ACU hosts UTRGV, weather affects weekend schedule

UPDATE - New Weekend Schedule

FRIDAY, APRIL 22 | 5:05 p.m.
SATURDAY, APRIL 23 | 1:05 p.m. (Doubleheader Game 1)
SATURDAY, APRIL 23 | 4:05 p.m. (Doubleheader Game 2)

ABILENE – The ACU baseball team returns to action after six days off, and returns to the friendly confines of Crutcher Scott Field for a three-game series with UTRGV. The Wildcats (18-18, 7-8 WAC) start their second time through the WAC schedule, taking on the Vaqueros (21-15, 7-8 WAC), who are tied for third in the standings with ACU. The series has been adjusted due to weather. Friday's game now begins at 5:05 p.m., and Sunday's game has been moved. The teams will now play a doubleheader to close out the series on Saturday, beginning at 1:05 p.m. Friday and Saturday's game one will both air on ESPN+, while Saturday's game two will air on the WAC Digital Network.

SERIES HISTORY VS. UTRGV

• ALL-TIME | 11th meeting (Series tied, 5-5)
• LAST MEETING | UTRGV 12, ACU 6 (March 13, 2022 - Edinburg, Texas)
• STREAK | UTRGV, w2
• IN ABILENE | ACU leads, 4-0
• IN EDINBURG | UTRGV leads, 5-1
• NEUTRAL | n/a
• POSTSEASON | n/a

THE PROJECTED PITCHING MATCHUPS

FRIDAY | ACU RHP Tyler Morgan (4-1, 4.87 ERA) vs. UTRGV RHP Kevin Stevens (4-2, 3.18 ERA)
SATURDAY G1 | ACU RHP Genner Cervantes (2-3, 5.54 ERA) vs. UTRGV RHP J.C. Ariza (1-0, 3.18 ERA)
SATURDAY G2 | ACU LHP Adam Stephenson (1-2, 7.36 ERA) vs. UTRGV RHP Jesus Aldaz (4-3, 5.54 ERA)

ACU STORYLINES

• WHERE THE WILDCATS STAND – ACU currently sits in a tie for third place with UTRGV in the WAC Southwest Division. Both teams are 7-8, looking up at first-place Sam Houston (10-5) and second-place Lamar (9-6). ACU still plays all five teams three more times this season.
• WEST COAST SUCCESS – ACU left the state of Texas for the only time in the regular season last week, and took two out of three games from Fresno State. The Wildcats won the opener, 7-2, before falling 9-8 in game two, and winning the finale, 6-3. The team slugged .523 for the weekend with eight doubles, a triple, and five home runs. The pitching staff was really good against a top-tier offense, posting a 4.85 team ERA with 30 strikeouts.
• STEPHENSON'S OUTING – Left-hander Adam Stephenson had his longest outing in a Wildcat uniform Thursday night at Fresno State. The southpaw went 6.2 innings, allowing two earned runs on five hits with eight strikeouts, one shy of his career high.
• HUNTING DOWN PITCHING – Grad student Hunter Gieser went off in Friday's game at Fresno State. The first baseman tallied two hits, both long balls, his sixth and seventh of the year, and matched a career-high with five RBI.
• CERVANTES' OUTING – Cervantes' 6.1 innings against Fresno State on Saturday was his longest outing of the season, and his longest in more than a calendar year. The right-hander went 7.0 innings against Northwestern State on April 2, 2021. Cervantes now has 23 strikeouts in his last four outings.
• TEAM RANKINGS THIS SEASON 
  • Strikeouts Per Nine Innings - 10.4 (1st WAC, 23rd NCAA)
  • Fielding Percentage - .977 (1st WAC, 27th NCAA)
  • Home Runs - 50 (1st WAC, 38th NCAA)
  • Slugging Percentage - .485 (1st WAC, 40th NCAA)
  • Hit Batters - 50 (1st WAC, 63rd NCAA)
  • Base on Balls - 165 (1st WAC, 88th NCAA)
  • Stolen Bases - 46 (1st WAC, 90th NCAA)
  • On Base Percentage - .396 (2nd WAC, 45th NCAA)
  • Runs - 263 (2nd WAC, 52nd NCAA)
  • Hit by Pitch - 53 (2nd WAC, 56th NCAA)
  • Doubles - 73 (2nd WAC, 57th NCAA)
  • Scoring - 7.3 (2nd WAC, 64th NCAA)
  • Batting Average - .292 (4th WAC, 54th NCAA)
• INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
  • Colton Eager - 15 Doubles (1st WAC, 28th NCAA)
  • Grayson Tatrow - 32 Base on Balls (1st WAC)
  • Bryson Hill - .470 On Base Percentage (2nd WAC)
  • Grayson Tatrow - 43 Runs (1st WAC)
  • Colton Eager - 37 Runs Batted In (3rd WAC)
• AN EYE ON THE STREAKS – Hunter Gieser leads ACU with a current nine-game hitting streak. Grayson Tatrow leads the way with a 28-game on-base streak, while Colton Eager has reached safely in 22 consecutive games and Gieser has done so in 11 straight.

SCOUTING UTRGV (21-15, 7-8 WAC)

• The Vaqueros have won three straight, winning the final two games of their series against NM State, before topping UIW on Tuesday night.
• Brandon Pimentel leads the offense with a .409 batting average and 35 runs batted in.
• The pitching staff has a team ERA of 4.85 and a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 313/128.

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