Friday, February 26
Ruston, La.
6 p.m.
Louisiana Tech University
vs
Southern
Photo by: Jonathan Mailhes
Diamond Dogs Open New Stadium With Three-Game Series Against Southern
2/26/2021 12:21:00 PM | Baseball
RUSTON, La. – Louisiana Tech's baseball team will play its first home game on campus in 675 days when the Diamond Dogs open a three-game series against Southern on Friday evening. The 'Dogs are scheduled to host the Jaguars for games on Friday, Saturday and Sunday in the new J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park.
Fans will not be allowed in the new Love Shack due to ongoing construction off the facility's playing surface. The extreme, rare winter storm that hit Northern Louisiana a week ago caused delays to the construction schedule. All three games will still be broadcasted live on CUSA.tv and will have audio streaming options.
Series Information
Times (Friday-Sunday): 6 p.m. | 2 p.m. | 1 p.m.
Location: J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park
TV/Audio Stream: CUSA.tv
Radio/Streamed Radio Broadcast: KNBB 99.3 FM (Friday & Sunday) | latechsports.com (Friday-Sunday)
Projected Starting Pitchers (Friday-Sunday)
LA Tech: Jonathan Fincher (LHP), Ryan Jennings (RHP) & Jarret Whorff (RHP)
Fincher: 1-0, 1.80 ERA, 5.0 IP, 10 K, 2 BB
Jennings: 0-0, 4.15 ERA, 4.1 IP, 2 K, 1 BB
Whorff: 0-1, 0.00 ERA, 5.1 IP, 4 K, 1 BB
Southern: John Guineze (LHP), Joseph Battaglia III (RHP) & Christian Davis (LHP)
Guineze: 0-1, 9.00 ERA, 4.0 IP, 0 K, 0 BB
Battaglia III: 1-0, 3.60 ERA, 5.0 IP, 5 K, 2 BB
Davis: 0-1, 18.00 ERA, 3.0 IP, 1 K, 1 BB
About the Diamond Dogs
The Diamond Dogs have opened the season 1-2 with three games in Southern Louisiana, playing Air Force and LSU at Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge before heading to Lafayette for a Tuesday night matchup at UL-Lafayette. The Bulldogs opened their season with an 18-1 win over Air Force, scoring 14 unanswered runs to close out the lopsided affair.
The 'Dogs then tallied the first four runs of the game at No. 11 LSU on Monday, holding a 6-2 lead entering the bottom of the sixth inning. LSU's bats came alive in the final few frames, taking the lead for good after a pair of homers in the sixth to eventually win 16-7. LA Tech then fell 2-0 in a pitcher's duel at Russo Park in Lafayette, where Tech starter Jarret Whorff did not allow an earned run in over five innings of work on the mound.
Tech's senior outfield duo of Parker Bates and Steele Netterville each extended their hitting streaks in the first three games of 2021. Bates has now rattled off at least one base hit in 11 straight games, while Nettervile has hit safely in 14 consecutive games. Netterville has recorded two-hit games in five straight contests dating back to the 2020 season.
Friday night's home game will be LA Tech's first home contest on campus since a 5-4 walk-off victory over Little Rock on April 23, 2019. Hunter Wells crushed the winning homer over the wall in center field on a 1-1 pitch, marking the final at-bat at the old J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park.
LA Tech holds a perfect 3-0 record over the Jaguars. The most recent matchup between the Jaguars and Bulldogs came in 2016 when the 'Dogs shut out Southern 15-0 in New Orleans. All three previous matchups have been played in a neutral venue.
Scouting Southern
Southern has opened the season 1-2 with three games at the University of New Orleans. The Jaguars dropped their season opener 10-5 before responding with a 4-3 victory in the second game. UNO notched a 6-3 victory in the final matchup to record the series victory.
Southern outfielder Tremaine Spears leads the Jaguars in batting average (.500), total bases (nine) and OPS (1.471). The Jags hold a 6.48 ERA, .970 fielding percentage and .226 batting average as a team. Projected Saturday starting pitcher Joseph Battaglia III tops the Jaguars' pitching staff in strikeouts with five Ks this season.
The Jaguars named Chris Crenshaw their interim head coach in December, making him the seventh head coach in program history. Crenshaw has been with the program for three seasons, previously serving as Jackson State's recruiting coordinator and pitching coach.
Crenshaw's squad opens the season with 11 straight games against in-state opponents. Following their trip to Ruston, the Jaguars will return to Baton Rouge with a Wednesday contest at LSU.
Fans will not be allowed in the new Love Shack due to ongoing construction off the facility's playing surface. The extreme, rare winter storm that hit Northern Louisiana a week ago caused delays to the construction schedule. All three games will still be broadcasted live on CUSA.tv and will have audio streaming options.
Series Information
Times (Friday-Sunday): 6 p.m. | 2 p.m. | 1 p.m.
Location: J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park
TV/Audio Stream: CUSA.tv
Radio/Streamed Radio Broadcast: KNBB 99.3 FM (Friday & Sunday) | latechsports.com (Friday-Sunday)
Projected Starting Pitchers (Friday-Sunday)
LA Tech: Jonathan Fincher (LHP), Ryan Jennings (RHP) & Jarret Whorff (RHP)
Fincher: 1-0, 1.80 ERA, 5.0 IP, 10 K, 2 BB
Jennings: 0-0, 4.15 ERA, 4.1 IP, 2 K, 1 BB
Whorff: 0-1, 0.00 ERA, 5.1 IP, 4 K, 1 BB
Southern: John Guineze (LHP), Joseph Battaglia III (RHP) & Christian Davis (LHP)
Guineze: 0-1, 9.00 ERA, 4.0 IP, 0 K, 0 BB
Battaglia III: 1-0, 3.60 ERA, 5.0 IP, 5 K, 2 BB
Davis: 0-1, 18.00 ERA, 3.0 IP, 1 K, 1 BB
About the Diamond Dogs
The Diamond Dogs have opened the season 1-2 with three games in Southern Louisiana, playing Air Force and LSU at Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge before heading to Lafayette for a Tuesday night matchup at UL-Lafayette. The Bulldogs opened their season with an 18-1 win over Air Force, scoring 14 unanswered runs to close out the lopsided affair.
The 'Dogs then tallied the first four runs of the game at No. 11 LSU on Monday, holding a 6-2 lead entering the bottom of the sixth inning. LSU's bats came alive in the final few frames, taking the lead for good after a pair of homers in the sixth to eventually win 16-7. LA Tech then fell 2-0 in a pitcher's duel at Russo Park in Lafayette, where Tech starter Jarret Whorff did not allow an earned run in over five innings of work on the mound.
Tech's senior outfield duo of Parker Bates and Steele Netterville each extended their hitting streaks in the first three games of 2021. Bates has now rattled off at least one base hit in 11 straight games, while Nettervile has hit safely in 14 consecutive games. Netterville has recorded two-hit games in five straight contests dating back to the 2020 season.
Friday night's home game will be LA Tech's first home contest on campus since a 5-4 walk-off victory over Little Rock on April 23, 2019. Hunter Wells crushed the winning homer over the wall in center field on a 1-1 pitch, marking the final at-bat at the old J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park.
LA Tech holds a perfect 3-0 record over the Jaguars. The most recent matchup between the Jaguars and Bulldogs came in 2016 when the 'Dogs shut out Southern 15-0 in New Orleans. All three previous matchups have been played in a neutral venue.
Scouting Southern
Southern has opened the season 1-2 with three games at the University of New Orleans. The Jaguars dropped their season opener 10-5 before responding with a 4-3 victory in the second game. UNO notched a 6-3 victory in the final matchup to record the series victory.
Southern outfielder Tremaine Spears leads the Jaguars in batting average (.500), total bases (nine) and OPS (1.471). The Jags hold a 6.48 ERA, .970 fielding percentage and .226 batting average as a team. Projected Saturday starting pitcher Joseph Battaglia III tops the Jaguars' pitching staff in strikeouts with five Ks this season.
The Jaguars named Chris Crenshaw their interim head coach in December, making him the seventh head coach in program history. Crenshaw has been with the program for three seasons, previously serving as Jackson State's recruiting coordinator and pitching coach.
Crenshaw's squad opens the season with 11 straight games against in-state opponents. Following their trip to Ruston, the Jaguars will return to Baton Rouge with a Wednesday contest at LSU.
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Baseball
LHP
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RHP
/ Baseball
OF
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INF
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RHP
/ BaseballWednesday, May 20
Saturday, May 16
Friday, May 15
Thursday, May 14
