STEPHENVILLE - The Tarleton baseball team will host defending LSC champion Abilene Christian for a three-game series starting at 4 p.m. on Friday.

The Texans are entering the series with a 16-5 record and a 11-4 mark in the Lone Star Conference.  They are also coming off a 17-7 thumping of Northwood on Tuesday and currently sit on a two-game winning streak.

Tarleton is hitting a .288 average as a team, while recordind a .431 slugging percentage and a .383 on-base percentage.  Mark Jeffery is the hot-bat as of late, with a .481 average on the season and three home runs, two of which came against the Knights on Tuesday, to go along with a team-high 25 hits.  Travis Hayes is hitting a .370 average with Ethan Stuckly contributing a .357 average.  Chris Casazza leads Tarleton with 19 RBI's, 19 runs scored and seven home runs.

As a team, the Texans lead the LSC with a .968 fielding percentage.

The Tarleton pitching staff has a 4.73 combined ERA compared to opposing teams' 5.51 ERA.  Miguel Ramirez leads the way with a 0.88 ERA, a 4-1 record, three complete games, two shutouts and 34 strikeouts.  Ryan Closer has been an excellent closer so far this year with five saves and 29 strikeouts, but also has a 3-1 record and 1.53 ERA.


The Texans' opponent Abilene Christian has struggled somewhat this year with a 12-8 overall record and 5-7 record in the LSC.  They are also losers of their last three games and 3-5 on the road this season.

Overall, the Wildcats are hitting a .313 average, with a .427 slugging percentage and a .401 on-base percentage.  Will Calhoun leads the team with a .459 average, 17 RBI's and 39 hits.  Cameron Bankston has added 20 runs and a .383 average, while three other ACU batters have contributed 12 RBI's.  The Wildcats only have four home runs on the year, but have managed 44 doubles and nine triples offensively.

ACU's pitching staff has a 5.72 ERA combined with the bullpen being an area of concern for the Wildcats this season.  Cameron Watten has been a bright spot with a 2.92 ERA and 13 strikeouts, while Kris Carlson has six saves and 17 strikeouts.  Will Calhoun not only leads the team offensively, but also has a team-high 4-1 record on the mound.

First pitch on Friday, March 18, will be around 4 p.m. at Cecil Ballow Baseball Complex with the first game of the doubleheader Saturday starting at 4 p.m. as well.