SFA Set For Rematch With Cougars
4/15/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 15, 2008
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The Lumberjack baseball team will have revenge on its mind on Tuesday as it takes on the nationally-ranked Houston Cougars for the second time this season with a 3:00 p.m. start time slated for Jaycees Field.
The game can be followed via Gametracker at www.sfajacks.com, or via the Houston broadcast team online at www.uhcougars.com.
The `Jacks (14-20, 3-11 SLC) are coming off a three-game sweep against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi over the weekend, while the Cougars (22-12, 7-2 Conference USA) will bring their No. 19 national ranking in the latest Collegiate Baseball poll to Nacogdoches. This will mark the fourth game the `Jacks have played this season against a team ranked nationally.
Tuesday's game will feature a rematch in more ways than one, as Lance Luetge and John Touchton will each get the start for their squads - an identical pitching matchup that the teams put forward on March 11.
That game saw Lance Luetge allow only three hits in five innings of shutout baseball in a performance that dropped his ERA to a season-low 1.40. Touchton allowed two runs in four innings of work against the `Jacks, but it was reliever Chris Wright that was the bullpen hero for Cougars after he came on in relief and did not allow a batter to reach base for the four innings he was in. He recorded eight strikeouts with no walks in the apperance.
Eventually though, it ws Sean Meyers providing dramatics for the `Jacks as he blasted a two-run homer in the top of the ninth off of Cougars stopper Chase Dempsay to tie the score; however, Chris Wallace stroked a one-out single to left field for a walk-off RBI to give the Cougars a 5-4 win just over a month ago.
Since then the Cougars offense has come alive as the team now sports a .308 batting average and has recorded wins over nationally-ranked opponents Rice, East Carolina and a three-game sweep of Central Florida.
Kevin Crabtree has continued his hot hitting into this week for SFA, hitting .362 with a team-best 30 RBI. Kai Kirby hit his second home run of the year on Sunday and has elevated his batting average to .301, but his biggest threats are with his legs and his arm as he leads the SLC with six outfield assists and is already tied for the SFA school record with 15 stolen bases on the year.
The Cougars have five players hitting over .300, including Bryan Pounds sporting a .431 batting average with seven home runs and 42 RBI - all team highs. Jake Stewart and Blake Kelso are right on his heels offensively, with the freshman Kelso boasting a .420 on-base percentage out of his leadoff slot.
The `Jacks hit the road for seven straight games beginning Friday in San Antonio as they start a three-game set with the conference-leading Roadrunners.
Projected pitching matchup vs. Houston:
Tuesday
SFA: Lance Luetge (LHP) 4-4, 4.22 ERA, 49.0 IP, 23K, 25BB
UH: John Touchton (RHP) 2-2, 6.04 ERA, 22.1 IP, 21K, 9BB
-SFA-
