April 14, 2011
Game Notes
HONOLULU, HI - The Louisiana Tech baseball team heads west for their first conference road series against Hawai'i. The four-game set begins Friday evening at 11:30 CT at Les Murakami Stadium. Saturday and Monday's contest will also begin at 11:30 CT while Sunday's game will begin at 6 p.m. CT.
Tech pitchers had a strong showing last weekend as they held the nations' top-ranked offense to just 11 runs over four games and posted two shutouts. The two shutouts against New Mexico State marked the first time that Tech has shutout a conference opponent twice in a series since the Bulldogs did it in 1997 on the road at UTPA.
Having won their last five games on the Hawaiian Islands, Tech will rely on steady offensive production throughout their lineup. As a team, Tech is hitting .281 with Mark Threlkeld pacing the offensive attack with a .341 clip with 11 doubles and five home runs.
Hawai'i owns an 18-14 record on the season with a perfect 4-0 mark against WAC opponents. All-American Kolten Wong leads the club with a .400 batting average while the `Bows have posted a 3.19 ERA as a pitching staff.
Dave Nitz will provide play-by-play commentary for all four games this weekend. Fans can listen within the greater Ruston area on ESPN 97.7 or log on and listen via LA Tech All-Access.
ON DECK
Tech continues their eight-game road trip with a four-game set against San Jose State. Tech will then return home on April 26 to take on Grambling State before traveling to Northwestern State the following day. The Bulldogs will host Nevada beginning April 29 at 6 p.m. at J.C. Love Field.
QUICK HITS
• Friday will mark the 49th meeting between the two schools.
• Tech has won five-straight games on the Hawaiian Islands.
• Tech is 14-8 overall in games played at Les Murakami Stadium.
• Tech is 12-0 this season when leading after eight innings.
• Tech is 157-6 since the 2004 season when leading after eight innings.
• Tech is 2-15 this season when trailing after eight innings.
• Tech has featured 27 different starting lineups in 32 games this season.
• Tech is 2-0 this season in extra innings games.
• Tech has picked off 10 runners to lead the WAC.
• Tech is hitting .307 at home while hitting .246 on the road.
• Tech is hitting .691 with a runner on third and less than two outs.
• Tech has tallied 54 two-out RBI.
• Tech is hitting .331 as a team in conference play with four of the top five top averages.
• Ryan Gebhardt has hit safely in his last six games.
• Joey Ford has tallied 14 multi-hit games this season.
• Will Alvis and Mark Threlkeld rank second in the WAC with five home runs apiece.
• The 10 HRs from Alvis and Threlkeld are more than 101 DI teams including LSU and Vandy.
• The four home runs allowed by the Bulldogs' pitching staff are the fewest in the WAC.
• Mark Threlkeld ranks fourth in the WAC with 11 doubles.
• Threlkeld ranks amongst the WAC leaders in 12 offensive categories.
• Alvis and Ewing have been hit by seven pitches this year, ranking second in the WAC.
• Threlkeld leads the WAC and ranks 8th in the country with five sacrifice flies.
• Ryan Gebhardt ranks second the WAC with six sacrifice bunts.
• Caleb Dudley leads the WAC with 15 appearances on the mound.
• Mike Jefferson leads the WAC with seven pickoffs on the season.
• Jefferson is one of two starting pitchers in the WAC who hasn't allowed a triple or homer.
SCOUTING THE `BOWS
Hawai'i enters the weekend with an 18-14 record coming off of a four-game sweep against Sacramento State in the conference opener for both teams. The `Bows pitching staff had a 1.97 ERA against the Hornets and hit .275 as a team to rank second behind Louisiana Tech.
UH returns four position starters and one starting pitcher highlighted by 2011 Baseball America midseason all-American, Kolten Wong. Last season Wong hit .341 with 11 home runs and 52 RBI. This season, the projected first-round draft pick leads Hawai'i with a .400 batting average with five home runs, five doubles and 27 RBI. Overall, UH is hitting .259 as a team with nine home runs.
In a pitcher-friendly park, the `Bows have posted a 3.19 ERA against stiff competition. In 288.0 innings of work, UH has issued just 74 walks while striking out 219 batters. Defensively, Hawai'i ranks sixth with a .960 fielding percentage having committed 52 errors.
STEFAN TOPS IN THE STATE
Just a year removed from Tommy John surgery, the native of Lafayette, La., allowed just two hits and fanned four batters as he held New Mexico State, the nations' top-ranked offensive club, in check as he tossed the first complete game shutout of his career. His outing earned him Louisiana Sports Writers Association Baseball Pitcher of the Week as announced on April 11.
WALK-OFF THIS WAY
This season, Louisiana Tech has tallied three walk-off wins with two capping come-from-behind victories and the most recent bringing the run-rule into play. Junior Kyle Roliard has tallied the last two for Tech as he notched a walk-off bunt single against UTPA and a walk-off, run-rule single against NMSU.
BUILT FORD TOUGH
Senior Joey Ford has played four positions this season, splitting time between all three outfield positions and second base. Ford also leads the Bulldogs with 14 multi-hit games and ranks third on the team with a .306 batting average.
