'Jacks Hope to Strengthen Grip on Southland's Top Spot During Weekend Series against SLU
3/28/2019 5:25:00 PM | Baseball
SFA holds 1.5 game lead over Lions for first place in league standings
Game Twenty-Seven
SFA (13-13, 7-2 Southland) vs. Southeastern Louisiana (12-12, 4-2 Southland)
Friday, March 29 | 6:30 p.m. | Jaycees Field (1,000) | Nacogdoches, Texas
Tickets | Watch (Facebook Live) | Live Stats | Weather Forecast
Pitching Matchup | RHP Alex Palmer (3-1, 2.82 ERA) vs. RHP Corey Gaconi (2-2, 2.79 ERA)
Game Twenty-Eight
SFA vs. Southeastern Louisiana
Saturday, March 30 | 2:00 p.m. | Jaycees Field (1,000) | Nacogdoches, Texas
Tickets | Watch (Facebook Live) | Live Stats | Weather Forecast
Pitching Matchup | LHP Jaxon Covington (3-1, 3.51 ERA) vs. TBA
Game Twenty-Nine
SFA vs. Southeastern Louisiana
Sunday, March 31 | 1:00 p.m. | Jaycees Field (1,000) | Nacogdoches, Texas
Tickets | Watch (Facebook Live) | Live Stats | Weather Forecast
Pitching Matchup | LHP Jacob Stobart (3-1, 4.35 ERA) vs. RHP Will Warren (2-2, 6.98 ERA)
LEADOFF HITS
• Sitting atop the Southland Conference standings after three weeks of league action, the SFA baseball team continues its five-game home stand this weekend when it plays host to Louisiana and Southland rival Southeastern Louisiana for a three-game set from Jaycees Field. SFA junior right-hander Alex Palmer will get the ball for game one which is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. Friday evening.
• The series between the 'Jacks and the Lions is sponsored by Grease Monkey and Excel Car Wash.
• SFA sits in a tie with Piney Woods rival Sam Houston State for first place in the Southland standings. Just one game behind them is Central Arkansas followed by Southeastern Louisiana who is 1.5 games back of the Bears. Just two games separate the first through eighth place teams in the 13-team league.
• With a single in his lone plate appearance in SFA's midweek contest with Houston, freshman outfielder Brandon Uhse extended his hitting streak to a team-leading five games. The first-year man out of Grand Prairie, Texas, leads SFA in batting average (.320), hits (31) and runs scored (15) through his first 25 games as a collegian.
• Right behind Uhse in terms of batting average is sophomore Jared Martin who has now reached base safely in nine-straight games after drawing a walk against Houston Wednesday afternoon. The outfielder is hitting .300/.394/.400 and has drawn a team-high 14 of SFA's 95 walks. Martin is also tied with Uhse for the team lead in runs scored (15) headed into this weekend's series.
• A team-high 10 of the 'Jacks' 41 extra-base hits belong to senior Manny Vasquez who has driven in one run in each of his last eight games. Vasquez lead the team in both doubles (seven) and home runs (three).
• Vasquez currently ranks as the second-toughest player to strike out in the Southland as the senior punches out just one time every 11.8 at-bats.
FIRST-PITCH STRIKES
• Palmer has been one of the most consistent arms the 'Jacks have at their disposal in 2019. The junior out of Arlington, Texas, leads the team and ranks second in the Southland with 50 strikeouts through his team-leading 38 1/3 innings of work.
• Furthermore, Palmer leads the Southland with a strikeouts per nine innings average of 11.74 which is the 71st-best figure among all NCAA Division I arms.
• SFA's starting rotation of Palmer, Jaxon Covington and Jacob Stobart has combined to produce a 9-3 record with 86 strikeouts against 21 walks.
• Relief arms Jesus Gamez and Jeremy Rodriguez are tied for the team lead with four saves apiece. That puts them in a tie for third in the Southland and 55th in the nation in saves. Additionally, Rodriguez has appeared in 13 games which is the 36th-highest number of total appearances by any NCAA Division I hurler.
• Senior Tyler Starks has amassed three saves as well, putting him fifth among Southland players in saves and 100th nationally. For his career, the Mesquite, Texas, product has 16 saves which is the third-most all-time by an SFA arm. Starks' 88 appearances are the third-most by any SFA pitcher all-time.
• Fellow senior Austin Hearn ranks fourth all-time in total appearances behind Starks. Hearn, a Crosby, Texas, product, has 84 appearances to his credit.
• SFA's pitching staff has turned in a pair of shutouts this season - the second-highest shutout total in the Southland and the 36th-most among all pitching staffs on the NCAA Division I baseball scene.
ON THE BASE PATHS
• Senior outfielder Nick Daley has been steadily moving up the 'Jacks' career stolen bases chart since the season began.
• With nine of SFA's 22 steals this season, Daley has 30 swipes to his credit. That's the fifth-most by any Lumberjack in the history of the program.
• Daley's nine stolen bases are the fourth-most by any Southland player as is his average of 0.43 stolen bases per game.
SERIES HISTORY | SFA vs. SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA
Record vs. Southeastern Louisiana | 16-30 (.348)
Streak | Southeastern Louisiana won 6
In Nacogdoches, Texas | 8-14 (.364)
Streak | Southeastern Louisiana won 3
In Hammond, La. | 7-15 (.318)
Streak | Southeastern Louisiana won 4
At neutral sites | 1-1 (.500)
Streak | Southeastern Louisiana won 1
Last meeting | SFA 3, at SELA 7 (4/29/18)
SFA runs/per game | 224 / 4.9
Southeastern Louisiana runs/per game | 284 / 6.2
Last Southeastern Louisiana win | SFA 3, at SELA 7 (4/29/18)
Last SFA win | SFA 8, at SELA 3 (4/21/13)
Cardenas vs. Southeastern Louisiana | 6-17 (.261)
SCOUTING SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA | ROSTER | SCHEDULE | STATISTICS
• Winners of their last six games, the Lions head to Nacogdoches in fourth place in the league standings and just 1.5 games back of SFA and Sam Houston State for the league lead.
• After dropping four of five games and scoring only seven runs during that stretch, the Lions' bats have heated up considerably during their six-game winning streak. Beginning with a 5-3 win over Oklahoma State in Stillwater, Okla., on March 17, Southeastern Louisiana has outscored its foes 53-19 during its six-game unbeaten stretch.
• At the dish, Kyle Schimpf (.307/.390/.420) is one of two Lion regulars batting above .300 on the year. He ranks second on the team in both hits (27) and RBI (20) to reigning Southland Conference Hitter of the Week Nick Ray.
• A freshman outfielder, Ray has driven in a team-leading 26 runs and among his team-leading nine extra-base hits are a team-best six homers. Those extra-base hits have helped Ray up his team-leading slugging percentage to .547.
• One of the top base thieves in the nation, Cody Grosse gives the Lions the ability to put at least one runner into scoring position every time he gets on base. His 13 stolen bases are the most in the Southland and the 35th-most nationally while his four triples are also a Southland high.
• Staff ace Corey Gaconi headlines the Lions' pitching staff. The right-hander has worked a team-high 38 2/3 innings and has issued only two walks in that span. Gaconi also leads the team with 36 punchouts.
• Jared Biddy and Bryce Tassin have each made 10 appearances out of the Lions' bullpen. The former has been credited with three of the team's four saves while the latter has a 2-0 record in 14 frames of action.
ON DECK
• The 'Jacks put the wraps on a five-game home stand on Wednesday evening by welcoming SWAC foe Arkansas-Pine Bluff to Jaycees Field. First pitch in the first of SFA's five consecutive non-conference games is set for 6:30 p.m.
-SFA-
