TYLER, Texas — The wind was blowing all weekend long at the ballpark, and the UT Tyler Patriots took advantage of it. The team racked up over 60 total runs in only four games, taking a 3-1 series win back to Tyler.
Even with an offensive onslaught, one player stood out in particular. Freshman slugger Kaston Mason was feeling it against Eastern New Mexico. Over the four-game series, he hit .467 with four home runs, including a grand slam. He also added eight runs and a 1.400 slugging percentage.
"The wind was blowing out and we just took advantage. We swung the bat really well and we had a lot of dudes just come out and attack," Mason said. "We put the ball in play, and we hit the ball hard. It was fun to watch, and it was fun to be a part of it."
Stats like that definitely come with some recognition. Mason earned Lone Star Conference Hitter of the Week honors after a monster weekend. In doing so, he became the first Patriot this year to earn weekly honors.
"It was awesome," Mason said. "I knew someone from our team had to win it. So, it was really cool to win that one, for sure."
However, Mason and the Patriots know the job isn't finished. Maintaining the momentum and success from a hot weekend series is crucial heading into the playoffs. But they know what they have to do to keep it rolling.
"We need to keep working as hard as we've been all year. Over the next few weeks, we need to come out strong," Mason said. "Hopefully we win a majority of those games if not all of them, and we put ourselves in a good place for the postseason."