SUWANEE, Ga. - Dallas and 22nd-ranked Trinity both opened up their 2012 seasons undefeated. The Crusaders opened up their first season as a member of the SCAC with three wins over East Texas Baptist. Trinity opened up its season by sweeping a pair of games against Schreiner.
AROUND THE SCAC
Austin College (0-3) dropped three games to
NCAA Division II member Central Oklahoma in opening up its 2012
season. The Kangaroos dropped both games of the a double-header on
Saturday by scores of 13-1 and 14-2. Austin College then suffered a
21-8 loss on Sunday. Mason Leech was 2-5 with a run and two RBI in
the loss. The ‘Roos return to action on February 10 and 11
when they travel to California to take on #20 Redlands and
Occidental.
No. 23/25 Birmingham-Southern will open its season
February 10 and 11 when they travel to Georgia to take on Emory and
Berry during the weekend. The Panthers are coming off their second
consecutive 30-win season and are fully eligible for SCAC and NCAA
postseason play after successfully completing its four year NCAA
Division III provisional membership period.
Centre will open its season Tuesday, February
21 when the y travel to Spalding. The Colonels are coming off a
13-22 (6-9 SCAC) 2011 season. Centre’s home opener is
scheduled for Saturday, February 25 in a double-header with
Earlham.
Dallas (3-0) went 3-0 on the week, sweeping East Texas
Baptist University at home to open the season. Dallas got its
season underway with a 10-0 victory over ETBU on Saturday
afternoon. In six innings on the mound, junior righty Michael Byers
allowed just one hit, while walking three and striking-out two ETBU
batters. Dallas scored five times in the eighth-inning when junior
third baseman Trevor Allred belted a grand-slam over the left-field
wall in the bottom of the eighth. Senior right-hander Stephen
Hansen pitched a complete-game two-hitter for Dallas. In seven
innings of work, he struck-out four hitters, while walking four. On
the bump for Dallas in the final game of the three-game series was
heralded senior right-hander Michael Schweiss. In six innings on
the hill, Schweiss allowed two runs (one earned) on six hits and a
walk, while striking out seven Tiger batters. The Crusaders put a
two spot on the scoreboard in the first inning, before designated
hitter Luciano Villanueva hit a single in the second, letting
freshman second baseman Ethan Vidrine touch home-plate for the
game-winning run. In the bottom of the fifth, Allred hit his second
homerun of the season, a two RBI blast. The final score was Dallas
13, ETBU 2.
Hendrix went 1-2 in their season-opening series at
Centenary (La.). In game one on Saturday, the Warriors exploded for
27 hits en route to a 21-12 victory over the Gents, scoring the
second most runs in school history. The Warriors used a big 11-run
fifth inning to take control of Centenary. Sophomore left fielder
Collin Radack led the Warriors at the plate, going 5-for-6 with
four runs, four RBI and a triple. Senior center fielder Bowen was
5-for-7 with three runs, three RBI and two doubles. Centenary took
Saturday’s nightcap 6-4. Radack had two hits and a stolen
base. The Gents also won Sunday’s series finale 5-3. Senior
second baseman Clark Sims had two hits and drove in a run. The
Warriors will take on three teams in Tyler, Texas this weekend.
They will face Texas Lutheran on Friday, Texas-Tyler on Saturday
and Freed-Hardeman on Sunday.
Millsaps opens the 2012 season on Tuesday,
February 7 hosting cross-town rival Belhaven (Miss.). The Majors
will then entertain Ozarks (Ark.) on Saturday, February 10 and
Piedmont on Sunday, February 12. Millsaps is coming off a 24-18
(11-9 SCAC) 2011 season.
Oglethorpe opens up the 2012 season on Friday, February 10
and Saturday February 11 with a home-and-home series against
Covenant. The Stormy Petrels will travel to Covenant on Friday
before opening up their home portion of the schedule with Covenant
the next day. Oglethorpe is coming off a 2011 season which saw the
Petrels go 18-24 overall and 6-8 in the SCAC.
Rhodes opens up its 2012 season on Tuesday, February 7
when the Lynx host LeMoyne-Owen. Rhodes will then host Huntingdon
on Friday and Sunday while also hosting Mississippi College on
Saturday at USA Stadium in nearby Millington, Tenn.
Sewanee will open up its 2012 baseball season on February
18 hosting Johnson Bible for a double-header. The Tigers are coming
off a 10-21 (0-11 SCAC) season from a year ago.
Southwestern has had a flurry of games already this
season, playing four games in the past week. They opened the year
on Sunday at Texas Wesleyan. It was a pitcher's duel as the Rams
took the 1-0 lead, scoring in the first inning on a Pirate error.
SU's offense kicked in gear over the weekend at Concordia, but the
Tornados were just a bit better as they beat Southwestern, 10-9,
8-4 and 15-3 in the three game series. The Pirates come home for
the first time this season on Tuesday, facing Mary Hardin Baylor
for one game and then return the favor with a double-header in
Belton on Saturday.
No. 22 Trinity opened its season with a Sunday
doubleheader sweep of Schreiner University, winning 6-2 and 12-4
despite intermittent rain and cold weather. The Tigers got two
strong pitching performances from Ben Klimesh and Ryan Lucero to
lead the team, while offensively, Nick Pappas paved the way with
five RBI and three extra-base hits – including a home run in
his first at-bat of the season. Lucero threw five shutout innings
in the second game, but it was Klimesh’s complete-game
performance in game one that stole the show. Klimesh struck out a
career-high 13 batters in the seven-inning game, giving up just one
earned run on five hits. The Tigers are 2-0 to start the season for
the first time since 2005 – a season in which the team opened
with six straight victories. Last season, Trinity beat Schreiner
before losing to Birmingham-Southern on opening day, and split
opening-day games with Schreiner in 2010. Under Head Coach Tim
Scannell, Trinity is now 12-2 in season openers, slipping up in
2006 and 2009. Trinity will play three games this weekend, facing
off against Howard Payne, Louisiana College, and Concordia (TX) in
Austin, Texas. The Tigers open the weekend with a Friday afternoon
game against Howard Payne, then face Louisiana College and
Concordia on Saturday, with Concordia hosting all of the games.
For the complete SCAC Baseball Diamond Weekly for
Week 1, click here.