University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Baseball Hosts Buffalo In Weekend Series
3/9/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 9, 2006
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Southern Miss (10-4) hosts Buffalo (3-6) in a weekend series, on Friday-Sunday, March 10-12, at Pete Taylor Park/Hill Denson Field. Friday's game will begin at 6:30 p.m., Saturday's at 3 p.m. and Sunday's at 1 p.m..
Friday's game will be broadcast on WXRR, 104.5 FM "Rock 104," while Saturday and Sunday's game will both be on WXHB, 96.5 "The Hub." All broadcasts will be anchored by veteran broadcasters John Cox and Lance Pittman.
All three Southern Miss games will feature "Live Stats", which will be available through SouthernMiss.com by clicking the "Gametracker" link on the front page under the events section.
Southern Miss' weekend series against Buffalo marks the fourth meeting between the two teams. Southern Miss holds a 2-1 record against Buffalo, and is 8-4 against teams from the Mid-American Conference. In their only other meeting, a weekend series in 2002 in Hattiesburg, the Golden Eagles took game one, 14-5, and game two, 18-6, but lost the final game of the series to the Bulls, 8-5.
Southern Miss enters the weekend series with a 1-1 midweek record, claiming an 18-5 win against Louisiana-Monroe on Tuesday in Hattiesburg, and falling to Louisiana Tech on Wednesday in Jackson, 12-7.
Buffalo posted a 1-3 record against Marshall in a four-game weekend series last weekend. The Bulls won Friday's game, 8-7, lost both ends of Saturday's doubleheader, 10-9 and 20-3, and dropped Sunday's game, 13-7.
The Golden Eagle offense is led by junior outfielder Toddric Johnson, who leads the team in batting average (.375), hits (21), doubles (6) and total bases (35). Johnson also has one triple, two stolen bases, two home runs, 11 RBIs, a .625 slugging percentage and a .462 on-base percentage. Freshman outfielder Michael Ewing is batting .356 with 16 hits, four doubles, two home runs and 10 RBIs. Ewing also has 26 total bases and a .578 slugging percentage. Sophomore second baseman Trey Sutton is batting .333 with 19 hits, two doubles and three RBIs.
The Bulls offense is led by freshman outfielder James Piazza, who is batting a team-high .381 with eight hits, three doubles and six RBIs. Freshman second baseman Brad Agustin is batting .316 with 12 hits, one double, one triple, one home run and a team-high seven RBIs. Junior catcher Dan Quinn is batting .310 with nine hits, a team-high two home runs and four RBIs.
Redshirt senior right-hander Cliff Russum (1-2) takes the mound on Friday to start the series against freshman right-hander Dan Francis (1-1).
Russum holds a 1-2 record with a 4.15 ERA, in 17.1 innings with 13 strikeouts and 10 walks. He has given up eight runs on 10 hits and opponents are hitting .234 against him. In his last start against Illinois State in game one, Russum gave up three runs on five hits in seven innings of work, striking out five, while walking three.
Francis boasts a 1-1 record with a 3.00 ERA, in six innings with four strikeouts and two walks. He has given up five runs, two earned, on six hits. Francis received his first loss of the season against Marshall in his last start in the third game of the weekend series, giving up five runs, two earned, on four hits in 3.1 innings, striking out two and walking two.
Senior right-hander Scott Massey (2-0) will start Saturday's game against senior right-hander Sean McWilliams (1-0).
Massey carries a 2-0 record with a 2.95 ERA, in 21.1 innings with 11 strikeouts and five walks. He has given up 10 runs, seven earned, on 20 hits and opponents are hitting .244 against him. In his last start in the second game against Illinois State, Massey gave up three runs, one earned, on three hits in 7.1 innings pitched, striking out four and walking two.
McWilliams holds a 1-0 record with a 3.97 ERA, in 11.1 innings with 12 strikeouts and five walks. He has given up 10 runs, five earned, on 13 hits. In his last start in the second game against Marshall, McWilliams gave up eight runs, three earned, on six hits in 3.1 innings pitched, striking out three and walking four.
Sunday's match-up features redshirt sophomore right-hander David Clark (1-0) against freshman right-hander Steve Geltz (0-0).
Clark boasts a 1-0 record with a 1.80 ERA, pitching 5.0 innings in relief in his first collegiate appearance last Sunday against Illinois State. He gave up one run on three hits, walked three and struck out six. In his last appearance against Marshall, Geltz gave up five runs on six hits in 5.2 innings, striking out five and walking one.
After the weekend series against Buffalo, Southern Miss travels to Tuscaloosa, Ala., to face Alabama on Wednesday March 15 at 6:30 p.m., and then returns home to host Troy for a weekend series, March 17-19.
