Baseball | 5/13/2016 12:06:00 PM
Abilene Christian (14-31, 6-18 Southland) at Incarnate Word (13-35, 5-19)
Sullivan Field
San Antonio, TX
How To Follow The Wildcats: Live State l Live Audio / Video
Starting Pitchers
Friday, May 13: RHP Garrett deMeyere (ACU) vs. RHP Bernie Martinez (UIW)
Saturday, May 14: LHP Aaron Mason (ACU) vs. RHP John Shull (UIW)
Sunday, May 15: RHP Kyle Carroll (ACU) vs. RHP Cody Richey (UIW
SAN ANTONIO – The ACU Wildcats begin their final stretch of the 2016 season this weekend with a three-game Southland Conference series against old rival Incarnate Word at Sullivan Field on the UIW campus.
Friday's first game is set for a 6:30 p.m. first pitch, followed by a 3 p.m. game Saturday and the series finale at 1 p.m Sunday. The Wildcats enter the game at 14-31 overall and 6-18 in the Southland Conference with six league games left to play (three at Incarnate Word and three next weekend at Northwestern State). ACU goes into the series coming off Tuesday's 7-2 home loss to No. 5 Texas Tech.
The Cardinals, meanwhile, are at 13-35 and 5-19 and coming off a 9-8 win over crosstown rival Texas-San Antonio.
The Cardinals are last in the league in hitting (.242 team batting average) and last in the league in pitching (7.56 team ERA). UIW has allowed 366 runs, by far the most in the league (57 more than Stephen F. Austin, which has allowed 309). UIW also ranks next-to-last in team fielding percentage (.958) and has committed the second-most errors in the league (74).
Incarnate Word is led by Brance Kahle, who is hitting .288 with one home run and 27 RBI, while Christian Divbliss leads the team with two home runs and has 19 RBI. As a club, the Cardinals have hit just five home runs on the season.
UIW will be sending RHP Bernie Martinez (1-8, 8.48 ERA), RHP John Shull (2-6, 6.03 ERA)), and RHP Cody Richey (2-6, 7.50 ERA)) to the mound in starting assignments. They'll be matched up against RHP Garrett deMeyere (3-7, 3.68 ERA), LHP Aaron Mason (5-4, 2.96 ERA), and RHP Kyle Carroll (3-7, 4.12 ERA) for the Wildcats.
Senior designated hitter / first baseman Heath Beasley – who was 8 for 12 with four RBI last weekend against New Orleans – is hitting .358 in 29 games (19 starts), while junior third baseman Russell Crippen is hitting .308 with a team-high three home runs and 18 RBI on the season.
Freshman outfielder Hunter Markwardt is tied for second in the Southland with 19 stolen bases (21 attempts). Those 19 stolen bases are the most by a Wildcat since Aaron Oliver stole 21 bases in 2011.
