Lone Star Conference baseball teams continue non-conference action this week.
DIAMOND PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
HITTERS
Taylor Lyons, Cameron University, SR, RF, Orem, Utah, UC-Santa Barbara CC
Lyons was a catalyst for the Aggies this week, helping the team to a 3-1 record. Lyons recorded an RBI in each game, totaling 9, while also picking up 11 total bases. He has proven to be a great table setter for the middle of the line-up. Lyons finished with an on-base percentage of .526 and a .733 slugging percentage.
Duncan Blades, Abilene Christian University, SR, 1B, Victoria, British Columbia, Lambrick Park HS
Blades lifted his season batting average to .488 behind a 7 for 13 (.538) weekend in four games vs. former Lone Star Conference rival East Central. He totaled 10 bases on the strength of three doubles, scored three runs, and drove in four RBI. In game one Friday night, Blades scored one of two sixth-inning runs that pulled ACU back into the contest at 5-4. The Wildcats scored twice more in the eighth to win 6-5. In game three he went 3 for 4 with three RBI in an 11-6 loss, and in game four’s 5-2 comeback win he scored a game-tying run in the fifth, and then in the eight, drove in and scored an insurance run following a one out double. Blades currently owns a six-game hitting streak, and has reached base at least one in all 15 of ACU’s games.
PITCHERS
Adam Aspaas, Texas A&M University - Kingsville, SR, SP, San Marcos, CA, Mission Hills
Aspaas made his first start of the season a memorable one tossing a 6-hit shutout over Central Oklahoma. The Bronchos entered the weekend with a .362 team batting average and nearly 10 runs per game. Aspaas did not walk a batter and struck out a career-high 10 in the game. He has yet to walk a batter in 21.1 innings this year.
Rick Reyna, Angelo State University, SR, RHP, Mission, Texas, Mission HS
Reyna rolled through the Colorado State-Pueblo lineup last Saturday and picked up a complete-game shutout win over the ThunderWolves. Reyna struck out eight and allowed only three hits in his second win of the season for the Rams. Reyna held CSU-Pueblo to a .130 batting average in the game and now sports a 1.50 ERA through 24.0 innings pitched this season.
OTHER TOP PERFORMERS
Lee Neumann, Angelo State University, hit .500 in his 14 at-bats for the Rams in their four-game sweep of Colorado State-Pueblo last weekend in San Angelo. Neumann had two doubles, a triple, a home run and three singles for ASU. He also scored three runs and stole two bases. Neumann is hitting .340 for the Rams through his first 50 at-bats this season.
Luis Quiñones, Eastern New Mexico University, batted .500 with a stolen base over three games at Southeastern Oklahoma State, last week. He hit safely in all three games, with multiple hits in two of them. In the series finale, he notched a three-for-four performance with a stolen base.
Brady Rodriguez, Abilene Christian University, improved to 2-0 and lowered his season ERA to 1.47 after tossing 4.1 scoreless innings in all four games vs. East Central this past weekend. Rodriguez earned the win Friday in game one, pitching in relief of Aaron Lambrix. Rodriguez entered the game in the sixth right after ECU had taken a 5-2 lead, and put its next runner on via an error. Rodridguez quickly picked that runner - Jeremy Stein - off first base, then picked off Jeff Schmidt the following inning. After striking out two in retiring the side in order in the eighth, ACU scored two runs on his behalf to take game one, 6-5. In games two and three, Rodriguez was specifically brought in to face the left-handed hitting Gilbert Guardado and retired him each time on a ground out. In the series finale, Rodriguez came in with two outs and runners at second and third with ACU leading, 3-2. Rodriguez escaped the jam with a fly ball to center, and then followed with a scoreless eighth-inning of work.
Ryan Boydstun, Eastern New Mexico University, tossed 3.2 shutout innings to earn a save against Southeastern Oklahoma State, last week. During his appearance, he limited the top third of the Savage Storm’s lineup to one hit in five at bats and induced two double plays from the number three hitter in the lineup, to preserve a 6-4 win.
LSC NOTES (Submitted by LSC SID’s)
Abilene Christian The Wildcats split a four-game series with former Lone Star Conference rival East Central over the weekend. ACU came from behind to beat ECU 6-5 in game one, lost both ends of a doubleheader Saturday, and then held off the Tigers in game four, 5-2. Through four weekend series this season, ACU is 2-0-2. As a team, ACU batted .284 vs. the Tigers and scored 20 runs. Ten of the Wildcats’ 33 hits went for extra bases, including three doubles by Duncan Blades and the first ACU home run for Kyle Conwell. Blades led all Wildcats with a .538 batting average as he went 7 for 13 with three runs, four RBI and a stolen base. Three other regulars hit .300 or better for the series, including catcher Emmett Niland, who slowed down the Tigers’ constant running attack with two pickoffs. ECU entered the weekend with 35 stolen bases, but they had one all series on two attempts while being picked off five times. Pitcher Brady Rodriguez was responsible for two picks in game one, and Sunday starter Austin Palmer recorded one. Rodriguez, a lefty, appeared in all four games vs. ECU and went 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA and two strikeouts ... Michael Curtis recorded his second save with a scoreless ninth inning in game four ... Josh Stone was credited with the win in game four, and saved game one ... Austin Palmer struck out three in 5.0 innings ... Aaron Lambrix punched out six in 5.2 innings of work Friday.
Angelo State Angelo State dominated a weekend series against Colorado State-Pueblo at Foster Field. The Rams (13-2) swept the four-game series by a combined score of 34-7 and outhit the ThunderWolves 43-24. ASU (13-2) hit .336 as a team during the weekend and had a team 1.12 ERA. Jake Feckley (2-0), Rick Reyna (2-1) and Bren Schuehler (1-1) each claimed wins, while Ryan Greer and Lee Neumann each hit over .500 in the series. Seven Rams hit over .300 against the traveling Pack. The Rams’ sweep extended their seven-game winning streak and it was the third time this season they swept a team.
Cameron 3-1 last week.
Eastern New Mexico The Eastern New Mexico University baseball team used strong pitching performances from Brett Humphries and Ryan Boydstun and pounded out 13 hits to pick up a win over Southeastern Oklahoma State, but dropped the overall series 3-1. In the win, Alex Schultz and Sam Hedrick combined to bat 7-for-10. This week, Eastern will host New Mexico Highlands, before heading to Abilene, Texas for a three-day tournament.
Incarnate Word 2-1 last week.
Tarleton State 1-4 last week.
Texas A&M-Kingsville The Javelinas went 2-1 this week. They lost on the road at Texas A&M-International and then swept a pair of games against Central Oklahoma. Seniors Jaden Dillon and Adam Aspaas shut down a UCO offense that came in averaging nearly 10 runs per game and hitting .362 as a team. Dillon allowed one hit through the first seven innings and finished by allowing three hits, one unearned run and two walks while striking out 13 in 8.0 innings. Aspaas made his first start of the season a memorable one tossing a 6-hit shutout over Central Oklahoma. Aspaas did not walk a batter and struck out a career-high 10 in the game. He has yet to walk a batter in 21.1 innings this year. Dillon improved to 2-0 with a 1.40 ERA and a .127 opponent batting average while Aspaas is also 2-0 with a 0.42 ERA.
West Texas A&M 3-1 last week.