SCAC Baseball Recap - Week 1

SCAC Baseball Recap - Week 1

Complete Release

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. -- The Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference baseball season kicked off last week with five teams on the diamond.

No. 3 Texas Lutheran (3-0) kicked off its season with wins over Mary Hardin-Baylor, Hendrix and Linfield. The Bulldogs turned in a .286 team batting average scoring 33 total runs with 28 total hits. The effort was led by sophomore centerfielder Cullen Motsinger who posted a .417 batting average with five hits and five runs over 12 at-bats. In his first career start against Mary Hardin-Baylor, the sophomore was a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate. Juniors Tyler Cauley and Austin Colon also contributed offensively, with Cauley producing five runs going 3-for-9 with a .667 slugging percentage and Colon recording a .417 batting average converting five hits into four runs. Defensively, TLU held oppents to a .210 batting average and .260 on base percentage while posting a 2.52 staff ERA. Senior pitcher Drew Waller boasted a 0.00 ERA in his first win of the season, allowing just two hits and recording six strikeouts in 5.1 innings pitched.

No. 4 Trinity (2-0) picked up a pair of victories, defeating No. 8 Cortland twice over the weekend. Three Tigers hit .500 or more during the two-game stretch with junior infielder Brannen Caraway pacing the effort batting .600 (3-for-5) and seniors John Tucker and Jake Martin hitting .556 (5-for-9) and .500 (5-for-10), respectively. As a team, the Tigers led the league in batting average, hitting .312. On the mound, junior left-hander James Nittoli nabbed his first win of the season posting a 3.38 ERA.

Dallas went 4-1 with victories over Sul Ross State and the University of the Ozarks. On offense, senior catcher Jessup Scott went 6-for-14 at the plate, scoring three runs and recording a .643 slugging percentage while classmate Luke Boylston went 4-for-12, .583 slugging and eight RBIs. Senior middle infielder Josh Abalos produced a league-leading nine runs during the stretch. The Crusaders offense was backed by strong efforts on the mound with junior left handers Zachary Taylor and Conrad Voss putting together solid performances. Taylor pitched eight innings with two appearnces last week, mounting a 1.12 ERA with three hits and one earned run while Voss notched two wins with a 2.45 ERA  and three earned runs. 

Centenary (2-2) opened its season last Monday against Louisianna College where it won 6-2 and over the weekend the Gents faced East Texas Baptist in a three-game series, where they were edged 2-1. At the plate, sophomore infielder Chris Haggard led all players this week in hits with seven including a .467 batting average and two RBIs and classmate Tyler Erickson chipped in with four RBIs and two runs in 10 at bats. Sophomore right-hand pitcher Austin Warner picked up both wins for the Gents, earning a 1.29 ERA while giving up two runs on eight hits. 

In its win over McMurry, Schreiner (1-1) shut out the War Hawks 3-0. The Mountaineer offense was led by freshman outfielder Sam Velazquez who went 2-for-3 at the plate while securing an RBI and a run scored. On the mound, freshman right-hander Devin Hooper earned the shut out victory striking out two batters in his debut.

The SCAC baseball season continues on Tuesday when Centenary goes on the road to face Millsaps while Southwestern and Austin College are set to make their debuts over the weekend. 

This Week's Results:

Date Away Home Status Links
February
Sat. 2 Sul Ross St. 5 Dallas 8 Final
  Sul Ross St. 16 Dallas 0 Final - 6 innings
Sun. 3 Sul Ross St. 2 Dallas 13 Final
Mon. 4 Louisiana Col. 2 Centenary (La.) 6 Final
Fri. 8 Schreiner 5 McMurry 8 Final
  Mary Hardin-Baylor 5 Texas Lutheran 9 Final
Sat. 9 Dallas 8 Ozarks (Ark.) 6 Final - 7 innings
  Iowa Wesleyan   Austin College   Cancelled
  East Tex. Baptist 1 Centenary (La.) 8 Final
  Schreiner 1 McMurry 4 Final
  Cortland 8 Trinity (Tex.) 9 Final
  Texas Lutheran 10 Hendrix 6 Final
  Dallas 5 Ozarks (Ark.) 3 Final - 8 innings
  Iowa Wesleyan   Austin College   Cancelled
  Schreiner 3 McMurry 0 Final
  East Tex. Baptist 12 Centenary (La.) 2 Final - 7 innings
Sun. 10 Texas Lutheran 14 Linfield 3 Final - 7 innings
  Cortland 5 Trinity (Tex.) 10 Final
  Centenary (La.) 0 East Tex. Baptist 7 Final
  Iowa Wesleyan   Austin College   Cancelled
  Dallas   Ozarks (Ark.)   Cancelled
  Iowa Wesleyan   Austin College   Cancelled