Baseball opens Southland slate at Incarnate Word

SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- The Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi baseball program (9-5, 0-0 Southland) kicks off the team's Southland Conference schedule at Incarnate Word (8-5-0, 0-0 Southland) this weekend, battling the Cardinals in a three-game series running from Friday, Mar. 8 through Sunday, Mar. 10 at Daniel Sullivan Field in San Antonio, Texas. The Islanders enter the league clash boasting wins in seven of their past eight contests, including back-to-back victories over Ohio State and a weekend sweep of Eastern Michigan. Meanwhile, UIW has shouldered losses in three of their past five games, including a pair against UT-Arlington last weekend and Texas State on Wednesday evening.

Series Schedule
Friday, Mar. 8
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at Incarnate Word -- 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, Mar. 9
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at Incarnate Word -- 2 p.m.
Sunday, Mar. 10
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at Incarnate Word -- 1 p.m.

Location: Daniel Sullivan Field | San Antonio, Texas
Live Stats: HERE
Live Video: HERE
Live Audio: HERE
 

• Scott Malone enters his 12th season leading Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, sporting a 293-334-2 overall record with the Blue & Green.
• The Islanders 30-win season last year serves as Malone's fourth-best overall finish since taking the helm in 2008.
• The team boasts nine seniors: RHP Chad Romere, RHP Chris Glover, OF Nick Anderson, UT Andriud Martinez, INF Enrique Sanchez Jr., OF Thomas Jeffries IV, RHP Tate Gillespie, LHP Dylan Duarte and LHP Cody LeCompte.
• This year's roster is highlighted by 11 newcomers, as senior Dylan Duarte joined the program as a graduate transfer from Alabama, juniors Scott Hastings, Cole Fluta, Tyler Mendoza, Joey Werner and Mike Williams transferred from junior colleges and freshmen Justin Taylor, Mason Hopkins, Hayden Thomas, Dom Lopez and Steven Vejil signed on directly from high school.
• This season's depth chart features 29 players from across the state of Texas and one from each of the following: California, New Jersey, Minnesota, Puerto Rico and Venezuela.
• The Islanders were picked 11th in the Southland Conference Preseason Poll.
• Texas A&M-Corpus Christi returns nine of last season's 13 starters, including seniors Nick Anderson, Andriud Martinez, Enrique Sanchez Jr., Thomas Jeffries IV and Tate Gillespie along with juniors Itchy Burts, Drake Osborn, Luke Marbach and Dustin Lacaze.

Following the three-game bout at Incarnate Word, the Islanders close out the five-game road trip against rival UT-Rio Grande Valley, traveling to Edinburg to battle the Vaqueros in the opening round of the South Texas Showdown on Tuesday, Mar. 12 at 6 p.m.

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