Friday, March 15
Ruston, La.
6:00 PM
Louisiana Tech University
vs
Southern Miss
LA Tech to Host Southern Miss in C-USA Opener
3/14/2019 6:26:00 PM | Baseball
RUSTON, La. – The Louisiana Tech baseball team will continue its current five-game homestand this weekend, hosting the Southern Miss Golden Eagles in a three-game Conference-USA opening series from J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park.
Tech and USM will play Friday night at 6 p.m., followed by a 2 p.m. Saturday contest and a 1 p.m. Sunday finale, in the first league series for either team this season.
The Bulldogs (11-5) most recently took a 7-0 triumph over Sam Houston State on Tuesday evening, propelled by a seven-run sixth inning and a combined shutout (first of the season for Tech) from starter Kyle Griffen and relievers, Quinton Logan, Tyler Follis and Braxton Smith. The Bulldogs and Bearkats were scheduled to play a second game on Wednesday evening, but forecasted severe weather forced the cancellation of that contest.
Southern Miss (8-6) fell to UL-Lafayette, 6-5, in a 12-inning affair on Wednesday evening from Lafayette. The Golden Eagles are just 1-3 in road contests this season; however, their one win came in a shutout road victory over No. 9 Mississippi State back on February 22nd.
LA Tech is 6-3 at the Love Shack this season, and enters the weekend having won two of the previous three matchups with the Golden Eagles.
In 2018, the Bulldogs went to Hattiesburg, and handed then No. 9 Southern Miss its first series defeat of the season (snapping a streak of 12 straight, dating back to April 2017).
The Golden Eagles were picked to finish first in the C-USA Preseason Poll, while Tech was picked to finish second, mirroring the regular-season standings at the end of the season a year ago.
Southern Miss leads the all-tie series between the two programs, 25-16-1, including winning six of the last 10 matchups between the schools.
Tech head coach Lane Burroughs enters the weekend just one win shy of 200 for his career (199-158) now in his 7th season. In his two-plus years in Ruston, Burroughs has posted a record of 86-45, including a 38-22 mark against conference competition.
After a slow start to the season, Tech junior center fielder Parker Bates has boosted his average back over .300 (.302) and has taken back the team lead in RBI with 19. Bates is currently riding a 12-game hitting streak, the longest by a Bulldog this season.
Mason Mallard leads the Bulldogs with a .355 batting average on the strength of 22 base knocks. Mallard is slugging .500 and is reaching base at a .438 clip. The first baseman, who started every game in left field a year ago, has committed just one error in 121 chances at first.
The Golden Eagles are led offensively by Gabe Montenegro (.327 AVG, 17 H) and Hunter Slater (.309 AVG, 17 H). Preseason Player of the Year, Matt Wallner, is hitting .240 with a pair of home runs and 12 RBI through Southern Miss' first 14 games.
Tech will stick with its normal weekend rotation of RHP Matt Miller (1-0, 4.91 ERA, 18.1 IP, 21 K, 9 BB), LHP Logan Robbins (1-0, 8.31 ERA, 17.1 IP, 16 K, 9 BB) and Logan Bailey (1-2, 8.69 ERA, 19.2 IP, 22 K, 8 BB) in that order. Southern Miss will counter with RHP Walker Powell (1-0, 0.96 ERA, 18.2 IP, 11 K, 3 BB), LHP Stevie Powers (2-2, 4.85 ERA, 13.0 IP, 12 K, 2 BB) and LHP Adam Jackson (0-0, 0.77 ERA, 11.2 IP, 8 K, 3 BB).
All three games of the weekend set will be streamed live on CUSA.tv. (subscription required) and will be broadcast on KNBB 97.7 FM and through the LA Tech X Mobile App. Be sure to follow @LATechBSB on Twitter for live in-game updates, news and other items of interest on the 2019 Diamond 'Dogs.
Tech and USM will play Friday night at 6 p.m., followed by a 2 p.m. Saturday contest and a 1 p.m. Sunday finale, in the first league series for either team this season.
The Bulldogs (11-5) most recently took a 7-0 triumph over Sam Houston State on Tuesday evening, propelled by a seven-run sixth inning and a combined shutout (first of the season for Tech) from starter Kyle Griffen and relievers, Quinton Logan, Tyler Follis and Braxton Smith. The Bulldogs and Bearkats were scheduled to play a second game on Wednesday evening, but forecasted severe weather forced the cancellation of that contest.
Southern Miss (8-6) fell to UL-Lafayette, 6-5, in a 12-inning affair on Wednesday evening from Lafayette. The Golden Eagles are just 1-3 in road contests this season; however, their one win came in a shutout road victory over No. 9 Mississippi State back on February 22nd.
LA Tech is 6-3 at the Love Shack this season, and enters the weekend having won two of the previous three matchups with the Golden Eagles.
In 2018, the Bulldogs went to Hattiesburg, and handed then No. 9 Southern Miss its first series defeat of the season (snapping a streak of 12 straight, dating back to April 2017).
The Golden Eagles were picked to finish first in the C-USA Preseason Poll, while Tech was picked to finish second, mirroring the regular-season standings at the end of the season a year ago.
Southern Miss leads the all-tie series between the two programs, 25-16-1, including winning six of the last 10 matchups between the schools.
Tech head coach Lane Burroughs enters the weekend just one win shy of 200 for his career (199-158) now in his 7th season. In his two-plus years in Ruston, Burroughs has posted a record of 86-45, including a 38-22 mark against conference competition.
After a slow start to the season, Tech junior center fielder Parker Bates has boosted his average back over .300 (.302) and has taken back the team lead in RBI with 19. Bates is currently riding a 12-game hitting streak, the longest by a Bulldog this season.
Mason Mallard leads the Bulldogs with a .355 batting average on the strength of 22 base knocks. Mallard is slugging .500 and is reaching base at a .438 clip. The first baseman, who started every game in left field a year ago, has committed just one error in 121 chances at first.
The Golden Eagles are led offensively by Gabe Montenegro (.327 AVG, 17 H) and Hunter Slater (.309 AVG, 17 H). Preseason Player of the Year, Matt Wallner, is hitting .240 with a pair of home runs and 12 RBI through Southern Miss' first 14 games.
Tech will stick with its normal weekend rotation of RHP Matt Miller (1-0, 4.91 ERA, 18.1 IP, 21 K, 9 BB), LHP Logan Robbins (1-0, 8.31 ERA, 17.1 IP, 16 K, 9 BB) and Logan Bailey (1-2, 8.69 ERA, 19.2 IP, 22 K, 8 BB) in that order. Southern Miss will counter with RHP Walker Powell (1-0, 0.96 ERA, 18.2 IP, 11 K, 3 BB), LHP Stevie Powers (2-2, 4.85 ERA, 13.0 IP, 12 K, 2 BB) and LHP Adam Jackson (0-0, 0.77 ERA, 11.2 IP, 8 K, 3 BB).
All three games of the weekend set will be streamed live on CUSA.tv. (subscription required) and will be broadcast on KNBB 97.7 FM and through the LA Tech X Mobile App. Be sure to follow @LATechBSB on Twitter for live in-game updates, news and other items of interest on the 2019 Diamond 'Dogs.
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