Wildcats and Hornets meet for very first time this weekend

ABILENE – The ACU baseball returns to the friendly confines of Crutcher Scott Field this weekend for a three-game series against Sacramento State as the teams resumes Western Athletic Conference play. The Wildcats (16-5, 5-1 WAC) will look to get back on track after a loss on Tuesday at TCU, and will take on the Hornets (11-9, 1-2 WAC) for the very first time this weekend. Sac State is coming off a win at home on Wednesday against San Jose State, and opens up a seven-game road trip at ACU this weekend. Friday's game begins at 6:05 p.m., while Saturday's game is set for 3:05 p.m. The series finale on Sunday gets underway at 1:05 p.m. Friday and Saturday's games will air on ESPN+, and Sunday will not have a stream.

GAME #22

ACU (16-5, 5-1 WAC) vs. SACRAMENTO STATE (11-9, 1-2 WAC)
Friday, March 24 | 6:05 p.m. | Crutcher Scott Field (4,000)
Projected Starters: RHP Tyler Morgan (1-0, 2.57 ERA) vs. RHP Jasper Nelson (0-1, 2.81 ERA)
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats | Tickets

GAME #23

ACU (16-5, 5-1 WAC) vs. SACRAMENTO STATE (11-9, 1-2 WAC)
Saturday, March 25 | 3:05 p.m. | Crutcher Scott Field (4,000)
Projected Starters: RHP Breck Eichelberger (2-0, 4.87 ERA) vs. LHP Noah Lucchesi (2-2, 3.93 ERA)
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats | Tickets

GAME #24

ACU (16-5, 5-1 WAC) vs. SACRAMENTO STATE (11-9, 1-2 WAC)
Sunday, March 26 | 1:05 p.m. | Crutcher Scott Field (4,000)
Projected Starters: RHP Austin Glaze (1-0, 5.40 ERA) vs. RHP Evan Gibbons (1-2, 8.31 ERA)
Live Stats | Tickets

SERIES HISTORY VS. SACRAMENTO STATE

• ALL-TIME | 1st meeting
• LAST MEETING | n/a
• STREAK | n/a
• IN ABILENE | n/a
• IN SACRAMENTO | n/a
• NEUTRAL | n/a
• POSTSEASON | n/a

ACU STORYLINES

• HISTORIC START – ACU's 16 wins through the first 21 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. It's also the best start to a season since 2010, the group that holds the overall program record for wins in a season (50-15). ACU's 5-1 start to conference play is also the best start to a league schedule since that 2010 group to started 5-1 as well in the Lone Star Conference.
• WEEKEND WINNERS – ACU played a true road game for the first time this season last weekend at UT Arlington, and after dropping game one in heartbreaking fashion, bounced back with wins on Saturday and Sunday to win the series. The 'Cats gave up the winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning to lose 4-3 Friday night, but bounced back with a 6-4 win on Saturday to even the series. ACU then trailed 7-2 most the game on Sunday, but erupted with 10 runs in the final four innings to win the game and the series, 12-7.
• LAST WEEKEND'S NUMBERS – ACU hit .301 as a team for the weekend in Arlington, scoring 21 runs on 34 hits in three games. Grayson Tatrow led the way with a .583 average (7-12), including a double and a pair of home runs to go with two walks. Maddox Miesse hit .500 for the series (6-12) with four runs driven in, while Garrett Williams matched Miesse with four rbi to lead the team; Williams hit .429 for the weekend as well. Breck Eichelberger was outstanding in the win on Saturday, pitching seven shutout innings allowing four hits and striking out four. Adam Stephenson was remarkable for the week, not just the weekend, with two appearances out of the bullpen, including a win over UTA on Sunday. The left-hander struck out 14 batters in nine innings in the team games, allowing six hits and just one walk.
• AN EYE ON THE STREAKS – Tanner Tweedt leads ACU with a current 12-game on-base streak, while Garrett Williams has reached safely in eight games in a row.
• TEAM LEADERS – Williams leads the 'Cats with a .400 batting average, but five guys are up over .300 for the season, including Tatrow (.347), Logan Britt (.333), Miesse (.324), and Miller Ladusau (.303). Tatrow and Britt pace the offense with four home runs apiece, while Tatrow leads ACU with 23 runs batted in. Tyler Morgan’s 2.57 earned run average in five starts leads the pitching staff, as do his 38 strikeouts and .190 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 115 career victories in his time at ACU, which includes a regular-season championship and a runner-up finish at the tournament.

SCOUTING SACRAMENTO STATE (11-9, 1-2 WESTERN ATHLETIC)

• The Hornets are coming off a home win over San Jose State on Wednesday, scoring a run in the bottom of the eighth inning on a double from redshirt freshman Griffin Harrison to win the game, 7-6.
• Sacramento State has hit a home run in 14 of its 19 games this season -- including a run of six straight games from Feb. 25 - March 5 and in each of the team's last five games dating back to March 11 in the finale against Central Michigan.

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