GAME PREVIEW: Dallas vs. University of Texas at Dallas (4/7)
MULTIMEDIA COVERAGE
(Video stream is unavailable due to internet difficulties)
FIRST PITCH
The University of Dallas baseball team (6-21) hosts non-conference foe University of Texas at Dallas (14-13) on Tuesday, April 7 at 3 p.m.
Dallas is looking to snap a nine-game losing streak, while the Comets have won three in a row. The Navy and White are 2-9 at the home confines, and have dropped the past eight-straight at the venue. The Crusaders are in the midst of playing four games in five days.
MOST RECENT ACTION
A three-game series was played at Centenary College of Louisiana this past weekend for Dallas, and the Gents were able to claim each of them. After two low scoring affairs on Friday where UD fell 3-2 and 1-0, respectively; the Navy and White were nipped 8-4 in the finale.
The first game opened with the Crusaders taking a 1-0 edge on a sacrifice fly by freshman Patch Healy (Plano, Texas). Centenary responded with a run apiece in the second through fourth innings. The visitors brought the margin to one in the top of the fifth, but could not gain any more momentum.
The nightcap was a pitchers' duel between sophomore Ryan Hammonds (Cedar Hill, Texas) and Centenary's Jake McFarland. Both starters hurled eight innings apiece and combined for 14 punch outs. The home squad edged the Crusaders with one in the seventh.
In the finale, Dallas rallied in the eighth as senior Luciano Villanueva (San Antonio, Texas) clobbered a double to bring home two runs. The knock tied the affair 4-all. However, the Navy and White were undone by a four-run bottom half as the Gents finalized the sweep.
GAME NOTES
Villanueva and senior Trevor Keele (Edgewood, Texas) are clubbing over .300 for the Crusaders with 30 hits apiece. Villanueva is hitting a team-high .333, and leads the team with 14 RBI. Keele has scored a team-high 17 times, and the duo each have belted a pair of home runs.
Healy is the other player with double figures in runs driven in with 12. The designated player/first baseman has combined for seven of them at Crusader Field.
Senior Jake Pierce (Tucson, Ariz.) and sophomore Alex Stack (Keller, Texas) have posted respective batting clips of .296 and .276. Stack has scored 15 times, while Pierce is coming off a two-for-three effort at Centenary in the last contest.
The Crusaders have drawn 94 walks, with Healy leading the way at 13. Senior Nolan Kipp (Folsom, Calif.) has earned 12 free passes and three players round out the double-digits with 11. Among that group are freshman Zach San Roman (Miami, Fla.), Villanueva, and Keele.
Against non-conference opponents, Dallas is 4-11, and have dropped the last nine. UD began 4-2 on the campaign against teams outside the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC).
SCOUTING THE COMETS
Texas-Dallas posted a sweep versus the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor this past weekend in Richardson, Texas. UTD squeaked out a 1-0 shutout, before bolstering two double-digit scoring outputs in 11-3 and 16-9 results, respectively. The Comets are 5-6 on the road and were swept in the last road series at Sul Ross State University.
Pacing an offense that is hitting .271 is Brandon George with a .385 clip. George is also tied for the most hits on the squad with 37, seven doubles, and two homers. He leads the way with 20 RBI. Matching him in hits is Tim Cole, who is the other member over .300 with a .381 mark.
Jimmy Norris is hitting .294 with a team-high 22 runs scored. She is tied for most two-baggers with seven and has drawn the most walks with 14. Brandon Clounch has cracked two long balls and driven in the second highest amount of RBI with 16.
On the bump, UTD is led by Michael Ward with a save in 12 innings. He has posted a 0.75 earned run average in six appearances. John Quisenberry has made the most appearances out of the bullpen with 10, and has drawn two saves. Aaron Bach also notched a save and 3.90 reflects his ERA through 27.2 innings. He has made a trio of starts.
The Comets are 3-6 in non-conference games.
HISTORY
These programs have not met on the diamond since the 2012 year when both prevailed at its home field. University of Dallas won 12-8, while the Green and Orange earned a 4-3 triumph.
In 2011, UTD took two out of three at Richardson, Texas. The Crusaders are 1-0 at home versus Texas-Dallas (archives back to 2010).
In the victory at Irving, Texas, the Navy and White powered a 9-0 advantage through six frames, and held on despite an eight-run seventh scare by the Comets. Insurance runs in the eighth and ninth helped extend the lead for the win.
UP NEXT
Dallas returns to SCAC play on Apr. 11-12 versus No. 13 Trinity University. On Saturday the Crusaders play two contests beginning at 12 p.m., and will conclude the three-game set the next day at 1 p.m.
SOCIAL MEDIA
UD Twitter: @UDallasSports
UD Baseball Twitter: @UDallasBaseball
Facebook: University of Dallas Athletics