SAN ANTONIO, TX — Behind a season-best performance from left-hander David Dean, the UT Dallas Comets silenced the St. Mary’s Rattlers in a 4-0 shutout win at Dickson Stadium on Friday night. The victory marks the first shutout of the season for the Comets, who improve to 6-1 overall.
A Dominant Start
Dean (1-0) was the story of the night, tossing seven scoreless innings in what stands as the longest outing by a Comets starting pitcher in the young 2026 season. The left-hander earned his first win of the campaign by scattering three hits and striking out four over 105 pitches. His four strikeouts are also a season-high.
Despite walking four batters, Dean consistently worked out of trouble to keep the high-powered Rattlers offense off the board. He lowered his ERA to 3.38 on the season.
The bullpen preserved the clean sheet with two scoreless frames of relief:
Gavin Hickman: Pitched the eighth inning, allowing one hit and one walk while using 27 pitches to navigate the frame.
Tag Pacot: Continued his lights-out start to the season by retiring the side in the ninth, recording one strikeout on 19 pitches.
Balanced Attack at the Plate
The Comets’ offense broke through in the fourth inning, racking up double-digit hits for the fifth time this season.
Second baseman Albert Garza spearheaded the effort, finishing 3-for-5 with an RBI—the only Comet to record a three-hit game.
Several other Comets turned in multi-hit performances:
Kole Kinnison (DH): 2-for-5 with a double.
Chris Benavidez (LF): 2-for-5 with a double and a run scored.
Nico Fernandez (C): 2-for-4 with an RBI, a walk, and a run scored.
Gavin Barker (3B): 2-for-4 on the night.
Right fielder Trent McCown, coming off a two-homer performance in the previous series finale, finished 0-for-4 but managed to cross the plate for one run.
Brandon Vasquez (0-1) was charged with the loss for the Rattlers.
Lone Star Standings
With the win, UT Dallas keeps pace at the top of the Lone Star Conference. Only UT Tyler (7-1) currently holds a better record in the league standings.
The Comets and Rattlers will return to Dickson Stadium tomorrow for a scheduled doubleheader, with the four-game series concluding on Sunday.