RUSTON – Louisiana Tech gets set to play its third straight home weekend series as they host Northwestern in a three-game slate at J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park.
 
GAME INFORMATION
Date/Time: Friday, March 3 (6 p.m.) | Saturday, March 4 (2 p.m.) | Sunday, March 5 (Noon)
Location: J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park (Ruston, La.)
TV/Stream: CUSA.tv
Stats: LATechSports.com/Stats
Radio: Sportstalk 97.7 FM and/or LA Tech Athletics app
Tickets: LATechSports.com/Tickets
Series Sponsor: Louisiana National Bank
 
ABOUT LOUISIANA TECH (5-4)
LA Tech is coming off a two-game split with Ole Miss in Oxford, Mississippi.  The Bulldogs overcame a four-run deficit in game one to defeat the reigning national champions and 4th-ranked Rebels, 6-5.  It was the program's first road win over a top-5 opponent since 2004.
 
The Bulldogs were on the verge of sweeping the Rebels, up 5-4 in the top of the seventh inning in game two, but the contest went into a weather delay and was ultimately called off.  As a result, the score reverted to the last completed inning, which was the sixth when Ole Miss was leading, 4-3.
 
LA Tech recorded 13 hits in the midweek series, six of which went for extra bases.  The Bulldogs ended up recording three total home runs by Brody Drost, Ethan Bates, and Walker Burchfield.  Meanwhile, Ole Miss, who came into the series ranked in the top five in the nation in homers, were limited to just two.
 
The Bulldogs threw nine arms, allowing just eight runs.  Jonathan Fincher and Rawley Hector, projected weekend starters, each threw one scoreless inning.  Landon Tomkins went 3.0 innings, getting the victory on Tuesday, while Bates notched his second save of the year.
 
ABOUT NORTHWESTERN (0-6)
Northwestern enters the weekend still winless, having been swept in a three-game series at Texas State and then dropping three straight games in the Carolinas to Gardner-Webb, Presbyterian, and USC Upstate.
 
The Wildcats, under the guidance of first-year head coach Jim Foster, have struggled at the plate so far with a team batting average of .198 and just one home run.  Vincent Bianchina and Tony Livermore are leading the charge offensively with six hits apiece.
 
Meanwhile, opponents are averaging 12.5 runs per game versus Northwestern.  Michael Farinelli and Matt McClure have each made two starts so far, putting together 8.0 and 8.2 innings of work, respectively.
 
THE SERIES
LA Tech and Northwestern will face one another for the first time.  It will be just the seventh Big Ten opponent the Bulldogs have ever played, sporting an all-time record of 14-18-1 versus the league.  It will be the first time playing a Big Ten opponent since LA Tech hosted Minnesota in 2014.
 
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