SAN MARCOS — In the bottom of the eighth inning Friday night, Texas State baseball infielder Chase Mora connected on a Gonzaga pitch that shot into Bobcat Ballpark's right field. As a Gonzaga outfielder chased the ball that sailed over his head, two runners made it to home plate, tying the game to the sound of train horns echoing through the field.
The Bobcats have their eyes on a Sun Belt championship. Head coach Steven Trout made that clear leading up to the 2026 season. However, Texas State's 8-6 win over Gonzaga offered a tantalizing preview of what Pac-12 baseball might look like.
"We knew going into it, it was going to be a quality game," Trout said. "It's great to see a glimpse of what it could be."
Texas State didn't have the cleanest game. Things started innocuously, with the Bobcats taking a 2-0 lead in the first inning and starting pitcher Kyle Froehlich made it through the order once without any trouble.
The Bulldogs struck in the fourth inning, leading off with two consecutive singles. A fielding error by first baseman Manny Salas allowed a run to score, and Gonzaga left fielder Ryder Young brought them all home with a three-run dinger to left field. By the time Texas State recorded its third out, it trailed 5-2.
The Bobcats earned two runs back in the fifth inning off timely hitting from shortstop Dawson Park and second baseman Brady Boles. Texas State's arms also prevented further damage, with reliever Alex Beversdorf allowing no runs through 3⅓ innings pitched.
Texas State still had work to do after Mora's two-RBI double. A flurry of free bases allowed the Bobcats to take an 8-6 lead, which all started with Gonzaga deciding to intentionally walk Salas, loading the bases after Mora's hit with no outs.
Mora said he can't blame Gonzaga for doing so. The infielder has a .643 batting average and is getting on base more than 70% of the time. He had already recorded two hits and a walk before stepping up for his fifth at bat.
"That man is seeing a beach ball right now," Mora said.
The Bobcats sent Wade Cooper to the mound in the ninth to close the game. After striking out a batter and allowing a single, the freshman induced two flyouts to give Texas State the win.
Sure, Trout likely would've preferred if Texas State hadn't waited until the eighth inning to take back the lead. But adversity is what the team is built on, he said.
And as the Bobcats' chapter in the Sun Belt closes at the end of the season, it will give way to the Pac-12, and everything that happens after dark. Texas State's focus remains on the present, but Friday night, fans saw the seeds of a conference rivalry being sewn.
"Kind of start those battles, and hopefully you build on them," Trout said.