Courtesy of LA Tech Athletic Communications
Louisiana Tech returns home this weekend to resume Conference USA play, hosting Missouri State in a three-game series beginning Friday at J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park.
The Bulldogs (24-18, 11-7 CUSA) will face the Bears (26-12, 14-4) in a series scheduled for 6 p.m. today, 2 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday. It marks the first meeting between the programs.
Louisiana Tech has won nine of its last 11 games, though it enters the weekend having dropped two of its past three, including a conference loss at Kennesaw State and a midweek setback at McNeese. The Bulldogs have won three straight CUSA games, highlighted by a home sweep of Middle Tennessee.
Trey Hawsey brings an 11-game hitting streak into the weekend, the longest by a Louisiana Tech player this season. The sophomore first baseman is batting .417 during that stretch with 20 hits, including two doubles and a home run, while driving in nine runs.
Colby Lunsford is also swinging a hot bat, entering the series with a nine-game hitting streak while batting .400 during that span. The graduate third baseman has totaled 18 hits, 10 runs and 10 RBIs over his last nine games.
As a team, Louisiana Tech has recorded double-digit hits in five consecutive games, its longest such streak since late May to early June 2021. The Bulldogs are batting .311 during that stretch while averaging 5.4 runs per game.
Missouri State enters the weekend second in the CUSA standings, two games behind first-place Jacksonville State. The Bears recently dropped a midweek game at No. 24 Arkansas after earning a 15-14 extra-inning win over the Razorbacks on March 31.
The Bears have won five of six conference series this season, including sweeps of Middle Tennessee and Sam Houston at home and a road sweep at Delaware. Their only series loss came against Dallas Baptist.
Missouri State ranks among the top teams in the nation in RPI, sitting 18th overall and among three CUSA programs in the top 30.
Offensively, Curry Sutherland leads the conference with 13 home runs and ranks among the league leaders in slugging percentage and OPS. Bryce Cermenelli is batting .379, the second-best average in CUSA, and has added nine doubles and 17 RBIs.
On the mound, Missouri State features a deep pitching staff with seven players recording at least 30 strikeouts. Max Knight leads the team with 41 strikeouts in 29 2/3 innings and has five wins, tied for fourth-most in the conference.
Ross Fielder owns a 3.79 ERA with 39 strikeouts in 40 1/3 innings, while Owen Slater and Jason Schaaf have combined for 18 starts this season.
The series is one of Louisiana Tech’s final two home conference matchups of the regular season.
