Game Notes

Texas State Bobcats (11-6, 0-0 Sun Belt)
              vs.
South Alabama Jaguars (8-6, 0-0 Sun Belt)

March 15-17  • Stanky Field • Mobile, Ala.

Game 1 - Fri., March 15 • 6:30 PM
Game 2 - Sat., March 16 • 6:30 PM
Game 3 - Sun., March 17 • 1 PM


Media Information
Live Stream:  All three games will be streamed live and available for free through JagNationTV.com.

On the Radio:  All Jaguar games are broadcast live on 99.5 FM The Jag in Mobile, and available worldwide through the iHeartRadio app.

Live Stats:  Live stats for every South Alabama home game are available through the multimedia section of USAJaguars.com.

Twitter:  Follow the official Twitter account of South Alabama baseball — @WeAreSouth_BSB — for news and updates.

Probable Starting Pitchers
Fri., March 15
USA - RHP Drake Nightengale (2-0, 1.74 ERA)
TXST - RHP Nicholas Fraze (2-2, 5.32 ERA) 

Sat., March 16
USA - RHP JoJo Booker (1-2, 4.66 ERA)
TXST - RHP Hunter McMahon (2-1, 4.44 ERA)

Sun., March 17
USA - LHP Caleb Yarborough (2-1, 2.63 ERA)
TXST - RHP Connor Reich (2-0, 2.33 ERA)

 All-Time Series
South Alabama holds a 12-3 all-time lead over Texas State in a series that began in 2014. The Jaguars took two of three games from the Bobcats last year in San Marcos, Texas, and clinched the series with a doubleheader sweep in the first two contests. USA has won eight of the last nine meetings in the series dating back to 2016, and has won every series (5) the teams have played. South Alabama is 5-1 all-time against Texas State at Stanky Field, and has won the last three games against the Bobcats in Mobile.

Last Meeting
The Jags clinched last year's three-game series in San Marcos with a doubleheader sweep that included a complete-game one-hitter from right-hander Tyler Carr, who came one strike away from tossing the program's first-ever nine-inning no-hitter. USA defeated Texas State 10-1 in the series opener, followed by an 11-10 win in game two. The Bobcats won the series finale 5-2, which snapped their eight-game losing skid to the Jaguars.

Jag Notes
• The Jaguar pitching staff leads the Sun Belt Conference in fewest hits allowed (102), opposing batting average (.227) and runs allowed (59), and is tied with Appalachian State for the league lead in earned runs allowed (52).

• South Alabama led the Sun Belt Conference in fielding percentage for the first month of the season, but ranks third in the league with a .974 fielding percentage entering conference play. USA committed four errors in Tuesday's loss to No. 17 Auburn, and has committed at least one error in seven of its last eight games. The Jags were charged with just one error through the first six games of the season.

• Freshman left fielder Ethan Wilson leads the Sun Belt in batting average (.440), which ranks 25th nationally, slugging percentage (.780) and on-base percentage (.554), ranks tied for third in home runs (4), tied for fourth in RBIs (19) and total bases (39), and tied for seventh in runs scored (16).

• Ethan Wilson carries a team-best 14-game on-base streak into this weekend's series.

• Outfielder Michael Sandle is tied for the Sun Belt Conference lead in sacrifice flies (3) entering the series. Sandle recorded a pair of sacrifice flies in game two of last weekend's Sacred Heart series.

SCORING SIX OR MORE
South Alabama is 7-0 when scoring six or more runs this season, but is just 1-6 when scoring five or fewer.

11 OR MORE RUNS
USA scored 11 or more runs in each of its three wins over Sacred Heart last weekend, including a season-high 16 runs in the series opener.

FOUR WEEKENDS, FOUR DOUBLEHEADERS
South Alabama has played four doubleheaders through the first four weekends of the season. The Jags split a doubleheader at No. 14 Clemson opening weekend, swept a doubleheader from Tennessee Tech, dropped a pair of games to Alabama and swept a doubleheader from Sacred Heart last weekend at Stanky Field.

ALLOWING FIVE OR LESS
USA is 8-0 when allowing five or fewer runs this season, but is 0-6 when allowing six or more.

LEADING/TRAILING AFTER SEVEN FRAMES
The Jaguars are 8-0 when leading after seven innings, but are 0-6 when tied or trailing after seven frames.

STRIKEOUTS PER GAME
The Jaguars have struck out 133 times in 14 games this season for an average of 9.5 strikeouts per game offensively. USA has struck out 10 or more times in five games this season, including 16 Tuesday against No. 17 Auburn.

SWEPT AT STANKY FIELD
Alabama's three-game sweep of South Alabama at Stanky Field earlier this season marked the first time the Jags have been swept at home in a three-game series since 2014, when No. 3 Louisiana-Lafayette took three games from USA in Mobile.

WALKS IN SACRED HEART SERIES
Jaguar hitters drew 32 walks in three games against Sacred Heart last weekend, including a season-high 16 in the series opener. The Jags have drawn 10 or more walks in four contests this year.

2018 MLB DRAFT
The Jaguars must replace four position players and one pitcher from 2018 who were lost to the Major League Baseball Draft:  Tyler Carr (RHP), Brendan Donovan (3B), Dylan Hardy (LF), Drew LaBounty (SS) and  Travis Swaggerty (CF). Swaggerty was a first-round selection (10th overall) by the Pittsburgh Pirates, making him just the fifth Jaguar (Glenn Borgmann, [9th pick] 1971; Alex Pastore [13th pick] 1973; [18th pick] 1974; Pat Putnam [23rd pick] 1975; Mike Zimmerman [27th pick] 1990) in program history to earn the distinction as a first-round pick.

Jaguar Hitter Quick Notes
2 - Nick Lewis (Jr., IF/OF)
• Recorded his first career hit and RBIs (2) in the series opener against Tennessee Tech on Feb. 23.
• Earned Alabama Community College Conference All-South honors as a sophomore at Wallace-Dothan (Ala.) CC after hitting .332 with 15 doubles, three triples, eight home runs, 51 RBIs, 52 runs scored, two stolen bases and .411 on-base percentage in 59 games played.
• Batted .338 with 19 doubles, one home run, 38 RBI, 46 runs scored and 15 stolen bases in 63 games played as a freshman in 2017, while posting a .403 on-base percentage.

6 - Santi Montiel (Fr., IF)
• Had his 13-game on-base streak snapped against No. 17 Auburn on Wednesday.
• Hit his first career home run in the series opener against Tennessee Tech on Feb. 23.
• Hit safely in all three games at No. 14 Clemson. Batted .333 with one double, one triple and one RBI.
• Ranks tied for 10th in the Sun Belt in slugging percentage (.667). 
• Hit .390 with 10 doubles, 12 home runs, 48 RBIs and 28 stolen bases as a senior at Alpharetta (Ga.) HS in 2018 to earn Metro Atlanta High School All-Star honors.

9 - Dakota Dailey (Jr., IF)
• Recorded his first career hit on March 2 against Alabama.
•  Batted .314 with seven doubles, one triple, five home runs, 17 RBIs, 45 runs scored, a .486 slugging percentage, .443 on-base percentage and 13 stolen bases in 41 games played as a sophmore last year at Northwest (Miss.) CC.
• Named Google Cloud Academic First Team All-District by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) as a sophomore.
• Also played basketball at Northwest CC for the 2016-17 season, where he led the team in scoring with an average of 12.8 points per game and set a school single-season record in free-throw percentage (.845).

14 - Carter Perkins (Sr., C)
• Had his six-game on-base streak snapped against No. 17 Auburn on Wednesday.
• 2018 First-Team All-South Central Region by the American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings and Second-Team All-Sun Belt at catcher.
• Named the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week on April 24, 2018.
• Ranked 10th in the Sun Belt Conference in home runs (9) and slugging percentage (.543) in league games last season.
•  Batted .301 with nine doubles, nine home runs, 43 RBIs, 38 runs scored, .410 on-base percentage and .506 slugging percentage in 53 games in 2018.
•  Hit .326 with five doubles, five home runs, 21 RBIs, 21 runs scored, .427 OBP and .543 slugging percentage in league games. 
• Recorded 17 multiple-hit and 10 multi-RBI games last year, and hit safely in 32 of 53 games played.

15 - Kaleb DeLaTorre (Jr., IF)
• Carries a five-game on-base streak into the weekend.
• Recorded a career-high three hits and three runs scored against Alabama on March 2.
• Batted .360 with 17 doubles, four triples, 11 home runs, 71 RBIs, 66 runs scored, a .645 slugging percentage and .454 on-base percentage in 58 games played as a sophomore last year at Neosho County (Kan.) CC en route to Second-Team All-Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference honors at third base. 
• Named National Junior College Athletic Association Academic All-America as a sophomore.
• Earned all-conference honorable mention at second base as a freshman after batting .335 with 11 doubles, three triples, six home runs, 29 RBIs, 56 runs scored and a .440 OBP.
• Helped lead NCCC to a Central District championship appearance in 2017.

20 - Reid Powers (So., C)
• Made his 2019 debut on Feb. 23 against Tennessee Tech. 
• Appeared in 13 games with four starts as a freshman last season. 
• Played in four Sun Belt Conference games with one start.
• Made his Jaguar debut in a pinch-hit appearance against Kansas State (Feb. 16). • Made his first career start against Virginia Tech (Feb. 17).

22 - Hunter Stokes (Jr., IF)
• Appeared in 53 games with 46 starts last season, and batted .222 with seven doubles, three home runs, 29 RBIs and 29 runs scored.
• Hit .250 with three doubles, one home run, 17 RBIs, 17 runs scored and a .421 on-base percentage in 26 Sun Belt Conference contests.
• Recorded 11 multiple-hit and eight multi-RBI games, and hit safely in 26 of 53 contests.

23 - Colton Thomas (R-Sr., OF)
• Recorded a hit in the series opener at No. 14 Clemson in his first game since 2017.
• Missed the 2018 season due to a medical redshirt.
• Appeared in 39 games with 25 starts as a junior in 2017, and batted .327 with six doubles, four home runs, 18 RBIs, 30 runs scored, .505 slugging percentage, .444 on-base percentage and five stolen bases.
• Hit .333 with three doubles, three home runs, 11 RBIs, 17 runs scored, .583 slugging percentage, .450 OBP and one stolen base in 20 Sun Belt Conference contests in 2017. 
• Recorded 10 multiple-hit games and five multi-RBI contests in 2017, while hitting safely in 21 of 39 contests.

24 - Eddie Paparella (R-Sr., OF)
• Missed the 2018 season due to a medical redshirt.
• Will miss the first month of the 2019 season due to a hand injury.
• Appeared in 46 games with 35 starts as a junior in 2017, and batted .268 with six doubles, one triple, seven home runs, 34 RBIs, 24 runs scored, a .504 slugging percentage and three stolen bases.
• Recorded six multiple-hit and six multi-RBI games while hitting safely in 22 of 46 contests in 2017.
• Tied a school record and set a career high in RBIs (9), and also recorded career highs in hits (5) and runs scored (4) against Eastern Illinois (Feb. 18, 2017). 

25 - Michael Sandle (R-So., OF)
• Recorded a season-high two hits and three runs scored against Nicholls on March 6.
• Tripled and scored the Jags' final run in a 4-3 win in the series finale at No. 14 Clemson.
• Appeared in 53 games with 52 starts as a redshirt freshman last season, and batted .225 with eight doubles, three triples, three home runs, 32 RBIs, 28 runs scored and five stolen bases.
• Drove in a career-high five runs at Arkansas State on April 29, 2018.

31 - Felix Aberouette (Sr., C)
• Has reached base safely in seven straight contests entering the weekend.
• Tied his career high in RBIs (3) against Sacred Heart on March 8.
• Recorded career highs in hits (3) and RBIs (4) against Tennessee Tech on Feb. 23.
• Recorded the first multiple-hit game of his career in the series finale at No. 14 Clemson, finishing 2-for-4 with a double, one home run, three RBIs and one run scored.
• Appeared in 32 games with four starts as a junior last season, and recorded two hits, two RBIs and two runs scored.
• Committed just one error behind the plate in 104 total chances.
• Made his Jaguar debut against Kansas State on Feb. 16, 2018.
• Recorded his first career RBI and run scored against Hartford on Feb. 23, 2018, and recorded his first career hit against Appalachian State on March 31, 2018.

34 - Ethan Wilson (Fr., OF)
• Has reached base in every game (14) this season, and hit safely in 12 of 14 contests.
• Batted .529 with 10 home runs, 41 RBIs and 51 runs scored as a senior at Andalusia HS.
• Named MaxPreps Medium School First-Team All-America, 2018 Alabama Baseball Coaches Association 4A Player of the Year, 2018 Class 4A Player of the Year and Hitter of the Year by the Alabama Sports Writers Association (ASWA), and also earned First-Team All-State honors as a senior.
• 2018 Super All-State selection by AL.com.
• Ranked second on The AL.com High School 100 list.

37 - Bennett Shell (Fr., OF)
• Has reached base safely in five straight games entering the weekend.
• Recorded a career-high four hits in the series finale against Tennessee Tech on Feb. 24.
• Collected three hits, including his first career home run, in the second game of the TTU series on Feb. 23.
• Named 2018 High School Second-Team All-America by Collegiate Baseball, and also earned all-state honors as a senior after batting .447 with 37 RBIs and a .623 on-base percentage at Pace (Fla.) HS. 
• Helped lead the Patriots to a state runner-up finish in 2018 .
• Named Class 7A first-team all-state as a junior in 2017 after batting .473 with three home runs, 19 RBI, 41 runs scored and 13 stolen bases while posting a .604 on-base percentage and .716 slugging percentage in 26 games.

38 - Wells Davis (Sr., 1B)
• Carries a five-game hit streak and on-base streak into the weekend series.
• Homered in each of the first two games of the season-opening series at No. 14 Clemson, and finished with three RBIs, three runs scored and an .800 slugging percentage in three games.
• Ranked third in the Sun Belt in walks (53), tied for fourth in sacrifice flies (5), seventh in on-base percentage (.451) and 11th in home runs (8) in 57 games last season. 
• In league contests, ranked third in OBP (.476), fourth in walks (25), tied for fourth in sacrifice flies (3), sixth in slugging percentage (.574) and RBIs (30), and 10th in batting average (.340).
• Recorded 17 multiple-hit games and 15 multi-RBI contests, and hit safely in 35 of 56 games.
• Reached base in 19 consecutive games to end the season.
• His 53 walks in 2018 ranks eighth on the Jaguar single-season record list
• Named Second-Team All-SBC at first base last season in 2017.
• Finished as one of three finalists for the American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings Gold Glove Award at first base after committing just one error in 477 total chances in 2017.

44 - Brandon Auerbach (Fr., IF)
• Has reached base in five straight games entering the weekend.
• Recorded his first career hit in game two of the Tennessee Tech series on Feb. 23.
• Collected his first career RBI, and finished with two in the game, in the series finale against TTU on Feb. 24.
•  Lettered four years in baseball at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla.
• Helped the Eagles capture the 2016 Class 9A state championship, and was also named Baseball America's national high school Team of the Year.

Jaguar Pitcher Quick Notes
8 - Drake Nightengale (Jr., RHP)
• Leads the Sun Belt Conference in opposing batting average (.136), hits allowed (9), runs allowed (4), tied for the lead in earned runs allowed (4), ranks third in ERA (1.74) and sixth in strikeouts (26).
• Tossed a career-high six scoreless innings and struck out six against Sacred Heart on March 8.
• Named the Sun Belt Pitcher of the Week on Feb. 26 after striking out a career-high nine batters in a then career-best five shutout innings against Tennessee Tech on Feb. 23 to earn his first career win.

10 - Nick DeSantis (R-Sr., RHP)
• Tossed a season-high three scoreless relief innings, and struck out three to earn his first win of the year against Nicholls State on March 6.
• Recorded five strikeouts in three scoreless relief innings to earn his first save of the year in the series opener against Tennessee Tech on Feb. 23.
• Struck out four and issued one walk in 2 1/3 relief innings at No. 14 Clemson.
• Appeared in 11 games, all in relief, as a redshirt junior last season.
• Made six relief appearances in 2017 before undergoing Tommy John surgery.

11 - JoJo Booker (So., RHP)
• Ranks tied for 10th in the Sun Belt in strikeouts (21).
• Tossed a career-high 6 1/3 innings pitched against Sacred Heart on March 8.
• Struck out a career-high 10 batters in his start against Tennessee Tech on Feb. 23.
• Appeared in 17 games with one start as a freshman last season, and went 2-1 with one save and a 7.15 ERA while combining for one shutout.
• Was a fifth-round selection by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the 2017 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.

13 - Zach Greene (Sr., RHP)
• Ranks tied for fourth in saves (2) in the Sun Belt Conference.
• Has not allowed an earned run in six appearances, which covers a span of 10 1/3 innings, this season.
• Tossed 3 1/3 scoreless relief innings in the series finale at No. 14 Clemson, and allowed just one hit while striking out eight without issuing a walk to earn his first save of the season. 
• Ranks second in the Sun Belt in strikeouts (8). 
• Named to 2019 NCBWA Stopper of the Year Watch List.
• Appeared in 23 games with two starts last season, and went 2-4 with a 3.79 ERA and five saves while combining for one shutout.
• Struck out 80 batters against 13 walks in 57 innings pitched.
• Recorded three saves along with 35 strikeouts and four walks in 25 2/3 innings pitched in Sun Belt Conference contests.
• Drafted in the 15th round of the 2018 Major League Baseball Draft by the Miami Marlins.

16 - Michael Marra (Jr., RHP)
• Tossed two innings and struck out one in his 2019 debut against Sacred Heart on March 8.
• Appeared in one game last season before sitting out the remainder of the season due to injury.
• His lone appearance came in game one of a doubleheader at No. 1 Texas Tech on March 3, 2018, in which he threw 11 pitches before exiting the game with an injury.

17 - Caleb Yarborough (R-Jr., LHP)
• Tossed four shutout innings and struck out two to earn his first win of the year in the series finale against Tennessee Tech on Feb. 24. 
• Earned his first start in the series finale at No. 14 Clemson since returning from an injury that cost him most of the 2018 season, and tossed three shutout innings while allowing one hit with three strikeouts against one walk. 
• Tossed a career-high four innings, and struck out a career-best three batters against a pair of walks in his first career start against No. 23 Indiana on Feb. 18, 2018, in his Jaguar debut. 
• Pitched 3 1/3 scoreless relief innings against Hartford on Feb. 24, 2018, and allowed just two hits with one strikeout and two walks to earn his first career win.
• Tossed 3 1/3 innings in a start at No. 16 LSU on March 14, 2018, and struck out two before exiting the game due to injury. The LSU appearance marked his final outing of the season before being sidelined due to injury.

18 - Jase Dalton (R-So., RHP)
• Tossed a career-high 4 2/3 innings against No. 17 Auburn, and tied his career high in strikeouts (4).
• Recorded career highs in innings pitched (4.1) and strikeouts (4) against Alabama on March 2.
• Tossed two relief innings and struck out two against one walk in the series finale at No. 14 Clemson to earn his first career win. 

19 - Andy Arguelles (Jr., LHP)
• Tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings with a pair of strikeouts against one walk in his 2019 debut against Alabama on March 2.
• Appeared in six games with five starts as a sophomore last season. 
• Went 1-1 with a 5.50 ERA while combining for one shutout, and struck out 17 batters against 15 walks in 18 innings pitched.
• Tossed a season-high five innings and allowed one run on three hits against Southeastern Louisiana on March 20, 2018.
• Tossed two innings and struck out three in a start at No. 18 Coastal Carolina on April 8, 2018, before missing the remainder of the season due to injury.

21 - Hunter Phillips (Jr., RHP)
• Tossed one perfect relief inning with three strikeouts in his Jaguar debut on Feb. 24 against Tennessee Tech. 
• Went 0-1 with a 2.31 ERA in 12 relief appearances last season at Chattahoochee Valley (Ala.) CC.
• Struck out 21 batters against six walks in 11 2/3 innings pitched, while helping lead CVCC to a 2018 JUCO World Series appearance.
• Played his first two years collegiately at Georgia Southern, where he received a medical redshirt in 2016.

28 - Tyler Trussell (R-Jr., RHP)
• Tossed two-thirds of a scoreless inning against Tennessee Tech on Feb. 23 to record his first career win.
• Pitched 2 1/3 relief innings and struck out three against two walks in his Jaguar debut in the second game of the series at No. 14 Clemson. 
• Appeared in 10 games as a reliever as a sophomore in 2018 at Hinds (Miss.) CC, and struck out 17 batters and issued one walk in 13 innings pitched.
• Named 2018 NJCAA Second-Team Academic All-America.
• Earned Second-Team All-Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges honors as a freshman after recording two saves in 23 appearances, along with a 3.40 ERA and 48 strikeouts against 11 walks in 47 2/3 innings pitched.
• Helped lead the Eagles to a 2017 NJCAA Division II World Series appearance.

30 - Jared Proctor (Sr., LHP)
• Tossed four innings and allowed one earned run on four hits with a pair of walks in his first start of 2019 against Nicholls State on March 6.
• Pitched one scoreless relief inning in game two of the Tennessee Tech series on Feb. 23.
• Tossed one relief inning in the season opener at No. 14 Clemson in his season debut.
• Appeared in 19 games with nine starts, and ranked second on the team in wins (5).
• Finished 5-1 with a 3.11 ERA with one complete game, one shutout and one combined shutout, and struck out 49 batters against 27 walks in 55 innings pitched.

32 - Patrick McBride (Sr., RHP)
• Tossed one scoreless relief inning and recorded one strikeout in his 2019 debut against Alabama on March 1.
• Made eight appearances with four starts, and went 1-2 with a 4.95 ERA while combining for one shutout.
• Recorded nine strikeouts against seven walks in 20 innings pitched.
• Finished 1-1 with a 3.38 ERA in four Sun Belt Conference appearances, two of which were starts, and struck out eight batters and issued two walks in 13 1/3 innings pitched.

33 - Tyler Perez (Jr., RHP)
• Tossed one scoreless relief inning against Tennessee Tech on Feb. 23.
• Recorded two strikeouts in two appearances at No. 14 Clemson, which covered a span of one inning, in the 2019 season-opening series.
• Appeared in eight games with three starts, and posted a 5.40 ERA and combined for one shutout while striking out nine batters against 14 walks in 13 1/3 innings pitched.

36 - Zach Young (Fr., RHP)
• Tossed one scoreless relief inning in the series finale with Tennessee Tech on Feb. 24.
• Struck out two in one inning pitched in the second game of the season-opening series at No. 14 Clemson in his Jaguar debut. 
• Lettered in baseball four years at Sebastian River High School in Sebastian, Fla.

39 - Noah Michael (R-So., RHP)
• Appeared in eight games with four starts, and finished 1-4 with 19 strikeouts against 18 walks in 25 2/3 innings pitched.
• Went 1-2 in four Sun Belt Conference appearances, three of which were starts, and posted nine strikeouts and nine walks in 14 1/3 innings

40 - Chase Lambert (Sr., RHP)
• Has not allowed a run in two straight appearances, which covers a span of 2 2/3 innings, while recording five strikeouts.
• Struck out three in two relief innings in his 2019 debut against Tennessee Tech on Feb. 24.
• Made 18 relief appearances, and went 1-0 with two saves and a 2.67 ERA .

43 - Joel Cheatwood (Jr., RHP)
• Tossed one scoreless relief inning with one strikeout against Tennessee Tech on Feb. 23.
• Made his Jaguar debut in game two of the season-opening series at No. 14 Clemson.

47 - Zach Harlan (R-Fr., RHP)
• Tossed one-third of a scoreless inning in his Jaguar debut against Tennessee Tech on Feb. 24.
• Recorded a 2.23 ERA and 50 strikeouts against 14 walks in 44 innings pitched as a junior, and also batted .282 with 14 RBIs, at Daphne (Ala.) HS.

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