Courtesy of LA Tech Athletic Communications
The Diamond ‘Dogs (26-17, 11-6 CUSA) are set to face the Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions (13-29, 11-7 SWAC) for the first time since head coach Lane Burroughs‘ first year at LA Tech in 2017.
The Bulldogs swept the Golden Lions that year to open their season. Tonight and Wednesday’s games mark the 15th and 16th all-time meetings between the two programs.
First pitch tonight is set for 6 p.m. while Wednesday’s first pitch is set for 5 p.m. Both games can be seen on ESPN+ and heard on 97.7 FM.
LA Tech freshman first baseman Trey Hawsey has been on a tear during the month of April. The West Monroe native has hit six of his seven season homers this month, batting .422 with an OPS of 1.425, three doubles, 15 RBI, 12 runs scored and 11 walks drawn.
He homered in three-straight games–the series finale against Liberty and the first two games of the series against DBU– and has four-multi-hit performances in his last five starts. Hawsey’s OPS of 1.230 currently sits as the fourth-highest in CUSA in conference-only games, as well as sitting in the top 10 for batting average (.368), slugging percentage (.737), on-base percentage (.493), RBI (19) and homers (6).
Sebastian Mexico leads the team with a .320 batting average, while Hawsey and Zeb Ruddell are tied for the most homers with seven apiece. Michael Ballard is the lone ‘Dog with 50+ hits on the year and one of three ‘Dogs with at least 30 RBI.
UAPB comes to Ruston with a 13-29 overall record while sitting at 11-7 in SWAC play, putting them currently in sixth in the league. The Golden Lions are led by first-year head coach Logan Stout.
Freshman outfielder Eli Gries-Smith leads the Golden Lions’ lineup at the plate, batting a team-high .369 while also leading the team with 40 runs, 58 hits, 36 RBI, a .973 OPS. He is tied for the most triples with three, has the second-most doubles at 12 and is one of three players for UAPB with double-digit stolen bases, as he has swiped 14 bags on 17 attempt this season.
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