Louisiana Tech (11-5) will host Southern Miss (8-6) in a three-game series to kick off Conference USA play beginning Friday night at J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park.
Series Info:
Game Times: Friday 6 p.m., Saturday 2 p.m., and Sunday 1 p.m.
Where: J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park
TV: CUSA.tv (subscription required)
Radio: KNBB 97.7FM
Tech’s Starting Pitchers:
Friday: RHP Matt Miller (1-0, 4.91 ERA, 18.1 IP, 19 hits allowed, 9 BB, and 21 K)
Saturday: LHP Logan Robbins (1-0, 8.31 ERA, 17.1 IP, 22 hits allowed, 9 BB, and 16 K)
Sunday: LHP Logan Bailey (1-2, 8.69 ERA, 19.2 IP, 33 hits allowed, 8 BB, and 22 K)
Smith Solidifying Back-End of Tech Bullpen:
When Braxton Smith left with an oblique injury on February 26th against UALR it was a huge blow to the Tech bullpen. With Smith on the shelf, the Bulldogs were able to go 3-2 overall. Smith returned on March 9th against Arkansas to throw 2.2 scoreless innings in relief while striking out 6. Smith also threw a scoreless inning against Sam Houston State Tuesday night, striking out three. With Smith back at full strength, the Tech bullpen is now a major strength.
Scouting the Golden Eagles:
Southern Miss is the premier team in Conference USA. While the Golden Eagles are only off to an 8-6 start, they have played quite a schedule against the likes of Purdue, Mississippi State, Gonzaga, and UL-Lafayette. The pitching staff, led by former Tech pitching coach Christian Ostrander, has carried the team throughout the season to the tune of a 3.12 team ERA.
Pitching Probables:
Friday: RHP Walker Powell (1-0, 0.96 ERA, 18.2 IP, 13 hits allowed, 3 BB, and 11 K)
Saturday: LHP Stevie Powers (2-2, 4.85 ERA, 13 IP, 12 hits allowed, 2 BB, and 12 K)
Sunday: LHP Adam Jackson (0-0, 0.77 ERA, 11.2 IP, 7 hits allowed, 3 BB, and 8 K)
Key Relievers:
RHP J.C. Keys (0-0, 1.86 ERA, 9.2 IP, 4 hits allowed, 8 BB, and 14 K)
RHP Cody Carroll (1-0, 0.69 ERA, 13 IP, 12 hits allowed, 3 BB, and 14 K)
RHP Hunter Stanley (2-0, 0.00 ERA, 6.2 IP, 4 hits allowed, 1 BB, and 7 K)
LHP Ryan Och (1-2, 3.72 ERA, 9.2 IP, 8 hits allowed, 4 BB, and 8 K)
Wallner Struggling Early in 2019
It’s no secret, Southern Miss P/OF Matt Wallner is an absolute stud. D1 Baseball picked Wallner to win Conference Player of the Year in the preseason. However, it hasn’t been an easy start to the season for the stud junior. Wallner has been unable to pitch to the point due to a forearm issue and is only hitting .240 with 2 home runs and 12 RBI at the plate. After hitting .343 with 35 home runs and 130 RBI in his first two years in Hattiesburg, it’s just a matter of time before Wallner starts clicking offensively.
Statistical Comparison (Tech l Southern Miss):
Batting Average: .281 l .251
Slugging Percentage: .432 l .368
On-Base Percentage: .370 l .367
Home Runs: 15 l 10
Runs per Game: 7.1 l 4.9
ERA: 5.24 l 3.12
WHIP: 1.47 l 1.26
Strikeout to Walk Ratio: 2.62 l 2.64
Fielding Percentage: .968 l .958
SB per Game: 1.3 l 1.0
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