University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Baseball Hosts Louisiana Tech For Three-Game Weekend Series
2/27/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
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Baseball Hosts Louisiana Tech For Three-Game Weekend Series
Hattiesburg, Miss. - The Southern Miss baseball team, currently on a two-game winning streak, will look to extend its streak when it hosts Louisiana Tech University for a three-game weekend series at Pete Taylor Park/Hill Denson Field. Friday's game starts at 4 p.m., Saturday's at noon and Sunday's at 1 p.m.
All three games will be broadcast on the radio with John Cox handling the play-by-play duties for Friday and Sunday's games, and Jason Baker serving as the play-by-play announcer for Saturday's game. Friday and Sunday's games will be 98.1 FM (WMXI) and Saturday's will be on 107.1 FM (WKNZ). All three games will be broadcast on SouthernMiss.com.
The Golden Eagles go into the weekend, sporting a 5-2 record since defeating South Alabama, 8-0, on Sunday, to capture the South Alabama Coca-Cola Classic. Southern Miss dropped a 5-1 decision to Northwestern, before coming from behind twice during the game to defeat St. John's, 13-12.
Louisiana Tech enters the weekend series with a 5-5 record after defeating Nicholls State, today, 10-4 in Thibodeaux, La. The Bulldogs dropped two-of-three games to Nebraska at home last weekend, winning game one, 6-5, and dropping games two, 14-3, and three, 13-8.
This is the 16th meeting between the two schools and first since 1986. Louisiana Tech leads, 9-5-1, in the series that dates to 1922. The Bulldogs won in 1986 and the Golden Eagles won in 1985, with both teams winning at each other's home park.
Friday's matchup will feature Southern Miss' Anthony Dewitt (Jr., RHP) against Louisiana Tech's Adam Kirkendall (Sr., LHP). Dewitt is 1-0 with an 0.00 ERA in 6.0 innings pitched. He pitched on Feb. 18 at UNO, picking up the 13-1 victory. He pitched six innings, giving up one unearned run on three hits and striking out two. Kirkendall is 1-1 on the season, picking up a win in his last outing, against Nebraska, last weekend. He pitched seven innings, giving up five runs, four earned, on seven hits, walking one and striking out six. He dropped his outing at Ole Miss, 3-2, on Feb. 14.
Bob McCrory (Jr., RHP) will take the mound for the Golden Eagles in Saturday's game against Tech starter Matt Varner (Jr., RHP). McCrory saw his first action since last season last Saturday, pitching two-thirds of an innings and picking up the win over St. John's. He gave up two runs on three hits and struck out one. This will mark his first start of the season. Varner has made three appearances and has a 1-2 record with a 10.24 ERA in 9.2 innings pitched. In his last outing, he pitched four innings, giving up five runs on five hits, walking five and striking out four in a loss to Nebraska.
Sunday's game will feature Southern Miss' Stephen Castleman (Sr., RHP) against Louisiana Tech's Mitch Tucker (So, RHP). Castleman has made two appearances, both starts, and sports a 1-0 record with a 4.09 ERA in 11.0 innings pitched. He has given up five runs on 14 hits, struck out 11 and walked five. In his last outing, he picked up his first win of the season last Sunday at South Alabama, pitching 7.1 innings, giving up eight hits, three walks and six strikeouts.
Louisiana Tech is hitting .271 as a team with 29 extra base hits. The Bulldogs have a .371 on-base percentage and a slugging percentage of .431. They have stolen 19-of-29 bases and have nine sacrifices. The pitching staff displays a 6.12 ERA in 78 innings pitched and has struck out 67 and walked 49 batters. Opponent hitters are hitting .298 off the Bulldog pitchers.
Wade Robinson leads Louisiana Tech with a .414 batting average with a double and two triples and has driven in eight runs. John Brandon has a .333 batting average with two doubles and a team-high four home runs and 13 RBIs. Jeff Walker is hitting .471 with two doubles and eight RBIs and Fairon Allen is hitting .389 with one triple, one homer and one RBI.
Southern Miss is led by outfielder Clint King, who is hitting .462 with two doubles, a home run and eight runs batted in. He has a .531 on-base percentage and a .654 slugging percentage. Third baseman Adam Smith is hitting .412 with two doubles a triple and a run batted in. Catcher Brad Willcutt is hitting .400 with a team-leading seven doubles and is tied for the team lead with one home run and eight RBIs. Outfielder Ryan Frith also is hitting .400 with a double and three RBIs and second baseman Jarrett Hoffpauir is hitting .360 with two doubles and four RBIs.
Junior pitcher Ray Antonelli has made three appearances in relief and is leading the team with one save and is tied for the team lead with 11 strikeouts in 11 innings pitched. He has given up four hits, three walks and opponents are hitting .118 off him. John Nicholas has made three appearances and is 1-0 with an 1.42 ERA in 6.1 innings of relief. He pitched the final two innings against South Alabama and gave up three hits and struck out four. Closer Austin Tubb is 1-0 with a 4.15 ERA in 4.1 innings pitched. He picked up his first save of the season last week against St. John's. He has struck out five and walked three batters.
The Golden Eagles are hitting .324 as a team with 29 extra base hits. They have a .401 on-base percentage and a .472 slugging percentage. Southern Miss has stolen 6-of-10 bases this year and has committed 11 errors in 264 chances for a .958 fielding percentage. The pitching staff has combined for a 3.86 ERA with 56 strikeouts to 29 walks. Opponents are hitting .254 off Golden Eagle pitchers.
