THE GAMES
After a two-week break from games due to weather, Tarleton State Baseball will open Lone Star Conference action this weekend at the Cecil Ballow Baseball Complex with a four-game set against No. 8 Angelo State.
THE CHANGES AND BREAKDOWN
Tarleton and Angelo State were originally scheduled to play a 1-2-1 series format beginning Friday afternoon and extending through Sunday. Due to weather and field conditions, however, the series will now be a 2-1-1 format beginning with a Saturday doubleheader at 3 p.m. The nine-inning single games on Sunday and Monday will both start at 1 p.m.
THE OPPONENT
Angelo State has started the season with 14 wins in its first 15 games to jump up to No. 8 in the National College Baseball Writer's Association poll. The Rams split a season-opening doubleheader with McMurry, but have since reeled off 13 straight wins, including a four-game sweep of Cameron in their conference opener last week. All 13 of those wins over the streak have come at home while the season-opening split has been the only road trip of the year. J.C. Snyder is the top hitter for Angelo State with a .415 average at the dish while Steve Naemark anchors the starting rotation with a 3-0 record and an 0.90 ERA.
LAST TIME OUT
It will be two weeks since the Texans last took the field when Tarleton took two out of three from Texas A&M International in Stephenville on February 20-21. The Texans took the opener and finale from the Dustdevils by outscoring them 16-7 in the two wins. The only loss was a 1-3 pitcher's duel in the middle game.
DUELING ARMS
Angelo State and Tarleton State enter this weekend's contest with the top two pitching staffs in the Lone Star Conference. The Rams have a team ERA of 2.61 while the Texans are at 3.40.
COUNTDOWN TO 200
Head coach
Bryan Conger enters this weekend's series with 189 career victories as the head coach of the Texans. He is 11 away from reaching the 200 mark that only Tarleton Hall of Fame coach, Jack Allen, has eclipsed since Tarleton reinstated baseball in 1988. Conger has the second-most wins in Tarleton's new-era history behind Allen (565) and ahead of his immediate predecessor, Trey Felan (145).
UP NEXT FOR TARLETON
Tarleton State will remain at home next weekend for another LSC series when the Texans welcome Cameron for a four-game set beginning Friday at 3 p.m.
