JACKSONVILLE, Ala. – The Diamond 'Dogs (27-20, 11-9 CUSA) travel to Jacksonville, Alabama to take on the Jacksonville State Gamecocks (29-20, 11-10 CUSA) for the two programs' second all-time weekend series at Rudy Abbott Field at Jim Case Stadium.
 
Series Information
Date: May 9-11, 2025
Venue: Rudy Abbott Field at Jim Case Stadium (Jacksonville, Ala.)
Time: 6 p.m. CT (Friday) | 6 p.m. CT (Saturday) | 1 p.m. CT (Sunday)
Watch: ESPN+
Radio: Sportstalk 97.7 FM / LA Tech Athletics app
Stats: LATechSports.com/stats
Weekend Rotation: RHP Logan Forsythe (Friday) | RHP Brooks Roberson (Saturday) | TBA (Sunday)
 
Series History
Series Record: 3-0 vs. Jacksonville State
Last Meeting: Mar. 24, 2024 (W, 5-1)
Streak: W3
 
The Bulldogs swept Jax State in their inaugural weekend series at the Love Shack in 2024 to open up Conference USA play. The 'Dogs took the first two games in a doubleheader played on Saturday, March 23 before clinching the sweep with a 5-1 victory on Sunday, March 24.
 
LA Tech looks for a bounce-back weekend against the Gamecocks after dropping their previous two series, including a three-game sweep from Western Kentucky, following their streak of six-straight weekend series wins, five of which they won to open CUSA play this season.
 
The hard-throwing Logan Forsythe will start on the bump in the series opener for his first start of the season in his 22nd appearance. He carries a 5.00 ERA through 36 innings with 47 punchouts. He has allowed 20 earned runs on 25 hits and 28 walks while holding his opponents to a combined .198 average.
 
Freshman Brooks Roberson remains as the Game 2 starter for the Bulldogs, making his ninth start in his 14th appearance for LA Tech. He leads the team with a 4.32 ERA and is tied with Luke Cooley for the most wins on the team at five. His 49 strikeouts are second-most on the team as he has posted at least five strikeouts in four of his last six starts.
 
Sunday's pitcher for the Bulldogs is to be announced.
 
Seven of Trey Hawsey's nine home runs this season in CUSA play are tied for the third-most in the league, along with the freshman sitting in the top five in CUSA-only competitions in slugging percentage (.696) and OPS (1.154). He is also in ninth with 20 RBI in league games.
 
Hawsey is currently fifth all-time in homers hit by a freshman in Louisiana Tech history on record, just one home run shy of becoming the fifth freshman ever to record double-digit homers in a season. He looks to be first since 2015 when Jericho Jones hit 15 in his rookie season with the Bulldogs. Jones' 15 homers currently stands as the freshman single-season home run record.
 
Blake Hooks remains atop the conference with seven saves, which also sits among the top 40 nationally in Division I entering the weekend.
 
The Bulldogs are among the top three in the conference in walks (256), double plays (37), home runs (57) and runs per game (7.3).
 
Previewing the Gamecocks
Jacksonville State enters the weekend just half a game behind the 'Dogs in the CUSA standings. The Gamecocks are coming off a run rule midweek victory at home over Alabama State, 16-4 in seven innings, after securing a series win on the road at Middle Tennessee.
 
Drew Collins, Ace Williamson and Colton Hegwood are the only players with at least 50 hits for JSU entering the series. Hegwood leads the team with a .313 average as one of three players batting over .300 thus far. Williamson has posted seven homers with a team-high 37 RBI, along with a perfect stolen-base percentage with 11 swipes on 11 attempts.
 
Collins has been another efficient baserunner for JSU, having 17 steals on 21 attempts. Claeb Johnson also has 17 steals while Cooper Blauser leads the team with 20 swipes on 24 attempts. Grayson Ashe leads the Gamecocks with nine homers and an OPS of .966.
 
Jacksonville State has five players that have collected at least 30 RBI and eight players that have hit multiple homers this season.
 
Jackson Phipps will be the Game 1 starter for the Gamecocks, carrying a team-best 3.95 ERA with a 3-2 record in 12 starts this season. He has thrown one complete game, a seven-inning outing in an 11-1 run-rule win over Southeast Missouri and has played a part in one shutout this season.
 
Phipps leads the team with 59 strikeouts over 57 innings, allowing 25 earned runs on 38 hits and 36 walks and keeping opponents to a combined .187 batting average.
 
Steven Cash gets the nod for the second game of the weekend series, holding a 4-2 record for the most wins on the team with a 4.87 ERA through 64 2/3 innings. 35 of the 36 runs he has allowed have come across the plate as earned on 57 hits and 22 walks while fanning 49 batters.
 
Sunday's pitcher is to be announced.
 
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