Lumberjacks Face Aggies in Mid-Week Game
4/24/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 24, 2007
NACOGDOCHES - The Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks are looking to put together a three-game win streak after taking two-of-three from Texas-San Antonio this past weekend. SFA heads to College Station wanting to add on to their 23-19 overall record. The 'Jacks' 23 wins this season has already surpassed their overall win total from their inaugural season in 2006 (15). SFA has won five of their last six games and has not put together a losing streak of more than three games since mid-February.
Last weekend, the SFA pitching staff shut down the then-SLC leading Texas-San Antonio Roadrunners. Each game was decided by one run, with the first two games being pushed into extra frames. The Lumberjacks suffered a 7-6 10-inning loss before coming back to take a 6-5 11-inning win and handing UTSA its first shut out of the season, 1-0, Sunday afternoon. SFA has a 10-8 conference record and is in fifth place as it takes a break from league play to face the No. 22 Texas A&M Aggies.
The No. 22 Aggies: Texas A&M, who is ranked No. 22 by Collegiate Baseball, has a 32-10 overall record and is 24-5 at home. Through their last six games, the Aggies are 3-3 and lost their last two to No. 20 Oklahoma State. Parker Dalton and Blake Stouffer have both posted .392 batting averages to lead the Aggies. Stouffer has 33 runs on the year off 65 hits. He has 14 doubles and 52 RBI. He also leads the team with 16 stolen bases. Dalton is leading the team with 41 runs scored. From the mound, Kyle Nicholson has a 9-1 record and a 1.24 ERA. He has 62 Ks in 79.2 innings of work with just 12 walks. He has held opponents to a .199 batting average. Starting for the Aggies is Clayton Ehlert, who will be making his first start this season. In 7.0 innings pitched, he has a 2.57 ERA. He's allowed three walks while striking out six. Ehlert has held the opposition to a .222 ERA.
Against the No. 22 Aggies: Tuesday will mark the first time the Aggies and Lumberjacks have met on the diamond since baseball made its return to SFA in 2006. But until 1995, Texas A&M had a 12-0 advantage over the 'Jacks.
The Coaches: SFA's Donnie Watson is in his second season at the helm of the Lumberjack baseball program. In his time with the 'Jacks, Watson has put together a 38-60 (.387) overall record and an SLC mark of 17-30 (.361). Rob Childress is in his second season as the head coach of the Texas A&M Aggies.
The Starters Tuesday - David Miller: Junior righty David Miller gets the nod for the second-straight mid-week game, marking his second start of the season. After struggling through the first part of the season -- he had a 36.00 ERA after an appearance on March 3 and did not come back to the mound until April 1 -- Miller has become a go-to reliever for Donnie Watson. As of April 1, Miller has a 1.54 ERA and has given up six hits in 11.2 innings of work. He has only allowed two runs and has fanned 14 in the same time frame. On April 13, he pitched 4.1 innings of hitless, scoreless baseball at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi as he walked one and struck out a career-high seven batters.
Friday - Erich Lehmann: Sophomore Erich Lehmann threw 7.0 innings against the Roadrunners Friday, giving up five runs off 10 hits. He struck out three and walked only one in the outing. Lehmann did not factor in the extra-inning decision that gave the Lumberjacks a 7-6 loss. For the year, the Fort Worth native has a 4.26 ERA with a 6-2 record. He is still tied for the all-time wins record in school history. In 80.1 innings, Lehmann has struck out 55 and walked 14.
Saturday - Jared Schrom: Sophomore right hander Jared Schrom threw seven complete innings for his second straight outing. He gave up five runs - three earned - off eight hits. He struck out two and walked two as he took a no decision. Schrom has made 12 starts in 13 appearances this season. He is leading the 'Jacks' rotation with 58 Ks this season. The Portland, Texas, native has a 3.50 ERA this season.
Sunday - Lance Luetge: One week after Lance Luetge was named the Southland's Pitcher of the Week for his two-hitter against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, the southpaw returned to the mound in Sunday's rubber game and shut down the SLC's then-first team. He held the Roadrunners to just five hits as he pitched 8.1 innings en route to a 1-0 win over UTSA. Luetge earned his sixth win of the season and has a 3.31 ERA. He also has 45 strikeouts on the season.
Reliever Richard Folmer: Sophomore Richard Folmer had a good week on the mound for SFA picking up a save and a win in three appearances. At Dallas Baptist, the righty gave up two hits in 2.1 innings and struck out four. Then on consecutive days against Texas-San Antonio, Folmer gave up three hits in 3.1 total innings and struck out two. He earned his second win of the season Saturday against the Roadrunners. For the season, Folmer has a 5.11 ERA and leads the 'Jacks with three saves. He has 30 Ks on the year, compared to just 17 in 2006.
Reliever Russ Fornea: In his last four appearances, sophomore Russ Fornea has shut down the opposition. Through 4.1 innings, he has allowed three hits and has struck out four while not giving up a run or allowing a walk. The Nacogdoches native earned his first save of the season in Sunday's 1-0 shut out after coming in to face the final two batters and forcing a groundout before striking out the final batter. Fornea is 2-2 on the year with a 3.38 ERA. He has 20 Ks.
Nationally Ranked: The Lumberjacks have left their mark on the national rankings in three different categories this season. Before his two home runs last week, Steven Hill was ranked fourth in the nation in home runs. He is also ranked in the top 10 for home runs per game. Hill's numbers have also helped the team land 14th for home runs per game. Hill is also ranked among the top 10 for RBI per game and in the top 15 in slugging percentage.
Firsts for UTSA: The Lumberjacks were responsible for handing Texas-San Antonio a couple of firsts this past weekend. The Lumberjacks' two consecutive wins over the Roadrunners marked the first time UTSA had lost two straight since the first weekend of March. It was also the first time the first-place Roadrunners had lost a Southland Conference series. Sunday's 1-0 loss was also the first time UTSA had been shut out in 2007.
Up Next: The Lumberjacks will host the Nicholls State Colonels Friday-Sunday before hitting the road for their second longest stretch of road games this season. SFA will play a three-game set at Texas State, followed by a weekend series at Texas-Arlington before heading home to close out the 2007 slate against Sam Houston in the final weekend of the season.
