LSC BASEBALL
Tarleton State and Abilene Christian remain on top of the Lone Star Conference standings with identical 9-3 league records. The Texans split with Texas A&M-Kingsville and the Wildcats won three of four versus Eastern New Mexico last week.
The overall LSC Champion will be the team(s) with the best winning percentage in regular-season conference games, while the winner of the postseason championship will be recognized as LSC Tournament Champion and receive the league’s automatic qualification into the NCAA postseason. The championship will be played May 3-6 in Canyon, Texas, as part of the LSC Spring Championships Festival.
LSC baseball teams are 146-101-1 overall this season. In the NCAA South Central Region, the teams are currently 10-8 combined versus Heartland Conference teams and 29-9 opposed to the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.
DIAMOND PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
HITTERS
Alvaro Moreno, Tarleton State University, JR, 3B, McAllen, Texas, McAllen HS
Moreno had the highest batting average of any player in Tarleton’s series against Kingsville as he hit .571, collecting eight hits in 14 trips to the plate. He walked twice and finished the weekend with a .625 on-base percentage as well. Moreno drove in a run and scored two runs to help the Texans move to 9-3 in LSC play and stay in first-place for a third straight week.
Kyle Conwell, Abilene Christian University, SR, LF, Renton, Wash., Tahoma Senior HS
Conwell tied an Abilene Christian and Lone Star Conference single-game record this weekend after crushing three home runs to lead the Wildcats to a 5-4 victory over Eastern New Mexico Friday night at Crutcher Scott Field. Conwell helped ACU sweep that evening’s doubleheader and ultimately take 3 of 4 from the Greyhounds. ACU has won its first three LSC series and remains tied for first in the conference at 9-3. Prior to Conwell, the last and only other Wildcat to hit three HR in a game was Joel Wells, who did it against Tarleton State in 2006. Conwell’s home runs were his first three of the season and all sailed over the wall in left field. The Renton, Wash., native hit his first two home runs off Brian Kennedy in the fourth and fifth innings to pull the Wildcats within a run at 4-3. And then in his final at-bat leading off the seventh inning, he clubbed a walk-off shot vs. reliever Dylan Montano (0-1) on a 3-2 pitch. Conwell’s dramatic blast was ACU’s first walk-off home run since 2008 (Mike Elkerson vs. East Central).
PITCHERS
Dylan James, West Texas A&M University, JR, RHP, Las Cruses, N.M., Mayfield HS
Had a masterful game as he tossed a complete game, two-hitter along with a career, school-record and LSC season-high 14 strikeouts topping his previous best of 13 set earlier this season. James’ performance helped lead the Buffs to a 3-1 win for just the second win at Angelo State in school history. It was his first win of the season (1-1) and WT career as he lowered his ERA to 2.86. He has a team-high 46 strikeouts on the year in six starts with two complete games. The opposition is hitting just .175 against him.
Dallas Ponder, Texas A&M University - Kingsville, JR, RHP, Flatonia, Texas, Flatonia HS
Ponder threw his second complete game shutout of the season in the series opener with league-leader Tarleton State. It was the fourth start on the year by Ponder in which the Javelinas shutout an opponent. He allowed just two runners into scoring position the entire evening.