Diamond Gents Open SCAC Play At Texas Lutheran

Seguin, Texas – The Centenary baseball team is set to begin Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference play this weekend as the Diamond Gents will face the Texas Lutheran Bulldogs beginning on Friday at 6 p.m. at Katt-Isbel Field.

The Diamond Gents (10-8) and Bulldogs (9-6) will play a doubleheader on Saturday at Noon and 3:30 p.m. Live stats and live video will be available for all three games at the link below:

https://portal.stretchinternet.com/tlu/index.htm

The Bulldogs began the season 0-5 but have gone 9-1 since and have won eight in a row including a three-game home series sweep over No. 25 ETBU last weekend. Centenary continued to shine on offense as the Maroon and White cruised to a 17-7 victory over the Millsaps College Majors in a non-conference contest back on March 9 at home in their most recent action.

The Diamond Gents won their season-high fourth-straight game after a three-game series sweep over Occidental College in Los Angeles March 5-6. Centenary was back home for the first time in three weeks after going 3-4 on its recent seven-game road trip to the west coast. Centenary has scored 10 or more runs in a game this season seven times, and 13 or more an impressive six times.

Centenary and TLU are annually two of the top teams in the conference and this season is no different. The Bulldogs were tied with Trinity in the preseason poll voted as the favorite to win the conference regular-season title. TLU earned 59 total points, including four first place votes. Centenary was picked to finish third, earning 44 total points. TLU went 30-14 a year ago, including a 15-3 mark in league play, and won the SCAC tournament. The Bulldogs, who have won two of the last three SCAC Tournaments, made their third consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

The Diamond Gents won the SCAC tournament in 2017 en route to an NCAA Tournament appearance and won a program-record 18-straight games last season from March 4-April 6, highlighting their 30-11 season. The Bulldogs won two of three games over Centenary last season in Shreveport in the final conference series of the regular season. Centenary went 14-7 in SCAC play last season.

Centenary enters this weekend as one of the top offensive teams in the conference and the country. The Diamond Gents lead the SCAC in runs (155), hits (204), RBI (125), and are second in team batting average (.321). The Diamond Gents are fifth in the nation in division III in hits and are tied for seventh in runs. The Bulldogs have scored 119 runs this season, third-most in the conference, but have just a .262 team batting average to rank fifth.

The Diamond Gents lead the league in doubles (34) and triples (14) and have eight home runs to rank second in the conference. Centenary is tied for 30^th in the country in doubles and third in triples. The Diamond Gents also rank in the top 25 in the country in stolen bases with 38 which also leads the conference. Centenary is the league leader in total bases, walks, and hit by pitches and third in both on-base percentage and slugging percentage.

Centenary pounded Millsaps pitching for 17 hits in the March 9 victory, marking the 13^th time that the Maroon and White have had 10 or more hits in game and at least 13 hits eight times. The Diamond Gents have had 10 or more hits in a game in seven-straight games and in 10 of their last 11 games. The Diamond Gents' season high in hits is 18 which they had in their 16-7 win over Occidental on March 6. Centenary also stole a season-best eight stolen bases versus Millsaps.

Six Centenary players posted multi-hit performances versus Millsaps as five players collected at least two RBI. The Diamond Gents drew 11 walks to tie their season high and only struck out four times. Seven Centenary pitchers held the Majors to nine hits, only allowed three walks, and recorded six K's.

Centenary is currently third in the conference in ERA (5.40) while Texas Lutheran is seventh at 7.45 ERA. The Diamond Gents and Bulldogs have thrown the only three complete games by SCAC teams this season with two recorded by Centenary and one by TLU. The Maroon and White are second in the league in strikeouts with 112 while TLU is third with 109. Centenary is number one in the league in innings pitched and third in opponent batting average (.262). The Bulldogs and Diamond Gents are the top two defensive teams in the conference, with TLU number one (.976) and Centenary at .965.

Senior 1B/RHP Preston Ludwick (Pflugerville, Texas) lead the team in batting average (.414), hits (29), RBI (18), and doubles (5). The versatile Ludwick is also second on the team in games started (three), has made four appearances, and is 2-1 with a 7.64 ERA and 15 strikeouts in 17.2 innings pitched. Senior DH Tyler Welch (Pineville, La.), senior SS Brady Robinson (Jacksonville, Texas), and senior 2B/C Tyler Erickson (Houston, Texas) each have 20 or more hits, led by 23 from Robinson, and each have three doubles. Welch is hitting .377 with a .529 OBP and is slugging .434. He has scored 22 runs, has six RBI, a team-best 16 walks against only eight strikeouts and has stolen a team-high six bases.

Robinson has a team-best three triples to go with his three doubles and has 13 RBI and three stolen bases. He is hitting .307 with a .341 OBP and is slugging .427. Erickson has scored 12 runs and driven in nine. He is hitting .364 with an OBP of .407 and is slugging .455. Senior C Ben Bridges (Beckville, Texas) has been one of the Diamond Gents' best offensive players lately and all season. He finished 3-5 with a game-high four RBI versus Millsaps with, two runs scored, and a walk. He blasted a mammoth three-run home run into the parking lot beyond the left-center field wall in the bottom of the eighth for the final three runs of the game. Bridges is hitting .311 for the season (.447 OBP/.443 slugging) with 19 hits, 14 runs scored, five doubles, a home run and 16 RBI.

Junior 2B Cole Collins (Shreveport, La.) is enjoying a stellar campaign as he is hitting .359 with a .432 OBP and is slugging an eye-popping .769. He has 16 runs scored, 14 hits, a team-high three home runs, three doubles, and two triples. He is tied for the team lead in stolen bases (six) with Welch. Freshman OF Cade LaBruyere (Iowa, La.) is enjoying a fantastic rookie season as he has totaled 14 hits, 12 runs, two doubles, a triple, and 13 RBI. He is hitting .286 with a .400 OBP and is slugging .367.

Senior RHP/OF Luke Royle (Dodge City, Kan.) and junior RHP Parker Primeaux (Lake Charles, La.) are tied for the team lead in wins (three) and have each pitched a complete game. Royle has a 3.63 ERA and Primeaux 5.28 with a team-high 36 strikeouts. Royle is tied with Ludwick for second on the team with 15 K's. Freshman LHP Tyler Herrera (Spring, Texas) is off to an impressive start in his rookie season as he is 2-0 with a team-leading 1.64 ERA. He has 12 K's in 11 innings of work and was named SCAC Pitcher of the Week on March 1.  

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.

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