ABILENE – The ACU Wildcats, who have won four straight games to recover from an 0-4 start, are back at Crutcher Scott Field this weekend to host Creighton in a three-game series beginning Friday and running through Sunday.
The series is scheduled to start Friday at 6 p.m. with Saturday's game set for a 2 p.m. first pitch. Sunday's game is scheduled for a 12 p.m. start, although the game could be moved to an earlier time to accommodate Creighton's travel plans. The games on Friday and Sunday will be broadcast on 98.1 FM The Ticket, while Saturday's game will be broadcast on 102.7 FM The Bear.
The Wildcats are 4-4 on the season after sweeping North Dakota State last weekend in Abilene and then beating Texas-Permian Basin, 13-5, on Tuesday.
ACU will send starting pitchers
Austin Lambright and
Case Rolen to the mound in the first two games of the series, respectively, but Sunday's starting pitcher has yet to be determined.
Lambright is 0-0 with a 1.17 ERA in 7 2/3 innings of work in two previous starts this season. Lambright has 14 strikeouts and nine walks in those 7 2/3 innings in starts against Michigan State and North Dakota State.
Rollin, meanwhile, is 1-0 with a 4.00 ERA in two starts. He's thrown 9.0 innings and given up four runs and five walks, while striking out four batters.
The Wildcats have shown a much-improved offense over last season through the first four games. ACU is hitting .298 on the season with 52 runs scored and 24 extra-base hits, including four home runs. Last year the Wildcats hit just .241 with 182 runs scored and 83 extra-base hits (nine home runs) in 53 games.
Junior designated hitter
Luis Trevino is leading the Wildcat offense, hitting .467 (14 for 30) with five doubles, one home run and 12 RBI, while both first baseman Koby Claiborne and second baseman
Dalon Farkas have driven in seven runs. Last year's RBI leader was then-junior
Russell Crippen, who had 19 RBI in 51 games.
Creighton – a member of the Big East Conference – enters the weekend series at 1-5 on the year after losing two of three games last weekend at the Santa Clara (Calif.) Tournament. The Bluejays beat Santa Clara last Friday (3-1) before falling to Michigan (7-6) on Saturday and Saint Louis (7-3) on Sunday. The Bluejays opened the season with three straight losses at Alabama-Birmingham.
The Bluejays are hitting just .228 as a team with 16 runs scored in six games and are led by Bryce Only, who is hitting .318, while Michael Emodi leads the team with six RBI.
Creighton will send right-hander Rollie Lacy (1-1, 3.00 ERA) to the mound Friday, followed by right-hander Keith Rogalla (0-1, 5.40 ERA) on Saturday and left-hander Jeff Albrecht (0-2, 6.23 ERA) on Sunday.
