Wildcats look to extend streak
ACU set to take on ENMU in key three-game LSC South set
PORTALES, N.M. -- The ACU Wildcats will look to extend their best streak of the season this weekend when they take on Eastern New Mexico in a key three-game Lone Star Conference South Division series at Greyhound Field.
The Wildcats and Greyhounds will play a doubleheader Friday starting at 5 p.m. (Abilene time), followed by the series-ending game Saturday at 1 p.m.
ACU is 15-16 overall and 5-4 in the LSC South, while ENMU is 8-13 and 3-5. The Wildcats, however, have responded to a six-game losing streak -- its longest since 1997 -- with its third four-game winning streak of the season to pull back to within one game of the .500 mark.
The Wildcats are still in second place in the LSC South Division at 5-4, two games behind division-leading Texas A&M-Kingsville, which took two of three from ACU last weekend in Abilene. The Javelinas this weekend are playing a non-conference series, giving the Wildcats the chance to pull into a virtual tie for first place in the division if they can sweep the Greyhounds.
ACU swept a three-game series from Colorado School of Mines earlier this week, and in the process got some of its key offensive players going in the right direction. Junior shortstop Ryan Barker -- the LSC South Division Pre-Season Offensive MVP -- is now hitting .290 to go along with three home runs and a team-high 22 RBI, while senior second baseman Matt Callahan boosted his average to .280 to go along with team-bests in home runs (four) and RBI (22).
The Wildcats are now hitting a team-best .275 on the season, led by leftfielder Cody Cure, who is hitting .343 with 27 runs scored and 16 RBI.
ACU's pitching staff is led by sophomore Ben Brockman (3-2, 3.33 ERA) and freshman Ben Maynard (4-1, 3.45 ERA), the two players who are scheduled to start the second and third games, respectively, of the series. Friday's Game 1 starter could either be Coy Polk (3-3, 3.86 ERA) or Aaron Lawler (2-1, 5.16 ERA).
The Greyhounds have lost two of their last three entering the weekend series, having split with Tarleton State last Friday (Saturday's game was rained out), and then losing at home to Lubbock Christian, 15-12, on Tuesday.
