SFA's Brian Ferguson and Lamar's Ricky Testa Courtesy: Southland.org
FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE
Southeastern Louisiana and Texas State are tied atop of the Southland Conference standings, but the tie will be broken this weekend in San Marcos, Texas, when the two meet. All six conference series will be played Thursday through Saturday to give the teams a day off on Easter. Lamar has won five in a row to move into a tie for third with Sam Houston State and UT Arlington. The Cardinals and Bearkats meet Saturday in Huntsville, while the Mavericks play host to McNeese State. Other weekend matchups pit Stephen F. Austin at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Northwestern State at UTSA and Central Arkansas at Nicholls State.
Central Arkansas
15-14, 7-8 Southland
Central Arkansas was 2-2 last week with a 5-2 win at UAPB in addition to a 1-2 mark against Texas State … UCA lost the opener 5-2, lost 12-11 in 10 innings in game two before an 11-4 win in the finale … Jonathan Yerby extended his 10-game hit streak with at least one hit in all four games last week … he hit a home run in two games against the Bobcats and leads the team with nine home runs and eight doubles … Tye Throneberry leads the team with a .373 batting average and 29 RBI … Bobby Pritchett leads the team with 31 strikeouts … he is 3-0 with five saves … UCA leads the Southland with 10 saves.
Lamar
22-10, 9-6 Southland
Lamar has won five in a row after a three-game sweep of A&M-Corpus Christi … also swept a doubleheader vs. UTPA … Cardinals are one game out of first … Ricky Testa struck out 14 batters Sunday, including 10 in a row, to earn conference and national pitcher of the week honors … he paces the team and is second in the league with 55 strikeouts … Chris Dunkin batted .450 in five games … Tyler Link leads the team with a .336 average … five of his eight hits were for extra bases … freshman Eric Harrington is 5-0 with a league-best 0.87 ERA … Lamar’s 3.73 ERA and .971 fielding percentage lead the Southland.
McNeese State
13-14, 5-10 Southland
Cowboys were swept by Sam Houston State in a three-game series in Lake Charles, though two losses came in extra innings … Andy Riche’ was 7-for-13 (.538) in the series … all three of Lee Orr’s hits went for extra bases, including a pair of home runs and a triple … Orr and A&M Corpus Christi’s Trey Hernandez are tied for the league lead with 11 home runs … with 42 RBI, Orr ranks second in the Southland … Shon Landry and Taylor Freeman each are batting .361 to pace the team … McNeese leads the Southland with a .322 batting average … Matt Click leads the pitching staff with 27 strikeouts.
Nicholls State
12-17, 6-9 Southland
Nicholls State snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 9-6 win in game two of a three-game set at Northwestern State … Colonels lost two of three to the Demons and have lost eight of last nine … Chris Murrill is second in the Southland with a .414 batting average … he leads the Southland with six triples … Murrill also paces the Colonels with 41 hits and seven doubles … Lance Dupuis is the team leader with 34 strikeouts … Jarret Dunnam’s 3.29 ERA ranks seventh in the Southland … Nicholls’ 4.70 ERA is third in the league, while the Colonels rank last in batting average (.285) and fielding percentage (.949).
Northwestern State
14-13, 8-6 Southland
Northwestern State won two of three games over Nicholls State last weekend … Justin O’Neal was 8-of-19 in four games last week … delivered a two-run double to put the Demons up 10-8 after rallying from 8-1 down … Chase Lyles leads the team with a .363, nine home runs and 25 RBI … 19 of his 37 hits have been for extra bases … Justin O’Neal has 40 hits to pace the Demons … Jimmy Heard’s 3.20 ERA ranks fifth in the Southland … Chad Sheppard is second in the conference with six saves … Northwestern is the only team in the league with two players with double-digit stolen base totals: Lyles (11) and Dan Meyer (11).
Sam Houston State
18-11, 9-6 Southland
The Bearkats won all three at McNeese State last weekend and have won four of their last five conference games … Tyler Knight was 5-for-11 with seven RBI and four runs scored in the series … Knight had two doubles, a home run and was walked five times … his two-run single in the top of the 13th on Sunday won the game … Nick Zaleski is tied for second in the Southland with his .414 batting average … his 13 doubles rank second … reliever Matt Shelton leads the team with a 5-0 record … Jacob Howard leads the team with 34 strikeouts … Sean Weatherford has four saves … team’s .321 batting average ranks second.
Southeastern Louisiana
19-10, 10-5 Southland
Southeastern Louisiana remains tied with Texas State atop the Southland standings … Lions have won four of their last six conference games … won the first two at UT Arlington last weekend … Chris Franklin earned a save in both wins and did not allow a run on two hits in 1 2/3 innings … Cass Hargis leads the team with a .352 batting average, 43 hits and three triples … Brandon Street is the team leader with four home runs … Ty Summerlin has 11 doubles … Ryan Boudreaux’s 3.26 ERA ranks sixth in the Southland … Brandon Efferson leads the team with 42 strikeouts … Chris Fanklin is 1-1 with a league-best eight saves.
Stephen F. Austin
12-17, 5-9 Southland
After dropping the series opener to UTSA, SFA took the final two games to win the series … the ‘Jacks have won five of their last six games after a four-game skid … Brian Ferguson was named the hitter of the week after batting .550 in five games last week … he was 11-for-20 with seven RBI and six runs scored … against UTSA, he was 8-for-14, including a 4-for-4 effort in the finale … Sean Meyers leads the team and is seventh in the Southland with a .383 batting average … he also leads the team with 41 hits, nine doubles and 25 RBI … Richard Folmer has five saves and Eric Gregerson leads the team with 32 strikeouts.
UT Arlington
16-14, 9-6 Southland
UT Arlington slipped out of a first-place tie with Southeastern Louisiana and Texas State after dropping two of three games to the Lions last weekend … Matt Otteman leads the Southland with a .439 batting average, 54 hits and 88 total bases … Andrew Kainer is batting .410, which ranks fourth in the league … he is riding a 17-game hit streak … Kainer leads the Southland with 14 doubles … Michael Choice’s .400 batting average is tied for fifth in the Southland … Nathan Long’s 2.49 ERA ranks third in the Southland and leads the conference with 60 strikeouts… Rett Varner ranks eighth with a 3.30 ERA.
UTSA
16-14, 8-7 Southland
After a 6-3 start in conference play, UTSA has dropped four of their last five conference games and six of their last seven overall … Jose Hernandez leads the team and is 11th in the Southland with a .369 batting average … he is one of six players with at least nine home runs … Michael Rockett, has a .364 average to rank 13th … the Roadrunners are batting .310 as a team, which ranks fourth in the conference … UTSA ranks 11th with a 6.70 ERA and 10th with a .955 fielding percentage … Red Patterson ranks third in the league with 48 strikeouts … Zach Calhoon has all three of the team’s saves.
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
11-21, 3-12 Southland
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi was swept in the three-game series at Lamar … the Islanders had won four of their previous five games … Trey Hernandez has hit 11 home runs and shares the league lead with Lee Orr of McNeese State … he also has five doubles and a triple for 17 of his 28 hits going for extra bases … he is slugging .602 but is batting .248 … Weston Montgomery leads the team with a .340 batting average … the Islanders rank 11th with a .292 batting average and .953 fielding percentage and rank 12th with a 7.38 ERA … have used 16 pitchers this season, including seven different starters.
Texas State
19-10, 10-5 Southland
Texas State is tied atop the conference standings with Southeastern La. … the two meet in San Marcos beginning Thursday … Texas State took two of three at Central Arkansas last weekend and has won nine of its last 11 games … Bret Atwood was 8-for-14 (.571) in four games last week, that also included a 5-3 win at No. 7 Baylor … he was 5-for-9 vs. UCA … Atwood leads the team and is tied for fifth in the Southland with a .400 average … Paul Goldschmidt leads the league with 48 RBI and is fifth with 79 total bases … Tyler Sibley has scored 44 runs to pace the Southland … Kane Holbrooks’ 1.94 ERA is second in the Southland.
