Alcorn Game Notes
LORMAN, Miss. – The Alcorn State University baseball program will end a 12-game road swing to begin the campaign as Alabama State visits the friendly confines of Willie E. "Rat" McGowan Stadium for a three-game series this weekend. The official home opener will take place as a doubleheader on Friday, with the first game starting at 2 p.m., and then the third game will be Sunday at 1 p.m.
The purple and gold have been stellar so far in producing on the offensive end, placing in the top-half of the SWAC in runs per game (5.5), total runs (66), triples (3), hits (97) and home runs (6). Alcorn (4-8, 1-2 SWAC) has also done well in the fielding percentage as it sits at third in the league with .955.
Senior starter Bukhari Brown was named the SWAC Pitcher of the Week on Monday. The right-hander from Byram, Mississippi started the final game in this past weekend's SWAC opening series at Alabama A&M. He went 8.0 innings and allowed one run (zero earned) on seven hits and three walks. Brown struck out a season-high seven Bulldogs while holding the visitors to a .233 batting average. With the victory, he becomes the first Braves pitcher with multiple wins in 2019 as he improved to 2-0 in three appearances.
Senior starting pitcher Carlos Lopez enters the series ranked fifth all-time in school history in career strikeouts with 192. He needs 28 more to break Steve Easter's mark of 219 set in 2012. Lopez has 20 strikeouts over 17.2 innings pitched, is the third-most strikeouts in the SWAC.
Senior Brandon Barna and junior Travaris Cole lead the Braves in hits (15) and RBIs (11) with Barna tops in triples (2), total bases (24), and slugging (.522).
Barna is 11 hits away from 100 in his career. He'd become the 48th player in school history to reach that milestone.
Freshman Tristin Garcia has been a revelation at the second base position for Alcorn, pacing the club with a .342 batting average, knocking through 13 hits and a team-best three doubles.
Redshirt junior closer Austin Atwood has put the finishing touches on a majority team's four victories, as he leads the SWAC with three saves. He also picked up a win in lone non-save situation appearance.
Alabama State (7-6, 2-1 SWAC) was picked to win the SWAC's Western Division with nine first place votes.
The Hornets are currently the only squad in the conference with a record above .500 and are in a first-place tie in the East Division with Alabama A&M after taking two of three from Mississippi Valley State.
ASU has been ripping the cover off the ball this season, as it has six hitters batting .300 or better, five players with double-digit RBIs, 11 home runs as a team and eight batters with at least ten hits (two with more than 20).
Senior ace Darren Kelly has been close to untouchable for the black and gold this season, as he has yet to give up a single run over 11.1 innings and three starts. Kelly has allowed only six hits and five walks with opponents hitting a paltry .167 against the right-handed hurler.
Alabama State swept the season series in 2018, outscoring the Braves 62-14 over six games.
#FearTheBrave
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