PREVIEW | Diamond Dogs vs Charlotte (C-USA Tournament)
Louisiana Tech (27-29, 15-15) will travel to Houston, Texas, to face Charlotte (29-25, 17-12) in the 1st round of the C-USA tournament on Wednesday morning. The Bulldogs and 49ers played in a three-game series earlier this year with Tech winning the opener 2-1, and Charlotte winning the next two games by scores of 14-6 and 9-0 respectively. These teams matched up with each other in the 1st round of the C-USA last season as well, with the Bulldogs winning 4-0.
Game Time | Wednesday @9am
TV/Radio | ESPN+/Sportstalk 97.7 FM
Louisiana Tech HC | Lane Burroughs (232-140 in 7th season at LA Tech)
Charlotte HC | Robert Woodard (114-76 in 4th season at CLT)
Projected Pitching Matchup
Wednesday | TBA vs TBA
Bulldogs Scouting Report
Key Players | 3B Logan McLeod (.298, 30 RBI, 1 HR), C Jorge Corona (.284, 35 RBI, 9 HR), 1B Dalton Davis (.283, 51 RBI, 13 HR), 2B/RHP Ethan Bates (.269, 34 RBI, 15 HR/4-3, 3.10 ERA, 51 K), LF Adarius Myers (.246, 24 RBI, 3 HR), RF Philip Matulia (.233, 46 RBI, 18 HR), CF Brody Drost (.213, 30 RBI, 10 HR), SS Will Safford (.191, 16 RBI, 3 HR), DH Walker Burchfield (.250, 25 RBI, 5 HR), LHP Jonathan Fincher (8-4, 4.98 ERA, 79 K), RHP Landon Tomkins (6-1, 3.62 ERA, 68 K), LHP Ryan Harland (0-4, 5.47 ERA, 27 K)
Team Rundown
The #6 seeded Bulldogs enter this game coming off a narrow series loss at home versus the UTSA Roadrunners.
Louisiana Tech comes into the C-USA Tournament ranked 9th in the conference in batting average at .250, 6th in runs scored with 347, 6th in walks with 239, and 2nd in home runs with 86.
Logan McLeod leads the team in batting average at .298, while also managing a high on-base percentage of .435 and 30 RBIs.
Dalton Davis has been on a tear offensively for the Diamond Dogs and now has a team-high 51 RBIs for the season while also batting .283 and having hit 13 home runs.
Other big time home run hitters for the Bulldog offense include Philip Matulia with 18, Ethan Bates with 15, Brody Drost with 10, and Jorge Corona with 9.
On the mound, the Bulldogs rank 8th in team ERA at 6.05, 9th in runs allowed with 371, 6th in walks allowed at 218, 8th in home runs allowed with 71, and 8th in strikeouts thrown at 419.
Senior Jonathan Fincher enters the last postseason of his career with an 8-4 record, 4.98 ERA, and 79 strikeouts thrown.
A promising sign for the Bulldogs is that Fincher dominated the 49ers earlier this season in a game where he lasted 6.0 innings, walked 2 batters, threw 4 strikeouts, and led Tech to a 2-1 victory.
Another key pitcher for the Diamond Dogs is another senior in Landon Tomkins. Tomkins has the best record on the team at 6-1, with an ERA of 3.62, and has thrown 68 strikeouts for the Bulldogs this season.
In the field, Louisiana Tech ranks 1st in put outs with 1,504, 7th in errors with 59, and 6th in fielding percentage at .972.
In route to winning the 2022 C-USA Tournament in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, the Bulldogs defeated Charlotte, Old Dominion twice, and won the championship game over UTSA.
49ers Scouting Report
Key Players | RF Cam Fisher (.321, 51 RBI, 24 HR), 3B Brandon Stahlman (.282, 38 RBI, 6 HR), SS Jack Dragum (.281, 38 RBI, 7 HR), DH Will Butcher (.268, 36 RBI, 9 HR), LF Blake Jackson (.265, 26 RBI, 5 HR), C Kaden Hopson (.250, 22 RBI, 6 HR), 2B Austin Knight (.224, 35 RBI, 11 HR), 1B Spencer Nolan (.207, 12 RBI, 2 HR), CF Jake Cunningham (.278, 38 RBI, 10 HR), RHP Wyatt Hudepohl (5-6, 3.97 ERA, 109 K), RHP Cameron Hansen (3-1, 4.10 ERA, 59 K), LHP Collin Kramer (5-4, 5.17 ERA, 57 K), RHP Paxton Thompson (5-2, 4.26 ERA, 55 K)
Team Rundown
The 49ers enter the C-USA tournament coming off a midweek win at South Carolina as well as a series sweep versus Middle Tennessee to close out the regular season.
Charlotte comes into the C-USA Tournament ranked 7th in batting average at .258, 4th in runs scored with 360, 1st in walks with 316, and 3rd in home runs with 83.
Cam Fisher is the clear leader for the 49er's offense, leading the team in batting average at .321, RBIs with 51, on- base percentage at .480, walks with 52, and home runs with 24.
Charlotte has two other players with double digit home runs in Austin Knight (11) and Jake Cunningham (10).
The 49ers also have three additional players who bat above .265 and have 35+ RBIs in Jack Dragum (.281, 38), Brandon Stahlman (.282, 38), and Will Butcher (.268, 36).
On the mound, Charlotte ranks 3rd in team ERA at 4.87, 2nd in runs allowed with 287, 4th in walks allowed with 214, 5th in home runs with 60, and 2nd in strikeouts thrown with 521.
RHP Wyatt Hudepohl is the top pitcher for the 49ers, coming in with a 5-6 record, 3.97 ERA, and throwing 109 strikeouts on the season.
Earlier this season against the Bulldogs, Hudepohl pitched 6.1 innings, walked 2 batters, threw 4 strikeouts, and allowed 2 earned runs in the 2-1 loss to Tech.
Cameron Hansen has pitched the 2nd most innings for the 49ers and has a 3-1 record, 4.10 ERA, and has thrown 59 strikeouts.
In the field, Charlotte ranks 8th in put outs with 1,896, 1st in errors with 40, and 1st in fielding percentage at .979.
Last year in the C-USA Tournament Charlotte lost to Louisiana Tech in the opening game, demolished Middle Tennessee, and suffered a season-ending loss to Old Dominion.
RPI
Louisiana Tech #113
Charlotte #81
University Information
Louisiana Tech | Location: Ruston, Louisiana | Conference: C-USA | Enrollment:11,037
Charlotte | Location: Charlotte, North Carolina | Conference: C-USA | Enrollment:24,116
Stadium Information
Reckling Park
Opened: 2000
Capacity: 6,193
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