Athletics History 2 of 2

E6 | Sunday, May 10, 2020 | lmtonline.com | Laredo Morning Times 50th Anniversary won the 2019 Jack Brown Memo- rial Invitational and made two con- secutive U.S. Amateur tournaments, and he helped Santiago Garcia win the school’s only individual award with Freshman of the Year honors in 2018-19. “My passion has always been golf instruction and individual coaching. I really didn’t know if coaching in the college environment was some- thing I would enjoy. It was a great decision to take on this challenge,” Gonzalez said. “The kids I’ve coached over the past five years have all been a blessing. TAMIU is truly a great environment and institution. I am extremely proud of the work of my assistant, Will Wurth, all the kids that have played here, and my- self have contributed to turn things around for Dustdevil Golf. “It’s all been a pleasure for me to personally be a part of. It is truly a special time in my career.” BASEBALL After installing numerous major ath- letic programs over a two-year win- dow in 2002 and 2003, the school didn’t hit the diamond until four years later. That’s when the TAMIU baseball team took the field for the first time as it debuted at Tarleton State on Feb. 3, 2007 with an 8-0 loss. The group lost two of three that series but rebounded with 13 straight wins on their way to a successful 32- 18-1 inaugural campaign. Strangely enough, the team never seemed to reach those same heights again as they did in Year 1. In fact, they’ve had a winning record only once more since, going 27-26 in 2013. Mark Jackson (51-55-1) coached the first two seasons before Mickey Callaway (22-34) – a future New York Mets manager in 2018-19 and the Los Angeles Angels pitching coach to begin 2020 – took over for 2009. The star player for both lead- ers, Ryan Flynn, would later join the school’s third head coach’s staff in Chad Porter (101-156), who took the team to its only conference tourna- ment appearance in 2013. Flynn (78-179) would later take over for Porter for the top position in 2015 and has coached five full sea- sons. He was working on a sixth in 2020 as the team was 5-17 before the campaign was canceled mid-season due to the coronavirus pandemic. “TAMIU and the City of Laredo hold a special place in my heart,” Flynn said. “Being recruited by TAMIU and ultimately choosing to come to TAMIU and this great city 1,300 miles away from home to play baseball and get my degree was the greatest decision I could have ever made at that time. “TAMIU led me to continuing my playing career where I played professionally for two of the city’s independent baseball teams, meet- ing and marrying my beautiful wife (fromNuevo Laredo), starting a fam- ily, and becoming the head baseball coach at my alma mater. I have met, worked and become great friends with so many influential people from this great university and city. I am proud of my alma mater and how far it has come. I am also proud to be considered a Laredoan.” Flynn – a Heartland Conference Hall of Fame inductee in 2016 – is the school’s only three-time All- Conference honoree in its history as a player, winning first-team hon- ors twice in 2008-09. Austin Voros and Will Wurth are the only other two-time first-team honorees with both awarded in 2011-12. Zeke Sosa Photo by Cuate Santos / Laredo Morning Times Ryan Flynn, TAMIU baseball’s current head coach and former star player, was elected into the Heartland Conference Hall of Fame in 2016.