Lions Look For Ninth Straight at Hot-Hitting Alcorn State

Southeastern concludes non-conference slate in Lorman

Ty Summerlin rides an 11-game hitting streak into Tuesday's contest at Alcorn State.

HAMMOND - After completing a three-game sweep of Nicholls State over the weekend to extend their current winning streak to a season best eight games, the Southeastern Louisiana University baseball team (31-17, 18-9 Southland Conference) will try to make it nine-in-a-row when the Lions close out the non-conference portion of the 2009 schedule at Alcorn State (23-16, 10-9 SWAC) on Tuesday night.

Southeastern enters Tuesday's contest trying to get one step closer to a school record. After winning eight straight contests, the Lions are just two wins shy of tying the school's all-time record for consecutive wins record.

The 1997 Lions rattled off ten consecutive victories from April 2-15 of that year. This season's Southeastern squad had already posted a seven-game streak from March 13-24 before the team's current eight game run.

Southeastern swept a three-game set at Sam Houston State April 24-26 to jump start the streak. Midweek victories over Jackson State (8-7 on Tuesday and 20-6 on Wednesday) plus another three-game sweep of in-state rival Nicholls State led to a 5-0 week and gave the Lions a new season-best consecutive wins mark.

However, the Lions will have their hands full when they take on the Braves in Lorman, Miss. tomorrow night. Alcorn State currently leads the SWAC and is third in the nation with a .363 batting average.

Alcorn was ranked eighth in the nation in that same category when the two teams met in Hammond on April 7. Fortunately, the Lions found a way to shut-down the hot-hitting Braves en route to a 7-3 win.

Southeastern will try to duplicate that feat when they head to the Braves' home turf in Lorman. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.

Following Tuesday night's contest, the Lions will return to Hammond to close out their home schedule with a three-game set against SLC rival Stephen F. Austin.

The Lions have already clinched a spot in the 2009 Southland Conference Baseball Tournament in Corpus Christi, Texas May 20-23. However, with the second-place Lions 2.5 games behind Texas State for the top spot and the second through sixth place spots seaparated by just three games, the Lions will try to improve their seeding with a strong showing against the Lumberjacks.

Friday's first pitch is set for 6 p.m. at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field in Hammond.

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