SERIES PREVIEW: Dallas at Centenary College (4/3; DH | 4/4)
(Photo Graphic Courtesy of Hannah Miller)
MULTIMEDIA COVERAGE
THE LEAD
The University of Dallas (6-18, 2-7 SCAC) head to Centenary College of Louisiana (11-10, 7-2 SCAC) for a three-game series on April 3-4. On Friday the squad's look to complete a doubleheader beginning at 4 p.m. First pitch of the finale is slated for 1 p.m. on Saturday.
Dallas is looking to end a six-game slide, after being swept in back-to-back Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) three-game sets at home. The Crusaders prevailed in both league games in their most recent road outings that were at Schreiner University.
LAST TIME OUT
UD was nipped in all three contests last weekend against Texas Lutheran University at Crusader Field. Both affairs in a double dip were low scoring through the first seven innings, before the visitors broke away during the final six outs. Dallas was topped 4-0 and 9-5, respectively. TLU claimed the third game in 10-1 fashion.
In the opener, both starters locked into a pitchers' duel, exchanging zeros through the first six frames. Texas Lutheran broke the knotted matchup with one in the seventh, and tacked three on in the eighth.
Another pitching showdown occurred in the middle contest of the series. After falling behind a run in the fourth, the Navy and White struck for a pair in its half of the inning. It was the lone advantage for Dallas all weekend, and a five-run Bulldogs' eighth derailed momentum. The home team did answer with two to keep within reach, but three in the final at-bat for TLU sealed the series win.
Game three resulted in an early two-run deficit that expanded to five after a three-run fifth. The Crusaders' notched their only offense for a run in the bottom half to keep things within four. Texas Lutheran garnered runs in four of the final five innings.
IMPACT PLAYERS
Senior Martin Cronin (The Woodlands, Texas) has thrown the eight innings in the past two starts to match a season-high. Those lengthy outings have increased the right-hander's total to 36 overall, which are six behind team-leader's sophomore Ryan Hammonds (Cedar Hill, Texas).
Senior Luciano Villanueva (San Antonio, Texas) paces the club offensively with a .350 batting average and is tied with classmate Trevor Keele (Edgewood, Texas) in hits and home runs at 28 and two, respectively. The duo boasts the lone averages above .300 as Keele has knocked a .326 clip.
Villanueva has hit in nine of the past 12 matchups, with seven counting as multi-hit efforts.
Keele and freshman Patch Healy (Plano, Texas) sit in the team lead with 11 RBI apiece. Healy is batting .260 with four of his 20 hits counting towards doubles. The designated hitter/first baseman knocked the Navy and White's other homer a few weekends ago versus Southwestern University.
Sophomore Alex Stack (Keller, Texas) rounds out the top trio of hitters for UD, posting 25 hits and a .287 average. His 15 runs scored place him second overall, and yield to Keele's team-best of 17.
SCOUTING THE GENTS
Centenary has won three-straight, claiming each contest last weekend during SCAC play in a road series against Austin College. A 6-5 extra inning game went 10 during the opener. The ensuing twinbill the next day saw the Maroon and White triumph 4-1, and 7-5.
The Gents are 5-1 at home this campaign, with the one conference series thus far being played on Sheehee Stadium turf equaling a sweep versus Schreiner.
Leading Centenary on offense is Chris Zapata with 34 hits and a .420 average. His four two-baggers help create a quartet of those on Shreveport, La.'s squad along with: Christian Sebastian, Cole Lavergne, and Aaron Quintanilla. Sebastian has driven in 15 for a team-high, and Quintanilla is the only player with multiple homers.
Michael Schimpf slots second overall with the Maroon and White with a .337 average and 28 base knocks to go with a team-leading 28 runs scored. Five players are above .300.
Taylor Henry, the SCAC's reigning Pitcher-of-the-Week guides the staff with a 1.71 ERA to go with a 2-1 record in 31.2 innings pitched. His team-high 43 strikeouts aided the squad's success last weekend in Sherman, Texas. Henry also has logged five saves.
Tossing a team-most 40 innings is Holden Novak, who has displayed five wins to anchor the starters.
HISTORY
Both programs joined the SCAC within the past four campaigns, and these groups first met during 2013. The season series went to Dallas 3-2 after losing two of the trio at Shreveport, Louisiana. Uniquely, all five decisions were decided by a run.
In the past year, the squads exchanged sweeps at the home teams' venue to reflect a 3-3 effort. Centenary won 4-1 (7 innings), 2-1, and 10-3.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Dallas plays a contest that was added to begin a four-game home stand. The non-conference affair features University of Texas-Dallas on Tuesday, Apr. 7. First pitch is at 3 p.m.
The Crusaders are back in SCAC action on Apr. 11-12 for three games versus No. 13 Trinity University.
SOCIAL MEDIA
UD Twitter: @UDallasSports
UD Baseball Twitter: @UDallasBaseball
Facebook: University of Dallas Athletics