Islanders Look To Stay Unbeaten In Midweek

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - Texas A&M-Corpus Christi will look to remain undefeated in the midweek with contests against UTRGV and UH-Victoria this approaching Tuesday and Wednesday. The Islanders are 2-0 against the two sides this year, last beating the Vaqueros on the road 5-4, and taking down the Jaguars at home on a 10-0 run-rule.

The Blue and Green enter this week's action coming of a tough SLC-opening series against Sam Houston State, dropping the first two games against the Bearkats by a combined four runs. 

With a slim two-point lead in this year's South Texas Showdown, presented by NavyArmy Community Credit Union standings, a win against the Vaqueros in this Tuesday's contest would all but secure the two's annual rivalry trophy in the Islanders' favor. 

WHAT TO KNOW
Who: UTRGV
When: Tuesday, 6:00 PM
Pitching Matchup: AMCC: T. Gillespie (1-1) v UTRGV: C. Adams (3-1)
Where: Chapman Field | Corpus Christi, Texas
Watch: Islander Digital Network

Who: Houston-Victoria
When: Wednesday, 6:00 PM
Pitching Matchup: AMCC: L. Perez (2-1) v UHV: C. Quinn (0-1)
Where: Victoria, Texas
 
AT THE PLATE
>> Only 15 teams in the country have more triples than the Islanders (8) this season, with Harrison DiNicola and Jackson Owens tied for fifth in the country at three apiece
>> Slugging at .701 on the year, Dinicola also ranks 44th in Division I baseball in the category, while his 54 total bases sit 28th overall
>> The Blue and Green have already hit 13 home runs this year, through 20 games played. They had 23 through the entirety of last year's 54-game schedule
>> Left fielder Thomas Jeffries IV is currently on a 10-game on base streak. The junior has reached first safely in every game since March 3rd, hitting .395 over that span with a double and a homer
 
ON THE HILL
>> Righty Tate Gillespie is slated to start for the Islanders against UTRGV this Tuesday. The junior transfer earned a quality start against the Vaqueros earlier this year, giving up three runs over six innings with a career-high six strikeouts
>> Freshman Leonel Perez will get his third start of the year against UHV this Wednesday. The right hander earned the first win of his career against the Jaguars, shutting out the side in his four-inning spot start with just two hits allowed
>> Three Islander relievers hold a 0.00 ERA to start the season, with Will Floyd, Zach Rumfield and A.G. Ayala combining for 10 IP. Ayala has made seven appearances for the Blue and Green this season, striking out a career-high five batters against SHSU this past Sunday
>> Righty reliever Payton Bauer had a coming out party against SHSU this Saturday, striking out seven Bearkat batters with a single earned run against over 3.2 innings on the bump

IN THE FIELD
>> The Islanders have the 32nd-most efficient defense in the country, averaging a .978 fielding percentage on the year
>> Corpus Christi has committed an SLC-low 15 errors on the year, while allowing just five stolen bases against
>> In five opportunities, catcher Drake Osborn has gunned down two opponents attempting to swipe a bag. Throwing out 40% of attempted steals against, his average is tied for third-best in the Southland

SCOUTING THE VAQUEROS
>> Coming off a three-game sweep of Eastern Michigan this past weekend, UTRGV is 6-2 in their last eight games. They currently hold a 4-3 record against SLC squads in 2018
>> With 24 double plays turned this year, the Vaqueros currently rank third in Division I baseball
>> The Islanders are slated to play against right hander Chase Adams. The junior has gone 3-1 over four starts this year, last tossing seven innings against Maine this past weekend, with three runs against

SCOUTING THE JAGUARS
>> UH-Victoria is currently on an eight-game losing streak, earning their last win against Huston-Tillotson on March 3rd
>> Slugging .542 on the season, catcher Chase Almendarez leads the Jaguars with 17 RBI and four home runs in 2018
>> With eight appearances and two starts this season, right hander Colin Quinn appears to be the starter for UHV this Wednesday. The sophomore holds an ERA of 5.28 over 15.1 IP, but is striking out opposing batters at a rate of 7.63 K/9

COMING UP NEXT
After their midweek matchups against UTRGV and UHV, the Islanders will continue their Southland Conference season against Northwestern State, in a three-game series starting this Friday at 6:30 PM.

The Islanders' upcoming contest against UTRGV can be followed via the live stream provided by the Islander Digital Network, powered by AEP Texas.

STAY SOCIAL
For more information on Islanders Baseball, follow the team on Twitter (@IslandersBSB), Instagram (@islandersbsb) and like their Facebook page (Islanders Baseball).