The Wildcats face their first rematch with a SWAC opponent this season this weekend as they welcome in Mississippi Valley State to Bethune Point. First pitch of the weekend is scheduled for Friday, April 22 at 3 p.m.
Game Information
Friday-Sunday, April 22-24
Opponent: Mississippi Valley State (9-15-1, 3-10 SWAC)
Time: 3 p.m. | 2 p.m. | 12 p.m.
Location: Daytona Beach, Fla. | Bethune Point
Live Stats: https://bcuathletics.com/sidearmstats/baseball/summary
Last Time Out
Following a stellar weekend sweep at Alabama A&M, the Wildcats dropped a midweek contest Tuesday to No. 5 Miami. B-CU was ultimately shutout, 9-0, but turned in five competitive innings, trailing only 2-0 before the Hurricanes broke things open in the sixth.
Joan Gonzalez provided one of his best efforts of the season, tossing 5.1 innings, allowing only a single earned run on five hits with four walks and five strikeouts. The Wildcats combined for eight hits, but could not push a run across.
Scouting the Delta Devils
Mississippi Valley State is 9-15-1 this season, including 3-10 in SWAC play. The Delta Devils took one of three against the Wildcats back at the beginning of April and have not won since. MSU has not played since April 15, when a game against Alabama State was postponed due to a lighting malfunction.
Since the start of conference play, the Delta Devils are batting .230 as a team with a .632 OPS and six homers. Dreylin Holmes leads his squad with 24 RBI on a .333 average and 1.144 OPS.
MVSU pitcher have combined for an 8.97 ERA on a 2.27 WHIP in SWAC play. They have struck out 80 and walked 108 in 107.1 innings. The Delta Devils have 52 errors as a team on the season.
The Starters
It will be Lipthratt, Santos, and Vazquez to take the mound again for the Wildcats this weekend, in that order. Each of the starters recorded a win last weekend in their respective starts at Alabama State.
Each threw over 7 complete innings in their starts. Lipthratt and Santos each finished with double-digit strikeout days, while Vazquez added six of his own. The trio combined for only a single walk on the weekend.
Notes
- The Wildcats currently sit in second place in the SWAC's Eastern Division, behind Alabama State's 12-2 record. The Wildcats took 2-3 from the conference leaders early in conference play.
- The B-CU pitching staff ranks No. 1 in the SWAC in ERA, W/L record, Earned Runs, and Strikeouts in conference play.
- Louis Lipthratt has thrown the fourth-most innings in the SWAC at 56.2. He is fifth in the conference in ERA at 3.34 and sixth in strikeouts with 54.
- Nolan Santos ranks third in the SWAC with 59 strikeouts in 51.1 innings.
- Among qualified SWAC arms, Hector Vazquez has allowed the third-fewest walks in the conference, the fourth-fewest doubles, and only a single triple.
The second series of the year for the two teams also marks their second series all-time opposing each other. The Wildcats will look to build on the 2-1 lead they established early this month.
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RHP 6' 3" 170 lbs Redshirt Sophomore R/R
RHP 6' 1" 195 lbs Redshirt Sophomore R/R
RHP 6' 4" 200 lbs Redshirt Sophomore R/R
RHP 6' 1" 210 lbs Redshirt Junior R/R
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