THE SERIES
Teams: ULM (11-30, 5-43 SBC)
Georgia State (14-25, 4-14 SBC)
Location: GSU Baseball Complex / Atlanta, Ga.
ATLANTA, Ga. – The ULM baseball team is set for a three-game weekend road series at Georgia State in a key Sun Belt Conference series for both teams. This weekend's series will be just the second time that the Warhawks have played the Panthers in Atlanta, and just the fourth meeting overall since Georgia State joined the SBC in the 2014 season.
Probable Starters
Friday:
ULM – RHP Josh Leone (2017: 1-5, 4.88 ERA, 10 starts, 55.1 IP, 15 BB, 34 K)
GSU – TBA
Saturday:
ULM – RHP Chase Beal (2017: 3-5, 5.50 ERA, 10 starts, 54.0 IP, 19 BB, 42 K)
GSU – TBA
Sunday:
ULM – TBA
GSU – TBA
Leading Off
-This is only the fourth overall meeting between the two teams and the second in Atlanta…ULM lost its only previous road matchup to Georgia State in 2015 (three losses), while the Warhawks are 5-1 in games that have been played in Monroe, including a three-game sweep last spring.
-ULM features five players with 10 or more multi-hit games this season, led by junior Turner Francis' 17 games with two or more base knocks…Francis, Chad Bell and Cade Harper all have tallied three three-hit games to date.
-The Warhawks lead the Sun Belt Conference with 25 runners caught stealing, with senior Spencer Hemphill leads the SBC with 20 runners thrown out individually. Hemphill has also picked off four runners from behind the plate this season, tying him for the league lead (three other players with four pickoffs – all pitchers).
-The Warhawk series-opening victory at Texas State was the third time this season that ULM has started a series with a victory, joining series-opening wins at home against Southern Illinois and at Arkansas State from earlier this season.
-Senior Anthony Herrera drove in the go-ahead runs on April 13 at Texas State and then closed the game out in the bottom of the ninth for his fifth save of the season and his 21st career save overall, surpassing Mark Wisniewski (1982-1985) as the program's new all-time saves leader…Herrera's 10 saves last season as a junior tied the ULM program record for most saves in a season, joining Michael Durham (2000) atop the record book.
-Spencer Hemphill leads the Warhawks with a team-high .306 batting average amongst players with at least 50 at bats this season, while Chad Bell leads team with nine doubles as ULM has 92 total extra-base hits as a team to date (65 doubles, 20 home runs, seven triples)…On the mound, Anthony Herrera leads ULM with a 1.50 ERA in 15 appearances out of the bullpen with six saves…starter Chase Beal leads the staff with 42 strikeouts, as seven different pitchers each have at least 20 strikeouts (Tyler Schwaner – 22, Kyle Backofen – 26, Chase Cater – 28, Keegan Curtis – 29, Josh Leone – 34, Anthony Herrera – 35, Chase Beal – 42).
UP NEXT
-The series with Georgia State is slated for a 5:00 p.m. CST first pitch on Friday night before a 1:00 p.m. CST start on Saturday afternoon. Sunday's finale will be a 12:00 p.m. CST first pitch. ULM then travels to Ole Miss for a pair of midweek games next Tuesday and Wednesday.
