Privateers Take on Middle Tennessee for First Time Since 2009

MIDDLE TENNESSEE (5-1) AT NEW ORLEANS (4-5)
GAME 10-12 | NEW ORLEANS, LA. | MAESTRI FIELD AT FIRST NBC BALLPARK
FRIDAY 6:30 PM | SATURDAY 12 PM | SUNDAY 1 PM
 
GAME NOTES | VIDEO/AUDIO | TWITTER | LIVE STATS

THE SERIES:
The New Orleans Privateers baseball team (4-5) will face an old Sun Belt foe in the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders (5-1) in a three-game series starting on Friday at Maestri Field at First NBC Ballpark. The series opens on Friday with a 6:30 p.m. first pitch.
 
The Privateers were blanked in both games of the First NBC Cup against Tulane, falling by scores of 9-0 and 4-0. New Orleans was held to just seven hits over the two contests. The Privateers had scored 39 runs in their first seven games.
 
Middle Tennessee comes in off the heels of a three-game sweep against Western Illinois. The Blue Raiders scored 40 runs in the series including 19 in the finale. Michael Adkins is second in the nation with 15 RBIs after having 22 RBIs in all of 2014. This is the first time the two teams will meet since 2009.
 
Jim McGuire is in his third season as head coach at Middle Tennessee. McGuire went 59-55 in his first two years in Murfreesboro. The Blue Raiders went 31-27 last season and finished 1-2 in the Conference USA tournament.

WEATHER:

DAY	TEMPERATURE	CONDITIONS	CHANCE OF RAIN	WINDS
Friday	55/42	Partly Cloudy	0%	NE 10-20
Saturday	61/55	Mostly Sunny	10%	ENE 10-20
Sunday	69/62	Rain	90%	ESE 10-20

 
PITCHING MATCHUP:
FRIDAY- UNO: RHP Shawn Semple (1-1, 0.87) vs. MTSU: LHP Johnathan Frebis (2-0, 7.20)
SATURDAY- UNO: LHP Jordan Priddle (2-0, 3.00) vs. MTSU: RHP Kooper Kessler (1-0, 1.86)
SUNDAY- UNO: RHP Alex Smith (1-1, 3.31) vs. MTSU: RHP Heath Slatton (1-1, 12.15)
 
ALL-TIME SERIES:
RECORD: New Orleans leads 22-19
LAST MEETING: Middle Tennessee W 12-2 (3/8/09)
 
NEXT UP:
The Privateers will face Sacred Heart for the first time in program history on Tuesday at Maestri Field. First pitch is for 6:30 p.m.
 
NEWS AND NOTES:
LONG RELIEF:
Mitchell Cohen appeared in the first game of the series against Tulane on Tuesday and threw 3.1 innings, limiting the Green Wave to one run in that span. Cohen had four appearances of at least 3.0 frames in 2014.
 
SO SMOOTH:
Jonathan Santana threw out two runners trying to steal bases in Wednesday's game against Tulane, bringing his season total to four runners thrown out in 11 tries against him. Santana finished in the top five in the Southland last season with 17 runners thrown out.
 
TOP OF THE BOARD:
Alex Smith leads the Southland in innings pitched (16.1) after starting his third game on Wednesday night. Darron McKigney co-leads the Southland in appearances after getting six calls out of the pen. McKigney worked a scoreless inning on Wednesday.
 
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