No. 14 Jags hosting LSUA for Homecoming and Senior Weekend

The mission is simple for the No. 14-ranked UHV baseball team this weekend.

One win would cement the Jaguars as the Red River Athletic Conference's No. 2 seed for next week's conference tournament and set a new single-season wins record.

They'll get their chance with a three-game set against LSU Alexandria, starting with a 7 p.m. first pitch on Friday and a 12 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday as part of Homecoming and Senior Day. This weekend is also Weekend at the Ballpark presented by Crossroads Bank, meaning admission is free all weekend.

UHV (34-13, 19-8) enters the weekend with the fourth best pitching staff in the NAIA with a 3.50 team ERA. Junior left-hander Brady Parker ranks fourth nationally in strikeouts with 99 while righty Jonathan Jones is eighth with 95. Senior Mason Longoria is tied for the national lead in wins with 11, which is a single-season record for the Jaguars.

Head coach Jonathan Stavinoha says any success the team has this weekend will start with their pitchers.

"You put those guys out there and you want them to really set the tone and the pace for the weekend right away," Stavinoha said.

The Jaguars are looking to get their bats hot in their season finale after being shut out for just the third time in 47 games this season.

Despite the recent offensive slump, UHV is still hitting at a .305 clip as a team. Graduate senior Cristian Garcia continues to lead the conference in batting average with a .469 clip.

"We need to get our sticks going and get these timely hits," Stavinoha said. "We hit quite a bit this week and I think some of those kinks are getting worked out. Hopefully, this weekend we start taking off and getting our offense going in the right direction."

This weekend's series is a rematch from an RRAC Tournament elimination game last year and the 2023 RRAC Tournament Championship, both of which UHV won.

The Jaguars own a 44-34 edge in the all-time series with the Generals (23-23, 16-11).

"They know us and we know them," Stavinoha said. "It's going to be fun and it's always good baseball because we're always competitive. Kody Gautreaux does a great job over there. Their record doesn't say exactly what kind of team they are. They're much better than their record says. They're going to come to Victoria with a hunger and it's going to be a great series."

Between games on Saturday, the Jaguars will recognize their nine seniors: Cristian Garcia, Juan Perez, Mason Longoria, Rafael Gutierrez, Drew Bradbury, Julian Garcia, Jean Michael Gonzalez, Alejandro Belo and Hal Perez.

"It'll be bittersweet more than anything," Stavinoha said. "I'm excited to see them get honored this weekend and I can't say enough about all these seniors. They're the backbone of what makes this team go. The best thing about it though is we're not finished yet. We've got unfinished business."