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SAN ANGELO – Rick Reyna struck out a dozen hitters and Andrew LaCombe and Brett Parsons hit home runs as the Angelo State baseball team opened the season with an impressive 14-4 non-conference win over Ouachita Baptist on Friday at Foster Field.

“I couldn't be prouder of the way we responded,” ASU head coach Kevin Brooks said. “We played just like we practiced all fall and like we've practice in the early spring. It is a very good sign and hopefully we can continue to do that.”

Seven players produced 15 hits for the Rams' offense, while Reyna tied the program's single-game strikeout record with his effort. LaCombe led Angelo State with five RBI on his two-run home run and a two-RBI double in his first game as a Ram.

“You can't get an RBI if there isn't anyone on base,” LaCombe said. “The guys did a great job in front of me getting on base. Toby Semler had a great ball game and was always on base when I came up. The whole team came to hit.”

Reyna's 12 strikeout ties him with former ASU pitcher Sam Janca who struck out his dozen in a 2009 game against Northeastern Oklahoma. Reyna, who fanned 50 batters as a junior, had a previous high of nine strikeouts in a game last season against West Texas A&M.

“He attacked, and attacked and attacked the zone,” said Brooks of Reyna. “That's what we have been trying to get him to do. To see him do that for five-plus innings there was great. He has great stuff and he just has to trust it. He did it tonight without any walks which is a great ratio.”

“He was just on today,” added LaCombe, who caught Reyna. “He could hit fastballs in and out and his slider and curve ball was working. He didn't throw too many changeups, but we'll work that in. His mental preparedness was good and threw a heck of a ballgame. It was fun to catch.”

Parsons and Quaid McKinnon each added three RBI for the Rams from the left side of the plate, while Semler went 3-for-5 with an RBI and run scored. McKinnon led the team with four hits and four runs scored in his first game in an ASU uniform, while Parsons drilled a home run over both right field fences at Foster Field. Lee Neumann and Ryan Greer both provided two hits, while leadoff hitter Doug Snover scored two runs. Tate Allison added a run-scoring double and also scored a run.

“We have a variety of ways to score and a variety of guys that can do it,” Brooks said. “That's exciting from the offensive standpoint.”

Clayton Brandt led the Tigers with two hits and an RBI, while Kurt Peppenhorst (0-1) was tagged with the loss after surrendering nine runs on nine hits in 3.1 innings of work. Matt Balogh, Jace Melby and Sean Noland also produced runs in the game.

ASU improved to 8-3 all-time against OBU and is now 3-5 in season-openers. The Rams scored in double-figures six times last season with a 16-run production against Abilene Christian and a 14-run win over Northeastern Oklahoma highlighting the season.

Angelo State and Ouachita Baptist return to the diamond on Saturday at noon for a pair of games before playing the series finale at 1 p.m. on Sunday. Michael Lange, a junior transfer from Gateway Community College, gets the start for the Rams with Davis Ward toeing the rubber for OBU. Travis Stavinoha, a Cypress native who pitched at Eastfield College the last two years, will start the third game of the series for the Rams.

“It's fun where you put up 14 runs and you win, but now we just have to let it go,” McKinnon said. “This means nothing for tomorrow. They are going to come out and want to beat us. We need to come out and play as hard as we did today and focus on what we can control and we'll be all right.”