No. 14 Jags clash with No. 1 LSU Shreveport on the road
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It's no secret how big this weekend is for UHV baseball.
The No. 14-ranked Jaguars (34-10, 19-5) head to Shreveport, Louisiana, to square off with No. 1 LSU Shreveport in a three-game series featuring the two team atop the Red River Athletic Conference standings.
UHV is in second, five games behind the Pilots (41-0, 24-0), who are on a 41-game winning streak – a mark which is tied for the longest in the NAIA.
"Anytime you get to play the No. 1 team in the nation, it's a great opportunity," said head coach Jonathan Stavinoha. "Shreveport is a great team and they've been doing great things, setting records and doing things that nobody else has done in NAIA history. So, we're looking to go up there, take it one game at a time and embrace the opportunity."
The series, which kicks off with a 3 p.m. doubleheader at Pilot Field, features the top two pitching staffs in the nation with UHV ranking second in the NAIA with a 3.10 ERA and LSUS first with a 2.44 ERA.
Junior left-hander Brady Parker ranks second in the NAIA with 97 strikeouts and second in the RRAC with a 1.97 ERA. Fellow starters Jonathan Jones (2.44) and Julian Garcia (2.63) rank fourth and seventh, respectively, in the conference for ERA.
"It's happened all season," Stavinoha said, "our starters have gone out and given us great performances to set the tone. We expect that to happen again and we expect to play great defense behind them. If we can do that, we can win any baseball game we play in. I like our chances and the way we match up."
UHV's bullpen has also made significant strides over the last few weeks with Mason Longoria, Justin Mireles and Jacob Baker pitching well behind the weekend starters.
But junior lefty Andrew Hurrelbrink has also emerged as a strong bullpen arm for UHV recently, allowing one earned run over his last five appearances and earning his first career win. He fanned a career-high seven batters in a loss to Our Lady of the Lake on Tuesday.
"He's always had that ability," Stavinoha said. "When he comes in, you expect him to perform and he done that lately, and it's been fun to watch. We've got confidence to put a lot of our guys in there and let them do their thing."
Graduate senior Cristian Garcia returned to the lineup on Tuesday for the first time in a month after an injury.
The Houston native continues to lead the RRAC and ranks fourth nationally in batting average with a .489 clip. With a walk against OLLU, he extended his on-base streak to 30 games.
His return bolsters a lineup which hit eight home runs and scored 85 runs across 14 games while he was recovering.
"We had to figure out how to play without him when he was down," Stavinoha said. "Having him back in the lineup is special with what he brings to the game and team with his ability. He's a professional hitter. He'll draw walks, he's gonna get the big knock in the right situation. He's gonna hit balls hard and make pitchers work. Having him back in the lineup this weekend and full-go is gonna be fun to watch."