The first half of the 2026 Abilene Flying Bison season drew to a close on Sunday night – less than 24 hours after a comeback that defied all expectations.
The rally from a 16-1 deficit after four innings to Acadiana represented not only the largest comeback in franchise history, but – by all available research – the second largest in baseball history from NCAA and up.
It was the final team record set in the first half that was full of them after the Bison moved to the Texas Collegiate League this summer.
Historic outings in the first half
The first records to fall came during an incredible offensive outburst on June 11th when the Bison took Sherman down 24-6 that moved the Bison to 6-1 on the season. That night saw the Bison set the following single-game franchise records:
- Runs (24)
- Stolen Bases (12)
- Home Runs (4)
Trey Smith, who had been activated earlier in the week, hit two home runs in the game – also a franchise record – as he was named the TCL Player of the Week in the second week of the season. Smith finished his first week with the Flying Bison with four home runs and 10 RBI. Smith drove in six runs in the lopsided win over the Shadowcats.
The six-game winning streak was tied for the fifth-longest in franchise history. The longest winning streak came in 2025 when the team won eight straight games from May 30th through June 7th – before matching that against from July 13-20. The franchise also has a pair of seven-game win streaks in its history.
Saturday night’s win saw the Bison put up one of the few 10-run innings in franchise history, but what made it impressive was that it was done with only one hit and without any errors by the Cane Cutters. The fifth inning rally started a streak in which the Bison scored 18 times in three innings on just five hits.
It hasn’t been just the on-field product that has been setting records in 2026 either.
In the inaugural season, the Bison drew an average of 895 fans per game – a number that has ballooned to 960 per night in 2026. Through 11 home games, there have been 10,554 fans to come through the gates of Bullock Brothers Ballpark.
By comparison, the Lake Charles Gumbeaux Gators rank second in attendance in the TCL with 4,062 fans this season – an average of 406 fans per game.
After finishing the first half of the season with a 9-11 record, thanks to four rainouts, the Bison have an all-time record of 98-56, good for a 0.636 winning percentage.