April 28, 2016 LA Tech Game Notes
SAN ANTONIO - After a successful week on the diamond in non-conference action, Louisiana Tech will step back into league play this weekend when the Bulldogs travel to take on Conference USA foe UTSA in a three-game series in San Antonio.
The weekend series is set to begin at 6 p.m. Friday at Roadrunner Field, while game two is scheduled for a 2 p.m. first pitch Saturday in San Antonio. LA Tech and UTSA will wrap up the series at 1 p.m. Sunday.
LA Tech has won three straight and seven of their last eight heading into the league series against the Roadrunners. Following midweek victories over McNeese State and at No. 14 UL-Lafayette, the Bulldogs are 25-13 overall on the season with a 10-8 mark in C-USA games. LA Tech is currently tied for fourth place with Marshall in the Conference USA standings and has won three straight league series over WKU, FIU and Old Dominion.
UTSA has struggled on the diamond as of late with the Roadrunners sitting in 11th place in the league standings with a 5-13 record in C-USA play entering this weekend's series in San Antonio. UTSA is 14-25 overall and has lost four straight games. Last weekend, the Roadrunners were swept by WKU in Bowling Green.
LA Tech is hitting .292 as a team this season with a total of 75 doubles, 15 triples and 24 home runs, while Jonathan Washam continues to lead the Bulldogs with a .386 average at the plate. Sean Ullrich has jumped to second on the team with a .336 clip after going 13-for-27 in his last seven games. In that span, Ullrich has recorded two doubles, three triples, two home runs, eight RBI's, two walks and a pair of stolen bases.
UTSA enters the weekend hitting .273 overall, while the Roadrunners have recorded 76 doubles, 11 triples and 17 home runs as a team this season. Bryan Arias leads the Roadrunners with a .331 average at the plate, while Tyler Straub (.273 BA) has driven in a team-high 29 RBI's for UTSA with eight doubles, a triple and two home runs.
LA Tech has a 3.63 team ERA entering the weekend with opponents hitting .239 against Tech's pitching staff. The Bulldogs will stick with its rotation of lefty Phillip Diehl (3-4, 4.17 ERA) to get things started Friday night, followed by right-handers Cameron Linck (2-0, 3.13 ERA) and Casey Sutton (5-0, 1.11 ERA) on Saturday and Sunday in San Antonio.
The Roadrunners will begin the series with senior Aaron Burns (3-5, 4.50 ERA) on the mound, followed by lefty Karl Craigie (3-1, 4.96 ERA) set to start game two. UTSA has yet to name a starter for Sunday's finale. UTSA has a 6.09 ERA as a team with opponents hitting .293 against the Roadrunners.
SERIES HISTORY
Louisiana Tech and UTSA have faced off just 12 times in the series history with the Roadrunners holding a 9-3 advantage over the Diamond 'Dogs in the all-time series. However, LA Tech got the better of UTSA last season in Ruston with the Bulldogs winning two of three over the Roadrunners in 2015 after dropping the series opener. In 2014, UTSA swept LA Tech in a three-game league series in San Antonio. LA Tech has won two straight over UTSA heading into this weekend's road series.
WITH THE CALL
All three games against the Roadrunners can be heard on the LA Tech Sports Network on KNBB 97.7 FM with Dave Nitz calling all the action from Roadrunner Field in San Antonio. Live stats will also be available for the series between LA Tech and UTSA by accessing the link on the baseball schedule page on LATechSports.com.
ON DECK
Next week, Louisiana Tech returns home for four straight games at J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park, beginning with a midweek tilt against I-20 foe ULM at 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 4 in Ruston. The Bulldogs will then play hosts to Middle Tennessee in a three-game Conference USA series at the Love Shack which begins at 6 p.m. Friday, May 6 in Ruston.
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