Feb. 24, 2011
Game Notes
Ruston, La. - Coming off of a thrilling 11th-inning walk-off win against UALR on Tuesday night, the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs return to action this weekend with a three-game set at McNeese State. Friday and Saturday night, Tech and McNeese State square off at 6:30 p.m. CST before closing out the series with a Sunday afternoon matinee set for a 1 p.m. CST first pitch.
Louisiana Tech (4-0) enters the weekend seeking their first win in Lake Charles since Feb. 6, 2005. During the Simoneaux era, Tech has posted a 15-8 record with only three of those wins coming inside Cowboy Diamond.
The Bulldogs boast a team batting average of .297 with Joey Ford leading the way, hitting at a .500 clip. The senior, from Bossier City, has tallied four-straight multiple hit games to start the season and has driven in eight runs on eight hits while notching three doubles and a home run for a .875 slugging percentage.
McNeese State (2-3) enters the weekend after splitting a pair of midweek games against Grambling State and Southern University. During their opening weekend, McNeese dropped two of three during their home series opener against Rhode Island. The Cowboys are hitting .269 as a team and feature a staff ERA of 4.70.
ON DECK
Following a weekend series at McNeese State, the Bulldogs will travel north to Little Rock to take on UALR, Tuesday afternoon at 3 p.m. Middle Tennessee will make the trek to Ruston the following weekend for a three-game set at J.C. Love Field.
THE RUNDOWN
- The Bulldogs 4-0 start to the 2011 season marks the third time in the past four years that Tech has won at least four games to start a season.
- Tuesday's win against UALR marks the best start at home since 2009 when the Bulldogs won eight-straight home games to start the season.
- Louisiana Tech has not won a game at McNeese State since Feb. 6, 2005. The win capped a weekend sweep in Lake Charles when the Bulldogs outscored the Cowboys, 20-6, over three games. Since then, the Bulldogs have dropped three-straight games at McNeese State.
SCOUTING MCNEESE STATE
Friday will mark the 122nd meeting between the Bulldogs and the Cowboys of McNeese State. Louisiana Tech owns a 76-45 all-time record against McNeese while head coach Wade Simoneaux boasts a 15-8 record during his tenure at Tech. However, of those 15 wins, only three have come in Lake Charles with the last coming during the 2005 season.
The Cowboys return 20 lettermen from a 2010 squad that finished the season with 31-27 record and a 16-10 mark in games played inside Cowboy Diamond. Head Coach Terry Burrows' squad returns all three of their weekend starters from last season, all of which are expected to pitch against the Bulldogs.
McNeese State returns two all-Southland Conference performers in Jace Peterson (first team) and Lee Orr (third team). Peterson hit .353 last season while driving in 49 runs and hitting four home runs. Additionally, the junior tied a school record with 35 stolen bases during the 2010 campaign. Orr, a junior from Louise, Texas, has totaled 32 home runs in just two seasons with the Cowboys. Last season, the right fielder hit 17 homers and drove in 56 runs en route to hitting at a .286 average.
On the mound this weekend, the Cowboys will feature a veteran pitching staff that is led by Jaden Dillon. Last season, Dillon posted a perfect 8-0 record, including a 6-0 mark against conference opponents. Out of the pen, the Cowboys rely on closer Matt Click who tallied a 2-5 record last season with a record-tying nine saves.
RHP Zach Butler is expected to get the starting nod on Friday night against Trevor Petersen. Against Rhode Island last weekend, the senior tossed 7.0 innings, walked three batters and fanned five in a winning effort. Both Dillon and Sunday starter, Dustin Lloyd, were saddled with losses. Lloyd has made two appearances this season while allowing 12 hits and eight runs over 8.1 innings of work.
As a team, McNeese has stolen nine bases on 11 attempts with Peterson leading the way with five steals. Defensively, the Cowboys have committed nine errors on the season while turning two double plays.
LAST TIME AGAINST MCNEESE STATE Mike Jefferson (1-0) pitched six and a third scoreless innings and both Devon Dageford and Alex Williams added three RBI a-piece to help lead Louisiana Tech (5-2) to an 8-5 win over McNeese State (4-3) Sunday afternoon at J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park.
Jefferson pitched 6.1 solid innings and picked up his first win of the season. He struck out seven batters while giving up just three hits and allowing only one run.
