HUNTSVILLE, Texas – The ACU baseball team has had to adjust its schedule a couple different times this week, and will finally get back on the field on Friday night when it opens a two-day, three-game series against the top team in the WAC standings, Sam Houston. The Wildcats are off to a 22-6 start, their best since the 2007 season through 28 games, and are riding a six-game winning streak into the weekend. ACU sits in second place in the WAC with a 7-2 record, and has a chance to take down the 10-2 Bearkats this weekend. The series opens on Friday, April 7 at 6:30 p.m. and wraps up with a doubleheader on Saturday, April 8 at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.
GAME #29
ACU (22-6, 7-2 WAC) at SAM HOUSTON (18-12, 10-2 WAC)
Friday, April 7 | 6:30 p.m. | Don Sanders Stadium (1,164)
Projected Starters: RHP
Tyler Morgan (2-1, 3.89 ERA) vs. RHP Coltin Atkinson (4-1, 3.68 ERA)
Watch: TBD
Live Stats |
Tickets
GAME #30
ACU (22-6, 7-2 WAC) at SAM HOUSTON (18-12, 10-2 WAC)
Saturday, April 8 | 2 p.m. | Don Sanders Stadium (1,164)
Projected Starters: RHP
Breck Eichelberger (4-0, 3.31 ERA) vs. LHP Steven Beard (3-2, 4.89 ERA)
Watch: TBD
Live Stats |
Tickets
GAME #31
ACU (22-6, 7-2 WAC) at SAM HOUSTON (18-12, 10-2 WAC)
Saturday, April 8 | 5 p.m. | Don Sanders Stadium (1,164)
Projected Starters: RHP
Austin Glaze (2-0, 6.59 ERA) vs. LHP Gavi Coldiron (1-1, 6.26 ERA)
Watch: TBD
Live Stats |
Tickets
A LOOK AT ACU
The Wildcats enter the week with a 22-6 record and a 7-2 mark in WAC play. ACU is wrapping up a five-game break from conference play this, and it began with a 5-2, 11-inning win over Baylor last Tuesday night in Waco. ACU then went 3-0 this weekend at Crutcher Scott Field, including a pair of wins over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi sandwiching a victory over Nebraska. The Wildcats have won six in a row dating back to the final two games of the Sacramento State series, and now will play just its sixth true road game of the season on Friday night.
SCOUTING SAM HOUSTON
The Bearkats are coming off a crazy, high-scoring, 19-13 defeat to Dallas Baptist on Tuesday at home, and have dropped two in a row going into the weekend. Sam Houston is off to a 10-2 mark in WAC play with series sweeps of Seattle U and UTRGV as well as series wins over Grand Canyon and NM State. Sam Houston always has a good offensive group, hitting .312 as a team in 2023 and slugging .468. The Bearkats have 63 doubles, 7 triples, and 29 homers. It's an evenly-distributed group; seven players have at least 20 runs driven in this season. The pitching staff has a team ERA of 5.50 this season. The Bearkats are 11-6 at home in 2023.
INSIDE THE SERIES
All-Time Series: 28th meeting (Sam Houston leads, 22-5)
Last Meeting: Sam Houston 5, ACU 4 (May 21, 2022 - Huntsville)
Streak: Sam Houston, w2
In Abilene: Sam Houston leads, 8-1
In Huntsville: Sam Houston leads, 12-4
Neutral site: Sam Houston leads, 2-0
Postseason: Sam Houston leads, 2-0
HISTORIC START
ACU's 22 wins through the first 28 games are the most since the 2007 season. That team also started the season 22-6 and finished 47-13 with a trip to the Lone Star Conference championship game. This is ACU's best start in the Division I era of the program, which began for baseball in the spring of 2014. ACU's 7-2 start to conference play is also the best start since 2010. ACU has also won all seven of its series so far this season, something that has not happened since the 2000 campaign.
LAST TUESDAY'S WIN IN WACO
There has been plenty of drama so far in the 2023 season, and Tuesday night was the latest example. The Wildcats led the Big 12's Baylor Bears 2-0 in the ninth, surrendered the lead, and then Tatrow delivered with a three-run home run in the 11th inning to power a 5-2 victory. It's the first-ever win for ACU over Baylor and the second win over a Big 12 team this season. After a scoreless 10th and Tatrow gave ACU the lead in the 11th,
Zach Smith recorded the final three outs for his first-ever save, getting the 'Cats out of Waco with a win.
ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL WEEKEND
ACU has won all tgree games last weekend at home, topping Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Friday night, 9-7 before taking down Nebraska on Saturday, 5-3. The weekend wrapped up with a walk-off win over Corpus Christi, 10-9. It was a wild weekend. ACU trailed 5-1 in the third inning on Friday night before responding with a comeback victory. The 'Cats 5-1 after four innings and held on late to top the Big Ten's Cornhuskers, and then surrendered an 8-1 lead through two innings only to have
Maddox Miesse walk off in the bottom of the ninth for the 10-9 win over the Islanders.
LAST WEEK'S NUMBERS
ACU hit .287 as a team in a 4-0 week led by a .487 average from
Grayson Tatrow. The Wildcat outfielder is hitting his stride this season after hitting three homers and driving in eight, both the most on the team. Tatrow and
Logan Britt each hit three blasts, with Britt lauching all three of hits Friday night against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, tying an all-time ACU record (Joel Wells vs. Tarleton in 2006). Britt hit .400 for the week with seven runs driven in. He also stole all three bags for ACU this week. Britt led the way with seven runs scored, while
Miller Ladusau scored six times in the four wins as well.
Breck Eichelberger was once against spectacular on the mound, throwing 5.1 innings of one-run ball on Saturday against Nebraska.
Adam Stephenson struck out 13 batters in 6.2 innings out of the bullpen in two appearances.
LATE-INNING HEROICS
Maddox Miesse has had a flare fo the dramatic so far during his freshman campaign. The third baseman hit a walk-off single to beat Oklahoma, hit a walk-off grand slam to top Southeast Missouri, and just closed the weekend with a walk-off against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi this past Sunday. The freshman has been huge so far for ACU and has been a big part of a team that is outscoring its opponents 82-61 from the sixth inning on this season.
AN EYE ON THE STREAKS
Tatrow leads ACU with a current seven-game hitting streak, while
Garrett Williams has a current 15-game on-base streak going.
Bash Randle has a hit in six games in a row, while
Eric Martin has reached base safely in eight consecutive games.
TEAM LEADERS
Williams leads the 'Cats with a .393 batting average, but six guys in total are at or above .300 for the season, including Tatrow (.384), Britt (.336), Ladusau (.327), Miesse (.313), and
Tanner Tweedt (.302). Tatrow paces the offense with nine home runs and 39 runs batted in. Eichelberger's 3.31 earned run average in seven starts leads the pitching staff, while
Tyler Morgan's 52 strikeouts leads the staff.
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 is in his fifth season as the head man at ACU, and earned his 100th career win on Opening Day. He sits at 121 career victories in his time at ACU, which includes a regular-season championship and a runner-up finish at the tournament.
