RUSTON – Louisiana Tech continues its five-game home swing this weekend as they host UAB for a three-game conference series. The Bulldogs are currently tied for fourth in the league standings with nine conference games remaining.
 
SERIES INFORMATION
Dates/Times: Friday, May 5 (6 p.m.) | Saturday, May 6 (2 p.m.) | Sunday, May 7 (1 p.m.)
Location: J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park (Ruston, La.)
TV/Stream: CUSA.tv
Stats: LATechSports.com/Stats
Radio: Sportstalk 97.7 FM | LA Tech Athletics app
Tickets: LATechSports.com/Tickets
Weekend Rotation: Friday (Jonathan Fincher, LHP), Saturday (TBA), Sunday (TBA)
Series Sponsor: Northern Louisiana Medical Center
 
ABOUT LOUISIANA TECH (22-24, 11-10 C-USA)
LA Tech is looking to rebound from a 10-7 extra-inning loss to Northwestern State this past Tuesday. The Bull­dogs are now 2-2 in extra-inning games this season with both losses coming to the Demons (also lost 8-7 in 13 innings in Natchitoches back on April 4).
 
Jorge Corona continues to lead the 'Dogs in batting average at .300. He is batting .500 (11-of-22) over his last five games and has registered a double in all five contests (now has a team-high 16 doubles which ranks No. 2 in C-USA and 53rd in the country).
 
Ethan Bates has also been a hot hitter for LA Tech as of late. He has a six-game hitting streak going, batting .423 (11-of-26) with 12 RBIs during that span. He has also hit a home run in four of the last five games, bringing his total to 11 which is the second most on the team.
 
Logan McLeod got hit in the head and the back in Tuesday's game against NSU, bringing his hit-by-pitch total to 18 (most in C-USA and 12th most in the nation). He has been hit six times in the last four games.
 
Jonathan Fincher is scheduled to make his 12th start of the season come Friday. His seven wins is tied for the most in C-USA. He came in for one inning versus NSU, striking out three (69 strikeouts ranks fifth in C-USA).
 
ABOUT UAB (14-19, 5-16 C-USA)
UAB comes to Ruston sitting in ninth in the C-USA standings.  The Blazers have taken just one of the seven league series they have played.  Despite dropping the series this past weekend to No. 25 UTSA, they did take game one from the Roadrunners, winning 4-2.
 
In that victory, right-hander Brooks Walton (who is scheduled to start Friday night) threw a complete game, throwing 107 pitches while allowing just the two runs on four hits.  He was voted C-USA Pitcher of the Week while improving to 3-4 on the mound for UAB.
 
The Blazers have struggled offensively this season, scoring an average of 3.9 runs per game.  They are led at the plate by Logan Braunschweig who is batting .346.  He also leads the team in OB% (.451), SLG% (.417), OPS (.868), and stolen bases (14). 
 
THE SERIES
LA Tech and UAB have faced off 33 times on the dia­mond with the Bulldogs leading, 19-14.  The first ever meeting took place back in 1988. The Bulldogs have been dominant in the series as of late, winning 11 of the last 14 and eight of the last nine. The last seven matchups have come in Ruston between the Bulldogs and Blazers (LA Tech won three of four in the last series in 2021).
 
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