Friday, March 6
Nacogdoches, TX
2:00 P.M.
Stephen F. Austin
vs
Lamar
Photo by: Elysa Ripley
Jacks Prepped for Early Season Test with Lamar
3/5/2026 3:12:00 PM | Baseball
Series moves to Friday DH, Saturday finale
NACOGDOCHES, Texas – Stephen F. Austin baseball turns the page to the second weekend of Southland Conference action and prepares for an early season test against Lamar from Pilgrim's Park. Friday's doubleheader is scheduled for a 2 p.m. start with Saturday's single game set for 1 p.m. Live coverage links for the series are available at www.SFAjacks.com.
SFA (9-5, 2-1 SLC) vs. LAMAR (8-5, 3-0 SLC)
Pilgrim's Park | March 6-8
PURCHASE TICKETS
Live Coverage (ESPN+ / Live Stats)
THE SERIES
--- The Cardinals are in control of a series that was first contested in April of 1979. Lamar leads 80-29 with Friday's first game the 110th in the series. Lamar won the final two games of last season's regular season series after dropping the opener 2-0. The Cardinals are 7-3 in their last ten against SFA and have won 30 times against the Jacks on the road.
LAMAR RUNDOWN
2026 Season Statistics
--- The Cardinals have won eight games which includes being the only SLC team to sweep their opening series.
--- LU took all three from UTRGV winning 6-2, 1-0 and 2-1 in 10.
--- The Cardinals are coming off a 4-1 loss to Rice on Wednesday.
--- Lamar's pitching staff sports a team ERA of 5.30 which rates sixth in the SLC.
--- The Cardinals' arms rank second in hits allowed per nine (8.23) and third in WHIP at 1.52.
--- Chris Olivier is off to an impressive start on the mound this season. He has won twice in three starts and owns the league's best WHIP at .59 (21st DI), hits allowed per nine (2.89) and strikeout total with 28 (6th DI), while ranking third with a K/9 rate of 13.5. He has not allowed an earned run this season in 18.2 IP.
--- Beau Durbin's .389 average is a top 10 clip in the SLC. Durbin holds top 10 marks in hits (21), doubles (5), walks (11) and total bases (33).
LAST TIME OUT
--- SFA built a 10-1 lead against Abilene Christian on Wednesday night.
--- ACU responded with 19 unanswered runs to win 20-10 in eight innings.
--- The Jacks plated a pair of runs in the second, third and fourth innings and added four more in the fifth, before the Wildcats responded with consecutive 7+ run frames to grab the lead.
--- SFA hit two home runs on the night with both Jhett Creel and Julian Swift leaving the yard with two-run blasts.
--- The combined 30 runs are the most in an SFA game coached by second-year head coach Matt Vanderburg.
--- It was SFA's ninth game with 10+ hits this season as six of the team's 11 hits went for extra bases.
JACKS IN THE SOUTHLAND
--- Last Friday night's win over New Orleans gave SFA its first win in a league opener since 2020.
--- With Saturday's win, the Jacks won a league-opening series for the first time since 2020.
--- SFA has won its last three SLC series dating back to last season.
PEARatings
--- The Jacks have recorded 23 kill shots, an inning that sees a team score 2+ runs and then allow none, this season which are the 18th most nationally
--- SFA's 1.64 kill shots per game are among the top 25 in the country.
--- The Jacks are also inside the DI top 45 in PYTHAG (Pythagorean Win %), a Bill James specialty that estimates a team's expected winning % based on runs scored vs. runs allowed.
--- SFA's PYTHAG rating is currently .780
RUNS, RUNS, RUNS
--- SFA's 56 runs over opening weekend were the fourth-most in the country, while its 116 total runs through 14 games are a top 25 mark in DI, while the per-game average of 8.3 is currently a top 55 average nationally.
--- 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 have scored eight or more runs in eight of 14 games this season.
--- Seven players have accounted for 10+ runs scored led by Jhett Creel's 16
--- SFA's 91 runs plated through the first ten games of the season are the most in program history.
--- 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 15 games with 10+ runs in his tenure following the win over UAPB in the series finale.
PILGRIM'S PARK MASH METRICS
--- Josh Ibe left the yard for the second time this season on Tuesday night as he deposited a third inning pitch nearly 400 ft out to left centerfield to open scoring against the Rams.
B3 | Ibe | 2R LC (396-107-22)
B5 | Cantua | 1R LC (368-102-27)
B1 | Ibe | 1R RF (400-104-26)
(Distance (ft), Exit Velo (mph), Launch Angle (degrees))
STREAKIN'
--- Julian Swift holds the longest active hit streak for the Jacks at six games.
--- Trey Acreman has reached safely in his last eight games, while Swift and Creel have reached safely in each of their past six games.
--- Schneider follows with reaching safely in five-straight games.
AT THE PLATE
--- Swift owns an SLC-best 24 hits this season which are the fourth most in the country.
--- Swift leads the SLC with seven doubles, a top 15 mark in DI, while his .429 average is the second highest in the SLC
--- Peña and Bland each follow with 20 hits as SFA's 146 hits this season are a top 15 mark in the country and tops in the SLC.
--- Peña (16) and Swift (14) are first and third, respectively, in the SLC in RBI
--- The Jacks have four of the league's five toughest hitters to strikeout in their lineup.
--- Peña leads the league with a top 25 rate nationally, Creel ranks second and Henning and Swift are tied for third.
--- Creel's 16 runs scored lead the SLC.
--- The Jacks have recorded 10+ hits in nine of 14 games with six games of 12+
--- SFA has combined for 45 extra-base hits with ten different Jacks accounting for the team's 32 doubles, a DI top 15 total.
TAKE THE FREEBIES
--- The Jacks drew 38 walks on opening weekend second to only New Mexico (41).
--- SFA ranks in the top 12 nationally in walks drawn with an SLC-best mark of 89.
--- Jhett Creel, Henning and Cooper Schneider all rank inside the league's top five in walks with Creel and Henning's 14 each leading the team, ranking second in the SLC and a top 25 mark among all DI hitters.
WHEELIN'
--- The Jacks have stolen 35 bases, the 13th-most swipes in the country.
--- SFA's 2.5 per game is inside the top 35 in the country and pace the SLC.
--- Schneider have been successful in all eight of his attempts with Rodric Black perfect in five efforts. Bland is 8-of-9 in stolen bag opportunities.
--- Ten players have recorded a steal this season with seven grabbing multiple bags.
& DEALIN'
--- The Jacks' team ERA of 4.80 is the second-best rate in the SLC.
--- SFA ranks second in the SLC in WHIP (1.48), strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.64) and walks allowed per nine (3.94) and ranks third in strikeouts per nine (10.4).
--- SFA has recorded 132 punchouts with 18 arms responsible for two or more with Cody Templeton and Dylan Mulcahy at 16 each.
--- Mulcahy and Templeton are two of 14 SLC arms with two wins this season.
--- In three starts, totaling 13.0 innings, Gabe LeBlanc has not allowed an earned run and owns a WHIP of .85 after scattering ten hits and a walk with 10 strikeouts.
--- Jack James has tossed 8.2 IP without an earned run allowed and has scattered five hits and two walks over five appearances with six strikeouts.
--- Adrian Rubio and Drew Wenske have both not allowed an earned run to cross this season. Rubio has pitched 3.2 innings over four appearances with four walks and a hit to four strikeouts. Wenske has appeared in four games totaling 2.2 innings with five strikeouts to just three hits and two walks.
NOTABLES
All good things --- Cermodrick Bland's active reached safely streak ended at 31 games following game two of the UNO series.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Seven is Heaven --- The Jacks' seven-run sixth inning in the series finale against UAPB marked the fifth inning of 7+ runs in Vanderburg's tenure and the third in nine games this season.
UP NEXT
The Jacks head to College Station for a Tuesday night matchup with the Aggies. First-pitch from Blue Bell Park is set for 6 p.m. Live coverage links will be available at www.SFAjacks.com.
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 (9-5, 2-1 SLC) vs. LAMAR (8-5, 3-0 SLC)
Pilgrim's Park | March 6-8
PURCHASE TICKETS
Live Coverage (ESPN+ / Live Stats)
THE SERIES
--- The Cardinals are in control of a series that was first contested in April of 1979. Lamar leads 80-29 with Friday's first game the 110th in the series. Lamar won the final two games of last season's regular season series after dropping the opener 2-0. The Cardinals are 7-3 in their last ten against SFA and have won 30 times against the Jacks on the road.
LAMAR RUNDOWN
2026 Season Statistics
--- The Cardinals have won eight games which includes being the only SLC team to sweep their opening series.
--- LU took all three from UTRGV winning 6-2, 1-0 and 2-1 in 10.
--- The Cardinals are coming off a 4-1 loss to Rice on Wednesday.
--- Lamar's pitching staff sports a team ERA of 5.30 which rates sixth in the SLC.
--- The Cardinals' arms rank second in hits allowed per nine (8.23) and third in WHIP at 1.52.
--- Chris Olivier is off to an impressive start on the mound this season. He has won twice in three starts and owns the league's best WHIP at .59 (21st DI), hits allowed per nine (2.89) and strikeout total with 28 (6th DI), while ranking third with a K/9 rate of 13.5. He has not allowed an earned run this season in 18.2 IP.
--- Beau Durbin's .389 average is a top 10 clip in the SLC. Durbin holds top 10 marks in hits (21), doubles (5), walks (11) and total bases (33).
LAST TIME OUT
--- SFA built a 10-1 lead against Abilene Christian on Wednesday night.
--- ACU responded with 19 unanswered runs to win 20-10 in eight innings.
--- The Jacks plated a pair of runs in the second, third and fourth innings and added four more in the fifth, before the Wildcats responded with consecutive 7+ run frames to grab the lead.
--- SFA hit two home runs on the night with both Jhett Creel and Julian Swift leaving the yard with two-run blasts.
--- The combined 30 runs are the most in an SFA game coached by second-year head coach Matt Vanderburg.
--- It was SFA's ninth game with 10+ hits this season as six of the team's 11 hits went for extra bases.
JACKS IN THE SOUTHLAND
--- Last Friday night's win over New Orleans gave SFA its first win in a league opener since 2020.
--- With Saturday's win, the Jacks won a league-opening series for the first time since 2020.
--- SFA has won its last three SLC series dating back to last season.
PEARatings
--- The Jacks have recorded 23 kill shots, an inning that sees a team score 2+ runs and then allow none, this season which are the 18th most nationally
--- SFA's 1.64 kill shots per game are among the top 25 in the country.
--- The Jacks are also inside the DI top 45 in PYTHAG (Pythagorean Win %), a Bill James specialty that estimates a team's expected winning % based on runs scored vs. runs allowed.
--- SFA's PYTHAG rating is currently .780
RUNS, RUNS, RUNS
--- SFA's 56 runs over opening weekend were the fourth-most in the country, while its 116 total runs through 14 games are a top 25 mark in DI, while the per-game average of 8.3 is currently a top 55 average nationally.
--- 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 have scored eight or more runs in eight of 14 games this season.
--- Seven players have accounted for 10+ runs scored led by Jhett Creel's 16
--- SFA's 91 runs plated through the first ten games of the season are the most in program history.
--- 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 15 games with 10+ runs in his tenure following the win over UAPB in the series finale.
PILGRIM'S PARK MASH METRICS
--- Josh Ibe left the yard for the second time this season on Tuesday night as he deposited a third inning pitch nearly 400 ft out to left centerfield to open scoring against the Rams.
B3 | Ibe | 2R LC (396-107-22)
B5 | Cantua | 1R LC (368-102-27)
B1 | Ibe | 1R RF (400-104-26)
(Distance (ft), Exit Velo (mph), Launch Angle (degrees))
STREAKIN'
--- Julian Swift holds the longest active hit streak for the Jacks at six games.
--- Trey Acreman has reached safely in his last eight games, while Swift and Creel have reached safely in each of their past six games.
--- Schneider follows with reaching safely in five-straight games.
AT THE PLATE
--- Swift owns an SLC-best 24 hits this season which are the fourth most in the country.
--- Swift leads the SLC with seven doubles, a top 15 mark in DI, while his .429 average is the second highest in the SLC
--- Peña and Bland each follow with 20 hits as SFA's 146 hits this season are a top 15 mark in the country and tops in the SLC.
--- Peña (16) and Swift (14) are first and third, respectively, in the SLC in RBI
--- The Jacks have four of the league's five toughest hitters to strikeout in their lineup.
--- Peña leads the league with a top 25 rate nationally, Creel ranks second and Henning and Swift are tied for third.
--- Creel's 16 runs scored lead the SLC.
--- The Jacks have recorded 10+ hits in nine of 14 games with six games of 12+
--- SFA has combined for 45 extra-base hits with ten different Jacks accounting for the team's 32 doubles, a DI top 15 total.
TAKE THE FREEBIES
--- The Jacks drew 38 walks on opening weekend second to only New Mexico (41).
--- SFA ranks in the top 12 nationally in walks drawn with an SLC-best mark of 89.
--- Jhett Creel, Henning and Cooper Schneider all rank inside the league's top five in walks with Creel and Henning's 14 each leading the team, ranking second in the SLC and a top 25 mark among all DI hitters.
WHEELIN'
--- The Jacks have stolen 35 bases, the 13th-most swipes in the country.
--- SFA's 2.5 per game is inside the top 35 in the country and pace the SLC.
--- Schneider have been successful in all eight of his attempts with Rodric Black perfect in five efforts. Bland is 8-of-9 in stolen bag opportunities.
--- Ten players have recorded a steal this season with seven grabbing multiple bags.
& DEALIN'
--- The Jacks' team ERA of 4.80 is the second-best rate in the SLC.
--- SFA ranks second in the SLC in WHIP (1.48), strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.64) and walks allowed per nine (3.94) and ranks third in strikeouts per nine (10.4).
--- SFA has recorded 132 punchouts with 18 arms responsible for two or more with Cody Templeton and Dylan Mulcahy at 16 each.
--- Mulcahy and Templeton are two of 14 SLC arms with two wins this season.
--- In three starts, totaling 13.0 innings, Gabe LeBlanc has not allowed an earned run and owns a WHIP of .85 after scattering ten hits and a walk with 10 strikeouts.
--- Jack James has tossed 8.2 IP without an earned run allowed and has scattered five hits and two walks over five appearances with six strikeouts.
--- Adrian Rubio and Drew Wenske have both not allowed an earned run to cross this season. Rubio has pitched 3.2 innings over four appearances with four walks and a hit to four strikeouts. Wenske has appeared in four games totaling 2.2 innings with five strikeouts to just three hits and two walks.
NOTABLES
All good things --- Cermodrick Bland's active reached safely streak ended at 31 games following game two of the UNO series.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Seven is Heaven --- The Jacks' seven-run sixth inning in the series finale against UAPB marked the fifth inning of 7+ runs in Vanderburg's tenure and the third in nine games this season.
UP NEXT
The Jacks head to College Station for a Tuesday night matchup with the Aggies. First-pitch from Blue Bell Park is set for 6 p.m. Live coverage links will be available at www.SFAjacks.com.
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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