SAN MARCOS, Texas – The Texas State baseball team (5-3) plays its first midweek game of the year at Bobcat Ballpark Wednesday night against Rice (0-6). First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.
 
The game will be streamed on ESPN+ with Brant Freeman (play-by-play) and Ty Harrington (analyst) on the call. It will also be broadcast on KTSW with play-by-play provided by Clint Shields.
 
PROBABLE STARTING PITCHERS
TXST Sr., RHP Garrett Herrmann (0-0, 2.57 ERA) vs. RICE So., LHP Brando Deskins (0-0, 0.00 ERA)
 
SERIES VS. OWLS
Rice has dominated the overall series 57-18 over Texas State. However, the Bobcats have won the last four meetings and five of the last seven. The four-game winning streak is the longest in the series for TXST, surpassing the previous of two in a row that has happened twice.
 
Last season's meeting in San Marcos saw Texas State win 7-6 in 10 innings on a walk-off single by Jaylen Hubbard. When hosting the Owls, the Bobcats are 9-15 all-time with the last loss coming on Apr. 12, 2016 by the score of 3-1.
 
ABOUT TEXAS STATE
Texas State is coming off a weekend series victory over Lamar that saw the Bobcats win the final two games of the series. John Wuthirch paces the team with a .350 batting average and is second with five RBI. Will Hollis has hit a team-high two home runs, both of them solo shots, while Cole Coffey has driven in a team leading six runs.
 
Garrett Herrmann will get the start on the mound on Wednesday. It will be his first start of the season after making 11 midweek starts in 2019. In two relief appearances, he has recorded five strikeouts in seven innings while giving up two earned runs for a 2.57 ERA.
 
In two starts last season against Rice, Herrmann threw 10.2 innings, struck out 13, walked two and gave up two runs on 13 hits.
 
ABOUT RICE
Rice is winless on the season after being swept in weekend series by Texas and UC Irvine. The Owls were picked to finish fifth in the 12-team Conference USA preseason poll.
 
Trei Cruz, the C-USA Preseason Player of the Year, is hitting just .227 with two doubles and one RBI. He has drawn five walks for a .370 OB%. Braden Comeaux is batting a team-high .400 with four RBI and three runs scored. Cade Edwards enters hitting .300 and has also scored three runs on the year. He has hit the team's lone triple as well.
 
Getting the start on Wednesday will be Brandon Deskins. The sophomore left-hander will be making his first career start. He has made nine career appearances with one of them coming last season in San Marcos. That game saw him throw one inning of relief (6^th inning), give up a home run to Travon Benton and walk Peyton Lewis. The homer is the only one Deskins has given up in his brief career.
 
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