PORTALES, N.M. – The ENMU baseball team is preparing to face its toughest test of the season as the Greyhounds will host Lone Star Conference leader and nationally third-ranked Angelo State in a four game series this weekend.
Due to inclement weather on Saturday, the Hounds will open the series with a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. on Friday before returning to the field on Sunday for a 1 p.m. doubleheader.
LAST TIME OUT
Facing one of the toughest pitching staffs in NCAA Division II last weekend, the Hounds struggled to produce runs in a four game series at home against No. 17 West Texas A&M as the Buffs swept the series by scores of 13-3, 5-1, 4-1, and 6-4.
The Hounds got a pair of solid pitching performances from starters Joel Torres and Fernando Burgos in the series. Torres gave up just three runs, one earned on two hits, two walks and a strikeout in 5.1 innings in ENMU’s 5-1 loss last Saturday. In the Sunday game, Burgos tossed 6.1 innings, giving up two runs, one earned on seven hits, three walks, and two strikeouts in a 6-4 loss.
SCOUTING THE RAMS
Angelo State comes into the weekend series as the third-ranked team in NCAA Division II with a 30-7 record and top mark in the Lone Star Conference with a 10-2 record. The Rams are coming off a series sweep over Cameron, dominating the four game slate by scores of 18-1, 26-8, 6-1, and 11-4. Angelo State also defeated St. Edward’s in a non-conference game at home on Tuesday night by a score of 16-10.
The Rams are currently the top hitting team in Division II, boasting the nation’s best batting average (.348) as well as on-base percentage (.467). ASU has been hitting with power this season as well, as its .539 slugging percentage is currently the eighth-best in Division II.
The ASU bats are led by redshirt junior outfielder Josh Elvir. The Kemah, Texas native boasts Division II’s best on-base percentage (.613) while posting the third-best slugging percentage (.980) and third best batting average (.469). Elvir is one of two Rams with the most home runs in the league with 12, joining teammate Nick Seginowich who tops the list with 13. Seginovich is also the top run producer in the conference with 47, the ninth-best mark in Division II. The Rams top pitcher this season is sophomore Trent Baker with a 7-1 record, a 2.85 ERA and a team-best 46 strikeouts. Moving from closer to starter, redshirt sophomore Josh Barnett leads the team with a 1.48 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, and four saves this season.
SHORT TERM MEMORY
While the Rams lead the all-time series against the Greyhounds with a 50-18 record, the Hounds were able to take three of five against Angelo State during the 2018 campaign. The two teams split the regular season series with the Eastern winning the two doubleheader games by scores of 9-4 and 11-4 while the Rams won the nine inning contests. The two teams met up once again in the Lone Star Conference Tournament, as the Hounds rallied in the ninth inning with four runs to pull away with a 7-4 victory, the first ever LSC Tournament win in the history of the program. ENMU starter Enrique Perez put together a solid start, throwing 5.1 innings and giving up just one earned run on four hits while Nicholas Ankerman knocked in Malcolm Smith for the game-tying run in the ninth.
STRONG ON SUNDAYS
Greyhounds starting pitcher Fernando Burgos has been pitching on his finest since becoming the Sunday starter for Eastern. In his second start on a Sunday, Burgos threw a quality start against No. 17 West Texas A&M, limiting the Buffs to just two runs, one earned on seven hits and three walks to go with two strikeouts in 6.1 innings pitched. In the last two Sunday starts combined, Burgos has posted a 0.59 ERA and a .159 opponent batting average in 15.1 innings of work. Burgos held an 8.06 ERA with a .262 opponent batting average in his seven previous appearances and six starts, but has since lowered his ERA to 5.02 with a .240 opponent batting average.
FIRST “HOME”R
In the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader against West Texas A&M, senior second baseman Nicholas Ankerman hit a leadoff home run over the left field fence on the first pitch of the day by WTAMU starter Joe Corbett to give Eastern the 1-0 lead. It was Eastern’s first home run hit at home this season and was just one of three home runs hit by any team at Greyhound Field in 11 games this season.
