SAM HOUSTON STATE at ACU
Friday – Listen • Live Stats
Saturday – Watch • Listen • Live Stats
Sunday – Watch • Listen • Live Stats
Probable Starting Pitchers
Friday
SHSU – RHP Heath Donica (4-0, 1.25 ERA)
ACU – RHP Drew Hanson (2-1, 4.30 ERA)
Saturday
SHSU – LHP Seth Ballew (2-1, 4.97 ERA)
ACU – RHP Jonah Smith (1-1, 3.57 ERA)
Sunday
SHSU – RHP Hayden Wesneski (5-1, 3.47 ERA)
ACU – RHP Case Rolen (1-1, 3.38 ERA)
ABILENE – After enjoying a seven-game winning streak earlier this season that pushed them over the .500 mark, the ACU Wildcats return home to Crutcher Scott Field mired in the throes of a six-game losing streak.
Waiting on the Wildcats is one of the best teams in the Southland Conference: the Bearkats from Sam Houston State.
Sam Houston State is 17-8 overall and 6-0 in the league, but has lost three of its last four games entering this weekend's three-game series in Abilene. The series will get started Friday at 6 p.m., followed by a 2 p.m. game Saturday and a 1 p.m. game Sunday in the series finale. All three games will be broadcast on 98.1 FM.
While the Bearkats are one of two unbeaten teams in league play (McNeese is in first place at 9-0 and will be in Abilene next weekend for a three-game set), the Wildcats are 1-8 in the league and in last place in the 13-team circuit.
The Wildcats, however, haven't had a problem scoring runs in the league as they've scored at least five runs in six of their nine games and have averaged 5.3 runs per game in those nine contests. However, they've lost two games one-run games and two two-run games. They've also lost games in which they led 3-0 vs. Incarnate Word, 7-0 at New Orleans and 8-4 at Stephen F. Austin.
Leading the offense is senior outfielder Russell Crippen, who is second in the league in batting average (.420), second in doubles (13) and third in hits (37). Crippen is ACU's all-time NCAA Division I leader in batting average (.290), doubles (38), home runs (12), RBI (77) and total bases (253), and he's second in hits with 173 to Aaron Draper's 174.
The Wildcats will tweak their starting pitching lineup this weekend with junior righthander Drew Hanson (2-1, 4.30 ERA) set to start Friday, followed by freshman righthander Jonah Smith (1-1, 3.57 ERA) and junior righthander Case Rolen (1-1, 3.38 ERA) on Sunday.
The Bearkats have the best pitching staff in the league as they carry a combined 3.31 ERA into the series, which is the lowest in the Southland Conference. The Bearkats have only allowed 91 runs in 25 games.
Senior ace Heath Donica leads the league with 46 strikeouts and is 4-0 with a 1.25 ERA. He should get the start Friday with Seth Ballew (2-1, 4.97 ERA) set to go on Saturday and Hayden Wesneski (5-1, 3.47 ERA) set to go on Sunday.
The Bearkats' offense is second in the league in team batting average (.304) and is led by Blake Chisholm (.396, 2 home runs, 16 RBI) and Hunter Hearn (.379, 1 HR, 16 RBI).
