EDINBURG, Texas – The University of Texas-Pan American Department of Intercollegiate Athletics announced on Monday that they are hosting a basketball game featuring a team of Dallas Cowboys to raise money for the UTPA Athletics scholarship fund on Saturday, April 28 at 2:00 p.m. at the UTPA Fieldhouse.

Tickets start at $10 and can be purchased now online at utpabroncs.com or by calling the UTPA athletics office at (956) 665-2221.

“This is going to be a huge event. It will help us to continue to pay for the education of our student-athletes while also providing a great experience for our fans throughout the community,” UTPA Director of Athletics Chris King said.

Seven current members of the Cowboys are scheduled to be in attendance, including running back Demarco Murray, who led the Cowboys in rushes (164), rushing yards (897), average rushing yards (5.5 per carry) and rushing touchdowns (2).

Murray will be joined by quarterback Stephen McGee, who played all but one series in Week 16 against the Philadelphia Eagles, completing 24-of-38 passes for 182 yards and one touchdown.

Other Cowboys participating include running back Phillip Tanner, who rushed for 76 yards and one touchdown, tight end John Phillips, who caught 15 passes for 101 yards and one touchdown, offensive tackle Tyron Smith, who recorded two tackles and Jesse Holley, who caught seven passes for 169 yards as a wide receiver, had one punt return and seven tackles as well. Teddy Williams, who has not seen any action for the Cowboys during the regular season but has been on either the active roster or the practice squad at various times since 2010 and was an All-American in track at UTSA, rounds out the Cowboys’ roster.

The Cowboys will play the UTPA All-Stars, which include alumni of the Broncs men’s basketball program, UTPA leaders, community leaders and local police officers and firefighters.

The game will consist of four quarters of eight minutes each. Doors open at 12:30 p.m.

Former Cowboys great Tony Hill will serve as the in-arena announcer. A three-time Pro Bowler, Hill ranks second in team history with 7,988 receiving yards during a career that lasted from 1977 through 1986 while playing under Mission-native and hall of fame head coach Tom Landry.

Fans will have the opportunity to win autographed memorabilia, including football and helmets, which will be raffled off throughout the game.

EDINBURG – The UTPA Broncs baseball team (16-7, 4-0 Great West Conference) won their first 13 home games of the season.

It looked for a while that they would make it 14-straight, but UTSA scored five runs over the final two innings to beat the Broncs 7-3 on Tuesday.

Tonight, when the Broncs open up a four-game conference series against the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux (2-20, 0-4 GWC) at 7 pm at Edinburg Baseball Stadium, the Broncs will look to start a new home winning streak.

“All good things must come to an end,” Broncs head coach Manny Mantrana said. “But if we can win another 13 in a row and lose one every 14 games, I’ll take it.”

If the Broncs win tonight, they will have a chance to continue the winning streak right away, with a doubleheader on Saturday at 1 pm and a single game on Sunday at 12 pm.
Pre-game coverage begins at 6:50 pm tonight, 12:50 pm Saturday and 11:50 am on Sunday. Jonah Goldberg and Danny Elizondo have the call of all four games right here on 956sports.com.

“Our goal is [to win] conference weekends,” Mantrana said. “Our guys know what’s at stake.”

What’s at stake is a high seed in the Great West Conference Tournament in late May. After one weekend of conference play, three teams, UTPA, Utah Valley and Houston Baptist, are 4-0. NJIT is 3-1, suggesting the race to the top may be between four teams.

The Fighting Sioux have struggled this season and are currently riding a 10-game losing streak that spans nearly a month. Last weekend at Utah Valley, their four-game sweep included a 20-4 loss and a 13-3 loss. They have allowed 20 or more runs in a game three times and 10 or more runs in a game 11 times. Opponents are hitting .350 against the Fighting Sioux and averaging 10.2 runs per game.

That plays into the Broncs’ strength as they are hitting .323, fifth in the nation, and averaging eight runs per game. They are led by Roger Bernal, who is batting .465 and in a virtual tie for first in the nation with LSU’s Ralph Rhymes, who is less than three thousandths of a point ahead of Bernal.

Conversely, the Fighting Sioux are hitting just .212 and averaging 2.9 runs per game.

EDINBURG – They were No. 1, if only for a brief moment.

When the UTPA Broncs baseball team (16-6, 4-0 Great West Conference) took the field to complete the sweep of NYIT on Saturday, they had the highest batting average in the nation at .332.

When they take the field for today’s 6 pm game against UTSA at Edinburg Baseball Stadium, the Broncs will rank third in the nation at .327.

The Broncs will also be trying to extend a 13-game home winning streak, their longest to open a season since going 19-0 in 1975, a year in which the Broncs made the NCAA Tournament.

They do still boast the nation’s leading individual hitter in senior first baseman Roger Bernal at .468, but the Broncs know it’s pitching, not hitting, that will allow them to continue to be successful.

“The pitching was good. That’s where the pitching needs to be,” Broncs head coach Manny Mantrana said. “All of our starters did a nice job of taking us deep into games and our bullpen responded well.”

In four wins over NYIT to open the conference season, Broncs starters combined to go 26 innings, allowing eight runs (four earned) on 21 hits while striking out 27 compared to just nine walks.

Palmview-native Guadalupe Barrera recorded two saves, including one on Saturday in which he entered a one-run game with the bases loaded and two outs in the eighth.

As for that offense, if possible, it may actually be getting better. Senior second baseman Vincent Mejia had a big weekend, going 5-for-11 with six walks, two doubles, a home run, six RBI and six runs scored.

“Vinnie’s beginning to heat up,” Mantrana said. “He’s been a good hitter for us the two years he’s been here. It’s just a matter of him warming up, and I think he’s warming up at the right time.”

This is the second meeting of the season between the Broncs and Roadrunners. The Broncs won 18-13 in San Antonio on March 27.

AUSTIN, Texas — The University of Texas-Pan American Broncs baseball team (12-5) visits the No. 18 University of Texas Longhorns (13-9) on Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.

The Longhorns are ranked 18th by Baseball America , 19th by Collegiate Baseball,  23rd by the NCBWA, and 25th by the USA Today Coaches Poll.

Pre-game coverage begins at 5:50 p.m.

What You Need to Know
This is the 49th meeting all-time between the Broncs and Longhorns in a series dating back to 1968. The Broncs have seven wins in that time.
This Broncs last beat the Longhorns in 1971, shutting them out in back-to-back games (1-0, 4-0) in the NCAA District Championships to advance to the College World Series. Including the regular season, the Broncs were 6-1 against the Longhorns in 1971. The Broncs’ only other win against the Longhorns came in 1968 in game two of the NCAA District Championships (the Longhorns won games one and three). Since then, the Broncs have lost 34-straight games to the Longhorns.
After beating No. 8 Teas A&M on March 14, the Broncs are looking to get wins against both Texas and Texas A&M in the same season for the second time in program history and first time since 1968.
The Broncs are looking for their second win against a ranked opponent this season and under Manny Mantrana. This is the Broncs’ 13th game against a ranked opponent since he took over in 2009.
The Broncs are 9-1 against teams from Texas and 3-0 against teams in the UT-system this season.
The Broncs are currently ranked a season-high 63rd in the RPI.
The Broncs are 10th in the NCAA with a team batting average of .332. Roger Bernal ranks at the top of the pack among individuals at .486.

Last Time Out

Broncs @ UTSA Roadrunners (3/27/12)
The Broncs snapped a four-game losing streak with an 18-13 victory over UTSA.
It was the Broncs’ first win over the Roadrunners since March 4, 2007, breaking a seven-game losing streak.
The 18 runs are the most the Broncs have scored in a game since February 26, 2010, when they scored 23 against UT-Brownsville. The Broncs played 122 games in-between those occurrences.
The 19 hits are the most the Broncs have had since April 29, 2011, when they had 21 against Houston Baptist. The Broncs played 34 games in-between those occurrences.
The combined 31 runs are the most in a Broncs game since a 16-15 win over Chicago State on April 10, 2011. The Broncs played 46 games in-between those occurrences.
The Broncs batted around twice and sent eight men to plate in another inning.
Roger Bernal went 3-for-6 to raise his NCAA-leading batting average from .485 to .486. In 17 games, Bernal has hit safely 16 times, with at least two this 11 times, at least three hits seven times four hits twice.
Will Klausing saw his first action of the season, starting in right field and playing the first five innings while going 2-for-3 with an RBI in the seven hole.
Adrian de la Rosa saw his first action since March 3, starting in center field and going 2-for-5 with a walk, an RBI and a run scored.
Derek Hagy recorded his sixth three-hit game of the season, going 3-for-6 with three RBI and a career-high four runs scored.
The Bronccs tied their season-high with three stolen bases, including one by Vincent Mejia, which was the first of his career in four attempts.

Next Up

The Broncs open up Great West Conference play on Thursday, April 5 at 7:00 p.m. when they host the New York Institute of Technology at Edinburg Baseball Stadium.

SAN ANTONIO, Texas — The University of Texas-Pan American Broncs baseball team (11-5) visits the University of Texas at San Antonio Roadrunners (11-13) on Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. at Roadrunner Field.

Pre-game coverage begins at 3:50 p.m.

What You Need to Know
This is the 72nd meeting all-time between the Broncs and Roadrunners in a series dating back to 1992. The Broncs have 27 wins in that time. This is their first meeting since 2009.
This Broncs last beat the Roadrunners on March 4, 2007, 3-2 at Edinburg Baseball Stadium during the Al Ogletree Classic. The Broncs are looking to break a seven-game losing streak to the Roadrunners.
The Broncs are currently ranked 77th in the RPI. The Broncs have been as high as 71st this season (3/24).
The Broncs are 10th in the NCAA with a team batting average of .326. Roger Bernal ranks at the top of the pack among individuals at .485.

Last Time Out

Broncs @ New Mexico State University Aggies (3/25/12)
The Broncs are now 5-1 in games decided by the 10-run mercy rule after falling to the Aggies 19-2 in a game that ended after six and a half innings.
This was the first time the Broncs were swept in a series this season.
Travis Neslony made his Broncs debut, starting and facing three batters, one of whom reached on an error and two of whom walked.
Nolan Atkins pitched a career-high three and one-third innings.
Chris Torres started at catcher, marking the first time he has caught on back-to-back days this season.
Lee Rios recorded his first-career hit, singling as a pinch-hitter in the sixth.

Next Up

The Broncs complete the six-game road trip when they visit No. 18 Texas on Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. in a game that can be heard right here on 956sports.com.

What You Need to Know

• This is the 75^th meeting all-time between the Broncs and Aggies in a series dating back to 1968. The Broncs have 17 wins in that time.

• The Broncs last beat the Aggies in 2002, 3-2. The Broncs last beat the Aggies in back-to-back games in 2000, 3-1 and 5-3.

Last Time Out

Broncs @ #8 Texas A&M University Aggies (3/13/12)

• The Broncs suffered their first loss of the season, 10-4.

• The Broncs had been of to an 8-0 start for the second time in program history. The last time the Broncs were previously 8-0 was 1979, when they started the season a program best 9-0.

• The Broncs held the lead for the first half of the game, leading 3-0 after the top of the first and staying ahead 4-3 after the top of the fifth. The Aggies tied it in the bottom of the fifth and scored four runs in the sixth to take the lead for good.

• Derek Hagy led all batters with three hits, going 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored.

• Mike McCarthy went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.

• After making his first 36-career appearances in relief, Palm View-native and junior right-hander Guadalupe Barrera made his first career-start, pitching a career-high 4.1 innings while allowing four runs on seven hits and two walks to go with two strikeouts.

• Bryan Maxwell made his first relief appearance of the season, striking out three in 1.1 innings while allowing three runs (two earned) on three hits and one walk.

Next Up

The Broncs host Texas A&M University-Corpus Chrisit in a doubleheader on Tuesday, March 2 at 3:00 p.m.

What You Need to Know

• This is the 74^th meeting all-time between the Broncs and Aggies in a series dating back to 1968. The Broncs have 17 wins in that time.

• The Broncs and Aggies last met last season, with the Broncs falling 4-1 and 7-0. The Broncs last beat the Aggies in 2002, 3-2. The Broncs last beat the Aggies in back-to-back games in 2000, 3-1 and 5-3.

• The Broncs are off to an 8-0 start for the second time in program history. The last time the Broncs were 8-0 was 1979, when they started the season 9-0.

• After winning four-straight and then five-straight games to start the season over the last two seasons, the Broncs are winners of eight-straight this season.

• The only other coach in program history to achieve a start of at least 8-0 is Hall of Famer Al Ogletree, who did so in 1979 (9-0).

Last Time Out

Broncs vs. Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon Tigres (3/10/12)

• The Broncs beat the Tigres 10-0 in their first ever matchup with the Tigres. The game was called in the bottom of the eighth inning due to the 10-run mercy rule.

• Angel Ibanez went 2-for-4 with a triple, three RBI and two runs scored.

• Derek Hagy was the table setter as he went 3-for-4 and scored three runs in the leadoff spot.

• Chris Torres drove in three runs and went 2-for-4.

• Bryan Maxwell took a bid for a no-hitter into the seventh inning for the second time this season before it was broken up by a Cristo Munoz single, the Tigres’ only hit of the game.

Next Up

The Broncs and Aggies complete this two-game series on Wednesday at 3:05 p.m.

texas pan american utpa baseball

The winner advances to the championship game on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. against either second-seeded Utah Valley University or third-seeded New Jersey Institute of Technology.

What You Need to Know

Broncs Postseason History: The Broncs are 2-2 all-time in the Great West Conference Tournament, with wins in the 2010 and 2012 quarterfinals … This is the Broncs’ first meeting with North Dakota in the Great West Conference Tournament … The Broncs were 3-6 all-time in the National Independent Tournament … The Broncs competed in the Sun Belt Conference from 1991 through 1998 and the American South Conference from 1987 through 1991, but did not win a conference tournament game.

vs. North Dakota: The this is the ninth meeting all-time between the Broncs and North Dakota in a series that dates back to 2007 … The Broncs have picked up two wins in that time … The Broncs fell at North Dakota earlier this season, 93-60 (2/4), and followed that up with a 60-58 loss at the UTPA Fieldhouse (2/23) … The Broncs have won three-straight since then … After missing the first game, LaQuita Garner played 18 minuets, all in the second half, in the second game, scoring 10 points.

Wins Record in Sight: The Broncs are one win away from tying the program record for wins in a single season with 14. The Broncs have done it twice, during the 2004-05 (14-14) and 2008-09 (14-16) seasons.

Historic Three-Year Stretch: The Broncs are in the midst of their winningest three-year stretch in program history with 38 wins. The mark was previously achieved with 36 wins from 2006 through 2009 under former head coach DeAnn Craft. Current Broncs head coach Denny Downing is off to the best three-year start by a coach in program history, recording 13 wins in his first season, 12 in his second season, and 13 so far this season. Craft held the previous mark with 34 wins in her first three seasons, with marks of 13, 14 and seven wins.

Last Time Out

#4 UTPA 57, #5 Chicago State 51 (3/8/12):
The Broncs picked up their first-ever win against the host school during the Great West Conference Tournament.
The Broncs advanced to the semifinals for the second time in three years.
The Broncs led by as many as 20 points midway through the second half, and although that lead shrunk to one late in the game, the Broncs did hold the lead for the final 37:58 of the game.
The Broncs opened the game on a 13-2 run.
Keandra Goodson recorded her third double-double of the season with a career-high 19 points and 10 rebounds.
Adanna Opara recorded her second double-double of the season with 11 points and a season-high tying 12 rebounds.
The Broncs out-rebounded the Cougars 43-24 overall and 12-6 on the offensive glass.
The Broncs out-shot the Cougars 46.8%-to-32.1%.

Season Series vs. North Dakota

North Dakota 60, UTPA 58 (2/23/12):
The Broncs out-shot North Dakota 39.7%-to-33.3% and hit half of their shots (14-for-28) in the second half.
The Broncs were 6-for-8 (75%) from the foul line while North Dakota was 18-for-28 (64.3%).
Bianca Torre scored eight of her team-high 11 points in the final 1:45, using a pair of three-pointers and two free throws to nearly bring the Broncs back from a seven-point deficit.
Johnondra Patterson recorded a career-high nine rebounds and dished out a career-high four steals while scoring eight points.
In her first game since January 21, LaQuita Garner scored 10 points off the bench.

North Dakota 93, UTPA 60 (2/4/12):
Keandra Goodson scored 12 points with seven rebounds in her first start since January 21.
Bianca Torre score a team-high 14 points while hitting all four of the Broncs’ three-pointers and playing the full 40 minutes.
Erin Lewis set new season-highs in points (12), field goals made (4), free throws made (4), free throws attempted (5) and steals (3).
The Broncs held leads of 1-0 and 3-2.

The winner moves on to face top-seeded North Dakota on Friday at 7:30 p.m. in the semifinals.

What You Need to Know

Broncs Postseason History: The Broncs are 1-2 all-time in the Great West Conference Tournament, picking up a 69-61 victory over Houston Baptist in the 2010 quarterfinals … This is the Broncs’ first meeting with Chicago State in the Great West Conference Tournament … The Broncs faced Chicago State in the 2008 and 2009 National Independent Tournaments, falling in both contests … The Broncs were 3-6 all-time in the National Independent Tournament, also taking part in 2005 … The Broncs competed in the Sun Belt Conference from 1991 through 1998 and the American South Conference from 1987 through 1991, but did not win a conference tournament game.

UTPA vs. Chicago State: This is the 14th meeting between the Broncs and the Cougars in a series that dates back to 2001 … The Broncs have picked up five wins in that time, including two this season … The Broncs beat the Cougars at the UTPA Fieldhouse, 43-39 (1/19) and at Jones Convocation Center, 59-52 (2/18) … In the most recent win, the Broncs were playing without LaQuita Garner and Erin Lewis, both of whom are expected to play tonight … In three-career games, Adanna Opara is averaging 10.3 points and 9.0 rebounds.

Historic Three-Year Stretch: The Broncs are in the midst of their winningest three-year stretch in program history with 37 wins. The mark was previously achieved with 36 wins from 2006 through 2009 under former head coach DeAnn Craft. Current Broncs head coach Denny Downing is off to the best three-year start by a coach in program history with 37 wins, recording 13 wins in his first season, 12 in his second season, and 12 so far this season. Craft held the previous mark with 34 wins in her first three seasons, with marks of 13, 14 and seven wins.

Last Time Out

UTPA 43, Houston Baptist 14 (3/3/12):

-        The Broncs shattered the program record for scoring defense by allowing just 14 points. The previous record was 29 points, accomplished against Schreiner University during the 2001-02 season.

-        The Broncs narrowly missed breaking the NCAA record for fewest points allowed in a game between two Division I teams, set by Georgia Tech in an 82-11 victory over Tennessee State on December 30, 2010.

-        The Broncs outscored the Huskies 20-9 in the first half and 23-5 in the second half, narrowly missing the NCAA record for fewest points allowed in a half. The record is three, set by Florida State against Savannah State on November 23, 2010, and matched by Georgia Tech against Tennessee State on December 30, 2010.

-        The Broncs held the Huskies to 5-of-35 (14.3%) shooting from the field and 0-for-9 from behind the arc. The Huskies scored four points from the free throw line in seven attempts.

-        Senior Ashley Watson made her first-career start, scoring six points with two rebounds and one block in 18 minutes.

-        Senior Adanna Opara recorded more offensive rebounds (six) than the entire Huskies team (four).

-        Senior Donna Jackson recorded a game-high 10 rebounds.

-        Senior Erin Lewis scored five points with three rebounds, five assists and three steals.

Season Series vs. Chicago State

UTPA 59, Chicago State 52 (2/18/12):

-        Johnondra Patterson tied for the team lead in scoring with a career-high 14 points while tying her career-high with seven rebounds. Patterson hit a career-high seven field goals in a career-high 11 attempts.

-        Adanna Opara tied her career-high by making seven field goals while tying for the team lead with 14 points to go with nine rebounds.

-        The Broncs out-rebounded Chicago State 45-24 overall and 20-11 on the offensive glass.

-        Bianca Torre scored 12 points to become the second Bronc to ever reach the 1,200 points mark. Torre needs 27 more points to catch Alex Gravel (1,227, 1998-2003) for the record.

-        Making her first-career start, Jasmine Thompson scored a career-high six points for the second game in a row tying her career-highs in field goals made with six and rebounds with four in a career-high 29 minutes of action.

UTPA 43, Chicago State 39 (1/19/12):

-        The 39 points scored by Chicago State are the fewest by a UTPA opponent since they held LeTourneau to 37 points (1/4/10).

-        Bianca Torre hit five three-pointers for the second-straight game, scoring a season-high and game-high 21 points to go with three assists and a team-high three steals.

-        Adanna Opara and Donna Jackson tied for the team-high with nine rebounds each.

-        The Broncs shot 40% (10-for-25) while scoring 28 points in the second half.