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Grayson Tatrow
Josh Hollwarth

Baseball

ACU heads to UTA for first road series

Abilene Christian 200x200
Abilene Christian (14-3, 3-0 Western Athletic)

vs.

UT Arlington 200x200
UT Arlington (7-10, 2-1 Western Athletic)

GAME #1

ABILENE CHRISTIAN (13-3, 3-0 WESTERN ATHLETIC) vs. UT ARLINGTON (7-10, 2-1 WESTERN ATHLETIC)
Friday, March 17 · 6:30 p.m. · Clay Gould Ball Park (1,600) · Arlington, Texas
Projected Starters: RHP Tyler Morgan (1-0, 2.25 ERA) vs. RHP Gabe Starks (2-0, 3.66 ERA)
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats
Tickets

GAME #2

ABILENE CHRISTIAN (13-3, 3-0 WESTERN ATHLETIC) vs. UT ARLINGTON (7-10, 2-1 WESTERN ATHLETIC)
Saturday, March 18 · 2 p.m. · Clay Gould Ball Park (1,600) · Arlington, Texas
Projected Starters: RHP Breck Eichelberger (1-0, 7.43 ERA) vs.RHP Brayden Brooks (0-1, 6.55 ERA)
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats
Tickets

GAME #3

ABILENE CHRISTIAN (13-3, 3-0 WESTERN ATHLETIC) vs. UT ARLINGTON (7-10, 2-1 WESTERN ATHLETIC)
Sunday, March 19 · 1 p.m. · Clay Gould Ball Park (1,600) · Arlington, Texas
Projected Starters: RHP Austin Glaze (1-0, 3.07 ERA) vs. LHP Caden Noah (2-0, 3.20 ERA)
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats
Tickets

ARLINGTON – It is hard to believe, but the ACU baseball team will play its first true road games of the season this weekend when they travel to the Metroplex to take on UT Arlington. The Wildcats (14-3, 3-0 WAC) played 16 of their 17 games at Crutcher Scott Field, and the lone game outside of Abilene was in Arlington at Globe Life Field in a neutral-site game against Oklahoma, a game in which ACU was the designated home team. It's the first road test for the 'Cats, batting the Mavericks (7-10, 2-1 WAC) for three games beginning Friday night at 6:30 p.m. The series continues on Saturday at 2 p.m. and concludes on Sunday at 1 p.m. All three games will air on ESPN+.

SERIES HISTORY VS. UT ARLINGTON

  • ALL-TIME | 14th meeting (UTA leads, 8-5)
  • LAST MEETING | ACU 15, UTA 5 (7 Inn.) (April 12, 2022 - Abilene)
  • STREAK | ACU, w1
  • IN ABILENE | UTA leads, 4-2
  • IN ARLINGTON | UTA leads, 4-3
  • NEUTRAL | n/a
  • POSTSEASON | n/a

ACU STORYLINES

  • HISTORIC START – ACU's 14 wins through the first 17 games is the best start in the Division I history of the program. ACU moved to Division I in 2013, and the first baseball season played at that level was in the spring of 2014. The 'Cats started the 2018 season 12-4, the second-best mark of the D1 era.
  • WEEKEND SWEEP – ACU opened WAC play last weekend with a sweep of SFA at Crutcher Scott Field, the third consecutive sweep of the Lumberjacks in the last two seasons. The Wildcats won the opener on Friday night in come-from-behind fashion, scoring four times in the eighth inning to win, 7-4. ACU built up a lead an early lead in game two on Saturday, and held on for an 11-6 victory. The finale featured an early SFA lead, but the 'Cats battled back, built up as much as a five-run lead, and held on 9-6. ACU is now 9-0 in the last two seasons against its rivals from Nacogdoches.
  • LAST WEEKEND'S NUMBERS – Miller Ladusau led the way with a .571 batting average, going 8-14 with a triple and a run batted in. The junior scored four runs and stole a pair of bases as well. He guided an offense that hit .355 for the weekend, scoring 27 runs on 38 hits. ACU drew 13 walks led by Garrett Williams' four, giving the ‘Cats a .441 on-base percentage. Crew Parke hit .545 while Grayson Tatrow hit .462. Tanner Tweedt hit a pair of home runs on Sunday, the first two-homer game of the season for the ’Cats. Tyler Morgan, in a no-decision, went six strong innings with 11 strikeouts on Friday night, a new season-high.
  • AN EYE ON THE STREAKS – Grayson Tatrow is currently on an eight-game hitting streak, while Miller Ladusau's on-base streak is at 11 in a row. Tanner Tweedt, Tweedt, Tatrow, and Logan Britt all have reached base safely in eight straight games.
  • TEAM LEADERS – Britt leads the ‘Cats with a .382 average, while Williams is hitting .381 on the year. Seven players all sit at .300 or higher, including Ladusau (.339), Tweedt (.322), Tatrow (.316), Crew Parke (.309), and Maddox Miesse (.302). Britt leads the way with four home runs, while Tatrow paves the way with 21 rbi on the season. Tyler Morgan’s 2.25 earned run average in four starts leads the pitching staff, as do his 35 strikeouts and .165 opponent batting average.
  • PRESEASON POLL / AWARDS – The Western Athletic Conference announced the preseason poll and the preseason all-conference selections for the upcoming season, and the Wildcats are picked tied for fourth in the 13-team league. Junior Bash Randle and seniors Grayson Tatrow and Tanner Tweedt were all named to the all-conference list as well prior to the season. Grand Canyon was picked to win the conference, followed by Sam Houston and California Baptist. ACU tied with UTRGV and Sacramento State for fourth overall.
  • BACK TO ONE BIG LEAGUE – The WAC is moving back to a traditional format in 2023. All 13 teams will be in one standings list, and there will be no divisions this season. There will be 30 league games against 10 of the 12 possible opponents, and the 2023 WAC Tournament will start May 24 in Mesa, Ariz.
  • A GLANCE AT THE TOUGH SCHEDULE – The 2023 slate encompasses 55 games, including 30 Western Athletic Conference games (10 three-game series), and another 25 non-conference games (four series and 11 single games). Overall the team will host 35 times at Crutcher Scott Field, the most in the Rick McCarty era. ACU will play 21 games against teams that finished in the top 100 in RPI in 2022, nine games against Power 5 opponents (Oklahoma, TCU x2, Baylor x2, Nebraska, Texas Tech x2, Texas), and 14 games against 2022 regional teams (Oklahoma, Southeast Missouri, Oral Roberts, TCU, Texas Tech, Texas, Grand Canyon). There are five first-time opponents on the slate (Southeast Missouri, Sacramento State, Nebraska, California Baptist, Utah Tech), and there are four home games against Power 5 opponents (Nebraska, TCU, Texas Tech, Baylor).
  • THE COACH – Head Coach Rick McCarty enters his fifth season as the head man at ACU, and earned his 100th career win on Opening Day. He sits at 113 career victories in his time at ACU, which includes a regular-season championship and a runner-up finish at the tournament.

SCOUTING UT ARLINGTON (7-10, 2-1 WESTERN ATHLETIC)

  • The Mavericks dropped a pair during a two-game midweek series to #22 Texas Tech, 10-1 and 14-7, in Lubbock on Tuesday and Wednesday. UTA took two of three against Tarleton to open WAC play a weekend ago.
  • Ryan Black paces the offense with a .381 average, while Tyson Pointer leads the way with 16 runs driven in.

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#ATO | #GoWildcats