It has been an interesting season for the 2010 UTB/TSC baseball team, the most successful one thus far for the Scorpion in the NAIA era.

UTB/TSC finished 26-20 in the regular season, marking the first time since the Scorpions will finish with a winning record since joining the NAIA in 2007 and the first time in 10 since UTB/TSC was playing in the NJCAA ranks.

Winning the South Division again was the Scorpions' primary goal before all others.

"Our goal was to win the South - and we didn't accomplish that," Scorpion head coach Bryan Aughney said. "We made the tournament which was another one of our goals - so we did that it's nice to have a winning record - but that should be the norm."

After the Scorpions secured conference championships in the three fall sports - men's soccer, women's soccer and volleyball - winning records were expected for baseball.

The season had its share of ups and downs.

• Up: The Scorpions won their home opener with returning ace pitcher Julian Moya on the mound. In front of their biggest crowd of the season, UTB/TSC stopped nationally ranked Wayland Baptist University.
• Down: UTB/TSC lost the next three games of the series to drop to 1-3.
• Up: UTB/TSC swept The University of Houston-Victoria in four home games, marking the first time in NAIA history that the Scorpions had swept a four-game series. That pushed the Scorpion record to 5-3.
• Down: UTB/TSC salvaged one win in the finale of a four-game series at UHV, leaving the Scorpions with a 6-6 record.
• Up: Facing the defending national champions and top-ranked team in the country on the road - Lubbock Christian University - the Scorpions looked like they were about to be shut out by the Chaparrals. LCU led the game going into the final inning, nationally ranked Wayland Baptist University.
• Down: UTB/TSC lost the next three games of the series to drop to 1-3.
• Up: UTB/TSC swept The University of Houston-Victoria in four home games, marking the first time in NAIA history that the Scorpions had swept a four-game series. That pushed the Scorpion record to 5-3.
• Down: UTB/TSC salvaged one win in the finale of a four-game series at UHV, leaving the Scorpions with a 6-6 record.
• Up: Facing the defending national champions and top-ranked team in the country on the road - Lubbock Christian University - the Scorpions looked like they were about to be shut out by the Chaparrals. LCU led the game going into the final inning, 4-0. Out of nowhere with one out, the Scorpions bunched together six straight hits and took a 5-4 lead over LCU. Danny Gidora finished the complete game win by shutting down LCU in the bottom of the seventh.
• Down: UTB/TSC was shut out by LCU in the final three games of the series, leaving them at 7-9 for the year.
• Down down: UTB/TSC continued its stretch of 15 straight road games after starting the year with eight home games. The Scorpions went 4-13 in the stretch, including a 1-5 mark against NCAA competition, and returned home for a Spring Break stretch with a record of 8-15.
• Up, up, up: Home cooking felt great as the Scorpions were home for a Spring Break series against visiting NAIA teams. UTB/TSC reeled off nine straight wins to climb above the .500 mark with a 17-15 record heading into conference games.
• Up: The Scorpions went 7-2 in the first nine conference games, and were looking good at 24-17.
• Up: UTB/TSC mounted its biggest single-game comeback of the NAIA era. On Breast Cancer Awareness Night, the Scorpions had a seemingly comfortable 7-2 lead over Texas A&M International University. Everything fell apart, as TAMIU recorded twice to tie the game, 7-5, and then erupted for seven runs to take a 1-5, and scored seven runs to take a 14-7 lead. Down by seven runs, the Scorpions rallied to tie the game, 14-14, and eventually win it, 16-14. The Scorpions were 25-17 at the time, their highest winning percentage of the season (.595).
• Down: Nothing went right in a three-game series at Wiley, as the Scorpions lost three close games. Wiley clinched the division title the Scorpions wanted on its home field.
• Up: The Scorpions won their regular season finale against TAMIU on the road, to finish at 26-20.

"We had a few games we let slip away," Aughney said. "We battled all year, the guys worked hard all year, and have always stayed positive and have showed a lot of great character - that's what I am most proud of."

The key to the team's success was the offensive firepower the Scorpions displayed for much of the season. The Scorpions had a team record-high batting average of .326 and hit 30 home runs, also a team record.

"We have guys who can hit," Aughney said.  "These guys have bought into our philosophy and have gained a good understanding at the plate - we have worked hard on plate discipline and attacking quality pitches."

Junior leadoff hitter Jorge Camorlinga led the regulars in batting average for the third straight year, this time finishing the regular season with a .386 mark. Other regulars - Peter Maldonado, Matt Warner, Brian Bustos and Robert Mariscal - also finished over the .300 mark. Warner's average was .374.

Matt Ginn did not hit over .300, but blasted nine home runs, a team record. Senior Brian Bustos and sophomore Gus Henggeler each hit five homers.

Aughney had a pleasant problem with his catchers, who had the highest marks. Sophomore Gus Henggeler hit .435, but was not an every-day player. Junior Gilbert Puente batted .366 and junior Jeff Allen hit .311.

The starting pitching was solid at times, but inconsistent. Julian Moya, the RRAC Pitcher of the Year in 2009, only pitched four innings against WBU. He sat out the rest of the year with elbow problems.

Jesus Mendoza settled in n icely as the closer, and finished with six saves. In his last nine innings pitched in nine games, he did not allow an earned run.