On Deck This Week - Lions vs. University of Texas-San Antonio

 vs

SLU Lions (12-1, 0-0) vs. UTSA Roadrunners (7-4, 0-0)
Alumni Field, Hammond, LA
Game 1: 6:00pm Friday March 12
Game 2: 2:00pm Saturday March 13
Game 3: 1:00pm Sunday March 14

As the saying goes “Its time to swing for the ring” as the 2010 Southland Conference race kicks off this weekend. The #26 ranked SLU Lions, who are off to a 12-1 start, will begin their quest for the SLC title with a three game series against the University of Texas-San Antonio at Alumni Field on Friday evening at 6:00. Game 2 of the series is set for Saturday at 2:00 and the series wraps up on Sunday with a 1:00 start time.

If last season is preview of this weekend you better buckle up the seat belts because it will be a wild ride. The Lions and Roadrunners met 4 times last season and each game was a 1 run affair decided in the final inning, with each team wining 2 games. Heck, in the SLC tourney quarterfinals it took 12 innings to get a winner.

In the regular season series at UTSA the Roadrunners won the Friday night game 11-10 on a walk-off, 2 run homerun by Jose Hernandez, his third of the night. The teams combined for 28 hits. On Saturday UTSA out hit the Lions 15-11 and won the game 13-12. SLU salvaged the series by winning on Sunday 9-8 as the hit fest continued. The Lions finished with 14 hits and UTSA finished with 13.

The Lions defeated the Roadrunners in an elimination game in the SLC tourney, 5-4 in a 12 inning marathon. Both teams put up double digit hits once again as SLU’s Cass Hargis finished the game a homerun short of the cycle and UTSA’s Jose Hernandez finished a double short of the cycle.

NOTES:

Coach Jay Artigues is 4-9 against UTSA and the Roadrunners lead the all time series 20-15. The Lions have won the last two meetings.

SS Justin Boudreaux is currently on a 5 game hitting streak. Boudreaux ranks 5th in the SLC with a .409 BA.

OF Jeff Harkensee leads the SLC with 20 hits and is 6th in the conference with a .408 BA.

C/3B Josh Cryer leads the SLC in Hits by Pitch with 7.

With his 5 sacrifice bunts Trey Martin leads the SLC. The Lions have 4 of the top 5 players with sac bunts as Cryer (4), Brock Hebert (3), and Phil Freeman (3) round out the top 5.

The Lions have stolen 30 bases through 13 games in 2010. In 2009 the Lions stole 50 bases the entire season.

Tanner Lorenz ranks 2nd in the SLC with a 0.64 ERA and he leads the league by holding opponents to a .120 BA.

Brandon Efferson leads the SLC with 3 wins.

Closer Chris Franklin ranks 2nd in the SLC with 3 saves.

With 6 more runs scored, OF Cass Hargis will move into 4th place all-time in school history, passing Joe Labruzzo with 140. Ty Summerlin is the all-time leader with 176.

With 2 more hits, Hargis will pass Ryan Spencer for 8th place on the school’s all-time hit list with 165. Summerlin is also the all-time hits leader with 276.