Diamond Gents Set To Face Austin College At Home

Shreveport - The Centenary baseball team returns home this weekend to face the Austin College 'Roos in a three-game Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference series beginning on Thursday at 7 p.m. at Shehee Stadium.

The Diamond Gents (17-13, 7-5 SCAC) and 'Roos (7-20, 2-10 SCAC) will wrap up the series with a doubleheader on Friday set for 1 and 4 p.m.

Live stats and live video are available for all three games at the links below:

Stats: https://www.gocentenary.com/sports/bsb/2021-22/boxscores/20220414_hrft.xml

Video: https://collegetvticket.com/event/centenary-college-vs-austin-college-4/

The Diamond Gents recorded a series sweep over the University of Dallas Crusaders last weekend in Irving, Texas to improve to 9-7 on the road this season. The Maroon and White opened the series with a doubleheader sweep last Saturday, winning 14-5 and 2-1, and then finishing off the Crusaders with a 15-2 victory in seven innings on Sunday.

Austin College, 1-12 on the road this season, enters the series this weekend having lost four games in a row and were swept at home last weekend by Texas Lutheran. Centenary has dominated the all-time series, winning 27 of 29 previous meetings. Centenary enters the series third in the SCAC standings, four games behind co-leaders Texas Lutheran and Trinity, while the 'Roos are currently last in the standings. The top four teams at the conclusion of the regular season earn spots in the SCAC Championship scheduled for May 6-8 in Cleburne, Texas.

Centenary enters the series as the top offensive club in the conference with an impressive team batting average of .324. The Maroon and White boast a team on-base percentage of .409 and a slugging percentage of .455. The Diamond Gents average 8.3 runs per game and have now scored 10 or more runs in a game 12 times this season and 29 times over the last two seasons. Centenary has scored 15+ runs in a game five times this season and scored in double digits five times in conference play.

The Diamond Gents have also recorded 10 or more hits in game 21 times, and at least 13 hits 14 times. Their 347 hits lead the conference and rank seventh in the country in division III and they have scored 250 runs, collected 91 extra-base hits, and 488 total bases. They have stolen 58 bases and been hit by a pitch 40 times. Centenary batters have hit 18 triples which is tied for the fourth-most in the country and the Diamond Gents rank in a tie for 28^th in the nation in runs and are tied for 56^th in stolen bases.

Centenary has been on fire offensively at home of late as the Maroon and White are averaging 11.8 runs per game over their last seven games and have scored 10+ runs six times. The Diamond Gents started the season 0-2 at home but have won seven of their last 10. Centenary is 27-8 in its last 35 games on its home field.

Senior 1B/RHP Preston Ludwick (Pflugerville, Texas) has been the catalyst all season for the Centenary offense as he currently leads the conference with a .433 batting average and is third in RBI with 30. Ludwick's OBP is .510, he is slugging .650, and in 120 at-bats he has walked 20 times and only struck out 16 times. His 52 hits, 10 doubles and four home runs lead the team and he has also scored 28 runs and has two triples.

Ludwick had another big weekend at the plate versus the Crusaders as he went 5-11 (.454), drove in two, scored five runs, hit one home run, and walked once. Ludwick posted his 18th multi-hit game of the season with a 3-4 performance in game one of the series, his sixth three-hit game of the season.

He was named the SCAC Baseball Hitter of the Week after a superb series earlier this month at Schreiner, finishing 6-for-13 (.461) with five RBI, three runs scored, three extra base hits (two doubles and a home run), and three walks. He recorded his 200th career hit with a double in the eighth inning of game one of a DH on April 2 as he becomes just the fourth player in the current division III era (2012-present) in program history to record 200 or more hits in a career. Ludwick also becomes the 46th SCAC baseball player to reach 200 hits in his career. 

Centenary freshman LHP Tyler Herrera (Spring, Texas) has proven himself as the ace of the pitching staff this season as the rookie ranks fifth in the country in ERA (0.69) which also leads the conference. He is 5-0 and has made 10 appearances and in 39 innings pitched has allowed just three earned runs and 26 hits with 14 walks and 37 strikeouts. Herrera, a two-time SCAC Pitcher of the Week recipient, started the 14-5 win against Dallas last weekend and went seven innings as he allowed only four hits, walked three, and struck out eight. He faced 28 batters and threw 117 pitches, 72 for strikes. He recorded his third start this season with six or more K's.

Herrera was named the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Rookie of the Week on March 31 and is one of just two SCAC pitchers to earn the Pitcher of the Week honor twice this season after he picked up the honor for the first time on March 1.

Seven Centenary players are hitting .300 or better this season six players have collected 30 or more hits, five have scored 24 or more runs, and four have driven in 20 or more runs. Senior SS Brady Robinson (Jacksonville, Texas) and senior DH Tyler Welch (Pineville, La.) are tied for second on the team in hits (40) and tied for third in RBI (20). Robinson has nine doubles and three triples and Welch has six doubles and a pair of homers. Welch ranks second in the SCAC in runs scored (37) and seventh in batting average (.370).

Senior C/1B/DH Ben Bridges (Beckville, Texas) is having an outstanding season as he has recorded 38 hits, 26 RBI (tied for eighth in SCAC), eight doubles, three homers, and a triple. Senior OF Luke Royle (Dodge City, Kan.) has 22 hits, 14 runs scored, 17 RBI, three doubles, three triples, and a homer. Freshman OF Cade LaBruyere (Iowa, La.) is in the midst of a very impressive rookie season as he has a .344 batting average with 31 hits, 24 runs scored, 18 RBI and five extra-base hits. Senior IF/C Tyler Erickson (Houston, Texas) is hitting .350 with 36 hits, 19 runs, three doubles, a triple, and 16 RBI.

Junior IF/DH Cole Collins (Shreveport, La.) is hitting .318 with 14 hits, 14 RBI, and 17 runs scored. He is tied for fourth on the team with eight extra-base hits and is tied for second in homers (3) with Bridges. Collins was named to the D3baseball.com Team of the Week following an amazing offensive series versus Alma College at home Feb. 20-21. Collins was a scorching .428 (6-8) with three home runs, three doubles, eight RBI, eight runs scored, three walks, and three stolen bases. In game two of a DH on Feb. 21, Collins went 3-3 with two home runs, including an inside the park HR, a double, five RBI, three runs scored, a walk, and a stolen base in one of the most impressive offensive performances by a Centenary player in recent memory.

Junior RHP Parker Primeaux (Lake Charles, La.) is fourth in the league in strikeouts (50) and fifth in innings pitched (45.1). He is 5-3 with a 4.57 ERA and has one save and one complete game. Ludwick and Royle, two of a handful of versatile players on the Diamond Gents' roster, have both contributed on the mound this season as Ludwick is 3-2 with a 7.15 ERA, has made a team-leading eight starts, and struck out 39 batters in 39 innings pitched. Royle is 3-1 with a 4.40 ERA and has thrown one complete game.

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.