought our guys battled really hard and played really well. It was a great team win and I think this is just the start. It's a great way to start the year off and it's going to be a lot more fun going forward." – Caleb Deer

"It was a game full of energy. UTRGV has a great crowd, but luckily for us we have a lot of guys that are bought in and our dugout was able to keep us in it with all their energy. A lot of respect to UTRGV. I think they have a great squad and they're going to have a great year, but for us, picking up these two wins after the first loss just shows how we can bounce back and the depth of pitching that we have." – Cade Baldridge

• Kansas has now won its opening series in back-to-back seasons.
• Deer earned the save in his first career Division I appearance.
• Baldridge hit his first home run of the season.
• Rahe earned the win in his first career Division I appearance.
• Bach finished the weekend with seven hits.

UP NEXT
Kansas will continue its opening 12-day road trip with a midweek game at Lamar on Wednesday, Feb. 18 and then a three-game weekend series at McNeese State from Feb. 20-22.