TYLER, Texas (KLTV) - Former Bullard Panther Bryce Jewell and the UT Tyler Patriot baseball team is preparing for a showdown with Angelo State in the NCAA Division II Super Regionals in San Angelo.
Jewell joined East Texas Now on Wednesday to talk about the season and the upcoming series. This season, Jewell is batting .371 with seven home runs, 59 RBI and 50 runs scored.
“I think its just consistency, practice and keeping the confidence,” Jewell said. “Confidence is a huge thing in baseball, so I’ve just been keeping the confidence and keeping the right mental state.”
The Patriots are 46-11 on the season and went 40-8 in conference play. Jewell says the team is continuing to keep the main goal in mind.
“We’ve had a lot of success this season and that’s really helped us be on the right path,” said Jewell. “We’re really just keeping the main goal in mind, knowing that if we put the work in and do things the right way then good things are going to happen.”
UT Tyler and Angelo State have met five times this season, with the Rams winning three of the five matchups.
“I call it a rivalry. I mean, we’re the two best teams in the conference and have been for awhile,” Jewell said. “We’ve had success on them in the past and I think our offense is very powerful and can overpower theirs.”
Jewell graduated from Bullard High School in 2021 and went to Abilene Christian. After one year in Abilene, Jewell hit the transfer portal.
“Hitting the portal and coming here was one of the best decisions I made,” said Jewell. “I knew as soon as our recruiting coordinator, Taylor White, reached out to me, I knew that I wanted to be back at home where my family could come and watch me.”
Jewell says growing up in Bullard and being alongside other Panther greats like Hagen Smith and Gage Wakefield, helped make him who he is today.
“I think going to Bullard is a big reason why I’m successful, from the winning culture to just always doing things the right way,” Jewell said. “I think the whole culture there is good and I had a really, really good group of guys to mold me into who I am today.”
Hagen Smith is pitching in the Chicago White Sox Double-A organization with the Birmingham Barons and Jewell says him and Smith are still close.
“I’d say he’s still one of my best friends for sure. We talk quite often,” said Jewell. “I haven’t seen him a ton just because he’s super busy and I’m super busy, but it’s been really cool to see what he can do and see the fun he’s having over there in Birmingham.”
UT Tyler will begin their super regional series against Angelo State on Thursday in San Angelo. First pitch is set for 7 p.m.