Baseball Recap (Week 1) - Around the SCAC

Baseball Recap (Week 1) - Around the SCAC

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.

Happy Holidays from the SCAC!
December 25, 2011 Happy Holidays from the SCAC!