Stephen F. Austin
New Orleans
SFA's Southland Tournament Hopes Hinge on Final League Series against New Orleans
5/15/2019 4:55:00 PM | Baseball
'Jacks must win one of three games during senior weekend to punch ticket to Southland Conference Tournament
Game Fifty-Three
SFA (22-30, 14-13 Southland) vs. New Orleans (28-25, 12-15 Southland)
Thursday, May 16 | 6:30 p.m. | Jaycees Field (1,000) | Nacogdoches, Texas
Tickets | Watch (Twitter) | Live Stats | Weather Forecast
Pitching Matchup | RHP Alex Palmer (5-6, 2.63 ERA) vs. LHP Brandon Mitchell (3-3, 5.67 ERA)
Game Fifty-Four
SFA vs. New Orleans
Friday, May 17 | 6:00 p.m. | Jaycees Field (1,000) | Nacogdoches, Texas
Tickets | Watch (Twitter) | Live Stats | Weather Forecast
Pitching Matchup | RHP Trayson Kubo (2-3, 5.88 ERA) vs. RHP Chris Turpin (5-4, 4.28 ERA)
Game Fifty-Five
SFA vs. New Orleans
Saturday, May 18 | 1:00 p.m. | Jaycees Field (1,000) | Nacogdoches, Texas
Tickets | Watch (Twitter) | Live Stats | Weather Forecast
Pitching Matchup | LHP Jacob Stobart (6-3, 6.29 ERA) vs. TBA
LEADOFF HITS
• Needing one more win to assure itself a spot in the 2019 Southland Conference Tournament, the SFA baseball team gears up for its final home series of the regular season which pits the 'Jacks against Southland and Louisiana foe New Orleans at Jaycees Field.
• The three-game series gets going at 6:30 p.m. Thursday evening before continuing with game two Friday evening at 6:00 p.m. Saturday's series and regular-season finale has been scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m.
• SFA's final Southland regular season series of the season also signifies the final regular season set for the 'Jacks' 11-man senior class. Each of those seniors - Cody Adams, Nick Daley, Jesus Gamez, Jake Georgiades, Tony Grabowske, Austin Hearn, Jarrod Huber, Trayson Kubo, Antonio Lima, Tyler Starks and Manny Vasquez - will be honored during a post-game ceremony following the conclusion of Saturday's series finale.
• Though SFA needs just a single win to punch its ticket to Sugar Land, Texas, for the league tournament, the 'Jacks could finish anywhere from third to eighth place in the final version of the Southland standings once the weekend concludes.
SFA TRENDS
• Junior utility man Sean Moore was the only SFA player to produced a hit in each of the 'Jacks' three games at Southland foe Nicholls last weekend. The Waxahachie, Texas, product batted 4-for-11 (.364) over the three-game stretch to bust out of an 0-for-14 slump over his four games prior to the series with the Colonels.
• Senior Manny Vasquez tied junior Josh Campbell for the team lead in home runs by belting a solo shot in last Saturday's showdown at Nicholls. The Naco, Ariz,. product now has five long balls this year and leads the team with a slugging percentage of .419.
• Over his last 23 innings of Southland Conference work, junior right-hander Alex Palmer has allowed just a single earned run and 12 total hits. That has helped the Arlington, Texas, product push his ERA down to 1.98 in league games this season.
• Senior Nick Daley has been on a tear at the plate over his last four games as he is batting .353 in that span. Three of his six hits in that stretch have gone for extra bases including two doubles and a triple and the Gilbert, Ariz., product has scored three runs over his last four outings, too.
HE'S PRETTY UHSE-FUL
• Freshman outfielder Brandon Uhse has been one of the 'Jacks' best offensive players through his inaugural collegiate campaign.
• The Grand Prairie, Texas, product leads the team in batting average (.283), hits (56) and runs scored (30).
• His 56 hits are the second-most by any Southland Conference freshman this season.
SAVE IT
• A strong bullpen has been a staple of SFA so far this season as the 'Jacks have recorded 17 saves throughout their 22 triumphs so far in 2019. Those 17 saves have helped the 'Jacks match the program record for saves in a season which was originally set by the 2011 club that won a program-best 37 games.
• A team-leading six of those saves have gone to senior left-hander Tyler Starks who has made 22 appearances out of the 'Jacks bullpen. Two weeks ago the Mesquite, Texas, product notched his sixth and most recent save by tossing the final frame of the 'Jacks' non-conference victory at Arkansas-Pine Bluff. By making a pair of appearances in SFA's series at Nicholls last weekend, the final-year man has 102 in his career and stands alone as the program's leader in that statistical category.
• On SFA's all-time saves charts, Starks sits in third place with 19 for his career. He will tie the program record by recording two more saves.
• Five more of SFA's saves have been credited to junior right-hander Jeremy Rodriguez who ranks third in the Southland Conference and ranks 62nd nationally with 24 total appearances out of the 'Jacks' bullpen. That appearance number will stay stuck on 24, unfortunately, as Rodriguez suffered a season-ending injury on Saturday, April 28, against Northwestern State.
• Senior righty Jesus Gamez has locked down four more saves in 2019 so far. He possesses the team's second-lowest ERA at a mark of 2.45 on the year.
• Austin Roth and Cully Mangus have each notched one save for the 'Jacks as well.
• Though he has not yet recorded a save in 2019, senior Austin Hearn has been steadily moving up SFA's all-time appearances chart since the year began. Hearn has pitched in 92 games which is the third-most by any single player in program history.
APPROACHING 100
• A group of SFA players are approaching the 100-hit mark for their respective careers.
• Junior Josh Campbell has 90 hits in his career and needs 10 more to get to triple digits.
• Senior Jarrod Huber has 78 hits in his career and needs 22 more to get to triple digits.
• Sophomore Jared Martin has 84 hits in his career and needs 16 more to get to triple digits.
• Senior Jake Georgiades has 85 hits in his career and needs 15 more to get to triple digits.
• Senior Manny Vasquez has 91 hits in his career and needs nine more to get to triple digits.
SOUTHLAND SHUTOUTS
• Just three other teams in the Southland Conference have racked up more shutout wins than the 'Jacks this season. SFA ranks 68th in the nation in shutout victories with a trio of them.
• Those three shutout wins have all come in Southland Conference play and have helped SFA tie the program mark for the highest number of shutout wins in conference play in a single season.
PALMER POWER
• Junior right-hander Alex Palmer made program history on Friday, May 3, in Lake Charles, La., by taking over as SFA's single-season strikeout leader. In his second complete-game effort of the year, Palmer fanned nine and did not allow an earned run against McNeese.
• The Arlington, Texas, product has been SFA's staff ace this season as he leads the team and ranks second in the Southland in complete games (two). Palmer tops the team charts and is tops in the Southland with his 13 games started this year. A true strikeout artist, Palmer has punched out a total of 91 batters through his team-leading 89 innings of work.
• Palmer's 91 punchouts are the most in a single season in program history and the most by a Lumberjack arm since Chase Greening racked up 78 in the 2013 season. He is the only SFA pitcher who has racked up over 90 strikeouts in a single season and he currently ranks second in the Southland and 45th nationally in total strikeouts.
• Following his eight-inning outing at Nicholls, Palmer lowered his ERA to 2.63 on the season which stands as the sixth-best in the Southland.
SIX-WIN STOBART
• Junior left-hander Jacob Stobart stands as the team's leader in pitching wins in 2019. His last victory on the mound came after tossing seven innings of one-run baseball in the 'Jacks' series opener at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Thursday, April 20.
• Stobart owns a 6-3 record and his win total stands as the ninth-most by any Southland Conference pitcher so far this season. Those six wins also help Stobart rank 130th nationally in pitching wins.
DALEY DOSE
• In his final season as a collegiate baseball player, senior outfielder Nick Daley has shown some speed that gives him an edge in the outfield and on the base paths.
• The Gilbert, Ariz., native leads the team with 14 stolen bases this season. That works out to a per-game average of 0.31 which is the seventh-best among all Southland players.
• For his career, Daley has swiped 35 bags in an SFA uniform - the fifth-most in program history.
BITTEN BY THE INJURY BUG
• A pair of injuries have left the 'Jacks somewhat shorthanded over the last few weeks.
• Sophomore outfielder Jared Martin has been out since the month of April dealing with a broken hand while junior relief arm Jeremy Rodriguez will miss the remainder of the season after suffering an arm injury in SFA's home game against Northwestern State on Sunday, April 28.
SERIES HISTORY | SFA vs. NEW ORLEANS
Record vs. New Orleans | 4-5 (.444)
Streak | New Orleans won one
In Nacogdoches, Texas | 2-2 (.500)
Streak | SFA won one
In New Orleans, La. | 1-2 (.500)
Streak | New Orleans won one
Last meeting | UNO 4, vs. SFA 3 (10 inn.) (5/25/17)
SFA runs/per game | 62/7.7
New Orleans runs/per game | 54/6.8
Last UNO win | UNO 4, vs. SFA 3 (10 inn.) (5/25/17)
Last SFA win | UNO 6, at SFA 16 (7 inn.) (3/20/16)
Cardenas vs. New Orleans | 4-5 (.444)
SCOUTING NEW ORLEANS | ROSTER | SCHEDULE | STATISTICS
• In what could be the final three games of their season, the Privateers head to Nacogdoches needing to win at least two out of three games to even be in the conversation for a berth in the Southland Conference Tournament.
• New Orleans has been one of the hottest teams in the Southland as of late having won six of its last seven games. Seven of the Privateers' 12 Southland wins heading into their pivotal series in Nacogdoches have come in their last three series.
• A highly disciplined team at the plate, New Orleans leads the Southland and ranks 43rd in the land with 253 walks drawn this season. Salo Iza is tops in the Southland from an individual standpoint having taken 36 walks so far this year.
• The two players with 60 or more hits on the Privateers' roster are Gaige Howard and Collin Morrill and they are also the only two players on the team who are batting above .300. Howard
(.341/.444/.430) leads the squad in batting average and on-base percentage while Morrill (.313/.398/.502) tops the team charts in slugging percentage and in doubles with his Southland-best 18.
• Though Morrill leads the team with 26 extra-base hits, he's hardly the only bat in their lineup that can drive in runs. Luther Woullard (.287./378/.392) and Antonio Gauthier Jr., (.219/.330/.444) have each amassed 35 RBI while Pearce Howard (.281/.355/.423) has driven in 32.
• Once the Privateers go to their bullpen with a lead, they have a real ace in the hole in closer Reeves Martin. As much of a sure thing as there is in college baseball, Martin leads the Southland and ranks third nationally with 14 saves this season while his 28 appearances place him atop the Southland leaderboard in that category as well.
• Martin and the Privateers' other premier relief arm Mathew Oset have combined to produce an 11-1 record while racking up 99 of the team's 399 strikeouts. Friday evening starter Chris Turpin has fired a staff-best 80 innings and also leads New Orleans' pitching staff with 63 punchouts.
ON DECK
• Should the 'Jacks secure at least one win in their series with the Privateers, their season will continue at Constellation Field in Sugar Land, Texas, at the 2019 Southland Conference Tournament. SFA will begin its quest for the program's first NCAA Tournament berth on Wednesday, May 22 at a time to be determined once the final Southland Conference Tournament bracket is unveiled on Saturday.
-SFA-
