Thursday, May 7
San Antonio, TX
2:00 P.M.
Stephen F. Austin
at
Incarnate Word
Photo by: Elysa Ripley
Jacks’ Final Regular Season Stand to Come in the Alamo City
5/6/2026 4:47:00 PM | Baseball
SFA needs a single win to lock up first Southland Conference Tournament berth since 2019
NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The final weekend of the Southland Conference regular season is here, and Stephen F. Austin prepares to make its final stand in the Alamo City as Incarnate Word plays host to a Lumberjacks squad needing a single victory to punch its ticket to the league's postseason party.UIW enters the series having lost eight-straight games, while the Jacks look to bounce back from a series loss to McNeese in the final games from Pilgrim's Park last weekend. Thursday's opener begins at 2 p.m. with Friday's game two also set for a 2 p.m. start. The regular season finale is slated for Saturday at 1 p.m. Live coverage links are available at www.SFAjacks.com.
It will be the 22nd matchup between the Jacks and Cardinals come first pitch in Friday's series opener. SFA has won five-straight games in the series including a series sweep of UIW last spring at home. The action marks the Jacks' first trip to San Antonio to take on the Cardinals since a 2020 midweek matchup that the host won 9-2.
Seeding as well as the final three spots in the upcoming SLC Tournament are still to be determined as the league moves to its final weekend. Southeastern currently holds the top spot at 18-9, Lamar trails at 17-10 and Northwestern State sits third at 16-11. UTRGV has concluded its league slate at 17-13 and is in fourth, while Nicholls holds a two-game lead on both SFA and McNeese at 13-14. HCU (12-15) is eighth with A&M-CC (11-16) and UNO (10-17) currently positioned on the outside looking in.
The Jacks finished its home schedule with the most victories at Pilgrim's Park (15) since the 2017 season and the 25 victories this spring are the most since the 2019 campaign. season and the Jacks are eyeing a potential 30-win campaign
THE JACKS
3VAN! 3VAN! 3VAN! --- First-year Jack Evan Aslaksen enjoyed a midweek heater hitting a pair of home runs in the win at PVAMU, before exiting Pilgrim's Park the following day in the home win over Alcorn. In the two games, Aslaksen went 6-for-10 with nine RBI highlighted by three home runs and a triple.
Big Bat Ibe --- Josh Ibe was named the SLC Hitter of the Week on April 6. It was the second weekly SLC honor for the Cypress, Texas native in his SFA career and he became the first Lumberjack this spring to earn the league's weekly plaudit. In four games, Ibe hit .438 with seven hits of which five went for extra bases. He delivered three doubles, a pair of home runs and totaled 16 bases. Ibe drove in a team-leading nine runs and tied for the team lead in runs scored with six.
Nine is Fine --- Junior right hander Dylan Mulcahy recorded a career-high nine strikeouts over 5.1 innings pitched to earn the game three victory and give the Jacks the series over HCU. Mulcahy's nine strikeouts matched the most by any SFA arm since the start of the 2023 season. He then followed that up with nine punchouts in the series finale against UTRGV. Between Mulcahy accounting for half of SFA's individual nine-strikeout efforts this spring was such efforts by Cody Templeton in G1 vs. UTRGV and Elian Balmaceda in relief in G1 vs. A&M-CC.
Eleven is Heaven --- SFA erupted for 11 runs in the eighth inning of the series finale against Lamar to erase a 9-3 deficit on their way to a series win with a 14-11 victory. The Jacks have eight innings of 7+ runs in Vanderburg's tenure with six of those coming 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.
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.
It will be the 22nd matchup between the Jacks and Cardinals come first pitch in Friday's series opener. SFA has won five-straight games in the series including a series sweep of UIW last spring at home. The action marks the Jacks' first trip to San Antonio to take on the Cardinals since a 2020 midweek matchup that the host won 9-2.
Seeding as well as the final three spots in the upcoming SLC Tournament are still to be determined as the league moves to its final weekend. Southeastern currently holds the top spot at 18-9, Lamar trails at 17-10 and Northwestern State sits third at 16-11. UTRGV has concluded its league slate at 17-13 and is in fourth, while Nicholls holds a two-game lead on both SFA and McNeese at 13-14. HCU (12-15) is eighth with A&M-CC (11-16) and UNO (10-17) currently positioned on the outside looking in.
The Jacks finished its home schedule with the most victories at Pilgrim's Park (15) since the 2017 season and the 25 victories this spring are the most since the 2019 campaign. season and the Jacks are eyeing a potential 30-win campaign
THE JACKS
- The Lumberjacks are slashing .278/.391/.400 in 49 games this season with SFA's current on-base percentage standing as the third-best in a single season in program history
- SFA rates second in the SLC in walks with 242; tied for the second-most all-time in a single season and 11 back of a new program record
- The Jacks employ a pitching staff that has collectively produced the third-best K-to-BB ratio (2.20), K/9 ratio (8.9) and walks/9 ratio (4.07)
- SFA boast the SLC hits leader in their lineup as Julian Swift's 67 base knocks this spring are tops in the conference and 75th nationally
- Swift has also produced the most runs in the league this season as his 51 RBI is also a top 75 mark among Division I hitters
- Cermodrick Bland leads the league in stolen bases with 24 and is the first Lumberjack in program history with multiple seasons of 20 or more stolen bases
- Friday night starter Cody Templeton rates fifth in the SLC in strikeouts with 66
- Top reliever Jack James leads the bullpen with a 1.72 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP in 31.3 innings
- The Cardinals enter the final weekend of the regular season with one of the league's top offenses which holds the best batting average at .288
- UIW also rates high offensively with 66 home runs and a slugging percentage of .470, while its OBP of .391 sits atop the Southland
- The Cardinals boast the best fielding percentage in the country leading all Division I programs at .986 behind 41 double plays which ranks inside the top 30 in DI
- UIW has struggled on the mound with a team ERA of 8.06 and ranking tenth or lower in the SLC in hits allowed/9 (11.16), K-to-BB ratio (1.47), K/9 (6.6) and WHIP (1.74)
- Preston Newberry leads the offense with a .331 average, 59 hits and 44 runs scored
- Cole Tabor's 13 home runs are inside the top three in the SLC, and he rates sixth with a team-leading 47 RBI
- Zac Colletti has started a team-high dozen games totaling 44.0 innings and is the lone UIW arm with 30+ strikeouts, while nine other pitchers have 15 or more Ks
3VAN! 3VAN! 3VAN! --- First-year Jack Evan Aslaksen enjoyed a midweek heater hitting a pair of home runs in the win at PVAMU, before exiting Pilgrim's Park the following day in the home win over Alcorn. In the two games, Aslaksen went 6-for-10 with nine RBI highlighted by three home runs and a triple.
Big Bat Ibe --- Josh Ibe was named the SLC Hitter of the Week on April 6. It was the second weekly SLC honor for the Cypress, Texas native in his SFA career and he became the first Lumberjack this spring to earn the league's weekly plaudit. In four games, Ibe hit .438 with seven hits of which five went for extra bases. He delivered three doubles, a pair of home runs and totaled 16 bases. Ibe drove in a team-leading nine runs and tied for the team lead in runs scored with six.
Nine is Fine --- Junior right hander Dylan Mulcahy recorded a career-high nine strikeouts over 5.1 innings pitched to earn the game three victory and give the Jacks the series over HCU. Mulcahy's nine strikeouts matched the most by any SFA arm since the start of the 2023 season. He then followed that up with nine punchouts in the series finale against UTRGV. Between Mulcahy accounting for half of SFA's individual nine-strikeout efforts this spring was such efforts by Cody Templeton in G1 vs. UTRGV and Elian Balmaceda in relief in G1 vs. A&M-CC.
Eleven is Heaven --- SFA erupted for 11 runs in the eighth inning of the series finale against Lamar to erase a 9-3 deficit on their way to a series win with a 14-11 victory. The Jacks have eight innings of 7+ runs in Vanderburg's tenure with six of those coming 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.
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.
#LogByLog
Players Mentioned
C
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball3.29.26 | BSB v HCU Series Press Conference
Monday, March 30
3.8.26 | BSB v Lamar Series Press Conference
Monday, March 09
2.17.26 | Baseball Opening Week Postgame Press Conference
Wednesday, February 18
5.10.25 | BSB v UIW Series Press Conference
Monday, May 12
