PORTALES, N.M. – Eastern New Mexico Baseball will play a four-game series against #15 St. Edward's this weekend at Greyhound Baseball Field. The series begins on Friday, Feb. 24, at 3 p.m. for a nine-inning game. The two teams will lock horns for a seven-inning double-header on Saturday, Feb. 25, with first pitch of game one at 1 p.m. and game two set to begin shortly after. The series finale will take place on Sunday, Feb. 26, with the nine-inning game starting at 1 p.m.
LAST TIME OUT
The Greyhounds picked up one game in a four-game away series against Texas A&M-Kingsville. The Javelinas got the better of the Hounds in game one, 2-0, and game two, 14-7, but the ENMU picked the third game with a 9-1 win behind an excellent performance from
Ruger Bravo on the mound. The left hander tossed a complete game effort, finishing with 13 punchouts during the game (setting a new career high). TAMUK finished the series with a 13-3 (7 Inn.) win over the Greyhounds in game four.
SCOUTING THE GREYHOUNDS
Following the trip to Kingsville, the Greyhounds have a 4-8 overall record and a 4-8 LSC record. ENMU's offense sport a .254 batting average, with 49 runs scored and 88 hits this season. On the mound, the Greyhounds pitching staff hold a collective 7.70 ERA, with 57 strikeouts.
First year standouts,
Dylan Hummel and
Jonatan Clough, lead the program in batting average with a .351 and .325 batting average, respectively. Both Hummel and Clough have 13 hits, with Clough providing nine RBI's. Hummel leads the team in on-base percentage (.442), while
Cooper Hamilton and Hummel are tied for the team lead in runs scored (8).
Bravo and
Noah De La Riva each had a great outing over the past weekend, with De La Riva leading all starting pitchers in ERA (4.82). Bravo leads the program in strikeouts and is one of four Greyhounds to register a win this season.
SCOUTING THE #15 HILLTOPPERS
The Hilltoppers come into the series with the Greyhounds following a 2-2 split with West Texas A&M. St. Edward's lost the first two games of the series, 5-4 and 2-0, but responded well to claim the final two games, 8-1 and 8-7. SEU enter this weekend as the #15 nationally-ranked team in the nation, based on the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) poll.
St. Edward's enter the weekend with a .280 batting average, suppling 92 hits, with 89 runs scored and 81 RBI's. SEU have one of the top pitching staffs in the conference, holding a 3.43 ERA (2
nd in LSC) with 95 strikeouts, and holding teams to a .238 batting average. The Hilltoppers bullpen has the most saves this season of any LSC program (4) and are 3
rd in the LSC for fielding percentage.
Hunter Conner paces the team with a .364 batting average, along with a team lead 12 RBIs. Davis Drewek leads the team with 13 hits with 11 RBIs. Cullen Ainsworth is a danger with runners on base, holding 12 RBIs and a team high 13 runs scored.
Luke Short has a program best 1.80 ERA and is 3-0 in three appearances this season. Wesley Gafford is 2-0 this season on the mound with a 3.50 ERA and leads the LSC in strikeouts with 29 in three starts. Each member of the starting rotation has below a 3.50 ERA, with Jack Granack holding a 2.25 ERA, and Luke Negrete sitting at a 3.27 ERA.
TUNE IN
Each contest will be streamed on the Lone Star Conference Digital Network and are pay-per-view. Live stats will also be provided during the games.
