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Baseball
Kaitlyn Neiswander

Baseball

ACU and New Mexico State meet in adjusted three-game series

ABILENE – After a historic win Tuesday night at Texas A&M, the Wildcat baseball team will return home for an adjusted three-game weekend series with the New Mexico State Aggies. Due to outside circumstances, the series shifts from a four-game series to just three, with a typical nine-inning game each day. The times remain the same, with Friday's first pitch at 6:05 p.m., and Saturday's and Sunday's at 2:05 p.m. ACU (3-1) will be the first opponent of 2021 for New Mexico State, a future WAC opponent for the Wildcats when ACU moves to the new conference for the 2022 season.

FOLLOW THE SERIES

SERIES HISTORY

This weekend marks the first meetings in program history between the schools. The teams will begin to meet annually once ACU joins the Western Athletic Conference in 2022.

THE PITCHING MATCHUPS

Game 1: RHP Spencer Chirpich (1-0, 1.93 ERA) vs. RHP Chris Barraza (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

Game 2: RHP Genner Cervantes (1-0, 4.15 ERA) vs. LHP Sammy Natera (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

Game 3: LHP Adam Stephenson (0-1, 9.00 ERA) vs. RHP Chris Jefferson (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

ACU STORYLINES

  • HISTORIC WIN: The Wildcats went into College Station on Tuesday, and played a total team game in a 6-5 upset of the Texas A&M Aggies in Blue Bell Park. ACU outhit their SEC opponent 9-8, and got three strong innings to close it out from Tanner Riley to seal the win. Bryson Hill recorded the game-winning sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth, and ACU, who trailed twice in the game, completed the come-from-behind upset.
  • RILEY'S EFFORT: Right-hander Tanner Riley entered the game in the seventh inning, and after allowing a hit to the first batter he faced, retired the next nine, including a 1-2-3 final ninth inning to earn the win. Riley struck out three and only needed 31 pitches in relief.
  • SAME ROTATION: Head coach Rick McCarty will stick with his opening weekend starters again this time through. Spencer Chirpich (1.93 ERA) went 4.2 innings in the opener, Genner Cervantes (4.15 ERA) tossed 4.1 in Game 2, and Adam Stephenson (9.00 ERA) threw three innings against Tarleton on opening weekend.
  • GOODNESS GRAYSON: Sophomore newcomer Grayson Tatrow is hitting .412 to start the season, and has driven in a team-high five RBI. He also has three extra-base hits, one of each, and slugs .765.
  • HUNTING GIES: Hunter Gieser has been extremely tough to get out so far; the first baseman leads a team that hits .333 with a .500 average, and four of his seven hits are doubles. The .786 slugging percentage is the highest amongst players with multiple at-bats.

SCOUTING NEW MEXICO STATE

  • The Aggies will open their season at Crutcher Scott Field Friday.
  • The Aggies have won their last three season openers and four of their last five. NM State's average margin of victory in its four season-opening wins over the last five years has been 12.5 runs.
  • NM State has either won or split its season-opening series in each of the last five seasons. The last time the Aggies lost a season-opening set came in 2015 when they dropped both games against Illinois in Beaumont, Texas, at the Lamar Tournament.