Saturday, March 10
Cleveland, MS
1 p.m.
Abilene Christian
at
Delta State
Wildcats Make Season's First Road Trip To No. 7 Delta State
3/7/2012 4:31:00 PM | Baseball
ABILENE – Abilene Christian's baseball team will leave the friendly confines of Crutcher Scott Field for the first time all season when it travels to Cleveland, Miss., this weekend for a three-game series vs. No. 7 Delta State of the Gulf South Conference.
Saturday's doubleheader and Sunday's series finale each begin at 1 p.m.
ACU and Delta State last played a three-game series at the start of the 2008 campaign. The Statesmen captured the series 2-1, and since then have swept a pair of two-game series in 2010 and 2011. The Wildcats trail in their all-time series to Delta State 8-15.
ACU is coming off its first losing weekend of the season, in which it dropped two of three games at the Whitten Inn Classic – a round-robin tournament that pitted four Lone Star Conference teams against each other in a non-conference setting.
The Wildcat lost 6-2 to Eastern New Mexico, and 9-6 vs. Cameron, before rebounding behind left-handed pitcher Austin Palmer in a 6-1 victory against Tarleton State. The Wildcats held early leads in the first two games, only to falter down the stretch, but came back from a run down to top the Texans.
Palmer went on to win a share of the Lone Star Conference's Pitcher of the Week Award in recognition for his performance, which included five strikeouts in 8.0 innings of work.
ACU's offense was held in check most of the weekend as it batted .213 and scored 14 runs. The Wildcats also were limited to just five extra-base hits (two 2B, three 3B); however, they did draw 13 walks and stole four bases on six attempts.
Travis Schuetze led the Wildcats with a .333 batting average, and tied Reed Watson for the most RBI with three. Tyler Eager scored four runs, and was the only other regular other than Schuetze, to bat above .300.
Despite its recent struggles at the plate, ACU remains No. 1 in the conference with 133 runs scored with Eager and Rodge Macy positioned atop the individual rankings in this category with 22 and 20, respectively. The Wildcats also are No. 1 with 83 walks drawn.
Individually, Duncan Blades leads all LSC hitters with a .559 on-base percentage and nine doubles, and is tied with Macy with 18 RBI.
ACU's team ERA stands at 5.41 entering the weekend to go along with 90 strikeouts and a .295 opponents' batting average. Friday starter Aaron Lambrix leads the conference with 28.1 innings pitched, while reliever Brady Rodriguez is tops with 10 appearances (nine in relief) and four pickoffs. As a team, ACU has picked eight runners off base this season.
Delta State is off to a 10-2 start thanks in part to a season-opening seven-game winning streak, which included sweeps of Montevallo and Lynn, plus individual victories over Mississippi Valley State and Florida Southern.
More recently, however, the Statesmen captured a three-game series over Alabama-Huntsville, winning the last two games by scores of 9-3 and 5-1.
Delta State is hitting .320 as a team led by everyday starters Ben Kingsley (.400), Michael Vinson (.348), Brent Kakwitch (.327), and Sam Kidd (.327). Kidd also leads his club with three home runs and 15 RBI. Four other Statesmen have 10 or more RBI through 12 games.
On the mound, Delta State's pitchers have posted a 2.45 ERA with 99 Ks and .210 opponents' batting average. Aaron Newcomb is the Statemen's leader with three wins and 26 punch-outs, and will be joined in the weekend rotation by Josh Branstetter (0-0, 1.61 ERA) and Colton Mitchell (2-0, 3.24).
Saturday's doubleheader and Sunday's series finale each begin at 1 p.m.
ACU and Delta State last played a three-game series at the start of the 2008 campaign. The Statesmen captured the series 2-1, and since then have swept a pair of two-game series in 2010 and 2011. The Wildcats trail in their all-time series to Delta State 8-15.
ACU is coming off its first losing weekend of the season, in which it dropped two of three games at the Whitten Inn Classic – a round-robin tournament that pitted four Lone Star Conference teams against each other in a non-conference setting.
The Wildcat lost 6-2 to Eastern New Mexico, and 9-6 vs. Cameron, before rebounding behind left-handed pitcher Austin Palmer in a 6-1 victory against Tarleton State. The Wildcats held early leads in the first two games, only to falter down the stretch, but came back from a run down to top the Texans.
Palmer went on to win a share of the Lone Star Conference's Pitcher of the Week Award in recognition for his performance, which included five strikeouts in 8.0 innings of work.
ACU's offense was held in check most of the weekend as it batted .213 and scored 14 runs. The Wildcats also were limited to just five extra-base hits (two 2B, three 3B); however, they did draw 13 walks and stole four bases on six attempts.
Travis Schuetze led the Wildcats with a .333 batting average, and tied Reed Watson for the most RBI with three. Tyler Eager scored four runs, and was the only other regular other than Schuetze, to bat above .300.
Despite its recent struggles at the plate, ACU remains No. 1 in the conference with 133 runs scored with Eager and Rodge Macy positioned atop the individual rankings in this category with 22 and 20, respectively. The Wildcats also are No. 1 with 83 walks drawn.
Individually, Duncan Blades leads all LSC hitters with a .559 on-base percentage and nine doubles, and is tied with Macy with 18 RBI.
ACU's team ERA stands at 5.41 entering the weekend to go along with 90 strikeouts and a .295 opponents' batting average. Friday starter Aaron Lambrix leads the conference with 28.1 innings pitched, while reliever Brady Rodriguez is tops with 10 appearances (nine in relief) and four pickoffs. As a team, ACU has picked eight runners off base this season.
Delta State is off to a 10-2 start thanks in part to a season-opening seven-game winning streak, which included sweeps of Montevallo and Lynn, plus individual victories over Mississippi Valley State and Florida Southern.
More recently, however, the Statesmen captured a three-game series over Alabama-Huntsville, winning the last two games by scores of 9-3 and 5-1.
Delta State is hitting .320 as a team led by everyday starters Ben Kingsley (.400), Michael Vinson (.348), Brent Kakwitch (.327), and Sam Kidd (.327). Kidd also leads his club with three home runs and 15 RBI. Four other Statesmen have 10 or more RBI through 12 games.
On the mound, Delta State's pitchers have posted a 2.45 ERA with 99 Ks and .210 opponents' batting average. Aaron Newcomb is the Statemen's leader with three wins and 26 punch-outs, and will be joined in the weekend rotation by Josh Branstetter (0-0, 1.61 ERA) and Colton Mitchell (2-0, 3.24).
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