SERIES PREVIEW: Baseball vs. Trinity University (4/14-4/15)
MULTIMEDIA COVERAGE
(Friday Games)
(No Video)
(Saturday Game)
SOCIAL MEDIA
UD Twitter: @UDallasSports
UD Baseball Twitter: @UDallasBaseball
Facebook: University of Dallas Athletics
Instagram: udallasathletics
FIRST PITCH
The University of Dallas baseball team plays its final home series of 2017 with a three-game set versus the reigning NCAA Division III Champions Trinity University. On April 14, the squads meet for a doubleheader at 12 p.m. The series concludes the next day at 1 p.m.
The University of Dallas is having a campus-wide electrical shutdown on Friday from 5 a.m. – around 2:30 p.m. Games will be played at the usual facilities and generators will be used to power normal operations.
Dallas is 12-21 overall this season and 3-9 in Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) play. The Crusaders have matched last season's win total. They are coming off a pair of losses after taking game one, 8-2, over Southwestern University at Crusader Field last weekend. Prior to the lopsided finale, Dallas had won 4-of-6 games with both setbacks being one-run decisions.
UD NOTES
- Jordan Stickler (Grand Rapids, Mich.) remains on fire having reached base 24 straight games. He is hitting a team-high .353 and has a team-high 19 stolen bases. That amount of steals ranks second in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA).
- Nathan Patton (McKinney, Texas) boasts an active hitting streak of seven games. He is hitting .333 and has driven in 20 (2nd on the squad).
- Seth Hanson (Apache Junction, Ariz.) leads the team in ribbies with 26 and is hitting a .318-clip.
- Stickler (36), Patton (35), and Hanson (34) are the top trio of players in total hits.
- Mark Peterson (Cincinnati, Ohio) has put together a six-game hitting stretch and has recorded a base knock in eight of the past 10 contests. He has driven in a pair of runs in the last two weekend series and now has 17 (3rd on team).
- Enrique Vigil (San Antonio, Texas) has provided a recent boost by reaching base safely in the last six. In both UD's win last week, the right fielder went 6-for-9 with nine RBI, three home runs, a double, and scored five runs.
- JP Fasone (Englewood, Colo.) leads the team in walks with 29. Sunday's contest against Southwestern was the senior's 100th career game to play in after three seasons with UD.
- Ryan Hammonds (Cedar Hill, Texas) holds a 3.00 ERA in 57 innings through nine starts. The righty has tossed six outings with seven innings. Eight of his appearances have resulted in at least six-inning starts. Hammonds ranks second in the USCAA in strikeouts (47) and is two shy from tying a personal-best.
- Abraham Griesbauer (Troy, Mo.) holds a 3.18 ERA and continues to have a team-best three wins. The southpaw is third on the staff in innings pitched (28.1). In his most recent outing last Saturday, Griesbauer retired 12 straight batters and had 10 groundouts during that span.
- Colby Davenport (Crockett, Texas) holds a 2.08 ERA in 13 innings. He has started three games, including the second game of the past two weekends.
SENIOR DAY
Prior to the first pitch on Saturday, seven players will be recognized for their contribution to the University of Dallas baseball program. This unit includes five pitchers: Eric Felchak (The Woodlands, Texas), Hammonds, William Marshall (Frisco, Texas), Cole Morden (Arlington, Texas), and Blake Palmer (Coppell, Texas). Catcher Zach San Roman (Miami, Fla.) and infielder/outfielder Fasone complete the septet.
SCOUTING THE TIGERS
- Trinity University is 17-13 overall and 6-6 in the SCAC action. It enters the week in fourth place of the league standings, which is the final spot for qualifying teams into the tournament.
- The Tigers were outdueled last weekend at home by Schreiner University 4-3. This spoiled a bid at sweeping SU after Trinity poured 10 runs on in the first two victories.
- The Tigers are 7-8 in true away games and 10-10 away from the friendly confines as a while.
- Jake Martin paces the offense with total hits (43), runs-batted-in (23), and total bases (68).
- He is tied fourth in the conference for home runs with four and solely possesses third in stolen bags with 15). Martin's nine doubles are tied with Scott Walters. Walters is hitting .363 and Martin follows him at a .358 mark.
- Rafe Chaumette is tied with Walters for hits (37) and has chipped in six doubles, three triples (1st on team), a homer, and 20 RBI (2nd on team).
- A quartet of players have surpassed 20 runs scored including: Blake Frampton (27), Martin (27), Walters (26), and Chaumette (21).
- James Nittoli leads the staff with seven starts and has thrown 31.1 innings. His ERA is a 2.59-clip.
- Kevin Flores has an earned run average beneath 2.00 (1.97) and has thrown a team-high 45.2 innings though nine appearances (six starts). His ERA ranks second in the SCAC and his five wins are tied for fourth.
- Chris Tate is another Tiger pitcher in the top five for ERA numbers. His 2.43 is fourth and the team leader in appearances (11) on the mound has blown 49 hitters away for third in the SCAC. Another category Tate is third in is saves (3).
RECENT MATCHUPS
- Dallas is 5-35 overall against the Tigers.
- The most recent victory between these squads was a 10-inning thriller (9-8) in San Antonio on March 22, 2014.
- Dallas has been swept the last two seasons at each venue during conference play.
- In 2016, No. 2 (at the time) Trinity won 8-0, 5-3, and 7-0.
UP NEXT
Dallas is on the road Apr. 22-23 at Schreiner University to conclude the regular season.