RUSTON – The Diamond 'Dogs (26-17, 11-6 CUSA) are set to face the Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions (13-29, 11-7 SWAC) for the first time since head coach Lane Burroughs' first year at LA Tech in 2017.
 
The Bulldogs swept the Golden Lions that year to open their season. Tuesday's and Wednesday's games mark the 15th and 16th all-time meetings between the two programs. UAPB's lone win over the 'Dogs came in 2015, with the Golden Lions taking the series finale, 5-4.
 
Game Information
Date: Apr. 29-30, 2025
Venue: J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park (Ruston, La.)
Time: (Tue.) 6 p.m. CT | (Wed.) 5 p.m. CT
Watch: ESPN+
Radio: Sportstalk 97.7 FM / LA Tech Athletics app
Stats: LATechSports.com/stats
 
Series History
Series Record: 13-1 vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Last Meeting: Feb. 19, 2017 (W, 16-1)
Streak: W3
 
Freshman first baseman Trey Hawsey has been on a tear during the month of April. The West Monroe native has hit six of his seven season homers this month, batting .422 with an OPS of 1.425, three doubles, 15 RBI, 12 runs scored and 11 walks drawn.
 
He homered in three-straight games--the series finale against Liberty and the first two games of the series against DBU-- and has four-multi-hit performances in his last five starts. Hawsey's OPS of 1.230 currently sits as the fourth-highest in CUSA in conference-only games, as well as sitting in the top 10 for batting average (.368), slugging percentage (.737), on-base percentage (.493), RBI (19) and homers (6).
 
Sebastian Mexico leads the team with a .320 batting average, while Hawsey and Zeb Ruddell are tied for the most homers with seven apiece. Michael Ballard is the lone 'Dog with 50+ hits on the year and one of three 'Dogs with at least 30 RBI.
 
Previewing the Golden Lions
UAPB comes to Ruston with a 13-29 overall record while sitting at 11-7 in SWAC play, putting them currently in sixth in the league. The Golden Lions are led by first-year head coach Logan Stout.
 
Stout is an accomplished entrepreneur, keynote speaker, best-selling author and founder of the Dallas Patriots and Premier Baseball Academy in Frisco, Texas, focusing on mentoring and guiding young baseball players. Stout has over 2,500 wins as a head coach and 27 World Series and national titles ranging from Perfect Game to USA Baseball National Championships and many others. 
 
Stout has had over 200 MLB draft picks and thousands of college players come through his program.  Some notable alum currently in the Big Leagues include Josh Bell, Trevor Story, AJ Minter, and many others.  Logan was a keynote speaker for the 2024 ABCA conference and coached the Future Stars team at Globe Life field. 
 
Freshman outfielder Eli Gries-Smith leads the Golden Lions' lineup at the plate, batting a team-high .369 while also leading the team with 40 runs, 58 hits, 36 RBI, a .973 OPS. He is tied for the most triples with three, has the second-most doubles at 12 and is one of three players for UAPB with double-digit stolen bases, as he has swiped 14 bags on 17 attempt this season.
 
Jesus Riera leads the team with five homers, batting .261 with 24 RBI, 29 runs scored and six stolen bases.
 
Kenny Fabian and Brendan Hamlin have been the top two arms for the Golden Lions' pitching staff, both leading the team with three wins each. Fabian has 42 punchouts through 55 2/3 innings, allowing 27 of his 38 runs as earned. He holds a 4.37 ERA with 10 starts in 11 of his appearances.
 
Hamlin has eight starts in 14 appearances, posting a 7.53 ERA through 43 innings of work. He has struck out just 26 batters while allowing 36 earned runs on 60 hits and 30 walks.

SUPPORT LA TECH ATHLETICS
Championships require championship resources.  Fans can make a direct impact on the success of LA Tech Athletics through LTAC, Aillet Society, T-Club, and Young Alumni program as well as the Bulldog Community Outreach which is the NIL collective that supports Bulldog and Lady Techster student-athletes. Visit BuildTheLegacy.com today.  
 
BARK LOUDER
Our mission is to engage, develop, and advance the Louisiana Tech Athletics brand.  You can do that by spending time consuming our content and by investing your talents.  By barking louder with your time and talent, you can affect progress and brand advancement in a meaningful way.  Visit LATechSports.com/BarkLouder today. You bark. We bark. Louder together.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
For all the latest in Bulldog Baseball, follow us on X (@LATechBSB), Instagram (@LATechBSB), and Facebook (LATechBSB).