RUSTON, La. – The No. 18 Louisiana Tech baseball team will play its final home midweek contest of the year this Tuesday vs. Little Rock at 6 p.m., followed shortly thereafter by a Wednesday road tilt against McNeese State from Lake Charles, Louisiana, at 6 p.m.
 
LA Tech (27-12, 12-6 C-USA) most recently took down its fifth consecutive Conference USA opponent, defeating Marshall two games to one over the weekend. Tech outscored the Herd, 33-14 over the weekend set, while keeping sole possession of third place in the league standings – just two games back of co-league leaders Florida Atlantic and Southern Miss, both at 14-4.
 
The Bulldogs continue to garner national recognition after rattling off wins in 16 of their last 20 games. Over that month-long span, Tech has outscored its opponents 143-78. Tech is 10-2 in the month of April.
 
Tech continued the climb the national rankings this week, moving up to no. 18 in the Collegiate Baseball Top 30, while entering Perfect Game's Top 25 Poll at no. 25. Tech is also receiving votes in both the USA Today Coaches Poll and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Division I Poll, and currently sits at 33 in the most recent NCAA RPI release.
 
Tech will be looking to sweep both season matchups over the Trojans and Cowboys this week. Back in February, the Bulldogs staked a 5-3, 12-inning win over Little Rock, while claiming a 10-4 win over McNeese on April 3^rd at J.C. Love Field.
 
Tuesday's pitching matchup will feature Tech left-hander Kyle Griffen (7-2, 3.47 ERA, 46.2 IP, 26 K, 8 BB) against Little Rock RHP Aaron Funk (0-1, 11.57 ERA, 18.2 IP, 12 K, 18 BB) in a rematch of starters from the first meeting between the two clubs.
 
Griffen has been an ironman for the Tech pitching staff this season, leading the team and all of C-USA in appearances with 24. The Sulphur, Louisiana, native has the ninth-lowest ERA among qualifying pitchers in the league at 3.47, and is tied for the league lead in wins with seven.
 
Over his last 10 appearances (16.0 IP), Griffen has allowed just four earned runs (2.25 ERA).
 
Meanwhile, the Bulldog offense has been on a tear as of late, and among C-USA, currently ranks fifth in batting average (.288), third in slugging percentage (.445), fourth in on-base percentage (.381), first in runs scored (272), first in RBI (253), third in triples (13), first in home runs (39) and first in HBPs (66).
 
Sophomore leadoff man Taylor Young continues to be one of the top table-setters in all of college baseball, sparking a Tech offense with five every day starters hitting .295 or better. Young leads the team and is tied for first in C-USA with 30 walks. The West Monroe product owns the third best quality at-bat percentage (QAB includes hits, walks, HBP, sacrifices, reach via error, run scored via contact and 7+ pitch PA) in all of college baseball at .608.
 
A starting pitching matchup has not yet been announced for Wednesday's tilt at McNeese.
 
Following its last home midweek of the year, Tech will open up a stretch of nine consecutive road games, including a pair of C-USA series against Rice (April 26-28) and Old Dominion (May 3-5), and ending with a midweek matchup vs. LSU on May 7.
 
Be sure to stay plugged into LATechSports.com and follow @LATechBSB on Twitter for all braking news, in-game updates and other items of interest pertaining to the 2019 Diamond 'Dogs.