HAMMOND, La. – The Southeastern Louisiana baseball team looks to wrap up its first Southland Conference regular-season championship this weekend, hosting Central Arkansas in a three-game series. Game times at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field are 6 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.
Southeastern's magic number to clinch the regular-season title sits at three. Any combination of three wins by the Lions (36-14, 20-4 Southland) or losses by Northwestern State (26-19, 16-7 Southland) and Southeastern will clinch its first Southland regular-season championship. The Lions are already assured of a spot in the 2015 conference tournament scheduled for May 20-23 at Constellation Field in Sugar Land, Texas.
The series opener against Central Arkansas (23-19, 13-11 Southland) is a $5 Friday contest. All adult general admission tickets are only $5. Along with the reduced ticket price, the concession stand will offer a combo special for $5.
Saturday's game will feature Bingo at the Ballpark. Baseball-themed bingo cards will be given out to all fans and students. Prizes will be awarded to the first 20 fans with bingo. The first participant to produce an "S" on their bingo card will receive $100.
Sunday is Academy Family Day. A bounce house inflatable will be set up outside of left field for all of the smaller Southeastern fans along with family-friendly promotions going on throughout the game.
All three games can be heard in the Hammond area on KSLU 90.9 FM, online and through either the KSLU or TuneIn Radio smartphone apps. Fans can also keep up with the action through live statistics or by following @SLUathletics on Twitter. Streaming video is available on LionVision, Southeastern's subscription-based video stream.
Links for audio, video, stats, tickets and promotions are available on the baseball schedule page at www.LionSports.net.
Southeastern dropped a 5-1 non-conference decision Wednesday at Southern.
Jacob Seward (.376),
Kennon Menard (.331),
Kevin Carr (.330),
Brett Hoffman (.317),
Daniel Midyett (.313) and
Carson Crites (.311) lead Southeastern at the plate. Seward tops the Southland in batting average, runs scored (44) and on-base percentage (.466). Midyett's 39 RBIs lead the conference as well. Seward leads the team with 15 stolen bases.
Hoffman is second all-time in games played at Southeastern (224), 10th in hits (197) and ninth in doubles (35).
The Lions are hitting a conference-best .303 as a team and have been successful on 75-of-101 stolen base attempts, also tops in the conference. The pitching staff has compiled a 3.40 ERA, fanning 408 batters in 439.2 innings pitched.
Tate Scioneaux (7-2, 3.27), a junior right-hander from Reserve, Louisiana, draws the series opening nod for Southeastern. He matches up with righty Connor Gilmore (7-2 2.20) for the Bears.
With 21 career victories, Scioneaux sits tied with former Major Leaguer and Australian Olympian Jeff Williams for sixth on Southeastern's all-time pitching wins list. Scioneaux is also fifth on the career list in innings pitched (292.1) and strikeouts (238).
The Lions will send junior right-hander
Jake Johnson (9-1, 2.85) to the mound in the second game of the series against Central Arkansas righty Brandon Hagerla (5-3, 3.89).
Southpaw
Kyle Cedotal (7-2, 1.71), a junior from Denham Springs, Louisiana, draws the starting nod for Southeastern in Sunday's series finale against Bear right-hander Riley Echols (3-3, 3.69).
Wesley Hoover (.358), Tyler Langley (.306) and Matt Anderson (.301) are Central Arkansas' top hitters. Logan Preston leads the squad with seven home runs and 27 RBIs. Langley owns a team-high nine stolen bases.
The Bears are hitting .269 as a team and been successful on 32-of-45 stolen bases attempts. The pitching staff has compiled a 3.98 ERA, fanning 236 batters in 375 innings of work.
Central Arkansas has dropped its last four games.
General admission tickets for the final two games of the series are $8 for adults and $5 for youth (ages 3-12). Children younger than three are admitted free with a paying adult. Southeastern students are also admitted free with their university ID card.
The Southeastern Athletic Ticket Office is located in Room 107 of the Dugas Center for Southeastern Athletics. For more information, contact the ticket office at (985) 549-5466 or 1-866-LION-TIX. Ticket office hours are 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on Fridays.
The box office at Pat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field opens one hour before first pitch. Individual game tickets may also be purchased online at www.LionSports.net/Tickets.
Southeastern wraps up the regular season this coming week with a split series against the University of New Orleans. The series will be played Thursday (6:30 p.m.) and Saturday (1 p.m.) in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Friday (6 p.m.) in Hammond.
Southeastern Louisiana Lions (36-14, 20-4 Southland) vs. Central Arkansas Bears (23-19, 13-11 Southland)DATES / TIMESFriday, May 8 – 6 p.m. (CT)
Saturday, May 9 – 2 p.m. (CT)
Sunday, May 10 – 1 p.m. (CT)
STADIUMPat Kenelly Diamond at Alumni Field (Hammond, Louisiana)
RADIO• KSLU, 90.9 FM
• Pregame show starts 15 minutes prior to first pitch
INTERNET / SMARTPHONE• www.LionSports.net – live audio and stats
• KSLU iPhone app, TuneIn Radio app
PITCHING MATCHUPGame 1UCA – Junior RHP Connor Gilmore (7-2, 2.20) vs.
SLU – Junior RHP
Tate Scioneaux (7-2, 3.27)
Game 2UCA – Junior RHP Brandon Hagerla (5-3, 3.89) vs.
SLU – Junior RHP
Jake Johnson (9-1, 2.85)
Game 3UCA – Sophomore RHP Riley Echols (3-3, 3.69) vs.
SLU – Junior LHP
Kyle Cedotal (7-2, 1.71)
