SUWANEE, Ga. - The 2009 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference baseball season got underway with seven of the team's 11 teams in action during the week of February 2 through February 8. The Millsaps College Majors finished the week with a perfect 3-0 mark.

AROUND THE SCAC

 Austin went 1-2 in its season opening three game road serious against Texas Lutheran over the weekend. The ‘Roos took a 6-2 victory in the first game on Saturday before falling 10-0 in the second half of the double header, and fell in a tough 4-3 game on Sunday. In the team's series opening win the ‘Roos jumped out to a 4-0 lead after two innings and countered two late TLU runs with a pair of runs of their own to make it a four run victory. Cory Stevens picked up the win after striking out seven batters and allowing two runs on three hits in 6.0 winnings of work. Brian Buehler went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI in the win. In the second game, the game was tight through six innings until the Bulldogs used a seven run seventh inning to break things open. Tyler Steed took the loss for the ‘Roos after surrendering five earned runs in 6.0 innings of work. In the series finale, the ‘Roos took a 2-1 lead in the top of the fourth but a run apiece in each of the next three innings put the Bulldogs ahead for good. Will Chermak gave up four runs, three earned, in 5.2 innings of work to absorb the loss. Andy White went 2-for-5 with a pair of runs batted in.

Birmingham-Southern (1-1) opened the 2009 season at home this week with a two-game set against the Maryville College Scots at Striplin Field. The Panthers dropped their season-opener 9-2 on Saturday evening before picking up game two 9-5 on Sunday. Saturday's game got away from Panther hurler Clay Jones in the top of the ninth. The Scots rallied to score seven runs in the frame. The Panthers were only able to manage one run in their half of the inning. Sunday saw Drew Leachman step up in a big way to help the Panthers get the split for the series. The sophomore had two homeruns and a total 6 RBIs in the game, giving BSC's pitchers all the support they would need in route to the 9-2 win. Drew Crofton picked up the win for the Panthers and John Naramore got the save. BSC will take the show on the road next weekend when they travel to Atlanta to take on Emory University for two single-games on Saturday and Sunday.

Centre was off last week. The Colonels open up its 2009 season February 24 when they host Transylvania. First pitch is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Centre is coming off a 20-17 season from a year ago where they finished with an 8-8 mark in Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference action.

DePauw was off last week. The Tigers open up its 2009 season on Saturday February 21 when they travel to Maryville (Tenn.) for a double-header starting at noon. DePauw finished with a 35-11 overall record and a mark of 13-3 in SCAC play in 2008.

Hendrix went 1-2 over the weekend in its home-opening series against University of Dallas. The Warriors picked up their first win of the season on Sunday and now stand at 1-3 on the year. Hendrix kicked off its home season with a doubleheader against the Dallas on Saturday with the Crusaders coming out on top in both games, 8-4 and a 7-3. The Crusaders lit up the scoreboard in their first at bat when 1B Zach Atkins tripled in junior DH Sean McSheffery with two outs. The Crusaders cracked the scoreboard in the fourth when senior CF Clay Evans drove in a pair of runs on a single to center. Sandersius held the Warriors scoreless until the fifth inning when first year catcher Andrew Thames picked up a run batted in with a single to right center, before first year SS Clark Sims grabbed an RBI on a grounder to third.  Hendrix picked up its first win of the season thanks to an offensive explosion and solid pitching for a 17-7 win over Dallas on Sunday afternoon.  Eight Warriors posted multi-hit performances in the contest. 

Millsaps opened the 2009 campaign with a sweep in its annual Wilson/DeMarini Classic, rallying for come-from-behind wins over LaGrange and the University of the Ozarks before a thrilling, 14-13 slugfest win over conference foe Rhodes College on Sunday in the finale. The Majors swept their Classic for a second consecutive year to improve to 6-0 all-time in their annual tournament. No Millsaps starting pitcher got a win on the weekend, with three middle relievers picking up their first wins of the year, including junior Boomer Hudson who went 4.1 innings and allowed just one hit in his first collegiate victory over the Panthers. Offensively, sophomore Will Hawkins hit .429 (6-of-14) with five runs, five RBIs and three doubles in addition to an .857 slugging percentage. Behind a .357 clip from senior Russ Boyd, freshman Todd Barnthouse parked his first two home runs of his career. The weekend was highlighted by Friday night's 12-8 win over LaGrange, as 21st-year head coach Jim Page recorded his 500th career win. Millsaps will continue a stretch of six games in six days tomorrow, opening a two-game tilt at Piedmont College. 

Oglethorpe, was off last week and opens up its 2009 schedule on Tuesday February 10 when the Stormy Petrels travel to LaGrange (Ga.) to square off against the Panthers. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. Oglethorpe is coming off a 2008 season in which the Stormy Petrels compiled a 13-29 overall record and a 7-9 mark in SCAC play.

Rhodes opened its 2009 season going 3-1 in its first week of play. They defeated Division II Christian Brothers University 11-2 on Tuesday before traveling to Jackson, MS for the 2nd annual Wilson/Demarini Classic hosted by Millsaps College. Rhodes defeated the University of the Ozarks 15-8 on Friday, LaGrange College 11-5 on Saturday, and lost 14-13 to Millsaps on Sunday. The Lynx offense had a productive opening week scoring a combined 50 runs in its first four games. Senior 1B/DH Mason Mosby went 5-15 (.333) with 3 homeruns, 5 RBIs, 6 runs, walked once and got hit by 3 pitches. Senior SS J.R. Bizzell hit .400 (8-20) with a double, 6 RBIs, 6 runs scored, stole a base and walked once. Sophomore 3B Brent Lindsey hit .500 (8-16) with a homerun, double, 8 RBIs, 7 runs, 4 stolen bases, 3 walks, and got hit by a pitch. Sophomore DH/RF Matt Gilbert went 6-18 (.333) with a homerun, 2 triples, 2 doubles, 3 RBIs, 5 runs scored, stole a base, and walked once. Freshman CF Travis Perkins hit .368 (7-19) with a triple, 5 RBIs, 7 runs, 5 stolen bases, and walked once. Sophomore 2B/DH Kyle Peterson went 4-10 (.400) with a double, 10 RBIs, scored twice, walked once and got hit by a pitch. Rhodes will travel to Montgomery, AL this weekend to take on Huntingdon College at 1:00 on Saturday and Sunday.

Sewanee was off last week and opens up its 2009 schedule on Friday February 14 and Saturday February,15 when the Tigers travel to Demorest, Ga. to take on the Piedmont Lions. First pitch on Friday and Saturday is scheduled for 2 p.m. Sewanee is coming off a 2008 season in which the Tigers finished 5-27 overall and 3-12 in Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference play.

Southwestern hit the ground running for the 2009 season. They opened with a home match-up against the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor on Tuesday. In game one of the double header the Pirates used a hot sixth inning, scoring 6 runs, to beat the Crusaders. Senior second-baseman Brent McMullen went 1-2 with 2 RBI's and scored twice. The winning pitcher for the Pirates was sophomore Chris Churchwell who allowed just two hits, walked one batter and recorded three strikeouts in 3 innings. In game two, Southwestern scored first putting one run on the board in the bottom of the second, but that was all they could muster as they fell to UMHB 8-1. Wes Willis was the losing pitcher allowing 7 hits and 3 earned runs. Wednesday, the Pirates traveled to Texas Wesleyan where they lost 8-2.  Junior Todd Boone went 2-4 in the game. The Pirates rounded out the week with a three game home series against Schreiner.  Southwestern swept the Mountaineers in the series, 13-7, 5-3 and 8-5. All weekend the Pirates used a steady attack to defeat Schreiner, scoring in 13 of the 21 innings over the weekend.

Trinity opened its season with a three-game weekend of play at the University of Texas-Tyler.  The Tigers lost the Saturday afternoon opening game to the University of Texas-Dallas 9-5, then lost a 10-3 game to UT-Tyler later that day.  The weekend concluded with a Sunday loss to UT-Tyler, by the final of 10-2. Evan Jones pounded out five hits and five RBI over the weekend, while Jordan Pennington added four hits and drove in a pair of runs.  Noah Solomon pitched well in relief, giving up one earned run in five innings of relief, and striking out three players.  Evan Bronson struck out eight batters in six innings to open the season, but gave up four earned runs in the no-decision. It marked only the second time in the last 10 seasons that Trinity lost in the season opener, with the other time coming in 2006. The Tigers did not play UT-Dallas or UT-Tyler last season, but UT-Dallas took two of three games from Trinity the last time the teams met - during the 2007 season. Trinity will face off against Texas Lutheran University on Tuesday afternoon in Seguin, Texas, followed by a weekend series at home against Austin College.  The Tigers will play at 1:00 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday, opening up SCAC play early in the season.

For the complete SCAC Diamond Weekly for Week 1, click here.