SFA Opens Conference Play Hosting UCA
3/6/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Stephen F. Austin vs. Central Arkansas
Jaycees Field • Nacogdoches, Texas
Game One: Friday, March 6 • 4 p.m.
Game Two: Saturday, March 7 • 12 p.m.
Game Three: Saturday, March 7 • 3:30 p.m.
Records: SFA (4-9, 0-0 SLC); UCA (4-3, 0-0 SLC)
Live Stats: Game One • Game Two • Game Three
Twitter Updates:@SFA_Baseball
Opening Pitch
Stephen F. Austin returns to Jaycees Field to open up its 2015 Southland Conference schedule, hosting Central Arkansas in a three-game series. The Lumberjacks and Bears open the series with a 4 p.m. first pitch Friday, followed by a Saturday doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m. as the original schedule was altered due to weather.
Starting Pitchers
• Game One: RHP Cameron Gann, SFA (2-1, 2.37 ERA) vs. RHP Connor Gilmore, UCA (1-2, 4.11 ERA)
• Game Two: LHP Dillon Mangham, SFA (0-3, 9.95 ERA) vs. RHP Andrew Kemmerer, UCA (0-1, 4.22 ERA)
• Game Three: TBD, SFA vs. RHP Brandon Hagerla, UCA (1-0, 3.55 ERA)
Scouting the Bears
2015: 4-3 overall, 0-1 on road
Last Series: Lost to Missouri State 2-1 (W 6-4, L 10-1, L 6-4)
Head Coach: Allen Gum (Southern Arkansas, 1991). Fourth season at UCA (127-106, .545)
Synopsis: Central Arkansas is 4-3 on the season, coming off a 6-4 win against Missouri State on March 1st to salvage one game in the series against the Bears. UCA opened up the year winning three straight over Grambling State, Louisiana-Monroe and Indiana State before dropping a 5-2 decision to Memphis. As a team, the Bears are hitting .296 as a team, including nine players hitting .300 or better led by Braxton Phillips' .385 average with eight RBIs. The Bears are averaging 3.81 runs per game while giving up 4.80.
Series Information
SFA leads Central Arkansas 18-8 in the all-time series between the two dating back to the 2007 season as the Lumberjacks are 10-5 against the Bears at Jaycees Field. SFA won the season series against UCA in 2014, taking two out of three at Jaycees Field highlighted by 9-6 and 5-4 wins in games one and two.
Last Time Out
Stephen F. Austin put a scare into second-ranked LSU, pulling to within a run of the Tigers in the top of the fifth inning. But the Tigers scored six times over the next four innings, pulling away from the Lumberjacks en route to an 8-1 victory. Freshman Hunter Wilson had the key hit of the night for the `Jacks, ripping an RBI triple in the fifth to drive in the lone SFA run.
Welcome To The Show
One of the bright spots for SFA this year has been the production of freshman Hunter Wilson. The Spiro, Okla., native has appeared in nine games with five starts and leads the team with a .389 batting average. He has seven hits in 18 at bats, including a double and a triple which both led to RBIs.
One Run Showdowns
SFA has started to show that if a game is close, the Lumberjacks have a chance. The `Jacks have posted a 3-2 record in one-run games this season, including winning the last three decided by a single run. After dropping a 5-4 decision to Missouri State and a 4-3 loss to Washington State in the Tipton Ford Classic, SFA knocked off Louisiana-Monroe 8-7, toppled South Dakota State 1-0 and then rallied to beat the Jackrabbits 8-7 as Tyler Wiedenfeld picked up the save in each of the victories.
Looking Ahead
Following this weekend's series against Central Arkansas, SFA embarks on a five-game road trip, beginning with a two-game midweek series in Albuquerque, N.M., facing New Mexico on Tuesday and Wednesday. The `Jacks then turn around make a 1,200 mile trek east to New Orleans, opening up a three-game series against the Privateers Friday.
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