SERIES PREVIEW Baseball vs. Southwestern University (4/8-4/9)
MULTIMEDIA COVERAGE
Livestats (Game 1, Game 2, Game 3)
SOCIAL MEDIA
UD Twitter: @UDallasSports
UD Baseball Twitter: @UDallasBaseball
Facebook: University of Dallas Athletics
Instagram: udallasathletics
FIRST PITCH
The University of Dallas baseball are back home for the first weekend series since March 11-12 when it opened conference play with Texas Lutheran University. Dallas is 11-19 and 2-7 in Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) play, and are prepared for the second half of the schedule.
This nine-game conference stretch to conclude the season starts with a three-game series versus Southwestern University on April 8-9. A doubleheader at 12 p.m. starts the pivotal series, with the finale on Sunday at 1 p.m. Dallas is currently tied for sixth in the standings, while the Pirates are third.
The Crusaders have won three-of-four games, including a season-high 17 runs and 23 hits (11 extra bases) on Tuesday at Dallas Christian College. In the midst of the stretch, the baseball program earned its 800th victory all-time last Saturday at LeTourneau University.
UD NOTES
- Jordan Stickler (Grand Rapids, Mich.) leads the team in hitting with a .345 batting average, 30 runs scored, and 19 stolen bases. His total steals rank atop the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) and is second in the SCAC. Stickler has reached base in 21 straight games. The leadoff hitter boasts the third highest on-base percentage (.496) in conference.
- Seth Hanson (Apache Junction, Ariz.) and Nathan Patton (McKinney, Texas) are also hitting north of .300 (at least 70 Abs) with .330 and .305 averages, respectively. The duo each have seven doubles to tie the team-lead.
- The trio mentioned above tops in hits with Hanson (31), Stickler (30), and Patton (29) forming the group.
- Hanson and Mark Peterson (Cincinnati, Ohio) lead the squad with four homers apiece. Paul Scioli (Lubbock, Texas) has launched three, with two at home.
- Josh Abalos (Lewisville, Texas) and JP Fasone (Englewood, Colo.) also have swiped double-digit steals with 11 and 10, respectively. Abalos has recorded a base knock in past three-of-four games. Fasone has scored a run in the last three contests and combined for five in that stretch. He has 20 on the year for second on team.
- Enrique Vigil (San Antonio, Texas) is 6-for-12 in the last three games with eight RBI. This includes his 3-for-5 with a grand slam on Tuesday.
- Ryan Hammonds (Cedar Hill, Texas) anchors the starting rotation with a 3.24 ERA in 50 innings pitched. His 42 strikeouts rank third in the USCAA and he now has 121 in his career.
- Colby Davenport (Crocket, Texas) has thrown seven combined innings and started two games over the recent non-conference stretch. He has only allowed one earned run.
- Cole Morden (Arlington, Texas), Abraham Griesbauer (Troy, Mo.), Kyle Gamez (Burleson, Texas), and William Marshall (Frisco, Texas) are tied for 10 relieve appearances (team-most). Morden has a 3.38 ERA and Griesbauer has a 3.47 in 23.1 innings hurled.
- Griesbauer leads all relievers in strikeouts with 19 in games he entered from the bullpen. Nicholas Goehring is next with 13 and Marshall has 12.
- Conrad Voss (Corona, Calif.) is second on the team in games started (7) on the mound. He has struck out 32.
SCOUTING THE PIRATES
- Southwestern is 16-13 overall and 5-4 in the SCAC.
- The Pirates have won four straight, including sweeping Austin College last weekend in Georgetown.
- Southwestern is 4-5 on opposing turf and 6-8 overall in contests away from home.
- Ethan Hallmark is hitting a .387 batting average with 43 hits (2nd on team), five home runs (tied 2nd in SCAC), and 27 RBI (tied 1st on team). Colby Schmidt is the other player with 27 ribbies. Both those players are tied fifth in the conference for runs driven in.
- Ben Little leads the Pirates in total base knocks with 47 (.373 average) and follows the RBI leaders with 23. He has six doubles and triples to go with a trio of round-trippers. Cole Kelly has tagged three home runs, too.
- Cameron Cooper has a team-high 11 doubles and Schmidt follows with 10.
- Jeremy Rice leads the team in wins (4-3), earned run average with a 2.40 mark (5th in SCAC), and innings pitched (48.2).
- Hayden Holley has thrown 40.1 innings through 17 relief outings and posted a 3.12 ERA. His 41 strikeouts lead the team.
- Jacob Kendra has a 3.67 ERA in 27 frames thrown. The 14 appearances are second on the staff with 12 out of the pen.
RECENT MATCHUPS
- The Crusaders are 21-37 overall against Southwestern.
- Last season, UD dropped a three-game series on the road (4-11, 2-0, 4-8).
- San Roman had a pair of multiple hit games and Fasone added one in the opener. Peterson tripled, scored a run, and drove in one as part of his 2-for-3 showing in UD's win.
- Eric Felchak (The Woodlands, Texas), Blake Palmer (Coppell, Texas), Morden, Griesbauer, Hammonds, and Marshall all pitched that series and have toed the rubber this spring.
- 2015 was the last time these squads faced off at Crusader Field. Southwestern swept the three-game set (8-1, 11-5, 7-5).
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Dallas hosts last season's SCAC Tournament winner and NCAA Division III Champion Trinity University on April 14-15. That series finale will be Senior Day for seven Crusaders: Hammonds, Fasone, San Roman, Marshall, Morden, Felchak, and Palmer.