Alcorn Game Notes
LORMAN, Miss. – The Alcorn State University baseball program will return to the diamond after nearly a full week off on Tuesday when the Grambling State Tigers make its only trip to Lorman this season.
As a team, Alcorn (11-24, 4-13 SWAC) currently ranks in the top-55 in the NCAA for triples per game and triples as the purple and gold have smacked 0.34 per game and 12 total in 35 games so far.
In conjunction with the triples, the Braves are among the top-five teams in the SWAC for fielding average (.950), home runs (19), homers per game (0.54) and strikeouts per nine innings (7.8).
Senior
Carlos Lopez enters the game as Alcorn's all-time career strikeout record with 221. He passed the previous mark of 219 set by Steve Easter with a strikeout in the top of the ninth against Tougaloo on Wednesday evening. Lopez has 49 punchouts in 2019, good for fourth in the SWAC.
Freshman
Tristin Garcia has provided a huge boost to the top of the Braves lineup, as he is the club leader with a .368 batting average (8th in SWAC), 42 hits, 61 total bases, seven doubles and three triples.
Garcia is also among the top-three in runs scored (24), slugging (.535), on-base percentage (.424) and stolen bases (3) while pacing the squad with 15 multiple-hit
performances and ranking among the NCAA's top-30 in toughest to strike out at 12.7.
Senior
Brandon Barna became the 48th player in school history to reach the 100-hit milestone on March 30 with a two-RBI single in the top of the sixth versus Jackson State. Barna presently stands at 109 career base knocks which places him in 41st, one behind Sylvester Webb for 40th.
Barna is tops among Braves hitters in doubles (7), triples (3, 5th in SWAC), and RBIs (25). He also has the most multi-RBI games on the squad with six.
Junior
Brandon Rembert has been an absolute terror at the plate for the past month and a half. He has gone 33-for-84 over the club's last 23 games which equates to a .393 batting average with 25 runs scored, seven doubles, one triple, three home runs and 19 RBIs over that timeframe.
Rembert currently ranks ninth in the conference in on-base percentage (.459) and 11th in batting average (.363).
Junior closer
Austin Atwood has put the finishing touches on a majority team's 11 victories, as he's second in the SWAC with five saves while also picking up two wins, second-best on the club.
Other notable Braves on the SWAC leaderboards include senior
Kirt Cormier with 24 walks (9th), senior
Jose Fernandez who has 42 strikeouts (10th) and junior
Jordan McGowan with a 9.5 toughest to strike out rating (9th).
Scouting the Grambling State Tigers
Grambling State (20-19, 14-7 SWAC) was projected to second in the SWAC West Division and currently trails Southern in the division.
The Tigers have been superb at home (10-4) but have struggled away from R.W.E. Jones Park as they are only 8-14 on the road in 2019.
The black and gold are an offensive juggernaut, ranking in the top-50 nationwide in terms of walks (222), on-base percentage (.402), runs scored (270) and runs per game (6.9) while being one of only 12 teams to have recorded a triple play.
Grambling's offense might be lethal, but the Tigers spread the wealth. Four different players have averages north of .300, 20 or more runs scored and 25 or more RBIs. Senior outfielder Isaiah Torres is the leader of the pack, slashing .372 / .484 / .486 to go along with 55 hits, 23 runs scored, 12 doubles, 33 RBIs and 28 walks.
On the mound, junior starting pitcher Bryan Delgado has been ripping through SWAC hitters as he's third in ERA (3.00), fourth in strikeouts (51) and second in wins (5) over 66.0 innings and 10 appearances.
Alcorn and Grambling met earlier this season on March 26 where the Tigers used a seven-run fifth inning to comeback and defeat the Braves by a score of 8-7 in Grambling, Louisiana.
#FearTheBrave
