STEPHENVILLE - The No. 18 Tarleton baseball team will take on Central Oklahoma for a three-game series starting Friday in Edmond, Okla.

The Texans are 29-7 on the year and 18-6 in the Lone Star Conference, which currently puts them in sole possession of first place in the league.  Tarleton also enters the weekend series on a 12-game winning streak.

As a team, the Texans are hitting a .313 average, with a .495 slugging percentage and a .410 on-base percentage.  They've had a power surge as of late, pushing their home run total to 41 on the season thus far and are fourth in the nation in home runs per game (1.17).  Chris Casazza leads the team with 36 RBI's and 13 home runs (5th in DII), while Ethan Stuckly has team-highs with a .406 average and 54 hits.  Mark Jeffery posts a .390 average and a .534 on-base percentage to go with 32 RBI's.  His OBP is currently the seventh-best in the nation.  Landon McCall is the biggest threat on the base paths with 14 stolen bases this season.

Tarleton has led the LSC all season and continues to do so with a .968 fielding percentage.

The pitching staff of the Texans has not suffered a loss since March 19th and continues to be an obstacle for opposing hitters to overcome.  Nathan Lewis has been excellent with a 6-1 record and 41 strikeouts, while Jake Sowell posts a 4-0 record out of the bullpen.  Closer Ryan Turner has eight saves on the year, to go with a 5-2 record, a 1.91 ERA and a team-high 44 k's. 

Central Oklahoma has struggled at times this season, posting a 14-22 record overall and a 8-19 mark within the conference.  As a team, the Bronchos are hitting a .291 average and recording just a .371 on-base percentage.  Arrow Cunningham leads the team with a .374 average to go with 18 RBI's, while Austin Rycroft has a UCO-high with 23 RBI's.  Keegan Morrow and Ryan Schoonover both have 22 runs driven in on the season and hit over .300.

The Broncho pitchers combine for a 5.94 ERA and are led by Uriah Fishers' 2.90 ERA.  Jordan Stern has a 3-4 record, but leads the team with 57 strikeouts, three complete games and 62.2 innings pitched.  Kade Kaul has three saves thus far in 2011, while Josh Rolan and Derek Bell also have saves under their belts.

The Texans will be looking to pick up a couple more conference victories starting at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, April 15 at Wendell Simmons Field in Edmond, Okla.  First pitch for the doubleheader Saturday is scheduled for noon.

For post-game information and results, check back at TarletonSports.com.