Shreveport– The Centenary baseball team is back home on Wednesday after its seven-game road trip to the west coast as the Diamond Gents are set to face the Millsaps College Majors in a non-conference contest set for 5 p.m. at Shehee Stadium.
Live stats and live video are available for the game at the links below:
Stats: https://www.gocentenary.com/sports/bsb/2021-22/boxscores/20220309_5n3b.xml
Video: https://collegetvticket.com/event/centenary-college-vs-millsaps-college/
Centenary (9-8) enters Wednesday's game riding high after the Maroon and White completed a three-game series sweep over the Occidental College Tigers in non-conference play on Sunday afternoon in Los Angeles with a 7-6 win. The Diamond Gents posted a pair of dominating wins, 16-7 and 19-3, in a doubleheader on Saturday to record their first series sweep of the season. The 16-run margin in game two of the Saturday DH is the largest by Centenary this season.
The Majors (11-5) took two of three at home against Centre College last weekend, punctuated by a 15-5 win in eight innings on Sunday. The Diamond Gents played two games in the Millsaps Baseball Classic last month in Jackson, Miss. but did not face the Majors. Wednesday is the first meeting between the two since the 2019 season when Centenary won two of three games. Centenary is 8-4 all-time versus Millsaps. The Diamond Gents are 5-3 at home this season and 25-6 in their last 31 home games dating back to the beginning of last season.
Centenary posted 13 hits in the 7-6 win over Occidental on Sunday, marking the 12th time that the Maroon and White have had 10 or more hits in game and at least 13 hits seven times. The Diamond Gents have had 10 or more hits in a game in six-straight games and in nine of their last 10 games.
The Diamond Gents have posted 10 or more hits in five-straight games and in eight of their last nine overall. Centenary has scored 10 or more runs in a game this season six times, and 13 or more an impressive five times.
Centenary currently leads the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference in runs (138), hits (187), doubles (35), triples (13), and stolen bases (31) and is second in batting average (.316) and tied for second with seven home runs. Six Centenary players have stolen at least three bases so far this season and the Diamond Gents have only been caught eight times in 39 attempts (79 %).
The Centenary offense is also one of the nation's best through 17 games this season as the Diamond Gents currently rank number one in division III in hits and triples, fourth in runs, tied for fourth in doubles, and are 16th in stolen bases.
Junior RHP Parker Primeaux (Lake Charles, La.) started for the Diamond Gents and picked up the win to improve to 3-2 on the season as he went six innings and allowed five runs, all earned, and eight hits with three walks and five strikeouts. He threw 100 pitches, 67 for strikes, and faced 27 batters, hitting one. Primeaux is currently ranked first in the SCAC in both innings pitched (29) and strikeouts (36), first in appearances with seven and is tied for the league lead in wins.
Five Centenary players collected two hits apiece in Sunday's win, the Diamond Gents drew five walks, and their defense turned four double plays. Centenary had two extra-base hits and stole one base.
Senior C Ben Bridges (Beckville, Texas) went 2-4 with a two-RBI double and a walk and senior RF Luke Royle (Dodge City, Kan.) went 2-4 with an RBI single and a run scored. Senior DH Tyler Welch (Pineville, La.) was 2-3 with three runs scored, a stolen base, and a walk. Junior 2B Cole Collins (Shreveport, La.) finished 2-4 with an RBI single, a triple, and a run scored.
Freshman CF Cade LaBruyere (Iowa, La.) was 2-5, sophomore LF Austyn Benoit (Welsh, La.) went 1-4 with a sacrifice fly, a walk, and a run scored, and senior 1B Preston Ludwick (Pflugerville, Texas) was 1-4 with an RBI single, a walk, and a run scored. Senior SS Brady Robinson (Jacksonville, Texas) was 1-3 with a pair of sacrifice bunts.
Four Diamond Gents posted multi-hit games in the 16-7 win in game one of Saturday's DH led by a superb performance from Royle, who finished 5-6 with four RBI, a stolen base, and three runs scored. Royle hit a two-run home run in the second, an RBI single in the fifth, and an RBI triple in the seventh as he set a new career-high for hits in a game.
Welch went 3-4 with an RBI single, a walk, and two runs scored from the leadoff spot. Welch now has six multi-hit performances this season and has done so in four of his last six games. He tied his season-high of three hits which he has done three times so far this season.
Robinson went 2-4 with two RBI, a run scored, a walk, and a sacrifice fly. Collins was 2-6 with two RBI and three runs scored, and six other Centenary players recorded at least one hit. The Diamond Gents also drew a season-high 11 walks and only struck out four times. Ludwick went 1-4 with an RBI groundout, a run scored, and three walks.
Benoit finished 1-4 with two RBI, two runs scored, and a walk and Bridges as 1-5 with an RBI, a run scored, and a walk. Freshman 3B Blaine Miller (Lewisville, Texas) went 1-3 with an RBI double, a run scored, and a pair of walks and LaBruyere was 1-3 with two walks and two runs scored.
Ludwick started on the mound and went six innings as he allowed three runs, all earned, and six hits. He improved to 2-1 on the season as he walked two and struck out six. Junior RHP Peyton Thibodeaux (Lake Arthur, La.) pitched the final two innings, allowing just one earned run on one hit with two walks and one strikeout. He faced nine batters and threw 32 pitches, 16 for strikes.
Ludwick is tied for fourth in the conference in wins and is fifth in innings pitches (17.2). He and Royle are tied for second on the team in strikeouts (15) and Ludwick has made four appearances and three starts. Royle, like Ludwick, is one of the conferences most dynamic and versatile players, and is fourth in the league and tops on the team in ERA (3.22) and sixth in opponents batting average (.233). He is second in the conference in innings pitches (22.1) and is tied with Primeaux for the league lead in wins (3).
Centenary is currently dominating the conference offensive leaderboard in a multitude of individual statistical categories, led by Ludwick as he is leading the conference in hits (29), RBI (18), total bases (43) and ranks in the top 10 in runs (14 – tied for third), batting average (.433 – fifth), on-base percentage (.506 – eighth), walks (11- tied for second), home runs (2), doubles (4) and slugging percentage (.642 – eighth).
Welch is currently second in runs scored (16) and seventh in OBP (.508) and hits (16). Robinson is the league leader in runs (17), second in hits (21), and is tied for eighth in RBI with 11. Bridges is sixth in hits (17) and tied for eighth in RBI with Robinson (11). Collins is tied for third in runs (14) and third in RBI with 13. Senior Tyler Erickson (Houston, Texas) is third in hits (20) and 10th in batting average (.364).
Bridges is second in the league with five doubles, and Collins, Robinson, and Ludwick are all right behind him tied for third with four each. Robinson leads the league in triples (3) and Collins is the conference leader with three home runs while Ludwick is tied for sixth with two. Robinson is second in the league in total bases (31), Collins is tied for fourth with 27, Erickson is tied for seventh with 25, and Bridges is tied for ninth with 22. Welch leads the conference in walks (13) and Bridges and Ludwick are tied for second place with 11. Collins and Welch are tied for the team lead in stolen bases with five each which is tied for fourth-most in the conference.
In the Diamond Gents' last appearance on their home field on Feb. 21, they recorded consecutive run-rule blowouts over the Alma College Scots, 13-3 and 12-2, both in seven innings to sweep a non-conference doubleheader. Centenary took three of four games in the series and finished the DH with an impressive 25 runs on 21 hits and totaled 44 runs and 42 hits in the series.
Centenary's 44 runs in the series are the most scored in a series since also scoring 44 March 19-20 of last season at Austin College (three game series). Centenary has now scored 10 or more runs in a game a staggering 23 times over the last two seasons. The Diamond Gents are averaging 8.12 runs per game this season and 10.5 over their last 10 games.
Centenary will open conference play on the road this weekend as the Diamond Gents will face the Texas Lutheran Bulldogs in a three-game weekend series in Seguin, Texas. The series opener is set for Friday at 6 p.m. followed by a DH on Saturday at Noon and 3:30 p.m.
See the complete Diamond Gents' season schedule here: https://www.gocentenary.com/sports/bsb/2021-22/schedule
Admission is FREE to all Centenary home athletic contests but be advised of current COVID-19 protocols for fans. Updated COVID-19 information is now available via www.GoCentenary.com.
Live stats and live video stream are available for all Centenary home contests. Please note that all dates and times are subject to change.
#GoCentenary #CTheOpportunity
