Stephen F. Austin
Louisiana-Monroe
'Jacks Continue Home Stand with Three-Game Series against Louisiana-Monroe
3/9/2018 9:18:00 AM | Baseball
SFA faces Warhawks for first time since 2016
Game Twelve
Stephen F. Austin (1-10) vs. Louisiana-Monroe (9-3)
Friday, March 10 | 6:30 p.m. | Jaycees Field (1,000) | Nacogdoches, Texas
Live Stats | Weather Forecast
Pitching Matchup | LHP Dru Dziedzic (0-1, 9.95 ERA) vs. LHP Trey Jeans (1-0, 5.02 ERA)
Game Thirteen
Stephen F. Austin (1-10) vs. Louisiana-Monroe (9-3)
Saturday, March 11 | 2:00 p.m. | Jaycees Field (1,000) | Nacogdoches, Texas
Live Stats | Weather Forecast
Pitching Matchup | RHP Trevor Kiminski (0-2, 4.15 ERA) vs. LHP Kyle Backofen (1-1, 7.88 ERA)
Game Fourteen
Stephen F. Austin (1-10) vs. Louisiana-Monroe (9-3)
Sunday, March 12 | 1:00 p.m. | Jaycees Field (1,000) | Nacogdoches, Texas
Live Stats | Weather Forecast
Pitching Matchup | TBA vs. RHP Justin Olaughlin (1-0, 7.24 ERA)
LEADOFF HITS
• Fresh off its first victory of the 2018 campaign, the Stephen F. Austin baseball team hopes to build off of the momentum it gathered in its first home game of the season when the 'Jacks host Sun Belt Conference representative Louisiana-Monroe for a three-game set. Friday night's series opener is set for 6:30 p.m. before the two teams take the field in the middle game at 2:00 p.m. Saturday afternoon. The non-conference set wraps up Sunday afternoon at 1:00 p.m.
• Junior Austin Hearn locked up his first pitching win of the season Tuesday night in the 'Jacks 9-4 victory over Texas Southern. In the first start of his collegiate career, the Crosby, Texas, product worked five innings and surrendered just two runs on five hits and four walks while sitting down four batters via the strikeout.
• Freshman Jared Martin added another pair of RBI to his team-leading total of eight with a two-run single in the 'Jacks' Tuesday night victory. Martin, SFA's leader in hits (15), runs scored (10), walks (eight) and slugging percentage (.659) ranks second in the Southland Conference with six doubles.
• Martin (.366) and Skylar Black (.313) are the only two SFA regular batting above the .300 mark this year. Both Josh Campbell (.296) and Nick Daley (.293) are close to joining them there.
• Five SFA batters have racked up five or more RBI including Martin (eight), Black (seven), Manny Vasquez (six), Nick Daley (five) and Nic Minor (five).
• The 'Jacks' Tuesday night victory snapped a 12-game losing streak for SFA that dated back to last season. It also marked the fourth-straight home win for SFA dating back to last season and including last year 22 of the team's 30 wins have come at home.
SCOUTING LOUISIANA-MONROE | ROSTER | SCHEDULE | STATISTICS
• A Wednesday night 7-0 shutout loss to in-state foe Louisiana Tech may have dampened the Warhawks' spirts slightly, but Louisiana-Monroe is still riding high from one of its best starts in recent memory. First-year head coach Michael Federico - who was most recently the overseer of the pitchers and catchers as an assistant coach at regional hardball power Southern Miss - has the Warhawks off to a 9-3 start. With three more wins, Louisiana-Monroe would tie its win total from the previous season.
• Before the season started, the Warhawks were picked to finish sixth in the Sun Belt Conference's west division but if ULM keeps up their strong play a much higher spot will be in the cards before all is said and done.
• Junior outfielder Braedon Barrett earned the title of Sun Belt Player of the Week on Feb. 28 after hitting .429 (6-of-14) with six RBI and 10 runs scored in the Warhawks' sweep of Northern Kentucky. Barrett hit for the cycle in the Warhawks' 21-9 win in the series finale and drove in six runs in that game alone.
• Johnny DeLaCruz (.364/.429/.477), Peyton Lacoste (.349/.426/.535) and Joey Jordan (.316/.395/.421) are the three regulars among Louisiana-Monroe's ranks who are batting .310 or higher. Lacoste already has 20 RBI racked up through 12 games, too,
• The Warhawks like to run, too, and have totaled 26 stolen bases already this season. That's the most in the Sun Belt and the 12th-most in the nation up to this point with Jordan (six) and Barrett (eight) accounting to the majority of the thefts.
• No Louisiana-Monroe pitcher has more than one win to his credit. Trey Jeans, Kyle Backofen and Justin Olaughlin have each started three games but a deep bullpen has allowed nine different individuals to secure wins on the hill so far this season.
COMING UP NEXT
• The fifth of eight-straight home games for the 'Jacks is a non-conference tilt with SWAC adversary Prairie View A&M. First pitch at Jaycees Field has been set for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday night.
-SFA-
