RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Department of Intercollegiate Athletics learned on Friday that first baseman Brandon Pimentel, who played with the baseball team from 2022-23, is set to sign a free agent contract with the Washington Nationals organization.

Pimentel is looking to become the sixth alum to ever reach the major leagues as a player. Five have done it previously, including Dusten Knight, who made his debut with the Baltimore Orioles in 2021 and saw time with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2022, third baseman George Williams, who played for the Oakland A's from 1995-97 and the San Diego Padres in 2000, catcher Dan Firova, who played for the Milwaukee Brewers from 1981-82 and the Cleveland Indians in 1988, infielder Wayne Tyrone, who played for the Chicago Cubs in 1978, and outfielder Jim Tyrone, who played for the Cubs in 1972, 1974 and 1975 as well as the A's in 1977.

Pimentel was the Jody Ramsey Memorial Award winner, an All-Western Athletic Conference (WAC) First Team and WAC All-Defensive Team selection, a two-time national player of the week, and a part of the Bobby Bragan National Collegiate Slugger Award Watch List. Pimentel hit 19 home runs, the third-highest single-season total in program history and most in 23 years. He became the sixth player in program history to hit .400+ in a season and the first in 11 years, batting .402, the fifth-highest average in program history. Pimentel recorded 86 hits, the fifth-highest total in program history. He drove-in 73 runs, tied for the third-highest total in program history, while totaling 152 bases, the second-highest total.

Pimentel led the WAC in RBI (73) and RBI per game (1.30), ranking 24^th and 22^nd nationally, respectively. He ranked second in the WAC in three categories, ranking 44^th in the NCAA in hits per game (1.54), 47^th in slugging (.710), and 52^nd in home runs (19). Pimentel ranked third in the WAC in two categories, ranking 21^st in the NCAA in hitting (.402) and 68^th in home runs per game (0.34). He also ranked fifth in the WAC in three categories, ranking 39^th in the NCAA in hits (86), 44^th in hits per game (1.54), and 55^th in total bases (152). Pimentel recorded team-high 29 multi-hit games, including 10 of 3+ hits, and team-high 20 multi-RBI games, including three of three RBI, five of four RBI and one of five RBI.

For his career, Pimentel broke program records in home runs (31) and batting average (.389). He became the first player in program history to hit 10+ home runs in multiple seasons. Pimentel tied for the fifth most RBI (120) and recorded ninth-most hits (175) in program history. He also went 70 games without an error in left field or at first base, the third-longest streak in program history.

There are currently four alumni playing professional baseball, including Kevin Stevens (2020-22), who is with the Tampa Tarpons, the Single-A affiliate of the New York Yankees, Christian Sepulveda (2019-21), who is playing with the Inland Empire 66ers, the Single-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels, Conrado Diaz (2019-21), who is playing for the Algodoneros de Unión Laguna of the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol, and Andy Atwood (2019-21), who is part of the Winston-Salem Dash, the High-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox.