SERIES PREVIEW: Dallas at No. 16 Trinity University (2/21; DH) | (2/22)
(Photo Graphic Courtesy of Hannah Miller)
MULTIMEDIA COVERAGE
FIRST PITCH
The University of Dallas baseball team (4-3) begin a three-game series against Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) foe Trinity University. The contest does not count towards league play.
On Saturday, Feb. 21, the squads meet on the diamond for a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. and the latter affair around 4 p.m. The next day, the teams will wrap up with the first pitch of the finale at 1 p.m., as well.
Dallas has played five games in the past six days heading into this three-game set, and will play another trio of contests to push the stretch to eight games in 10.
LAST TIME OUT
The Crusaders surrendered a season-worst 17 runs and 19 hits to Castleton State College on Wednesday. The setback occurred after the Navy and White prevailed in three of the last four of the young campaign.
Five players notched hits for Dallas including: two from junior Tug McRoberts (Beaumont, TX), sophomore Avery Arnold (McKinney, Texas), and freshmen Patch Healy (Plano, Texas) and Cody Dion (Keller, Texas).
The knock for Dion was the first of his collegiate career.
Sophomore Ryan Hammonds (Cedar Hill, Texas) pitched a scoreless inning and struck out one.
QUICK HITS
- Sophomore Alex Stack (Keller, Texas) is hitting a team-best .478 and tied for the most hits on the squad with 11. The third baseman has crossed the plate nine times and had an outstanding weekend, combining for eight and scoring at least once in all four.
- His trio of runs scored matched his hit total for the day in each respective contest. Stack has notched three, triple hit games in the young season.
- Tying Stack with 11 base knocks is junior Rene Vargas, Jr. (San Antonio, Texas). He is tied with Healy with two doubles and both are amongst three players with four RBI. Wrapping up the unit with four guys driven in is senior Nolan Kipp (Folsom, Calif.), which all of his occurred in the Carleton game last Sunday.
- Also typing Kipp in the feat that matchup, was fellow classmate Zack Boylson (Fairview, Texas) and propelled him to the leaderboard on UD with five RBI.
- Senior Trevor Keele (Edgewood, Texas) is ranked with Vargas Jr. in a tie for total bases with 13. The first basman has seven hits, but has managed a double, triple, and home run to help elevate that mark. He also has three RBI.
SCOUTING THE TIGERS
Trinity (4-2) opened the season with four-straight victories, and have dropped the past two games, each by two runs or less. The most recent setback was last Sunday in a 4-2 result at University of Texas-Tyler.
The Tigers are 3-0 at home this season, and will be welcoming UD for a trio of non-conference matchups. The defending SCAC champions are ranked 16th in the national polls.
Five players have notched a .400 or above batting average paced by Jose Santos with a .600 clip. Drew Butler and Austin Singer are tied in the lead with 10 hits already eclipsing double-digit numbers. Singer has blasted three homers and Santos and Butler have also gone deep once. Jeremy Wolf and Colin Serkowski round out the unit with .444 and .429 averages, respectively.
Zack Speer has made two starts and piled team-bests with a 2.19 ERA through 12.1 innings. He has fanned 16 batters and walked four.
In 2013-14, the Crusaders took one of three versus Trinity at San Antonio, Texas. In the triumph, UD forced extra innings with a three-run ninth and scored in the 10th to shock the Tigers. Senior Martin Cronin (The Woodlands, Texas) through 7.1 innings and Keele posted 2.2 frames of scoreless, two-hit ball.
The Crusaders were unable to seal the rubber game the next day as Trinity rallied for a pair in the bottom of the eighth to be lifted to a 5-4 final.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Dallas will remain on the road for a midweek game next Wednesday, Feb. 25 at LeTourneau University. First pitch at 6 p.m.
After that, the Crusaders are back at the home confines on Feb. 28-March 1 with a three-game series against Schreiner University.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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