Braves Host MVSU for Divisional Action This Weekend
Baseball |

Braves Host MVSU for Divisional Action This Weekend

Game Notes | Live Stats

LORMAN, Miss. – The Alcorn State University baseball program is back at Willie E. "Rat" McGowan Stadium this weekend as the team hosts Mississippi Valley State in a key Southwestern Athletic Conference meeting between the East Division rivals.

 

Game one in the series is scheduled for a 6 p.m. first pitch on Friday. The teams will then play a 3 p.m. contest Saturday and will conclude with a 1 p.m. opening pitch Sunday.

 

Alcorn held Alabama scoreless through three innings, but the Crimson Tide earned a 3-0 decision Wednesday night at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. Devin Walden hit 1-for-2 and A.J. Makarewicz finished 1-for-3 in the loss.

 

The Braves (8-28, 3-12 SWAC) return home after a six-game road swing that featured trips to Nicholls State and Seattle.

 

"We need to win all three phases," said head coach Bretton Richardson. "We need to pitch well, play good defense and score some runs. If we can do that, we'll give ourselves a chance to win."

 

Justin Barna is batting .286, Hunter Wilson .263, and Wallace Rios Jimenez .261 to lead the team offensively. Wilson and Rios Jimenez both have 31 hits and Der'Vincent Hamilton is right behind with 30. Wilson owns a team-high 31 RBIs and Walden has stolen 11 bags in 15 attempts.

 

Defensively, Kyle Jenkins has a .981 fielding percentage with 182 putouts, 20 assists, and four errors. Brandon Barna is at 108 putouts with four assists and three errors (.974) and Wilson has 105 with eight assists and two errors.

 

Ace Carlos Lopez (2-2) has thrown 43.0 innings in eight starts and has a 5.44 ERA. The junior leads the Braves with 55 strikeouts and is holding opposing hitters to a .266 average. Jahborus Smith (2-7) started Wednesday's game at Alabama and is at a 7.01 ERA. Bukhari Brown (1-6) rounds out the weekend rotation with a 10.89 ERA across 38.0 innings, nine starts, and 10 appearances.

 

Alcorn met the Delta Devils (10-21, 8-7) on March 17-18 in Itta Bena, Miss. After poor weather delayed the weekend series, the teams split a doubleheader that Saturday before the hosts took the finale 9-5 on Sunday.

 

Wilson batted 3-for-4 with a homer, an RBI, and two runs in the 10-2 second game victory. RIos Jimenez also went 3-for-4 with an RBI while Brendly Martina and Walden each posted 2-for-4 efforts. Smith pitched 6.0 innings to secure the victory and Joe Smith threw the seventh.

 

The Braves have a 9-6 edge over the Delta Devils during Coach Richardson's tenure.

 

MVSU is coming off a 4-3 loss at Nicholls State Wednesday. Aaron Barkley is hitting .291 and brings a 29-game on-base streak into the series. Fredrick Spencer II has a .273 average and Morgan Lomas is at a .254. Barkley and Wendell Rieves have 30 and 29 hits, respectively, while Rieves has brought in a team-high 26 runs.

 

Marshall Parrish leads the Delta Devils in the field with 206 putouts, nine assists, and three erors for a .986 fielding percentage. Barkley follows with 138 putouts, 23 assists, and eight errors for a .953 percentage.

 

Barkley (1-0) has tossed 13.2 innings in 11 relief appearances and owns a 1.32 ERA. Zac Uecker (3-6) is at a 6.48 ERA through nine starts and Dustin Stewart (2-3) follows with a 6.71 ERA in seven starts and nine appearances.

 

#FearTheBrave

 

Print Friendly Version