Feb. 28, 2011
Game Notes
Little Rock, Ark. - Despite dropping the first road game of the 2011 season, Louisiana Tech bounced back and dropped McNeese State in the final two games of the series to claim their first wins in Lake Charles since the 2005 season. The Bulldogs will look to finish out their four-game road swing with a winning record as Tech is set to square off against UALR Tuesday afternoon at 3 p.m. at Gary Hogan Field.
The Bulldogs are hitting .319 as a club and have belted 14 doubles and seven home runs. Joey Ford and Mark Threlkeld lead the way with a .467 and .464 average, respectively. Ford has hit safely in all seven games to start the season while recording six multiple hit games during that stretch.
Josh Barrett is expected to get the start on the mound for the Bulldogs. Tuesday will mark his first start since May 11, 2010 against Arkansas when he tossed 2.1 innings allowing two runs on five hits. This season, the senior has posted a 4.76 ERA in his two appearances. In 5.2 innings of work, Barrett has allowed three earned runs on three hits while walking one and striking out six.
UALR enters the week with a 3-5 record as the Trojans are coming off a series loss against Bradley at home in which they salvaged the series finale, 11-7.
Calvin Drinnen will counter Barrett on the mound. In two appearances this season, the senior boasts a 7.20 ERA while being charged with one loss. In 5.0 innings of work, Drinnen has allowed four runs on nine hits, no walks and two strikeouts.
ON DECK
Following a midweek game against UALR, the Bulldogs will return home to Ruston and host Middle Tennessee State. The weekend series will be the last home games for the Bulldogs until Tech plays host Alcorn State on March 22.
THE RUNDOWN
• The Bulldogs 6-1 start to the 2011 season is the best start since 2008 when Tech opened the season with a 6-1 record.
• A win against UALR would mark the best start to a season since 1984 when Tech started the season 8-1.
• Both Joey Ford and Alex Williams have hit safely in all seven games to start the 2011 season. Of the seven games, Ford has recorded six multiple hit games. Freshman Tyler Qualls has hit safely in all three of his appearances (4-of-5).
SCOUTING UALR
Tuesday's meeting against UALR will mark the second of two games this season between the two programs.
In the nine years of the Simoneaux era, the two squads have only met on two occasions. However, Tech owns a 48-19 all-time record against the Trojans with most of the wins coming when Louisiana Tech was a member of the Sun Belt Conference.
The Trojans return 16 letterwinners from a 2010 squad that finished the season with a 29-25 record and a ninth-place finish in the Sun Belt. The Trojans feature 23 upperclassmen, all of which spent time within the junior college ranks.
UALR (3-5) dropped two-of-three games this past weekend at Gary Hogan Field against Bradley. The Trojans lost the first two games of the series but managed to take game three of the series, 11-7.
Defensively, the Trojans have turned 10 double plays and committed 11 errors on the season. The Trojans are expected to start righty Calvin Drinnen. The senior has made two appearances and boasts a 7.20 ERA while being charged with one loss. In 5.0 innings of work, Drinnen has allowed four runs on nine hits, no walks and two strikeouts.
As a staff this season, the Trojans have a team ERA of 4.40 and have surrendered 35 walks, 45 runs and 80 hits.
