SERIES PREVIEW: Baseball vs. Sul Ross State University (2/4 DH) | (2/5)
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FIRST PITCH
The University of Dallas baseball team opens at home this Saturday versus Sul Ross State University. Game time is slated for 12 p.m. and is a seven-inning contest. The second game of the twinbill is slated to begin approximately 20 minutes following and will be a nine-inning. The Crusaders conclude the three-game series on Sunday at 1 p.m.
These programs have opened against each other four consecutive years now. Dallas is coming off a 12-28 record in 2016.
UD NOTES
- Dallas was 9-8 at home last season and won every three-game series at the friendly confines.
- Ryan Hammonds (Cedar Hill, Texas) has been in the starting rotation the past two seasons. The senior produced a 3.78 ERA in 10 appearances (8 starts) and tossed 47.2 innings (2nd on team).
- William Marshall (Frisco, Texas) is another senior pitcher that led the staff in appearances with 20 and returns with the lowest ERA from that squad at a 3.48-clip. He struck out 33 batters in 44 innings.
- Eric Felchak (The Woodlands, Texas) threw a team-most 53.2 innings in 13 starts. Fellow southpaw thrower Abraham Griesbauer (Troy, Mo.) also returns with at least eight starts from 2016 and posted a 4.43 ERA in 40.2 innings.
- On the offense, two seniors in JP Fasone (Englewood, Colo.) and Zach San Roman (Miami, Fla.) return within the top three of hitting. Fasone posted a .291 batting average and team-most 37 hits. His 13 runs batted in was one shy of San Roman's 14.
- San Roman batted .277 and completed the top three players in hits with 33. Josh Abalos (Lewisville, Texas) is the other returner in that trio. His rookie season witnessed him bat .286 with 36 hits. The middle infielder logged a team-high 19 runs scored and swiped 11 stolen bases (2nd on team).
- Mark Peterson (Cincinnati, Ohio) powered a team-most three homers and tied Fasone with four doubles. San Roman was the other Crusader to pound multiple long balls with a pair.
SAAC/SCAC CHANGE FOR THE BETTER
This weekend, The University of Dallas is participating in a fundraiser for the Change for The Better foundation. Schools across the SCAC are competing with each other to see who can raise the most money, although the larger idea is to simply raise some funds for this foundation. Members of the Student Athlete Advisory committee or SAAC at UD are collecting donations to contribute to this cause. If you would like to donate, please visit the designated area near the bleachers where there is a jar that you may place any donations in. If you would like instead, the UD SAAC members have set up a Venmo account (@UDSAAC) that donations can also be made towards. Thank you for your support and Go Crusaders!!!
A LOOK AT THE LOBOS
Sul Ross State University opens its spring campaign this weekend as well. The Lobos went 19-24 overall last season and were 8-11 in non-conference games. They were better on the road, posting an 8-6 record compared to 7-12 in Alpine, Texas.
Jonathan Bigley returns headlining the batting order with a .386 average. He logged 39 hits, 10 doubles, four triples, and three home runs to go with 27 RBI. Johnny Campos is a fellow classmate that batted .383 and started all 43 games in 2016. Campos smacked team-highs in hits (69) and runs scored (47). He also smacked a trio of homers and drove in 27. Ryan Almager tallied a .368 average at the plate. He is the returning leader in doubles with 16 and tied with Chris York with 33 ribbies. York has seven long balls to lead returners and Almager followed with six.
On the mound, Jeremy Martinez returns with the most starts from a season ago with 10. He logged the lowest ERA (5.06) and registered 43 punchouts. Coleman Ramsey made 18 appearances out of the pen and notched a 6.46 ERA. Cody Remore is the other familiar name on the roster that toed the rubber at least 10 times. He made 13 appearances and started six times for 30 innings which is second among pitchers from last season.
Sul Ross State Season Stats from 2016
The Crusaders are 21-14 in the overall series against Sul Ross State. In 2016, Dallas split the first day winning game one (6-5) and losing the second (10-4). The rubber game went to the Navy and White 11-10. Peterson homered in the lidlifter and with a three-run shot. He had two in the series. Hammonds threw 4.1 innings and allowed three earned runs on seven hits. Cole Morden (Arlington, Texas) and Marshall combined 1.2 innings of no-hit ball. In the series finale, Abalos doubled with one of his two hits and drove in a run. Paul Scioli (Lobbock, Texas) legged out a triple and drove in three while scoring twice in a 2-for-4 day. Marshall threw three scoreless frames and Morden captured the win in the last 1.2 innings.
Two season openers ago, the Crusaders hosted SRSU in Irving. The squads split with 3-0 results in each game. The third game was rained out and cancelled. Hammonds tossed five innings in the setback and gave up a pair of runs. Morden threw three scoreless innings after and Marshall completed the ninth with two strikeouts.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Dallas is not home the remainder of the month. However, the Crusaders do not venture out of the DFW area as they travel down to QuickTrip Park home of the Independent Grand Prairie Air Hogs. Three neutral games are set for Feb. 10, 11, and 12 against Hendrix College, Concordia University, and Hardin-Simmons University, respectively.