Lions Set to Battle For First Against Bobcats

Southeastern back on the road at Texas State

The Lions will battle the Bobcats for first place in a three-game set beginning on Thursday.

HAMMOND - The top two teams in the Southland Conference will look to break a tie for first this weekend as the Southeastern Louisiana University baseball team (20-10, 10-5 SLC) hits the road for the second straight weekend to take on the Texas State Bobcats (20-10, 10-5 SLC) for a three-game set beginning on Thursday night.

The Lions have momentum on their sides entering the series opener. Southeastern is fresh off a 7-3 win over Alcorn State on Tuesday, a victory that saw the Lions hold a Braves' lineup with the eighth-best batting average in the nation (.360) to just five hits.

Southeastern has also posted an impressive run in Southland Conference competition lately. The Lions have taken at least two-of-three in each of their last four SLC series en route to a tie for first place in the league standings.

Most recently, Southeastern knocked the Texas-Arlington Mavericks out of a, then, three-way tie for first with the Lions and Bobcats last weekend. Southeastern clinched the series victory by virtue of an 8-6 win last Friday and a 1-0 win on Saturday to keep pace with the Bobcats.

The Lions will look to pick up where they left off in 2008 against Texas State. Southeastern took two-of-three from the Bobcats during the regular season before eliminating Texas State from the Southland Conference Tournament.

Southeastern has been led by a steady lineup that ranks fifth in the league in batting (.308) and fourth in the SLC in runs (239). However, in what is sure to be a high-scoring series, the Lion pitching staff will have to find a way to shut down a Bobcat offense that is second in batting (.323) and leading the SLC in runs (257).

Fortunately, for Southeastern, the Lions pitching staff has come on strong. Junior right hander Ryan Boudreaux. The Gonzales native is among the league leaders in ERA (sixth at 3.26), strikeouts (sixth with 39), opponent batting average (second at .217), innings (sixth with 49.2) and, most importantly, wins (sixth with five).

Sophomore right hander Brandon Efferson will look to pick up where he left off last Saturday when he earned the win in a 1-0 pitcher's duel. Efferson allowed just seven hits and no walks while striking out three to pick up the series clinching victory at UT Arlington.

With the starting rotation progressing, a resurgent Lion bullpen has been led by junior right hander Chris Franklin. Also Southeastern's starting third baseman, Franklin is currently tied for second in the nation with eight saves and is one save away from setting a new single-season school record.

The Lions and Bobcats will get their battle for first underway at 6:30 p.m. on Thrusday night. Live stats and streaming audio play-by-play will be available online at www.LionSports.net, and the game can be heard in the Hammond area on KSLU 90.9 FM.

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