HUNTSVILLE, Texas -- The Bearkats look to get back on the winning track as Sam Houston State plays host to the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks in a three-game baseball series that begins Friday at 6:30 p.m. at Don Sanders Stadium.
Sam Houston is 1-3 after the Kats 6-3 loss to Houston Tuesday night. SHSU beat former Southland rival Texas State Sunday in the finale of the Bobcat Classic in San Marcos.
Louisiana-Monroe is 3-1 after hosting an opening-weekend tournament with Wake Forest and Alcorn State. The Warhawks opened the weekend with shutout wins over Wake Forest, 9-0, Friday and Alcorn State, 12-0, Saturday. ULM lost to Wake 11-4 in the first game of a Sunday doubleheader and closed the tourney with a 7-3 win over Alcorn.
This is the 67th meeting between the two schools and the series is tied at 33 apiece after the Warhawks took two-of-three last season.
PITCHING MATCHUPS
- Friday: LHP Caleb Smith (SHSU) vs. RHP Cale Wine (ULM)
- Saturday: LHP Cody Dickson (SHSU) vs. RHP Shelby Aulds (ULM)
- Sunday: LHP Andrew Godail (SHSU) vs. LHP Trey Setzer (ULM)
Caleb Smith and Cody Dickson picked up losses in the opening weekend while Andrew Godail received no decision. Smith allowed one run in 4.2 innings vs. Tulane. Dickson gave up three runs in four innings vs. Missouri State and Godail gave up one run in five innings vs. Texas State.
ULM starters Cale Wine and Shelby Aulds were both winners in their season debuts. Wine
pitched 6.2 innings of shutout baseball against Wake Forest and Aulds set a career high with 10 strikeouts in six innings against Alcorn State.
Ryan Farney leads the Kats in hitting with a .500 average after going three-for-four against Houston. Carter Burgess and Jessie Plumlee are both batting .333 and Burgess has two doubles. Four Kats have each driven in three runs.
The Warhawks are led offensively by freshman Kodie Tidwell who is batting .412 with four extra-base hits and six RBI.
After the ULM series the Kats will play a midweek game against the Texas Longhorns Tuesday at 5 p.m. in Austin.
