Friday, March 27
Nacogdoches, TX
6:00 P.M.
Stephen F. Austin
vs
Houston Christian
Photo by: Elysa Ripley
Jacks Enter Weekend Aiming to Keep Pace in SLC Standings
3/26/2026 9:59:00 AM | Baseball
SFA aims to snap four-game skid in promotion-filled weekend against Houston Christian
NACOGDOCHES, Texas – A lengthy homestand continues for Stephen F. Austin baseball as the Jacks return to Southland Conference play this weekend by welcoming in Houston Christian for a three-game set. Friday's action commences at 6 p.m. from Pilgrim's Park with Saturday's game two set for 6 p.m. and Sunday's finale scheduled for 1 p.m. Live coverage links for the series are available at www.SFAjacks.com.
SFA (13-13, 5-4 SLC) vs. HOUSTON CHRISTIAN (11-14, 4-5 SLC)
Pilgrim's Park | March 27-29
PURCHASE TICKETS
Live Coverage
THE SERIES
--- Friday's matchup will be the 41st in the series which is led by SFA at 22-18. The Jacks are 13-5 overall against the Huskies at home, but have lost six straight to HCU and are 4-6 in their last ten meetings. Friday's opener will be the first matchup against the Huskies in Nacogdoches since a midweek affair in May of 2023. It will be the first weekend series in the Piney Woods since 2019.
HOUSTON CHRISTIAN RUNDOWN
2026 Season Statistics
--- HCU enters having lost five straight games and is 5-8 on the road this season. The Huskies are currently eighth in the SLC standings.
--- In SLC play, the Huskies took two of three from UIW and McNeese before being swept by UTRGV.
--- HCU owns a collective slash of .276/.375/.404.
--- The Huskies rank second in the SLC in sac bunts (13) and sacrifice flies (14).
--- HCU has hit the fourth-most doubles with 44 and has been hit-by-pitch 39 times, which also rates fourth in the league.
--- HCU averages 6.7 runs per game.
--- David Lopez is one of five SLC arms with four wins this season.
--- Jack Walker paces at the plate with a .330 average and Katcher Halligan follows at .300.
--- Walker and Tyree Jackson lead with 20 RBI.
JACKS IN THE SOUTHLAND
--- The Jacks enter the fourth weekend of Southland Conference action tied with Southeastern for fourth place at 5-4.
--- SFA is four wins shy of matching its league win record from last season.
--- SFA won its first series over Lamar since 2020.
--- SFA's 6-5 win over New Orleans in the series opener was the program's first win in a league opener since 2020 and the Jacks' series win over UNO marked the first league-opening series win since the same season.
PEARatings
--- The Jacks have recorded 31 kill shots, an inning that sees a team score 2+ runs and then allow none, this season which are a top 85 mark nationally.
--- SFA's 1.19 kill shots per game are among the top 100 in the country.
--- SFA has recorded five first-inning kill shots; a top 60 total nationally.
--- The Jacks carry an offensive efficiency rating of .740; a top 45 rating in DI.
PILGRIM'S PARK MASH METRICS
--- Mark Henning belted a solo shot in the ninth inning of Sunday's series finale with Tarleton State for the Jacks' lone run of the game. It was the third home run of the series for SFA which has now seen seven baseballs exit Pilgrim's Park this season.
B9, G3 vs. Tarleton | Henning | 1R RF (405-104-23)
B8, G1 vs. Tarleton | Peña | 1R LF (393-96-23)
B7, G1 vs. Tarleton | Swift | GS LF (339-92-28)
B6, G3 vs. Lamar | Henning | 1R RC (389-100-29)
B3 vs. Huston Tillotson | Ibe | 2R LC (396-107-22)
B5, G2 vs. MVSU | Cantua | 1R LC (368-102-27)
B1, G4 vs. MVSU | Ibe | 1R RF (400-104-26)
(Distance (ft), Exit Velo (mph), Launch Angle (degrees))
GETTING OFFENSIVE
--- SFA's 174 total runs are the third-most among SLC schools.
--- The Jacks' per-game average of 6.7 is top three in the SLC.
--- The Jacks have scored eight or more runs in ten games this season.
--- Eight players have accounted for 14+ runs scored led by Jhett Creel's 24
--- SFA's 56 runs over opening weekend were the fourth-most in the country.
--- SFA's 91 runs plated through the first ten games of the season are the most in program history.
--- SFA plated 8+ runs in each of its first five games this season; the longest streak since scoring 8+ runs in a four-game sweep of UIW (4/1-3) and a midweek win over Grambling (4/6) in 2021.
--- The Jacks pushed across double-digit runs in each of the four games against the Delta Devils. SFA's 17 runs in the season opener are the second-most by the Jacks in any game under Vanderburg and the Jacks have 17 games with 10+ runs in his tenure following the win over Lamar in the series finale.
STREAKS & MULTIPLES
--- Cantua holds the longest active hit streaks for the Jacks at seven games.
--- Juan Cantua has reached safely in his last 15 games; the longest by a Jack this season
--- Ethan Peña leads SFA with 13 multi-hit games and is coming off of his first three-hit game of the season in the home loss to ACU.
--- Julian Swift follows with 11 behind a pair of the team's only two four-hit games this season.
--- Swift leads with ten multi-RBI games and Peña follows with eight
--- Swift recorded the team's first five RBI game in the series opener against Tarleton.
--- Peña, Cermodrick Bland and Mark Henning all have a four-RBI game this season.
AT THE PLATE
--- Swift ranks third in the SLC with 38 hits this season which are a top 40 mark in the country.
--- Swift leads the SLC with ten doubles, a top 35 mark in DI.
--- Peña follows with 34 hits (8th SLC) and Creel has recorded 28 as SFA's 239 hits this season are a top 70 mark in the country and third in the SLC.
--- Swift leads the Jacks with 29 RBI
--- The Jacks have recorded 10+ hits in 12 of 25 games played with seven games of 12+.
--- SFA has combined for 69 extra-base hits with ten different Jacks accounting for the team's 47 doubles, the second-most in the Southland.
TAKE THE FREEBIES
--- SFA ranks in the top 40 nationally in walks drawn with 139.
--- Creel (22) ranks third in the SLC in free passes.
--- The Jacks drew 38 walks on opening weekend second to only New Mexico (41).
NO SPEED TRAPS
--- The Jacks have stolen 39 bases and average 1.50 per game.
--- Schneider has been successful in all eight of his attempts with Rodric Black perfect in five efforts. Bland is 10-for-11 in stolen bag opportunities.
--- Ten players have recorded a steal this season with seven grabbing multiple bags.
ON THE HILL
--- SFA ranks fourth in the SLC in K-to-BB ratio at 2.18.
--- The Jacks rank third in walks allowed per nine (4.22) and ranks fifth in strikeouts per nine (9.2).
--- SFA has recorded 222 punchouts with 19 arms responsible for two or more and Cody Templeton pacing the staff with 31.
--- Dylan Mulcahy (28) and Nate Vidlak (25) have each crossed over 25 strikeouts this season.
--- Jack James has 18.0 IP with just three earned runs allowed and has scattered a dozen hits and three walks over nine appearances with 18 strikeouts.
--- Reid Bowyer has matched James' nine appearances. Bowyer has the second-most innings thrown (15.2) among arms without a start this season. He owns nearly a 5-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
NOTABLES
Eleven is Heaven --- SFA erupted for 11 runs in the eighth inning of Sunday's series finale against Lamar to erase a 9-3 deficit on their way to a series win with a 14-11 victory. It was the sixth inning of 7+ runs in Vanderburg's tenure and the fourth in 17 games this season.
All good things --- Cermodrick Bland's active reached safely streak ended at 31 games following game two of the UNO series.
Seven of 10 --- The Jacks won seven of the squad's first ten games of the season for the first time since 2010.
Impressive Streak --- Julian Swift saw a 19-game hitting streak come to an end in Pine Bluff. Swift's impressive stretch of base knocks is the third longest in program history.
Best Start… Ever --- SFA's 5-0 start to the season is the best in program history, while its sweep of MVSU to open the year marked just the second 4-0 start ever by the Jacks.
Not Tonight --- SFA's effort on the mound, using six different arms, against Huston Tillotson marked the first combined nine-inning no-hitter in program history.
Nine is Fine --- The Jacks swiped nine bases in the game three win over MVSU which is tied for the second-most steals in a single game in program history.
Game One, Game Won --- SFA's 17-2 (7) win over Mississippi Valley State was the Jacks' first win in a season opener since knocking off Northwestern State in the first game of the 2022 campaign.
USA INVESTMENT --- Former Lumberjack Will Vest earned the call to Houston to join up with Team USA at the World Baseball Classic after being placed into the designated pitcher pool for the tournament. Vest pitched the seventh inning of the WBC's Gold Medal game allowing one hit with one strikeout.
SECURE YOUR SEATS TODAY
Single game tickets for all SFA baseball home games are available now. Fans interested in purchasing season ticket packages can secure their seats here. Don't miss out on all the exciting action from Pilgrim's Park this season!
THE JACKS HAVE GONE MOBILE
SFA Athletics' newest mobile phone application is designed to bring Lumberjack fans closer to the action than ever before. Available now on both the App Store and Google Play, the new SFA Athletics app delivers schedules, scores, rosters, news, ticket access, and exclusive content right to your phone. Fans can also receive push notifications, so they never miss a moment of the action. Download now: Official SFA Athletics App.
FOLLOW THE JACKS
For all the latest information on SFA baseball, visit SFAjacks.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Jacks on X, Instagram and Facebook.
SFA (13-13, 5-4 SLC) vs. HOUSTON CHRISTIAN (11-14, 4-5 SLC)
Pilgrim's Park | March 27-29
PURCHASE TICKETS
Live Coverage
THE SERIES
--- Friday's matchup will be the 41st in the series which is led by SFA at 22-18. The Jacks are 13-5 overall against the Huskies at home, but have lost six straight to HCU and are 4-6 in their last ten meetings. Friday's opener will be the first matchup against the Huskies in Nacogdoches since a midweek affair in May of 2023. It will be the first weekend series in the Piney Woods since 2019.
HOUSTON CHRISTIAN RUNDOWN
2026 Season Statistics
--- HCU enters having lost five straight games and is 5-8 on the road this season. The Huskies are currently eighth in the SLC standings.
--- In SLC play, the Huskies took two of three from UIW and McNeese before being swept by UTRGV.
--- HCU owns a collective slash of .276/.375/.404.
--- The Huskies rank second in the SLC in sac bunts (13) and sacrifice flies (14).
--- HCU has hit the fourth-most doubles with 44 and has been hit-by-pitch 39 times, which also rates fourth in the league.
--- HCU averages 6.7 runs per game.
--- David Lopez is one of five SLC arms with four wins this season.
--- Jack Walker paces at the plate with a .330 average and Katcher Halligan follows at .300.
--- Walker and Tyree Jackson lead with 20 RBI.
JACKS IN THE SOUTHLAND
--- The Jacks enter the fourth weekend of Southland Conference action tied with Southeastern for fourth place at 5-4.
--- SFA is four wins shy of matching its league win record from last season.
--- SFA won its first series over Lamar since 2020.
--- SFA's 6-5 win over New Orleans in the series opener was the program's first win in a league opener since 2020 and the Jacks' series win over UNO marked the first league-opening series win since the same season.
PEARatings
--- The Jacks have recorded 31 kill shots, an inning that sees a team score 2+ runs and then allow none, this season which are a top 85 mark nationally.
--- SFA's 1.19 kill shots per game are among the top 100 in the country.
--- SFA has recorded five first-inning kill shots; a top 60 total nationally.
--- The Jacks carry an offensive efficiency rating of .740; a top 45 rating in DI.
PILGRIM'S PARK MASH METRICS
--- Mark Henning belted a solo shot in the ninth inning of Sunday's series finale with Tarleton State for the Jacks' lone run of the game. It was the third home run of the series for SFA which has now seen seven baseballs exit Pilgrim's Park this season.
B9, G3 vs. Tarleton | Henning | 1R RF (405-104-23)
B8, G1 vs. Tarleton | Peña | 1R LF (393-96-23)
B7, G1 vs. Tarleton | Swift | GS LF (339-92-28)
B6, G3 vs. Lamar | Henning | 1R RC (389-100-29)
B3 vs. Huston Tillotson | Ibe | 2R LC (396-107-22)
B5, G2 vs. MVSU | Cantua | 1R LC (368-102-27)
B1, G4 vs. MVSU | Ibe | 1R RF (400-104-26)
(Distance (ft), Exit Velo (mph), Launch Angle (degrees))
GETTING OFFENSIVE
--- SFA's 174 total runs are the third-most among SLC schools.
--- The Jacks' per-game average of 6.7 is top three in the SLC.
--- The Jacks have scored eight or more runs in ten games this season.
--- Eight players have accounted for 14+ runs scored led by Jhett Creel's 24
--- SFA's 56 runs over opening weekend were the fourth-most in the country.
--- SFA's 91 runs plated through the first ten games of the season are the most in program history.
--- SFA plated 8+ runs in each of its first five games this season; the longest streak since scoring 8+ runs in a four-game sweep of UIW (4/1-3) and a midweek win over Grambling (4/6) in 2021.
--- The Jacks pushed across double-digit runs in each of the four games against the Delta Devils. SFA's 17 runs in the season opener are the second-most by the Jacks in any game under Vanderburg and the Jacks have 17 games with 10+ runs in his tenure following the win over Lamar in the series finale.
STREAKS & MULTIPLES
--- Cantua holds the longest active hit streaks for the Jacks at seven games.
--- Juan Cantua has reached safely in his last 15 games; the longest by a Jack this season
--- Ethan Peña leads SFA with 13 multi-hit games and is coming off of his first three-hit game of the season in the home loss to ACU.
--- Julian Swift follows with 11 behind a pair of the team's only two four-hit games this season.
--- Swift leads with ten multi-RBI games and Peña follows with eight
--- Swift recorded the team's first five RBI game in the series opener against Tarleton.
--- Peña, Cermodrick Bland and Mark Henning all have a four-RBI game this season.
AT THE PLATE
--- Swift ranks third in the SLC with 38 hits this season which are a top 40 mark in the country.
--- Swift leads the SLC with ten doubles, a top 35 mark in DI.
--- Peña follows with 34 hits (8th SLC) and Creel has recorded 28 as SFA's 239 hits this season are a top 70 mark in the country and third in the SLC.
--- Swift leads the Jacks with 29 RBI
--- The Jacks have recorded 10+ hits in 12 of 25 games played with seven games of 12+.
--- SFA has combined for 69 extra-base hits with ten different Jacks accounting for the team's 47 doubles, the second-most in the Southland.
TAKE THE FREEBIES
--- SFA ranks in the top 40 nationally in walks drawn with 139.
--- Creel (22) ranks third in the SLC in free passes.
--- The Jacks drew 38 walks on opening weekend second to only New Mexico (41).
NO SPEED TRAPS
--- The Jacks have stolen 39 bases and average 1.50 per game.
--- Schneider has been successful in all eight of his attempts with Rodric Black perfect in five efforts. Bland is 10-for-11 in stolen bag opportunities.
--- Ten players have recorded a steal this season with seven grabbing multiple bags.
ON THE HILL
--- SFA ranks fourth in the SLC in K-to-BB ratio at 2.18.
--- The Jacks rank third in walks allowed per nine (4.22) and ranks fifth in strikeouts per nine (9.2).
--- SFA has recorded 222 punchouts with 19 arms responsible for two or more and Cody Templeton pacing the staff with 31.
--- Dylan Mulcahy (28) and Nate Vidlak (25) have each crossed over 25 strikeouts this season.
--- Jack James has 18.0 IP with just three earned runs allowed and has scattered a dozen hits and three walks over nine appearances with 18 strikeouts.
--- Reid Bowyer has matched James' nine appearances. Bowyer has the second-most innings thrown (15.2) among arms without a start this season. He owns nearly a 5-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
NOTABLES
Eleven is Heaven --- SFA erupted for 11 runs in the eighth inning of Sunday's series finale against Lamar to erase a 9-3 deficit on their way to a series win with a 14-11 victory. It was the sixth inning of 7+ runs in Vanderburg's tenure and the fourth in 17 games this season.
All good things --- Cermodrick Bland's active reached safely streak ended at 31 games following game two of the UNO series.
Seven of 10 --- The Jacks won seven of the squad's first ten games of the season for the first time since 2010.
Impressive Streak --- Julian Swift saw a 19-game hitting streak come to an end in Pine Bluff. Swift's impressive stretch of base knocks is the third longest in program history.
Best Start… Ever --- SFA's 5-0 start to the season is the best in program history, while its sweep of MVSU to open the year marked just the second 4-0 start ever by the Jacks.
Not Tonight --- SFA's effort on the mound, using six different arms, against Huston Tillotson marked the first combined nine-inning no-hitter in program history.
Nine is Fine --- The Jacks swiped nine bases in the game three win over MVSU which is tied for the second-most steals in a single game in program history.
Game One, Game Won --- SFA's 17-2 (7) win over Mississippi Valley State was the Jacks' first win in a season opener since knocking off Northwestern State in the first game of the 2022 campaign.
USA INVESTMENT --- Former Lumberjack Will Vest earned the call to Houston to join up with Team USA at the World Baseball Classic after being placed into the designated pitcher pool for the tournament. Vest pitched the seventh inning of the WBC's Gold Medal game allowing one hit with one strikeout.
SECURE YOUR SEATS TODAY
Single game tickets for all SFA baseball home games are available now. Fans interested in purchasing season ticket packages can secure their seats here. Don't miss out on all the exciting action from Pilgrim's Park this season!
THE JACKS HAVE GONE MOBILE
SFA Athletics' newest mobile phone application is designed to bring Lumberjack fans closer to the action than ever before. Available now on both the App Store and Google Play, the new SFA Athletics app delivers schedules, scores, rosters, news, ticket access, and exclusive content right to your phone. Fans can also receive push notifications, so they never miss a moment of the action. Download now: Official SFA Athletics App.
FOLLOW THE JACKS
For all the latest information on SFA baseball, visit SFAjacks.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Jacks on X, Instagram and Facebook.
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