Box Score
ODESSA, Texas — St. Mary's ace
Carl O'Neal now sits on the cusp of NCAA Division II baseball history.
O'Neal won his 20th straight decision Friday in an 8-2 victory over Texas-Permian Basin, leaving the senior from San Antonio one win away from tying the D-II record of 21, held by Central Missouri's Jason Herz (2001-2002) and South Dakota State's Trevor Schulte (1993-1994).
Already one of the most decorated Rattlers of all-time, the 2012 Daktronics National Pitcher of the Year could get his chance to etch his name in baseball history next Friday. He's projected to start Game 1 of a doubleheader against Oklahoma Panhandle State at 2 p.m. on Feb. 22 at Wolff Stadium.
The game will be aired live on RattlerAthletics.com.
O'Neal struck out four in the 10th-ranked Rattlers' (6-3, 5-2 in Heartland Conference) win over the Falcons (2-6, 0-4), continuing a winning streak that dates back to April 17, 2011. His last loss came on April 2, 2011 in a 4-3 defeat to Arkansas-Fort Smith.
O'Neal's brilliant stretch includes winning on all stages. Among his 20 consecutive wins are a victory in the national tournament, two wins in the South Central Regional and a 2-0 mark in the Heartland Conference Tournament.
And it's worth knowing he's done it while maintaining a 3.59 grade-point average as an engineering management major.
O'Neal, 3-0 this season, went more than 18 innings before yielding his first run of the 2013 season, yielding a run with two away in the fifth inning Friday on an RBI single. He pitched six innings Friday, scattering eight hits with one run allowed and no walks.
The All-American certainly received help from his bats in the win, particularly that of senior first baseman
Brandon Bates (Boerne, Texas). Bates went 4 for 4 with four RBIs and two runs scored, helping the Rattlers snap a rare three-game losing streak. Shortstop
Derek Hamilton (Jr., Lake Jackson, Texas) also drove in a pair of runs and stole a base, while right fielder
Derek Moczygemba (Sr., Bulverde, Texas) went 2 for 3 with three runs scored.
St. Mary's wrapped up Friday's doubleheader with a 3-1 win in which starter
Rene Solis (Jr., San Antonio) struck out 11 to improve to 2-0 on the season. Closer
Jonathan Perez (Sr., San Antonio) collected his second save of the year in the win.
Derek Moczygemba (Sr., Bulverde, Texas) starred at the plate, going 3 for 3.
The Rattlers will conclude the three-game series Saturday at 1 p.m.
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St. Mary's University, as a Catholic Marianist University, fosters the formation of people in faith and educates leaders for the common good through community service, integrated liberal arts and professional education, and academic excellence. The University has six athletic national titles: men's basketball (1989–NAIA), baseball (2001–NCAA Div. II), softball (1986–NAIA and 2002–NCAA Div. II) and an individual national champion in men's golf (2006–NCAA Div. II) and a national academic championship in men's golf (2009–NCAA Div. II). St. Mary's also had more than 40 percent of its athletes named to conference, regional and/or national honor rolls this past year. St. Mary's student–athletes graduation rate is 65 percent, higher than the NCAA Division II average of 55 percent. To learn more about St. Mary's, visit www.rattlerathletics.com.
