HAMMOND – After opening the season with a three-game sweep of defending Ohio Valley Conference champion Eastern Illinois, the Southeastern Louisiana University baseball team returns to action on Tuesday when it plays host to Mississippi Valley State at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field.
First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. The game can be heard in the Hammond area on KSLU-FM (90.9) and on the internet at www.LionSports.net.
Southeastern (3-0), which is looking for its first 4-0 start since 1998, overcame seven errors in Friday's 6-5 thriller as a walk-off single by
Cody Gougler helped the Lions erase a 5-1 deficit after seven innings.
The Lions claimed Saturday's contest, 11-5, as All-American reliever
Chris Franklin shut down EIU over the final four innings before taking the finale, 7-2, behind a strong pitching effort from
Brandon Efferson and
Josh Janway.
Senior
Ryan Boudreaux (6-4, 5.03 ERA in 2009) will make his 2010 debut on the mound for Southeastern, which held EIU to a .262 average at the plate and 12 runs scored in the series.
Newcomer
Jeff Harkensee paced Southeastern at the plate, going 5-for-12 (.417) with a home run, a double and three RBI.
Justin Boudreaux (.400-0-2),
Cass Hargis (.364-0-2) and Gougler (.333-0-4) are next in hitting for the Lions.
MVSU (0-3), which finished 20-29 last season and finished eighth nationally in stolen bases (122), opened the season with a three-game sweep to visiting Notre Dame. The Delta Devils dropped a 12-4 contest to the Irish in Itta Bena before losing, 8-3 and 19-3, in a pair of games in Greenville, Miss.
Chris Norman went 3-for-5 in the series to lead MVSU while Paul Olsen was 4-for-7 (.571).
The Lions swept the season series against MVSU in 2009, claiming an 8-1 victory in Hammond before posting a 17-7 win in Itta Bena. After facing the Delta Devils, Southeastern will travel to Starkville, Miss., to play Mississippi State in a three-game series that begins on Friday.
Tickets are available by calling the Southeastern Athletic Ticket Office at (985) 549-LION (5466).