With the eighth weekend of the 2024 season concluding, I will continue my weekly CUSA Round-Up series where I will be giving a quick recap of how each team in the conference did the previous week.
Liberty (15-16) (7-2)
Last Week’s Result Record: 2-2; Loss vs #9 Duke, 2-1 Series Win @ NMSU
Up Next: @ #16 Virginia Tech, Series vs Jax State
Conclusion: Liberty continues to surprise in conference play, as the Flames emerged as the lone team at the top this week. The Flames have a chance to finally earn a ranked win at VT before welcoming the struggling Gamecocks to Lynchburg.
No. 15 Dallas Baptist (25-6) (6-3)
Last Week’s Record: 2-2; Win vs Tarleton State, 1-2 Series Loss @ WKU
Up Next: vs Baylor, Series @ Air Force
Conclusion: The Patriots received a loud wake-up call at Western Kentucky, proving it would not be easy to win this conference. After suffering its first two-loss week of the season, DBU looks to solve its road woes in Colorado this weekend before getting back into CUSA play.
Louisiana Tech (25-9) (6-3)
Last Week’s Record: 3-1; Win vs Little Rock, 2-1 Series Win vs MTSU
Up Next: @ #19 UL-Lafayette, Series @ Arizona
Conclusion: The Bulldogs stayed right in the mix of the conference race with a series win versus the Blue Raiders that they probably should have swept. Tech has a full non-conference slate this week with a great chance to climb up in RPI playing a ranked Cajuns squad and traveling out west to Arizona.
Western Kentucky (21-11) (6-3)
Last Week’s Record: 2-1; 2-1 Series Win vs #8 DBU
Up Next: vs Louisville, @ Bellarmine, Series @ Sam Houston
Conclusion: Western Kentucky made the biggest statement of the weekend in CUSA by knocking off the Patriots, who had yet to lose a conference series since joining in 2023. The Hilltoppers held DBU to just 7 runs through 3 games and look to keep up the momentum with a huge series looming in Huntsville.
FIU (16-15) (7-5)
Last Week’s Record: 1-2; 1-2 Series Loss @ Jax State
Up Next: @ Florida Gulf Coast (DH), Series vs Wofford
Conclusion: FIU had a massively disappointing week, losing a series to a Jax State team that had not won a conference game prior to this weekend. The Panthers look to regroup this week after pitching was a major Achilles heel in Jacksonville.
Sam Houston (19-13) (3-6)
Last Week’s Record: 2-2; Loss @ Lamar, 2-0 Series Win @ New Mexico
Up Next: vs Houston, Series vs WKU
Conclusion: Sam Houston got drilled in Beaumont versus Lamar before putting up 37 runs in two games versus the Lobos, with one game being canceled. The Bearkats stay at home this week to face in-state foe Houston and the red-hot Hilltoppers from Western Kentucky.
MTSU (10-16) (3-6)
Last Week’s Record: 1-3; Loss @ Tennessee Tech, 1-2 Series Loss @ LA Tech
Next Up: @ #6 Vanderbilt, Series vs NMSU
Conclusion: Middle Tennessee had another tough week as is now just 1-7 in the last two weeks. The Blue Raiders make the short trip to Nashville to take on the surging Commodores before facing the Aggies in a series between two teams aiming to avoid the bottom of the standings.
New Mexico State (12-18) (2-7)
Last Week’s Record: 1-2; 1-2 Series Loss vs Liberty
Next Up: vs New Mexico, Series @ MTSU
Conclusion: The Aggies snuck out with a win on Sunday versus Liberty to avoid getting swept for the second straight weekend. New Mexico Looks will try to get revenge on its rival in the midweek before traveling east to take on the Blue Raiders.
Jax State (11-20) (2-7)
Last Week’s Record: 2-2; Loss vs Troy, 2-1 Series Win vs FIU
Next Up: vs Georgia State, Series @ Liberty
Conclusion: Jax State not only won their first conference game as a member of CUSA, they won the series versus a top-half team and even run-ruled the Panthers in game one. The Gamecocks will attempt to keep up the good energy against the another Sun Belt foe and on the road versus the conference-leading Flames this weekend.
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