Friday, March 6
Austin, Texas
7:30 p.m.
University of South Carolina Upstate Athletics
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Photo by: Emma Hudson
Gage Griggs Laces First Home Run of the Year, Guiding Baseball in Series Opener at No. 3 Texas
3/6/2026 11:54:00 PM | Baseball
AUSTIN, Texas – Across the Mississippi River for the first time in program history, USC Upstate baseball continued its four-game stretch against Southeastern Conference competition, lining up against No. 3 Texas in Friday's series opener. The Spartans showed grit in their first game in a calendar year against an opponent ranked in the top-five of the weekly polls, before falling 14-2 in eight innings at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.
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Heading the Spartans at the plate, senior second baseman Gage Griggs finished the night 1-for-2, reaching three times and scoring both Upstate runs. In his first trip to the dish, he laced his first long ball of the season and the fifth of his Upstate career, a no-doubter to left. Grigg drew a walk in his third plate appearance, the lone free pass issued by the Longhorn pitching staff, coming in to score on a wild pitch.
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Elsewhere in the lineup, redshirt senior third baseman Jake Armsey, redshirt sophomore rightfielder Kenan Bowman, junior leftfielder Micah Coleman, and redshirt sophomore centerfielder Henry Zenor each collected a hit. Joining Griggs, Armsey registered the Spartans' other extra-base hit, a double in the first inning.
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Working 5.0 innings in his start on the mound, junior left-handed pitcher Chris Torres struck out a season-high seven. Redshirt freshman right-handed pitcher Jacob Kirby and redshirt junior righty Max Eichenberger each added a punchout, giving Upstate pitching nine on the night.
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Game Information
Score: No. 3 Texas 14; USC Upstate 2 [8 inn.]
Records: USC Upstate (7-8; 0-0 Big South); Texas (13-0; 0-0 SEC)
Location: UFCU Disch-Falk Field | Austin, Texas
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How It Happened
Notable
Connect with the SpartansÂ
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Twitter | @UpstateBSB | @UpstateSpartansÂ
Instagram | @UpstateBSB | @UpstateSpartansÂ
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INVEST IN CHAMPIONS - Join the Upstate Athletic Fund (UAF) and enjoy enhanced benefits for your support of all USC Upstate programs! Make your gift today, click here!
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Heading the Spartans at the plate, senior second baseman Gage Griggs finished the night 1-for-2, reaching three times and scoring both Upstate runs. In his first trip to the dish, he laced his first long ball of the season and the fifth of his Upstate career, a no-doubter to left. Grigg drew a walk in his third plate appearance, the lone free pass issued by the Longhorn pitching staff, coming in to score on a wild pitch.
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Elsewhere in the lineup, redshirt senior third baseman Jake Armsey, redshirt sophomore rightfielder Kenan Bowman, junior leftfielder Micah Coleman, and redshirt sophomore centerfielder Henry Zenor each collected a hit. Joining Griggs, Armsey registered the Spartans' other extra-base hit, a double in the first inning.
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Working 5.0 innings in his start on the mound, junior left-handed pitcher Chris Torres struck out a season-high seven. Redshirt freshman right-handed pitcher Jacob Kirby and redshirt junior righty Max Eichenberger each added a punchout, giving Upstate pitching nine on the night.
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Game Information
Score: No. 3 Texas 14; USC Upstate 2 [8 inn.]
Records: USC Upstate (7-8; 0-0 Big South); Texas (13-0; 0-0 SEC)
Location: UFCU Disch-Falk Field | Austin, Texas
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How It Happened
- B1: Lofting a 3-2 pitch into leftfield, Texas' Ethan Mendoza exited the yard as his solo shot began the game's scoring.
- T2: Tying the game, Gage Griggs launched a 1-2 pitch to left, clubbing his first homer of the season, a solo shot.
- B2: Continuing the game's streak of trading homers in successive half innings, the Longhorns reclaimed the lead behind a Casey Borba solo homer to center.
- B3: Adding two additional runs via the long ball, Texas' Temo Becerra slugged a two-run shot to left, extending the Longhorn lead.
- B5: Seeing two more runs driven in by home run, Aiden Robbins hit the Longhorns' fourth homer of the day, a two-run shot down the leftfield line.
- T7: Scratching the first run not scored by a homer, Griggs crossed for the second time in the game on a wild pitch.
- B7: Answering the Spartans' run, the Longhorns hung two on the board in the inning using a Becerra single and a wild pitch.
- B8: Using four hits, including a game-inning grand slam from Anthony Pack Jr., Texas notched six runs in the frame, earning the run-rule victory.
Notable
- Striking out seven Longhorns, Chris Torres secured his fourth career start in a Spartan uniform with seven or more strikeouts, his first since punching out seven against Longwood on May 4, 2025. He's struck out five or more batters in three straight starts following Friday, tied for the longest stretch of consecutive starts with five-plus strikeouts in his Upstate career.
- Reaching with a hit in the seventh, Kenan Bowman extended his team-leading reached base streak to eight games. The streak ties for the third-longest by a Spartan this season.
Connect with the SpartansÂ
Facebook.com/UpstateAthleticsÂ
Twitter | @UpstateBSB | @UpstateSpartansÂ
Instagram | @UpstateBSB | @UpstateSpartansÂ
YouTube.com/UpstateSpartans
INVEST IN CHAMPIONS - Join the Upstate Athletic Fund (UAF) and enjoy enhanced benefits for your support of all USC Upstate programs! Make your gift today, click here!
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Ruger Riojas (4-0)
L: Torres, Chris (0-2)
Batting:
2B: Armsey, Jake 1
HR: Griggs, Gage 1
RBI: Griggs, Gage 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Griggs, Gage 2
Batting:
2B: Carson Tinney 1 ; Josh Livingston 1
HR: Ethan Mendoza 1 ; Aiden Robbins 1 ; Temo Becerra 1 ; Anthony Pack Jr. 1 ; Casey Borba 1
RBI: Ethan Mendoza 1 ; Aiden Robbins 3 ; Temo Becerra 3 ; Anthony Pack Jr. 4 ; Casey Borba 1 ; Josh Livingston 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Ethan Mendoza 1 ; Carson Tinney 3 ; Aiden Robbins 4 ; Temo Becerra 2 ; Anthony Pack Jr. 1 ; Casey Borba 1 ; Maddox Monsour 1 ; Josh Livingston 1
SB: Aiden Robbins 1 ; Temo Becerra 1 ; Anthony Pack Jr. 1 ; Maddox Monsour 2
HBP: Carson Tinney 1 ; Josh Livingston 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
2
R
2
H
1
RBI
1
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
INF
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INF
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RHP
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RHP
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LHP
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