- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 418,269
- Reaction score
- 43
Angelo State baseball’s Dax Dathe played in nearly every corner of Texas.
The right-handed pitcher played high school baseball at Stoney Point High School in Round Rock. His first season of college baseball was the COVID-19-shortened season in 2020, when he was on the University of Houston’s roster.
After his short stint with the Cougars, he attended Grayson College in Denison from 2021-22 and then played for Texas Tech in 2023.
After 2023, Dathe went searching for another team. His former teammate and former Rams third baseman Kam Kelton helped persuade Dathe to pitch for the reigning NCAA Division II National Champion Rams in 2024.
A year and a half later, Dathe got the nod to start in the second game of a doubleheader against St. Edwards in unusually cold and rainy weather in San Angelo on Saturday. Despite the elements and opponent, Dathe ran out to the mound to pitch his sixth inning with the Rams up 6-2.
After giving up a hit, Dathe struck out his last two batters, letting out a burst of emotion as his teammates cheered from the dugout.
“It’s been a huge blessing coming here,” Dathe said. “There’s just something special about this place. The culture is different. I mean, it’s an expectation to show up and win every single day.”
The Rams closed out Dathe’s start with a 6-3 victory, and he was credited with his sixth win of the season. His six-inning outing against the Hilltoppers was Dathe’s latest achievement in a breakout season. He is second on the team with a 2.50 ERA in 39⅔ innings pitched and first in strikeouts with 57, helping the Rams to a 31-7 record.
While Dathe took his own unique path to the Rams, it is not unusual for the Angelo State baseball program to attract NCAA Division I talent from across the country despite being a Division II school.
For long-time head coach Kevin Brooks, the answer is simple.
“Honestly, we’re better than the places they came from, and we get them better,” Brooks said.
Senior pitcher Scott Ellis is another transplant from a Division I school and is in his third season with the program. Coming out of high school, Ellis was the 15th-ranked right-handed pitcher in the nation out of Bakersfield, California, and signed to play baseball with Oregon.
More: Ryler Hunt, Hollis Boyer leading strong Christoval baseball bullpen in resurgent season
More: 'Doing your best in everything you do': San Saba girls basketball's Cinzlea Stanton's journey to success
After two seasons with the Ducks, Ellis came to ASU.
“Culture-wise, it was a complete 180 switch from when I was at Oregon,” Ellis said. “These coaches here treat you like a person off the field. For me, that was one of the biggest things coming here because coming from a big program like Oregon, it’s always business-like. If you don’t perform, you’re out of sight, out of mind.”
Ellis performed right away for the Rams in his first season with the team in 2023. He made 22 appearances with 39 strikeouts, including a relief appearance in the 2023 NCAA DII World Series.
Dathe and Ellis are two of the many Division I arms to come through Angelo State in recent years. On this year’s team alone, Colby Casey pitched for Houston, Ryan Free had 44 appearances in two years at Texas Tech, Nick Wilson had impressive stints at Southern and Dallas Baptist and Luke Olson spent two years at Ohio — all athletes with their own path to the No. 3-ranked NCAA Division II Angelo State baseball team.
“The hardest part is getting them here because we have a two beside our division instead of a one," Brooks said. "But once they get here, nobody wants to leave. They love the people, they love the school and they love their teammates.”
Paul Witwer covers high school sports and Angelo State University sports for The San Angelo Standard-Times. Reach him at [email protected]. Follow him on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, @Paul_Witwer.
This article originally appeared on San Angelo Standard-Times: How Angelo State baseball became a hotbed for Division I pitchers
Continue reading...
The right-handed pitcher played high school baseball at Stoney Point High School in Round Rock. His first season of college baseball was the COVID-19-shortened season in 2020, when he was on the University of Houston’s roster.
After his short stint with the Cougars, he attended Grayson College in Denison from 2021-22 and then played for Texas Tech in 2023.
After 2023, Dathe went searching for another team. His former teammate and former Rams third baseman Kam Kelton helped persuade Dathe to pitch for the reigning NCAA Division II National Champion Rams in 2024.
A year and a half later, Dathe got the nod to start in the second game of a doubleheader against St. Edwards in unusually cold and rainy weather in San Angelo on Saturday. Despite the elements and opponent, Dathe ran out to the mound to pitch his sixth inning with the Rams up 6-2.
After giving up a hit, Dathe struck out his last two batters, letting out a burst of emotion as his teammates cheered from the dugout.
“It’s been a huge blessing coming here,” Dathe said. “There’s just something special about this place. The culture is different. I mean, it’s an expectation to show up and win every single day.”
The Rams closed out Dathe’s start with a 6-3 victory, and he was credited with his sixth win of the season. His six-inning outing against the Hilltoppers was Dathe’s latest achievement in a breakout season. He is second on the team with a 2.50 ERA in 39⅔ innings pitched and first in strikeouts with 57, helping the Rams to a 31-7 record.
You must be registered for see images attach
While Dathe took his own unique path to the Rams, it is not unusual for the Angelo State baseball program to attract NCAA Division I talent from across the country despite being a Division II school.
For long-time head coach Kevin Brooks, the answer is simple.
“Honestly, we’re better than the places they came from, and we get them better,” Brooks said.
Senior pitcher Scott Ellis is another transplant from a Division I school and is in his third season with the program. Coming out of high school, Ellis was the 15th-ranked right-handed pitcher in the nation out of Bakersfield, California, and signed to play baseball with Oregon.
More: Ryler Hunt, Hollis Boyer leading strong Christoval baseball bullpen in resurgent season
More: 'Doing your best in everything you do': San Saba girls basketball's Cinzlea Stanton's journey to success
After two seasons with the Ducks, Ellis came to ASU.
“Culture-wise, it was a complete 180 switch from when I was at Oregon,” Ellis said. “These coaches here treat you like a person off the field. For me, that was one of the biggest things coming here because coming from a big program like Oregon, it’s always business-like. If you don’t perform, you’re out of sight, out of mind.”
Ellis performed right away for the Rams in his first season with the team in 2023. He made 22 appearances with 39 strikeouts, including a relief appearance in the 2023 NCAA DII World Series.
Dathe and Ellis are two of the many Division I arms to come through Angelo State in recent years. On this year’s team alone, Colby Casey pitched for Houston, Ryan Free had 44 appearances in two years at Texas Tech, Nick Wilson had impressive stints at Southern and Dallas Baptist and Luke Olson spent two years at Ohio — all athletes with their own path to the No. 3-ranked NCAA Division II Angelo State baseball team.
“The hardest part is getting them here because we have a two beside our division instead of a one," Brooks said. "But once they get here, nobody wants to leave. They love the people, they love the school and they love their teammates.”
Paul Witwer covers high school sports and Angelo State University sports for The San Angelo Standard-Times. Reach him at [email protected]. Follow him on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, @Paul_Witwer.
This article originally appeared on San Angelo Standard-Times: How Angelo State baseball became a hotbed for Division I pitchers
Continue reading...
