Baseball | 4/15/2021 12:43:00 PM

Baseball Braves Set To Clash With Undefeated Jackson State

LORMAN, Miss. – The Alcorn State University baseball program will attempt to knock JSU from the ranks of the unbeaten in conference play, starting with a 2 p.m. matinee on Friday at Braddy Field.
 
The Braves (5-9, 5-7 SWAC) have been one of the most consistent scoring teams in the nation, ranking top-40 with 7.2 runs per game. They are also top-45 in steals per contest (1.47) and top-80 for on-base percentage (0.376).
 
Tristin Garcia can say something that few people in baseball can, that he is best in the nation regarding two different statistical categories; batting average and hits per game. Garcia tops the NCAA's Division I with a batting average of 0.469 and a hits per game average of 2.00. If his average remains where it currently stands, it would be the third-highest single season mark in program history.
 
Jose Fernandez is the league's best hurler according to ERA, posting a sparkling 1.93 earned run average to put him among the country's elite as a top-50 number. Fernandez also tops the SWAC in WHIP at 1.01 and is third for hits allowed per nine innings with 6.06.
 
Lane Gordon has emerged as a co-ace atop the pitching staff, registering a top-five ERA in the SWAC as well (2.95).
 
Tyler Daniels has been a jack of all trades in the middle of the Braves lineup, hitting .358 with an on-base percentage of 0.463 while stealing a team-high five bases.
 
Khalil Smith has been a run scoring machine in the leadoff slot for Coach Richardson, scoring the second-most runs per game in the NCAA (1.43) which is in large part due to his top-15 walk rate of 1.00 per contest.

Scouting the Jackson State Tigers (21-7, 15-0 SWAC)

The rivals up north are one of the best teams that the Southwestern Athletic Conference has seen in a long time, spending the last four weeks in the receiving votes section of the NCBWA poll.
 
Jackson State has won seven straight and 10 of its last 11 with its only loss coming at Tulane by three (10-7) plus sweeps of Alabama State, Alabama A&M and Mississippi Valley thrown in.
 
JSU is top-ten in the NCAA for six different categories including walks (178), on-base percentage (0.423) and runs scored (258). The Blue Bengals also are second in the country in scoring average at 9.2 to go along with leading Division I in both steals per contest (3.29) and total steals (92).
 
They say speed kills and the Tigers have it in abundance up-and-down the lineup with five different players in the SWAC's top-ten for steals, led by Equon Smith's 17 (0.77).
 
Jackson State is no slouch on the mound either, having the league's top winner in Nikelle Galatas (6), strikeout-to-walk ratio specialist courtesy of Mario Lopez (5.80) and closer via Steven Davila (4 saves).
 
Alcorn trails in the most played series in program history by a 164-101-1 margin.
 
#FearTheBrave