Baseball Continues Home Stand Against Utah Valley

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Riding a six-game winning streak, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi looks to continue its hot start to the season with a four game home series against Utah Valley University. Corpus Christi gets to work against the Wolverines on Friday afternoon, before competing in a Saturday doubleheader and ending the week on a Sunday finale at high noon.

The Islanders are off to their best start in a decade with a 7-1 record overall, just recently run-ruling visiting UH-Victoria and sweeping games against Nicholls, UC Santa Barbara and No. 21 Mississippi State in this year's Kleberg Bank College Classic. 

The Blue and Green faceoff with the Wolverines for the first time in their program history this weekend, but hold a record of 15-15 against all current WAC members all-time.

WHAT TO KNOW
Who: Utah Valley
When: Friday, 6:30 PM
Pitching Matchup: AMCC: D. Lacaze (1-0) v UVU:  J. Mayer (1-1)
Where: Chapman Field | Corpus Christi, Texas
Watch: Islander Digital Network, powered by AEP Texas

Who: Utah Valley (DH)
When: Saturday, 1 PM
Pitching Matchup Game 1: AMCC: A. Hernandez (1-1) v UVU: J. Cofer (0-1)
Pitching Matchup Game 2: AMCC: T. Gillespie (1-0) v UVU: W. Ramsey (1-1)
Where: Chapman Field | Corpus Christi, Texas
Watch: Islander Digital Network, powered by AEP Texas

Who: Utah Valley
When: Sunday, 12 PM
Pitching Matchup: AMCC: J. Owens (1-0) v UVU: K. Scmitt (0-0)
Where: Chapman Field | Corpus Christi, Texas
Watch: Islander Digital Network, powered by AEP Texas

PROMOTIONS>> This Friday will be our first giveaway of the 2018 season, with the first 100 fans in attendance receiving a pair of free Islander sunglasses
Saturday will be our weekly 'Kids Day' promotion, with a bounce house available for all young Islander fans to enjoy
At the conclusion of Sunday's game, Chapman field will be open to all spectators to run the bases and have a catch in the Islanders' oufield
 
AT THE PLATE
>> Earning Southland Conference Player of the Week honors this past Tuesday, second baseman Andriud Martinez is currently on a six-game hitting streak, slashing .400/.455/.600 during that span
>> Jackson Owens' .600 OBP currently sits 24th in the country, as the third baseman has collected nine hits and three walks over six games started in the Islanders' lineup
>> First baseman Harrison DiNicola is off to the best year of his career in 2018. The junior collected four doubles and two triples during his first two years on the Island, and already has three two-baggers, a triple and a pair of home runs to start the current campaign; slugging a team-high .750
>> Dinicola and newcomer Thomas Jeffries IV are tied for a team-high nine RBI. Jeffries earned Kleberg Bank College Classic All-Tournament nods this past weekend, and is hitting .455 with runners in scoring position this year
 
ON THE HILL
>> Dustin Lacaze is coming off the best start of his career, after tossing 8.1 innings against Nicholls. The right-hander held the Colonels to six hits and one unearned run, while striking out a career-high eight batters
>> Righty Aaron Hernandez kept UC Santa Barbara to a single unearned run and three hits during his 6.1 frames on the bump, striking out a personal best 12 batters on the night
>> Tate Gillespie will earn the start in Game 2 of Saturday's doubleheader. The lanky right-hander has a 2.79 ERA over 9.2 innings of work, taking home a win in his lone start against UTRGV
>> With a combined ERA of 2.75, the Islander pitching staff leads the Southland Conference and ranks 39th in all of Division I baseball. The club's batting average against sits at just .212 on the year, trailing only Abilene Christian (.210) for an SLC-best

IN THE FIELD
>> Fielding an average of .986 the Blue and Green has the most efficient defense in the Southland, and currently sit in 16th in the country
>> Through eight games the Islanders have committed only four errors. That total sits atop the SLC for 2018 for a league-low, with the conference mean sitting at 1.20 errors per contest
>> With 10 double plays turned on the year, the Corpus Christi defense ranks 11th in D-I baseball concerning that category, with shortstop Steven Rivera-Chijin getting involved in six of those 10

SCOUTING THE WOLVERINES
>> While boasting just a 3-4 record on the year, UVU has faced top level competition to start the year, dropping their series opener with USC 2-1 and splitting a four-game series with Pacific University 2-2
>> The Wolverines do bring a stout rotation to the Island this weekend, with Friday starter Jake Mayer posting an eight-inning complete game against Pacific last week. The Utah Valley pitching staff currently ranks 44th in the country concerning hits allowed per game, holding opponents to just under seven knocks per contest
>> With a team-best slugging percentage of .633, Jackson Overlund has already recorded a pair of triples this year, and just recently hit for the cycle against USC on opening day; the first Wolverine in nine years to accomplish the feat

COMING UP NEXT
Corpus Christi will conclude its nine-game home stand against UTSA, facing off with the Roadrunners at Chapman field this coming Tuesday at 6:30 PM. The Blue and Green split its home-and-home series with UTSA the previous year, winning their last matchup with the Roadrunners in San Antonio 5-2.

The Islanders' contests against Utah Valley and UTSA can be followed via the live stream provided by the Islander Digital Network, powered by AEP Texas.

STAY SOCIAL
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- Go Islanders -