ABILENE – The ACU Wildcats will host North Dakota State this weekend in a three-game series at Crutcher Scott Field as part of a 15-game homestand to start the 2017 season.
The series will get started Friday with a 4 p.m. contest, followed by a 2 p.m. game Saturday and a 1 p.m. game Sunday. Friday's game and Sunday's game will be broadcast on 98.1 FM with Saturday's game being broadcast on 102.7 FM.
The Wildcats opened the season at home last weekend by losing all four games to a very good Michigan State team. The Spartans left Abilene having outscored ACU 51-21 and collecting 63 hits in the four-game set.
ACU did some hitting of its own, however, as it collected 37 hits in four games with 12 of them going for extra bases (10 doubles and two home runs).
Junior transfer
Luis Trevino – who won't be able to catch for 3-4 more weeks because of a right forearm injury – had a terrific weekend at the plate as he finished 8 for 14 with five runs scored, three doubles and five RBI. Senior outfielder
Russell Crippen also played well for the Wildcats as he went 7 for 18 with one double, one home run and four RBI.
Crippen now has 11 career home runs, which makes him ACU's all-time leader in that catgeory since beginning the transition from NCAA Division II status to NCAA Division I affiliation in 2013-14.
Junior pitcher
Austin Lambright – who should get the start in Friday's series-opener – was terrific in his start last Friday against the Spartants, striking out four batters and allowing just two hits and no runs in four innings of work. Lambright threw 83 pitches in the outing, his first since missing most of 2015 and all of 2016 after underoing Tommy John surgery.
The Bison got their season started in fine fashion last weekend with a four-game sweep of Mississippi Valley State by the scores of 10-4, 9-6 (10 innings), 9-3 and 7-4.
NDSU hit .319 in the series, and was led by Matt Elsenpeter, who was 5 for 8 at the plate with three doubles, one triple and two RBI. Ben Petersen drove in six runs and Mason Pierzchalski drove in five for the Bison, who will be in Abilene for the first time ever in any sport this weekend.
North Dakota State pitchers allowed the Delta Devils to hit just .218 against them in the series, and NDSU pitchers recorded 40 strikeouts against just 16 walks in the four-game set.
ACU will likely see Zach Mayo (1-0, 1.80 ERA), Reed Plannenstein (1-0, 3.60) and Luke Lind (1-1, 5.40 ERA) in starting roles this weekend for the Bison.
After this three-game set, the Wildcats will be back at Crutcher Scott Field on Tueday, Feb. 28, when they host Texas-Permian Basin in a non-conference tilt at 6:30 p.m. The next weekend (March 3-5), the Wildcats will host Creighton in a three-game set, the first time the Bluejays will have been in Abilene as well.
