Alcorn Game Notes
LORMAN, Miss. – The Alcorn State University baseball program will be looking to enact revenge this weekend versus Mississippi Valley State as it heads to Itta Bena for the first time since the Delta Devils handed the Braves a three-game sweep at Willie E. "Rat" McGowan Stadium in late March.
As a team, Alcorn (11-25, 4-13 SWAC) baseball currently ranks in the top-45 in the NCAA for triples per game and the top-60 for triples. The purple and gold have smacked 0.33 three-baggers per game and 12 overall in the 36 games played.
To go along with the triples, the Braves are among the top-five teams in the SWAC for fielding percentage (.950), home runs (20), homers per game (0.56) and strikeouts per nine innings (7.8).
Senior
Carlos Lopez enters the series 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 fifth 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 .376 batting average (5th in SWAC), 44 hits, 63 total bases, seven doubles, three triples and a .538 slugging percentage.
Garcia is also among the top-three in runs scored (24), on-base percentage (.438) and stolen bases (3) while pacing the squad with 16 multiple-hit performances and ranking among the NCAA's top-25 in toughest to strike out at 13.0.
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 is also tied with junior
Kyle Jenkins for the most multi-RBI games on the squad with six.
Junior
Brandon Rembert has been a pleasant surprise in his first season with the club, leading all Braves hitters with seven doubles and a .441 on-base percentage while placing second in average (.346), runs scored (28), hits (37), and total bases (55). Rembert is among the top-40 nationally with a 11.9 toughest to strike out rating.
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 27 walks (8th), senior
Jose Fernandez who has 42 strikeouts (10th) and junior
Jordan McGowan with three sacrifice flies (6th).
Scouting the Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils
Mississippi Valley State (7-22, 5-12 SWAC) was projected to fifth in the SWAC East Division and currently resides in fourth place, a half-game ahead of Alcorn.
The Delta Devils have struggled mightily this season as prior to Wednesday's win over Tougaloo they had lost 13 straight ballgames. MVSU also has not won a game versus a division one opponent since it swept the Braves in a three-game set in Lorman the weekend of March 22-24.
The green and red have relied primarily on its speed and defense in 2019, ranking in the top-20 nationally in steals per game (2.03) and top-25 in double plays turned per contest (0.93). The other area where the Delta Devils shine are walks allowed per nine innings as the pitching staff gives up 5.42 free passes per game, the fourth-lowest mark in the conference.
Sophomore outfielder Willie Johnson is a constant threat when on the bases, swiping 0.58 bags per ballgame, among the top-25 in the nation and has 15 overall. Junior Aaron Barkley and senior Jordan Sawyer are the two other hitters of note, as they rank fourth and fifth in the SWAC respectively in walks per game (0.82) and triples per game (0.08).
Most division one baseball programs have shied away from having two-way players (that both hit and pitch) but MVSU has seven on its roster. The most prominent and effective of them is Barkley who leads the team in ERA with a 2.35 over 13 relief appearances.
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